{"title":"Books by Paul Rees","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781788705820","title":"Shooting Star","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A masterpiece. Beautiful, tragic and immaculately researched.' - Matt Everitt\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'Elliott was one of the best songwriters of our day and a formidable musician.' - Beck\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'There's an undercurrent of real sadness in a lot of his music ... and that's just really the way he was.' - Steve Drozd, Flaming Lips\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2003, Steven 'Elliott' Smith died from two stab wounds to the heart. To this day, the autopsy evidence remains inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted or the result of homicide. Either way, this tragic end to Elliott's short-lived though prodigiously talented life became the dark denouement of a story riddled with depression, mental illness, addiction and chronic substance abuse. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYet it is also a story of worldwide critical acclaim, of Oscar nominations and of some of the finest recorded music of the late twentieth century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, two decades after Elliott's death, \u003ci\u003eShooting Star\u003c\/i\u003e seeks to encapsulate the many complexities of this shy, funny, engaging, enigmatic musician and his desperately troubled soul. With contributions from those closest to Elliott who have not previously spoken about their friend, this masterful biography places the singer-songwriter's vulnerabilities and decline within the broader context of all that he achieved: the sheer, stark beauty of the records he made and the resounding impact they went on to have across a whole spectrum of contemporary music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the definitive account of Elliott Smith - a once-in-a-generation artist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57685677048181,"sku":"9781788705844","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":43206248202418,"sku":"9781788705820","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781788705844.jpg?v=1792598820"},{"product_id":"9781472124340","title":"A Fast Ride Out of Here","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e'They call me a madman but compared to Pete Way, I'm out of my league.'\u003c\/i\u003e - Ozzy Osbourne\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are rock memoirs and then there is this one. \u003ci\u003eA Fast Ride Out of Here \u003c\/i\u003etells a story that is so shocking, so outrageous, so packed with excess and leading to such uproar and tragic consequences as to be almost beyond compare. Put simply, in terms of jaw-dropping incident, self-destruction and all-round craziness, Pete Way's rock'n'roll life makes even Keith Richards's appear routine and Ozzy Osbourne seem positively mild-mannered in comparison. Not for nothing did Nikki Sixx, bassist with LA shock-rockers Motley Crue and who 'died' for eight minutes following a heroin overdose in 1988, consider that he was a disciple of and apprenticed to Way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDuring a forty-year career as founding member and bassist of the venerated British hard rock band UFO, and which has also included a stint in his hell-raising buddy Ozzy's band, Pete Way has both scaled giddy heights and plunged to unfathomable lows. A heroin addict for more than ten years, he blew millions on drugs and booze and left behind him a trail of chaos and carnage. The human cost of this runs to six marriages, four divorces, a pair of estranged daughters and two dead ex-wives. Latterly, Way has fought cancer, but has survived it all and is now ready to tell his extraordinary tale. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy turns hilarious, heart-rending, mordant, scabrous, self-lacerating, brutally honest and entirely compulsive, \u003ci\u003eA Fast Ride Out of Here \u003c\/i\u003ewill be a monument to rock'n'roll debauchery on an epic, unparalleled scale and also to one man's sheer indestructability.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43403749753010,"sku":"9781472124340","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472124340_4f44b761-ccb7-4a5d-87e1-b69701d9f5f8.jpg?v=1786020472"},{"product_id":"9780711277144","title":"The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis inspirational book from Kew Gardens' cacti and succulents expert is the perfect guide to growing and maintaining a wide variety of these fascinating plants.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Indoors \u003c\/b\u003eor \u003cb\u003eoutside\u003c\/b\u003e, in the \u003cb\u003esmallest spaces\u003c\/b\u003e or as features in\u003cb\u003e large gardens\u003c\/b\u003e, succulents and cacti are popular in homes and gardens all across the world, regardless of climate. They’re \u003cb\u003eresilient\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ebeautiful \u003c\/b\u003eand\u003cb\u003e easy to care for\u003c\/b\u003e as long as you’re armed with the right knowledge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Packed with information and inspiration, and with the guiding authority and expertise of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, this book teaches you everything you need to know about \u003cb\u003e50 speciments of succulents and cacti\u003c\/b\u003e, from \u003cb\u003eideal humidity, light and temperature\u003c\/b\u003e, to \u003cb\u003emaintenance instructions\u003c\/b\u003e so that your plants can thrive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This book also contains \u003cb\u003e12 easy-to-follow projects\u003c\/b\u003e for you to carry out at home, so you can grow a vibrant array of succulents and cacti for your home, whether you are a\u003cb\u003e complete beginner \u003c\/b\u003eor a\u003cb\u003e keen enthusiast.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Combining \u003cb\u003ebeautiful botanical illustrations\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003epractical advice\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents \u003c\/i\u003eis the \u003cb\u003edefinitive introduction\u003c\/b\u003e to growing these wonderful plants.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This book is from the \u003cb\u003eKew Experts\u003c\/b\u003e series, in which the top gardeners and botanical scientists from Royal Botanic Kew Gardens offer up advice and information as well as suggesting handy projects on a range of gardening topics. 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To that end, John Entwistle - the Who's beloved bassist - is also without question one of the most important and influential figures in the annals of rock. He is also among an even more rarefied few by virtue of his being such a fascinating, transfixing and gloriously oversized character. However, Entwistle has not been the subject of a major biography. Likely, this was due to no-one being able to gain close access to the subject himself: the still in many other respects enigmatic Entwistle's enduring legacy has been carefully guarded by his surviving family. With the full co-operation of the Entwistle family, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Ox \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ewill correct this oversight and in doing so, shine a long overdue light on one of the single greatest, and most impactful figures in rock history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on his own notes for an unfinished autobiography that he started before his death in 2002 (and which will be quoted from extensively), as well as his personal archives and interviews with his family and friends, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Ox \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003ewill give readers a never-before-seen glimpse into the two very distinct poles of John Entwistle. On the one hand, he was the rock star incarnate, being larger than life, self-obsessed to a fault, and proudly and almost defiantly so. Extravagant with money, he famously shipped two vintage American cars across the Atlantic without having so much as a driver's license, built exponentially bigger and grandiose bars into every home he owned, and amassed an extraordinary collection of possessions, from arachnids, armor, and weaponry, to his patented Cuban-heeled boots. But beneath this fame and flutter, he was also a man of simple tastes and traditional opinions. 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Inside it was a silver bullet and a note that read: ‘You’ll get one of these through your knees if you step on our Wembley turf.’ \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the 1978\/79 football season Regis' club West Bromwich Albion, an unglamorous and little publicised club from the West Midlands, became the first British football team to field three black players: Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson. They did so against the backdrop of the most divisive and poisonous racial tension in the UK’s history – a time when the National Front movement was at its most virulent. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book will tell the story of a defining and groundbreaking chapter in the history of British football and the country as a whole. The story is one about sport but also as much one about social change.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300398084469,"sku":"9781472119261","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472119261_18e109ef-08b2-4689-8499-d905b4a67014.jpg?v=1786021106"},{"product_id":"9781408721117","title":"Raised on Radio","description":"'Consistently entertaining... Splendid' Mail on Sunday'Crammed with personal, often priceless insights about cut-throat life in the fast lane' Irish TimesA massively entertaining oral biography of the golden era of critically derided yet monumentally popular radio rock, when Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Toto, and more ruled the airwaves.   Paul Rees's Raised on Radio is, remarkably, the first biography of AOR ('Album-Oriented Rock'), critically derided at the time but massively popular during its 1976-1986 heyday when artists such as Journey, Boston, Foreigner, Toto, REO Speedwagon, Heart, Pat Benatar, Bryan Adams, and Styx sold many millions of albums and toured stadiums. Today, those very same songs are streaming in record numbers and many of the artists continue to play to sellout audiences around the world. They may have been dismissed at the time as terminally uncool by elitist rock critics in thrall to punk and new wave, but their music was, and is still, the soundtrack to so many people's lives.   For better or worse, AOR's prime movers lived life in the fast lane. Cocaine use was rampant, egos were unchecked, and intra-band fighting became par for the course. What's more, their influence stretches across generations and through the fabric of popular American music. AOR invented the power ballad, and the sound of it has travelled on through hair metal, pop rock, and right up to Taylor Swift.   Raised on Radio is a stadium-sized, massively entertaining oral and pop-cultural history in the bestselling tradition of Meet Me in the Bathroom, Nothin' But a Good Time, and Please Kill Me, capturing a time and place that was as big, booming, and unabashed as the music that provided its soundtrack.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":56368832643445,"sku":"9781408721117","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":57682836291957,"sku":"9781408721087","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781408721117_64599099-c793-45bd-9590-63f6279a3810.jpg?v=1792511719"},{"product_id":"robert-plant-a-life","title":"Robert Plant: A Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eRobert Plant is one of the few genuine living rock legends. Frontman of Led Zeppelin, musical innovator and seller of millions of records, Plant has had a profound influence on music for over four decades. But the full account of his life has barely been told … until now.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRobert Plant: A Life is the first complete and comprehensive telling of Plant’s story.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom his earliest performances in folk clubs in the early 1960s, to the world’s biggest stages as Led Zeppelin’s self-styled ‘Golden God’, and on to his emergence as an emboldened solo star. The sheer scale of Zeppelin’s success is extraordinary: in the US alone they sold 70 million records, a figure surpassed only by the Beatles. But their success was marred by tragedy. 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The dominant pop-culture sound of the late-1970s and '80s was not in fact the smash and sneer of punk, but a slick, polished amalgam of rock and R\u0026amp;B that was first staked out on Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees. That album was shaped in large part by the founding members of Toto, who were emerging as the most in-demand elite session muso-crew in LA, and further developed on the band's self-titled three-million-selling debut smash of 1978. A string of hits followed for the band going into the '80s and beyond. Running parallel to this, as stellar session players, Lukather and band-mates David Paich, Jeff Porcaro and Steve Porcaro were also the creative linchpins on some of the most successful, influential and enduring records of the era. In The Gospel According to Luke, Lukather tells the Toto story: how a group of high school friends formed the band in 1977 and went on to sell more than 40 million records worldwide. He also lifts the lid on what really went on behind the closed studio doors and shows the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Roger Waters and Aretha Franklin. And yet, Lukather's extraordinary tale encompasses the dark side of the American Dream.   Engaging, incisive and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir. It is the real thing . . .","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504752402805,"sku":"9781472126443","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472126443.jpg?v=1786953669"},{"product_id":"mellencamp","title":"Mellencamp","description":"John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star. Not only has he absorbed into his own work the influence of Faulkner, Steinbeck and other literary giants, he himself could have stepped straight from the pages of any of their great American novels. A complex, colorful and larger than life character, Mellencamp, like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash before him, walks to the beat of his own drum.  Mellencamp charts the life of one of the most fascinating characters in American music.  With Mellencamp's full blessing, Rees will include interviews with his friends, family and colleagues, including Bob Seger, Stephen King, Willie Nelson, Larry McMurtry, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Chuck D, among others. Rees will also include interviews from artists on whom Mellencamp has had a pronounced influence, such as as John Mayer, Keith Urban, and Jason Isbell.    John Mellencamp is an American original. 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