Magic Circles: The Beatles in Dream and History
By Devin McKinney

This isn't your average Beatles book! MAGIC CIRCLES: THE BEATLES IN DREAM AND HISTORY by Devin McKinney discusses and analyzes many aspects of The Beatles history that really haven't been touched on before. Maybe that's why I found the book so compelling. The other thing I noticed is that I found NO errors in its 368 pages of text. Not a single one! I can't remember the last time I read a Beatles book that was so well researched when it came to the facts, names and dates.

Some of the topics include: John's fascination with Jesus in 1966 (mainly due to Hugh J. Schonfield's book "The Passover Plot"); Bob Whitaker's photo session out of which the "Butcher Cover" came and the surrealistic meanings that he originally intended; What ultimately led to the disastrous 1966 tour; The 'hippie albatross' that he calls "The Sgt. Pepper Conspiracy"; John's growing political activism and why some at the time of the WHITE ALBUM thought The Beatles didn't say "enough" about politics; The "Paul is dead" saga is explored. McKinney also points out some weird parallels: Lennon was having his famous bad acid trip on the roof of Abbey Road during the recording of "Getting Better"- the very day that Charles Manson leaves McNeil Island prison. He also puts this thought in your head - If Abbey Road had come out sooner- maybe there wouldn't have been the Manson murders?

Also covered is one of my favorite topics (before the Lewhison book "settled" the question) and that is unreleased Beatles songs. Long thought to be a Beatles out-take, "Have You Heard the Word" is discussed as well as "Candle Burns (Peace of Mind)", with compelling evidence given that this second tune could still be a Beatles track!

Finally, what really endears this book to me is how McKinney himself, a second-generation Beatles fan, tells of how he became so fascinated by The Beatles. Being a second-generation fan myself (with my earliest first-ever memory being that of seeing The Beatles on TV in 1966!) I hold a kinship with him.

Like I said, this isn't your average Beatles book. It will make you see some aspects of the Fab Four in a new light and perhaps change your views of them.

Inside Out: A Personal History Of Pink Floyd
By Nick Mason

INSIDE OUT: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF PINK FLOYD is a glorious scrapbook of photos and stories of Pink Floyd by their drummer, Nick Mason. The text of the book follows the band from their beginnings to their ultimate break-up. Thankfully the story starts when Mason is in college and meets the other future members of Floyd - there are no boring childhood stories, the book solely concentrates on the band. But, if you are looking for any scandalous "insider" stories about Pink Floyd - you had better look elsewhere. Mason is the perfect English gentleman and even puts a gentile twist on the various conflicts of the band.

However, there are a few very interesting stories in the book. It is great to hear Mason's recollection of the infamous Syd Barrett visit to the "Wish You Were Here" recording session in 1975 - that tale has been told so many times it is great to actually hear it from a band member. The book also contains a photo of Syd at this meeting and it is truly haunting - the expression on Syd's face is a sad shadow of his former self. The only "revelation" I found in the book was when the band was deciding on a follow-up to ANIMALS. I didn't know that the band listened to demos of both THE WALL and THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCHHIKING to decide on their next album.

What makes the book so essential is the generous plethora of photos throughout Floyd's history. They are amazing, truly a 'feast for the eyes' for any Pink Floyd fan and a fitting visual tribute to a band whose music paints such an aural picture!

This book is a necessary acquisition for any true rock fan, not just the Pink Floyd fanatic.

Billy Joel: The Life & Times Of An Angry Young Man
By Hank Bordowitz

I was amazed that BILLY JOEL: THE LIFE & TIMES OF AN ANGRY YOUNG MAN is only the first published biography of the "piano man", especially someone as prolific and interesting as Billy Joel. Sure, Billy Joel has had to endure a lot of crap from some critics, but you can't deny his talent and longevity at his craft. Joel takes his personal privacy VERY seriously and one of the stumbling blocks that Hank Bordowitz encountered in writing this book was that many of Joel's friends and associates have signed non-disclosure agreements.

Despite the obstacles, Bordowitz delivers an entertaining, fair and balanced tale of Billy Joel - not only covering his often 'tragic' personal life but the most important thing: his music! There is even something for music trivia buffs (like myself): Billy played piano for Shadow Morton's production of two Shangri-Las songs: "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand) and "Leader of the Pack". However, my only critique of the book is that even more time isn't spent on the music - what inspired each song and the recording processes of each album.

Those who enjoyed Billy Joel's appearance on VH1's "Behind the Music" are really going to like this book. While it doesn't quite tell the 'full' story (understandable because of the already discussed reasons), it succeeds in its valiant attempt to decipher a sometimes-puzzling rock star.

This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Album Covers
By Jenifer McKnight-Trontz

Remember those "Album Cover Album" books that celebrated the artwork of classic vinyl albums? Back when Hipgnosis ruled as the primo album graphic designers (whatever happened to them?). Well, the '80s was the last decade in which the album cover (I'm talking 12" vinyl album) was truly an art form. With the advent of the compact disc, the 12" square art canvas of album covers was reduced to the lowest common denominator (money) of the 5" square CD cover. Gone was the art form itself and in its place was a cover too small to capture any detail.

THIS AIN'T NO DISCO (NEW WAVE ALBUM COVERS) celebrates the "last hurray" of the album cover artwork, concentrating on the "new wave" music of the late '70s to mid '80s. So of course you get everyone from The Go Gos to Billy Idol to the Stray Cats. But you also get a few other more obscure covers that brought back memories: Bram Tchaikovsky, Pearl Harbor, The Members and 'M'.

My only complaint is the size of the book. At 7" square, it relegates the original 12" album cover to an almost CD cover size.

Still, a great blast from the past….