Rock N Roll Librarian: Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk

Rock N Roll Librarian: Elvis Costello: Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink: Welcome to a new part of the Rock N Roll Archaeology Project - the Rock N Roll Librarian! Once a month, in between the main show episodes we will be diving into a Rock N Roll book with our own real librarian who rocks - Shelley Sorenson. Shelley has been a librarian for 33 years, a music fan longer and a singer/guitarist and will provide some great insight as she co-hosts each episode with the host of The Rock N Roll Archaeology Project, Christian Swain. This week Shelley and Christian review Elvis Costello: Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink. Released on October 15, 2015 by Blue Rider Press. Head over to www.rocknrollarchaeology.com to contact us and you can help support the podcast by purchasing this book through the link below. by Rock N Roll Librarian

29 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Delta Lady by Rita Coolidge: Shelley & Christian dive into this memoir by Rita Coolidge, a muse to some of the twentieth century’s most influential rock musicians, she broke hearts, and broke up bands. Her relationship with drummer Jim Gordon took a violent turn during the legendary 1970 Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour; David Crosby maintained that her triangle with Stills and Graham Nash was the last straw for the group. Her volatile six-year marriage to Kris Kristofferson yielded two Grammys, a daughter, and one of the Baby Boom generation’s epic love stories. Throughout it all, her strength, resilience, and inner and outer beauty—along with her strong sense of heritage and devotion to her family—helped her to not only survive, but thrive. Co-written with best-selling author Michael Walker, Delta Lady is a rich, deeply personal memoir that offers a front row seat to an iconic era, and illuminates the life of an artist whose career has helped shape modern American c by Rock N Roll Librarian

58 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir: This week Shelley and Christian discuss Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir. The legendary and iconic singer, songwriter, actress and activist offers a personal account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar. After leaving her childhood home at seventeen, Cyndi took on a series of jobs: racetrack hot walker, IHOP waitress, and, as she puts it, “gal Friday the thirteenth,” as she pursued her passion for music. She worked her way up playing small gigs and broke out in 1983 with She’s So Unusual, which earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist and made her the first female artist in history to have four top-five singles on a debut album. And while global fame wasn’t always what she expected, she has remained focused on what matters most. Cyndi is a gutsy real-life heroine who has never been afraid to speak her mind and stick up for a cause—whether it’s women’s rights, gay rights, or fighting against HIV/AIDS. Published by Simon and by Rock N Roll Librarian

67 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements: This week Shelley and Christian get into Trouble Boys: The True Story of The Replacements by Bob Mehr. Written with the participation of the group's key members, including reclusive singer-songwriter Paul Westerberg, bassist Tommy Stinson, and the family of late guitarist Bob Stinson, Trouble Boys is a deeply intimate and nuanced portrait, exposing the primal factors and forces—addiction, abuse, fear—that would shape one of the most brilliant and notoriously self-destructive groups of all time. by Rock N Roll Librarian

64 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Little Stevie Wonder: This week the rock n roll librarian does something a bit different we know you all will enjoy, she actually reads the amazing kid's book 'Little Stevie Wonder'. It is the true story of a boy who lost his sight shortly after birth, grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and became one of the twentieth century’s most creative and influential musicians—an instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, musical innovator, and cultural activist. As always -please subscribe, rate and review our podcasts in iTunes! by Rock N Roll Librarian

30 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me: Welcome to the the Rock N Roll Librarian! Once a month, in between the main Rock N Roll Archaeology episodes we will be diving into a Rock N Roll book with our own real librarian who rocks - Shelley Sorenson. Shelley has been a librarian for 33 years, a music fan longer and a singer/guitarist and will provide some great insight as she co-hosts each episode with the host of The Rock N Roll Archaeology Project, Christian Swain. This week Shelley and Christian review 'Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me.' Released on April 27, 2008 by Three Rivers Press. Head over to www.rocknrollarchaeology.com to contact us and you can help support the podcast by purchasing this book through the link on our site. Disclaimer: The views expressed here by Shelley Sorenson are made in her capacity as a private citizen, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the San Francisco Public Library or the City by Rock N Roll Librarian

46 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Bowie on Bowie Interviews and Encounters with David Bowie: Bowie on Bowie presents some of the best interviews David Bowie has granted in his near five-decade career. Each featured interview traces a new step in his unique journey, successively freezing him in time in all of his various incarnations, from a young novelty hit-maker and Ziggy Stardust to plastic soul player, 1980s sell-out, and the artistically reborn and beloved elder statesman of challenging popular music. In all of these iterations he is remarkably articulate and also preternaturally polite as almost every interviewer remarks upon his charm. The features in this book come from outlets both prestigious—Melody Maker, MOJO, New Musical Express, Q, Rolling Stone—and less well-known—the Drummer, Guitar, Ikon, Mr. Showbiz—but no matter the renown of the magazine, newspaper, or website, Bowie lets us approach the nerve center of his notoriously creative output. by Rock N Roll Librarian

47 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Reckless: My Life as a Pretender: Welcome to a new part of the Rock N Roll Archaeology Project - introducing the Rock N Roll Librarian! Once a month, in between the main show episodes we will be diving into a Rock N Roll book with our own real librarian who rocks - Shelley Sorenson. Shelley has been a librarian for 33 years, a music fan longer and a singer/guitarist and will provide some great insight as she co-hosts each episode with the host of The Rock N Roll Archaeology Project, Christian Swain. This week Shelley and Christian begin the series with Chrissie Hynde's memoir 'Reckless: My Life as a Pretender'. Released on September 8, 2015 by Doubleday Books. You can help support the podcast by purchasing 'Reckless: My Life as a Pretender' through the link below. by Rock N Roll Librarian

20 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk: This week Shelley & Christian discuss the early LA Punk scene through the lens of authors John Doe and Tom DeSavia, who have woven together an enthralling story of the legendary West Coast scene from 1977-1982 by enlisting the voices of people who were there. Including: Exene Cervenka (X), Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Mike Watt (The Minutemen), Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey (Go-Go's), Dave Alvin (The Blasters), and many more. by Rock N Roll Librarian

52 min listen

Rock n Roll Librarian: Otis!: The Otis Redding Story: As a companion piece to Rock N Roll Archaeology EP13: Hard to Handle, Shelley and Christian discuss this all too-short of the life story of Otis Redding, written by Scott Freeman. Scott gives his take on Otis' life coming from Macon Georgia, the same town where Little Richard and James Brown were born. Otis grew up on the streets. His father was preacher and had been a sharecropper. They lived in tough neighborhoods until Otis got money. Otis loved to be around his family and friends from home, although towards the end his life got very hectic and ended tragically. Published by St. Martin's Press - December 11, 2001. Please subscribe, rate and review and head over to Patreon to help support our network of rock based podcasts Disclaimer: The views expressed here by Shelley Sorenson are made in her capacity as a private citizen, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the San Francisco Public Library or the City of San Francisco. by Rock N Roll Librarian

73 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir: They say there are no second acts in American lives, and third acts are almost unheard of. That's part of what makes Brian Wilson's story so astonishing. As a co-founding member of the Beach Boys in the 1960s, Wilson created some of the most groundbreaking and timeless popular music ever recorded. With intricate harmonies, symphonic structures, and wide-eyed lyrics that explored life's most transcendent joys and deepest sorrows, songs like "In My Room," "God Only Knows," and "Good Vibrations" forever expanded the possibilities of pop songwriting. Derailed in the 1970s by mental illness, drug use, and the shifting fortunes of the band, Wilson came back again and again over the next few decades, surviving and-finally-thriving. Now, for the first time, he weighs in on the sources of his creative inspiration and on his struggles, the exhilarating highs and the debilitating lows. Published by DeCapo Press on October 16th, 2016 and written by Rock N Roll Librarian

67 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Reckless Daughter - A Portrait of Joni Mitchell: This episode Shelley and Christian review “Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell” by Professor David Yaffe. Consider this a companion to our interview with Professor Yaffe on Deeper Digs in Rock. Joni Mitchell may be the most influential female recording artist and composer of the late twentieth century. In Reckless Daughter, the music critic David Yaffe tells the remarkable, heart-wrenching story of how the blond girl with the guitar became a superstar of folk music in the 1960s, a key figure in the Laurel Canyon music scene of the 1970s, and the songwriter who spoke resonantly to, and for, audiences across the country. In this intimate biography, drawing on dozens of unprecedented in-person interviews with Mitchell, her childhood friends, and a cast of famous characters, Yaffe reveals the backstory behind the famous songs—from Mitchell’s youth in Canada, her bout with polio at age nine, and her early mar by Rock N Roll Librarian

79 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Metallica: Nothing Else Matters - The Graphic Novel: This week Shelley and Christian discuss Metallica: Nothing Else Matters The Graphic Novel. Brian Williamson’s stunning artwork and Jim McCarthy’s incisive script perfectly capture the rollercoaster tale of Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo and the many others who have passed through the Metallica story. Published by Overlook-Omnibus on October 14, 2014. Please subscribe, rate and review and head over to Patreon patreon.com/rocknrollpodcast to help support our network of rock based podcasts Disclaimer: The views expressed here by Shelley Sorenson are made in her capacity as a private citizen, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the San Francisco Public Library or the City of San Francisco. by Rock N Roll Librarian

64 min listen

Rock n Roll Librarian: Robbie Robertson: Testimony: Shelley and Christian discuss this captivating memoir, written over five years of reflection, where Robbie Robertson employs his unique storyteller’s voice to weave together the journey that led him to some of the most pivotal events in music history. He recounts the adventures of his half-Jewish, half-Mohawk upbringing on the Six Nations Indian Reserve and on the gritty streets of Toronto; his odyssey at sixteen to the Mississippi Delta, the fountainhead of American music; the wild early years on the road with rockabilly legend Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks; his unexpected ties to the Cosa Nostra underworld; the gripping trial-by-fire “going electric” with Bob Dylan on his 1966 world tour, and their ensuing celebrated collaborations; the formation of the Band and the forging of their unique sound, culminating with history's most famous farewell concert, brought to life for all time in Martin Scorsese's great movie The Last Waltz. Dis by Rock N Roll Librarian

70 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff by Mike Nesmith: One of the four Monkees was actually a futurist. Did you know that he helped birth MTV? Did you know he put together one of the first country rock outfits of the late 1960's early '70's? How about the fact he wrote 'Different Drum' famously covered by Linda Ronstadt. Did you know that Mike Nesmith's mother invented Liquid Paper? Shelly and Christian discuss this extremely interesting autobiography, 'Infinite Tuesdays: An Autobiographical Riff by Mike Nesmith.' Michael Nesmith’s eclectic, electric life spans his star-making role on The Monkees, his invention of the music video, and his critical contributions to movies, comedy, and the world of virtual reality. Above all, his is a seeker’s story, a pilgrimage in search of a set of principles to live by. That search took Nesmith from a childhood in Dallas, where his single mother Bette invented Liquid Paper, to the set of The Monkees in Los Angeles; to t by Rock N Roll Librarian

63 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: With A Little Help From My Friends: As a companion piece to Rock N Roll Archaeology EP14: I'd Love to Turn You On, Shelley and Christian discuss this book on the making of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper by George Martin & William Pearson Martin, writing with freelancer Pearson, describes in detail the creative processes-both artistic and technical-that went into making one of the most acclaimed Beatles albums, the 1967 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, `a musical fragmentation grenade, exploding with a force that is still being felt.' Tracing each song on the record from its genesis in the mind of one of the Fab Four, Martin explains how each fragment or idea evolved, with input from the entire band and from the engineering team, into a final track, and how the album broke new ground. Fans hoping for an inside scoop on some of the more sensational aspects of the bandmembers' lives will be disappointed, but admirers of the Beatles' music and those who take an intere by Rock N Roll Librarian

80 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Petty: The Biography: On October 7th, 2017 Tom Petty joined the rock n roll orchestra on the other side. He was 67 years young. For rockers around the world, like Prince a few months earlier, it was a shock coupled with immense sadness. Forever on we will not have Tom around with his Heartbreakers disposing easy wisdom in song or slyly telling off adversaries with Southern charm or that kick ass band that hummed like a stock car racer. It was a hard one to take. Join the Rock N Roll Librarian Shelley Sorenson and the Rock N Roll Archaeologist Christian Swain as they discuss Warren Zanes’ 2015 biography of the Gainesville born singer songwriter born in 1950 who found rock n roll as the only answer to his passions. No one other than Warren Zanes, rocker and writer and friend, could author a book about Tom Petty that is as honest and evocative of Petty's music and the remarkable rock and roll history he and his band helped to write. Born in Gainesville, Florida, wit by Rock N Roll Librarian

107 min listen

Bruce Dickinson: What Does This Button Do? - An Autobiography: Shelley and Christian have a great time getting into the memoir from Bruce Dickinson, the larger-than-life, multifaceted lead vocalist of Iron Maiden, one of the most successful, influential and enduring rock bands ever. Pioneers of Britain’s nascent Rock & Metal scene back in the late 1970s, Iron Maiden smashed its way to the top, thanks in no small part to the high-octane performances, operatic singing style, and stage presence of its second, but twice-longest-serving, lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. As Iron Maiden’s front man—first from 1981 to 1993, and then from 1999 to the present—Dickinson has been, and remains, a man of legend. But OTT front man is just one of the many hats Bruce wears. In addition to being one of the world’s most storied and well-respected singers and songwriters, he is an airline captain, aviation entrepreneur, motivational speaker, beer brewer, novelist, radio presenter, and film scriptwriter. He h by Rock N Roll Librarian

103 min listen

Time is Tight: My Life, Note By Note by Booker T. Jones: On this episode Rock n Roll Librarian Shelley Sorenson and Rock n Roll Archaeologist Christian Swain explore a musician vital to the Stax Records and Southern Soul sounds, Booker T. Jones. As we discuss his memoir, “Time is Tight: My Life, Note By Note”, we play samples of many Stax hits and other important tracks that Booker wrote, produced, arranged and performed on, featuring Otis Redding, William Bell, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Rita Coolidge, Sam and Dave and, of course, Booker T. and the MGs. From Booker T. Jones's earliest years in segregated Memphis, music was the driving force in his life. While he worked paper routes and played gigs in local nightclubs to pay for lessons, Jones, on the side, was also recording sessions in what became the famous Stax Studios - all while still in high school. Not long after, he would form the genre-defining group Booker T. and the MGs, whose by Rock N Roll Librarian

97 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Paul Simon: The Life: For more than fifty years, Paul Simon has spoken to us in songs about alienation, doubt, resilience, and empathy in ways that have established him as one of the most beloved artists in American pop music history. Songs like “The Sound of Silence,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” and “Graceland” have moved beyond the sales charts and into our cultural consciousness. But Simon is a deeply private person who has resisted speaking to us outside of his music. He has said he will not write an autobiography or memoir, and he has refused to talk to previous biographers. Finally, Simon has opened up—for more than one hundred hours of interviews—to Robert Hilburn, whose biography of Johnny Cash was named by Michiko Kakutani of the New York Times as one of her ten favorite books of 2013. The result is a landmark book that will take its place as the defining biography of one of America’s greatest artists Join Shelley a by Rock N Roll Librarian

92 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars: This week Shelley and Christian review 'From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars' by Virginia Hanlon Grohl with forward by Dave Grohl. Published by Seal Press, April 2017. Written by Dave Grohl’s mom (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) to answer her own questions about the experiences of other mothers who had raised rock stars, and based on interviews with women who had done just that. She was curious about whether they were as surprised as she was about their children's fame; whether they worried about their children's well-being in an industry fraught with drugs and other dangers; whether or not they had actively encouraged their children's passions despite the odds against success; and whether they were raised in musical households. During her two year journey she interviewed a several moms of musicians covering a range of genres and generations, such as by Rock N Roll Librarian

66 min listen

Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen: Shelley and Christian dive into Bruce's autobiography, 'Born to Run'. In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl’s halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That’s how this extraordinary autobiography began. Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs. He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as “The Big Bang”: seeing Elvis Presley’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that ins by Rock N Roll Librarian

127 min listen

Rock N Roll Librarian: Hit So Hard: This episode the Rock N Roll Librarian Shelley Sorensen and C Swain review ‘Hit So Hard’ by original drummer for the 90’s grunge band, Hole. Patty Schemel's story begins with a childhood surrounded by the AA meetings her parents hosted in the family living room. Their divorce triggered her first forays into drinking at age twelve and dovetailed with her passion for punk rock and playing the drums. Patty's struggles with her sexuality further drove her notoriously hard playing, and by the late '80s she had focused that anger, confusion, and drive into regular gigs with well-regarded bands in Tacoma, Seattle, and Olympia, Washington. She met a pre-Nirvana Kurt Cobain at a Melvins show, and less than five years later, was living with him and his wife, Hole front-woman Courtney Love, at the height of his fame and on the cusp of hers. As the platinum-selling band's new drummer, Schemel contributed memorable, driving beats to hits like "Beautiful Son," "Vi by Rock N Roll Librarian

82 min listen

Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson: This episode Rock N Roll Librarian Shelley Sorenson and Rock N Roll Archaeologist Christian Swain go down the big muddy river and deep into the delta to discuss Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow’s new book ‘Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson’. This time, while on our Mississippi adventure, we will play many of the few Robert Johnson recordings and couple that with samples from famous acolytes throughout the rock n roll era to show just how influential this guy was to the latter music. Robert Johnson’s recordings, made in 1936 and 1937, have profoundly influenced generations of singers, guitarists, and songwriters. Yet until now, his short life—he was murdered at the age of 27—has been poorly documented. Gayle Dean Wardlow has been interviewing people who knew Johnson since the early 1960s, and he was the person who discovered Johnson’s death certificate in 1967. Bruce Conforth began his study of Johnson’s life by Rock N Roll Librarian

88 min listen

Shout, Sister, Shout! - The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Praise the Lord! Shelley and Christian discuss the “Godmother of Rock and Roll”, whose obscure tale is told in the book Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe by Gayle F. Wald, 2007. Brought up in the Pentecostal church where congregants celebrated God with lively, joyful, rhythmic music using voice, trumpets, tambourines, pianos, organs, and guitars, Sister Rosetta brought rhythm and swing, her powerful voice, her charisma and her own brand of guitar playing out into the world. This Black woman’s achievements on the electric guitar have been minimized, but her distinctive fills and thrilling solos were revolutionary and influenced the likes of Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and a host of British blues aficionados like Keith Richards and Eric Clapton. Join us to experience the story and music of Sister Rosetta, who was finally induc by Rock N Roll Librarian

107 min listen

Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story: On this episode of the Rock n Roll Librarian, Shelley tells Christian all about the book RAGE TO SURVIVE: THE ETTA JAMES STORY. One of the great women of American music, Etta was equally at home singing blues, R&B, and jazz, and gave us such amazing songs as “I’d Rather Go Blind”, “Tell Mama”, and “At Last”. She regales us with riveting stories of her chaotic youth in Los Angeles, her teen years in San Francisco’s Fillmore district, and her troubled trip to stardom. From being discovered at age five singing in her church choir, to her first hit record, to her work and friendships with Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and other stars of the Golden Age of Soul, Etta relates with brutal honesty her struggle with drugs, her childhood dealing with an elusive and unstable mother, and her lifelong trouble with brutal and controlling men. A riveting story told in Etta’s own unvarnished and humorously right-on words. By Etta James and David Rit by Rock N Roll Librarian

105 min listen

Face It: A Memoir by Debbie Harry: Happy Holidays Diggers! Open up this present early! Shelley and Christian break down the new autobiography of one of the most beautiful punkers to ever hit the CBGB’s stage, Deborah Harry. The book is called, ‘Face It: A Memoir’ and it is a deep dig, warts and all of her life and times. It’s a great book, written by the Blondie singer herself and punctuated with expected pictures and unexpected fan art sent to her over the decades. Musician, actor, activist, and the iconic face of New York City cool, Debbie Harry is the frontwoman of Blondie, a band that forged a new sound that brought together the worlds of rock, punk, disco, reggae and hip-hop to create some of the most beloved pop songs of all time. As a muse, she collaborated with some of the boldest artists of the past four decades. The scope of Debbie Harry’s impact on our culture has been matched only by her reticence to reveal her rich inner life—until now. In an arresting mix of visceral, sou by Rock N Roll Librarian

99 min listen

Aretha: The Queen of Soul - A Life in Photographs: Shelley and Christian dig deep into friend of the show Meredith Ochs' latest book, Aretha: The Queen of Soul - A Life in Photographs. Since the book is filled with photos, along with three essays by Ms. Ochs, we decide to play as many disparate songs by the Diva of divas to showcase just how amazing Aretha really was during her lifetime. Aretha Franklin’s voice was legendary, unforgettable: deeply rooted in gospel, yet versatile enough to brilliantly interpret R&B, rock, soul, pop, and jazz standards, it fueled a six-decade career. Her vocal wallop was a mix of preaching, rebuke, and elation. From the languorous “I Never Loved a Man (the Way That I Love You),” to the funky “Chain of Fools,” to the fiercely feminist “Think,” to the definitive, demanding version of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” Franklin’s songs played out against the tumultuous sociopolitical backdrop of the late ’60s like a soundtrack meant to set things right. Her accolade by Rock N Roll Librarian

88 min listen

All I Ever Wanted: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir by Kathy Valentine: In this episode of the Rock n Roll librarian, Shelley and Christian chat about Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine’s story of what it took to find success and find herself, in ALL I EVER WANTED: A ROCK ‘n’ ROLL MEMOIR. The Go-Go’s became the first multi-platinum-selling, all-female band to play instruments themselves, write and perform their own songs, and have a number one album. For Valentine, the band's success was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream―but it’s only part of her story.“Like a scorching guitar solo emerging from the prettiest pop song, Kathy Valentine’s All I Ever Wanted blows away every other music memoir out there. It’s the raw, real story of a Texas girl who raised herself and became a legend through sheer grit and talent, from raucous rocker to pop princess and back again. In prose that is powerful and relatable and unsentimental and funny and scary, Valentine takes readers from the depths of a dark childhoo by Rock N Roll Librarian

125 min listen

So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley: In this episode of the Rock n Roll Librarian Shelley and Christian discuss the book So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley (2017). Roger Steffens, a respected historian and a leading Marley expert, has woven interviews of more than 75 friends, relatives, and lovers, music associates (including original Wailers Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer), into a rich testimony of the life of the reggae king―the full, inside account of how a boy from the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, became a cultural icon and inspiration to millions around the world. Over four decades of interviews tell dramatic, little-known stories about the writing of his beloved songs, his musical development and early sessions with the Wailers, and relationships with Rita Marley and Cindy Breakspeare. It also delves into controversies and mysteries, including the harrowing assassination attempt at 56 Hope Road in Kingston, his defiant performance two nights later by Rock N Roll Librarian

105 min listen

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Rock N Roll Librarian: Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk

Rock N Roll Librarian: Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk

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