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Ken Garner :: The Peel Sessions: A story of teenage dreams and one man’s love of new music

BBC Books

Reviewed on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 by Ryan E. rodriguez

When John Peel stepped behind glass at BBC Radio, big wigs were harsh. In ’67, silver-tressed Brit’s preached conservatism, and Peel was the longshot ex-pirate DJ. By ’04, Peel’s last year of life, longshot became bigshot, and the UK wept for the best friend they’d never met, the voice whose screaming whisper cried for new music.
The book is about the live recordings initially created to combat conformity to restrictions on “needletime” (actual record airtime). This complete history, citing before Sessions had “Peel” prefixes, includes 160+ pages listing every artist Peel showcased, and it’s a doozy. When punk wasn’t dead, but Queen E turned her royal nose at it, and The Smith’s made knots in old-fashioned BBC’s BVDs, Peel played it anyway. Detailing cussing and spitting punk’s in studio and Marley’s mid-session hashish grind-up, the book chronicles Peel’s music philosophy of “like it or not, this is happening”. We Yanks’ weren’t BBC fanatics in the 70’s-80’s, but we can respect Peel’s first reveal of “Stairway to Heaven”. Part history, fable, and archive, this is the encyclopedia of the broadcaster’s legacy.

:: The Independent Guide to Facebook

Dennis Publishing

Reviewed on Sunday, March 30, 2008 by Jolie Nguyen

By now, everyone has surely heard of Facebook. Facebook is the fastest growing social networking site in the world. While Myspace has a larger number of users as a result of being in the game longer, Facebook has quickly gained popularity and respect amongst social networkers- from business professionals to eager college students, all without the spam and absurdity that is common to Myspace.

For those who have yet to catch up to the craze, or for those who wish to up their Facebook skills, comes “The Independent Guide to Facebook,” a bookazine that provides 148 pages of Facebook know-how to turn a novice into a savvy user. From getting started to feeding a Facebook addiction on a cellphone, the bookazine has all the information you need. It also touches base on how to take the right photos, why you probably shouldn’t add random people, and how to utilize Facebook’s gazillion applications. Finally, everything there is to know about Facebook.

John Peel and Sheila Ravenscroft :: Margrave of the Marshes

Chicago Review Press

Reviewed on Thursday, March 29, 2007 by Jane Park

Having passionately shared his love for music with the world, John Peel will easily be remembered as one of the most legendary DJs for the rest of rock history. Jack White pens the foreword to this two-part memoir first started by Peel and later completed by his wife, Sheila Ravenscroft, after his death in 2004. It is not just a story of about his influential career. It is a window to his experiences, thoughts, emotions and struggles—all expressed with honesty in its purest form. Peel does not just reveal John the successful DJ, but John the child, John the adolescent, John the working man, John the lover of music and of life. Despite his absence, those who have ever been influenced by Peel—The White Stripes and many music fans among us—will again have the chance to enjoy his voice. Let the man speak.

Noah Kerner & Gene Pressman :: Chasing Cool

Atria Books

Reviewed on Thursday, March 29, 2007 by Elisa Padilla

It’s stated many times in this book that every company wants to be the iPod of their industry, and it’s true, since the iPod is not going anywhere anytime soon. And, in a world filled with so many companies trying to find their niche in today’s marketplace, it’s hard to be cool. Chasing Cool looks into a variety of companies from different industries and why they are or were at the top of their game. From stories about Grey Goose Vodka and Barneys to contributions from Tony Hawk and Talib Kweli, the book analyzes what makes something cool. Eventually what it comes down to is that the coolest companies or brands never set out to be cool, but rather provide something that was not previously done, or if it had been, they set out to do it better, just like the iPod.

Roni Sarig :: Third Coast

Da Capo Press

Reviewed on Thursday, March 29, 2007 by Skinny B

The notion that Southern hip-hop’s current dominance isn’t the death of a genre but a return to its birthplace might make some serious heads put a price on Roni Sarig’s head. That real shit came from the Bronx. Sarig is quick to point out that hip-hop’s storied genesis (Herc with the system, Bambaataa with the records) isn’t a farce, he just examines the bloodlines further into the past. From the early stages of rock’n’roll, all the way back to the sing-song communication of slaves on the plantation, Sarig argues that the Third Coast (the territory) is succeeding because of its familiarity with the building blocks of all modern music. But Third Coast (the book) is also the most thorough, definitive and well-researched exploration of Southern hip-hop’s history that we have. Even if snap music threatens to put murder in your daily mantra, there is no denying this region’s rich history and even a few dope hip-hop cuts. Or what. . .you don’t like OutKast?