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his attraction to feedback, and then churns
some chunky riffs out of his Les Paul.
Asheton also relives the concert where The
Stooges were discovered at The University
of Michigan, discloses the band’s drug habits
and how the band became unified through
their acid use, and discusses the impact that
Hendrix’s Are You Experienced? had on the
band. Late in the film Asheton admits that he
believed that The Stooges had the potential
to become “The American Rolling Stones”
had they not split up.
When a recording of “No Fun” is played during the interview with Iggy, the pure joy seen
in his face is exciting. He reveals that that
Stooges’ classic was inspired by Johnny Cash,
and meant to reflect life in the Midwest. Live
footage includes complete live renditions of
“T.V. Eye,” “China Girl,” “Some Weird Sin”
and “Real Wild Child.” The movie was produced for German television, so much of the
narration mid-movie is in German. Whatever
the language, fans of Ron and Iggy will enjoy
a revealing and interesting look into some of
the punk rock’s biggest pioneers.— BC
MSRP $18.95
mvdb2b.com
Books
Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of
Bob Marley
If a picture is worth a thousand words, an
intimate picture of an artist you’ve listened
to forever has to be worth much more. Songs
burned into your memory resonate with the
image in front of you while your knowledge
of the artist’s backstory and playing style
send your eyes on a hunt for nuances and
details. This experience makes Soul Rebel,
a collection of more than 200 never-before-seen photos of Bob Marley and his fellow
musicians, an engaging read despite the
limited text. Taken by David Burnett—an
acclaimed photojournalist who has shot wars,
historic events and celebrity profiles for Life,
Fortune, The New York Times and The New
Yorker—the photos are from his 1976 Time
assignment to cover the emergence of reggae in Jamaica and his 1977 Rolling Stone
assignment to cover Marley’s Exodus tour.
Few artists have touched the world the
way Marley has, and this profound influence gives Burnett’s intimate glimpse of
the star during his rise a mystical quality
that transcends your typical coffee table
rock-star photo book. Burnett’s visual narrative begins with a look at the rising stars of
reggae music in Ocho Rios and then picks
up in Kingston where Peter Tosh and the
Wailers were advancing the movement. It
then progresses to a photo shoot at Marley’s
home, backstage and travel photos from the
Exodus tour, and then peaks with a series of
performance shots as the book closes.
There is no shortage of books on reggae
music’s biggest star; in fact, we would actually recommend others for those looking for
an all-encompassing volume about the legend. Soul Rebel, however, is well worth the
money for anyone interested in a captivating experience with this important chapter
of Marley’s life.—JC
MSRP $39.95
InsightEditions.com
Gibson Amplifiers 1933-2008: 75
Years of the Gold Tone
According to author Wallace Marx Jr., the
motivation for the first book dedicated
entirely to Gibson amplifiers arose when a
chance encounter with a 1957 GA- 70 Country
Western amplifier that was almost tossed
out with the trash convinced him that there
were too many Gibson amps that “too few
people knew too little about.” Beginning with
a primer on the origins and early phases of
instrument amplification, Marx begins to reassemble the many scattered and incomplete
pieces of the story behind the Kalamazoo
instrument maker’s entrance into modern
sound amplification before WWII and the
company’s further efforts up to 2008.
Despite a heap of obstacles—myths,
rumors, missing or unreliable records—
Marx did his homework. His pages are
full of the kind of evidence that mark a
reliable history and the kind of uncovered
details that make for a rewarding read. The
resulting account, though it may yet be
expanded, establishes an impressive and
thorough groundwork for Gibson amplifier
enthusiasts. Those who are not yet Gibson
amp mavens, but who might wish to be, will
likely find this book takes them quite far.
In addition to the nearly 80 pages dedicated to the history of Gibson and Gibson-produced amplifiers (Epiphone, Maestro,
Kalamazoo, SG Systems, and Lab Series) the
book also includes 16 pages of full-color
photos illustrating the major elements of the
Gibson amp story and a complete guide to
every standard production Gibson amplifier—
in the manner that makes all Blue Book publications so very useful, with lots of information
and pictures. Included with the book is a
CD-ROM with the original Gibson Amplifier
Master Service Book, as well as manuals
and schematics for Gibson amps produced
between 1936 and 1966.—CB
Street $29.95
bluebookinc.com
