Play It Loud: An Epic History Of The Style, Sound, And Revolution Of The Electric Guitar

Description

An unprecedented history of the electric guitar, its explosive impact on music and culture, and the players and builders who brought it to life For generations the electric guitar has been an international symbol of freedom, danger, rebellion, and hedonism. In Play It Loud, veteran music journalists Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna bring the history of this iconic instrument to roaring life. It's a story of inventors and iconoclasts, of scam artists, prodigies, and mythologizers as varied and original as the instruments they spawned. Play It Loud uses twelve landmark guitars each of them artistic milestones in their own right to illustrate the conflict and passion the instruments have inspired. It introduces Leo Fender, a man who couldn't play a note but whose innovations helped transform the guitar into the explosive sound machine it is today. Some of the most significant social movements of the twentieth century are indebted to the guitar: It was an essential element in the fight for racial equality in the entertainment industry; a mirror to the rise of the teenager as social force; a linchpin of punk's sound and ethos. And today the guitar has come full circle, with contemporary titans such as Jack White of The White Stripes, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys bringing some of the earliest electric guitar forms back to the limelight. Featuring interviews with Les Paul, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and dozens more players and creators, Play It Loud is the story of how a band of innovators transformed an idea into a revolution."

Reviews

Play it Loud is a dynamic history of the electric guitar, but more important, it s about the artists who painted the universal tones, colors, textures, and movements on the world canvas, through their fingertips, into a consciousness revolution to our hearts and minds. Brad and Alan get inside the note of the political and cultural significance of the guitar. from the foreword by Carlos Santana, Grammy Award winning artist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Play It Loud is a fascinating, elegantly written, page-turning account of how a musical weakness the guitar s inherently low volume led to the development of the instrument that transformed contemporary music and culture: the electric guitar. It s all here the history, the science, the musicians, and of course, the stringed beauties and the sounds they helped create. An essential addition to any serious guitarist s library. Jonathan Kellerman, New York Times bestselling author of The Murderer s Daughter It s all here: everything knowable now becomes known about the plugged-in ax that changed the world. A comprehensive history of the electric guitar in cultural context is something long wanted, awaited and needed. At long last, it has arrived. Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna's Play It Loudis a marvelous survey of how the electric guitar has rocked its way into the hearts and minds of millions of music lovers. This is a rich trove of unforgettable anecdotes and vignettes. Highly recommended! Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of Rightful Heritage The authors... bring freshness to chestnuts through technical nuggets aplenty.... The electric guitar changed the world, and Tolinski and di Perna impressively reveal its epic story. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Providing a holistic overview packed with contextual insights, music journalists Tolinksiand di Pernaskillfully pinpoint the watershed innovations and key musicians who turned a novelty into a mainstay of popular music An engaging introduction to a fun topic with broad appeal. Library Journal (starred review)"

Author description

BRAD TOLINSKI was the editor-in-chief of Guitar World, the world's bestselling magazine for musicians, for twenty-five years. He is the author of Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page. ALAN DI PERNA is a longtime contributor to Guitar World and Guitar Aficionado and has written for Rolling Stone, Creem, Billboard, Guitar Player, and other leading music publications. He is the author of Guitar Masters: Intimate Portraits.