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 Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector.
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector.
Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings.
Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash.
If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad.
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector.
Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings.
Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash.
If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad.
Excellent material, 11 Jun 2008
A very good, easy to follow guide. This includes much of the basics and a lot of more complicated material as well. The only person who won't benefit from this is already a complete expert. Strongly recommended.
COMPLETE PRACTICAL HELP - RIFFS AND LICKS NOT INCLUDED, 03 May 2008
I wanted to move my playing on after 30 years of playing rough, busker style, and this book has been fantastic - it just feels like a quality, informative, straightforward and complete guide to the basics and beyond.
The book isn't about style and "licks" - it's more about the elements of playing blues, including scales, slides and bends, so you can put the different pieces together to improvise your own stuff.
Each exercise builds progressively more difficult elements and aspects into your knowledge base, to use as you see fit - eg minor pentatonics, sevenths, ninths, funky blues, plus clues which signpost that John Lee Hooker played Delta Blues style, Jimi and SRV favoured seventh sharp ninths or whatever, giving you an idea what sound and feel the exercise may have, putting a marker on blues styles you may already like but don't know why, and without going into anoraky detailed tabs.
Granted, a lot of the tab notation isn't what you're hearing on the CD (Ganapes definitely slides a lot when he's told you to bend), but you can use your own ear to work that out, especially if you've been playing a few years.
If you think you can listen to BB or Albert or whoever for a week and learn more than this book, good luck to you, but that's like saying you can play football like Maradona by watching a few matches...
overrated, 26 Mar 2008
I bought this book based on the strength of the reviews here.
Good Points:
Starts off at a basic level anyone can follow.
Gives alot of different chord and scale shapes and uses.
Accompanying CD of all tracks.
Bad Points:
All of the songs are absolutely terrible. The phrasing and note choice are boring and cheesey. Anyone who has ever listened to any blues music will find the songs to be a complete chore to play.
The book COMPLETELY fails to address vibrato, slurs, dynamics... basically all of the most important aspects of blues guitar.
You are expected to play everything with alternate picking (thats just stupid) Its far more important to develop hybrid and economy picking skills.
You are also expected to learn to play and bend strings with your fourth finger... what???, as well as having to learn some incredible impractacle fingerings for licks.
Ive been playing guitar for a few years and wanted to use this book as a primer so i could get the sound and feel of blues under my fingers and bring it into my own playing. After getting about 2/3 through the book i gave up.
You learn more about the blues from a week of playing BB, Albert, Freddy or Clapton licks than this book will teach you in a year.
And to a complete beginner, Id recommend spending some money on lessons.
This book has enough bad advice and pointless busy work to completely stunt your progress. As well as songs that will quickly extinguish your desire to learn.
Great learning tool!, 07 Sep 2007
I have used many methods to learn/improve my playing from books with CDs to tuition DVDS to the internet. Without a doubt this book is far better than any other material I have used to date. I have been playing since Jan 2007 and not really going any where. I had this book delivered had a look through it and I must say was greatly impressed before I started!! The way the book is set out is great from suggested time to spend on each lesson to amount of time to spend a day. As I have been playing for 8 months I knew chords, string bending, etc. so the fact that there was little explanation doesn't bother me. I recomend for total beginners to visit blues websites (there are loads) and learn the basics for a while and then follow this book as you WILL NOT go wrong and within a short space of time (21 lessons = 1 week/lesson = 21 weeks) and as the book states you will be at an intermediate/advanced level.
If I have one bit of advice worth noting, GET THIS BOOK! You will no regret it I promise.
Used Every Day, 31 Mar 2007
I use this book every day in teaching the guitar. Students who like the blues really appreciate the styles and sound of each exercise. You get to sound very good fast with this book. If you like blues then this is one of the best, but you'll need to get the basics learnt first. For that try Wolf Marshall's series, Vol 1,2,3. If you get the non CD versions the set will be very cost effective - then you'll be ready for John Ganapes. John also has two follow-on books that are Good - More Blues You Can Use and Jazzin the Blues.
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector.
Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings.
Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash.
If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad.
Excellent material, 11 Jun 2008
A very good, easy to follow guide. This includes much of the basics and a lot of more complicated material as well. The only person who won't benefit from this is already a complete expert. Strongly recommended.
COMPLETE PRACTICAL HELP - RIFFS AND LICKS NOT INCLUDED, 03 May 2008
I wanted to move my playing on after 30 years of playing rough, busker style, and this book has been fantastic - it just feels like a quality, informative, straightforward and complete guide to the basics and beyond.
The book isn't about style and "licks" - it's more about the elements of playing blues, including scales, slides and bends, so you can put the different pieces together to improvise your own stuff.
Each exercise builds progressively more difficult elements and aspects into your knowledge base, to use as you see fit - eg minor pentatonics, sevenths, ninths, funky blues, plus clues which signpost that John Lee Hooker played Delta Blues style, Jimi and SRV favoured seventh sharp ninths or whatever, giving you an idea what sound and feel the exercise may have, putting a marker on blues styles you may already like but don't know why, and without going into anoraky detailed tabs.
Granted, a lot of the tab notation isn't what you're hearing on the CD (Ganapes definitely slides a lot when he's told you to bend), but you can use your own ear to work that out, especially if you've been playing a few years.
If you think you can listen to BB or Albert or whoever for a week and learn more than this book, good luck to you, but that's like saying you can play football like Maradona by watching a few matches...
overrated, 26 Mar 2008
I bought this book based on the strength of the reviews here.
Good Points:
Starts off at a basic level anyone can follow.
Gives alot of different chord and scale shapes and uses.
Accompanying CD of all tracks.
Bad Points:
All of the songs are absolutely terrible. The phrasing and note choice are boring and cheesey. Anyone who has ever listened to any blues music will find the songs to be a complete chore to play.
The book COMPLETELY fails to address vibrato, slurs, dynamics... basically all of the most important aspects of blues guitar.
You are expected to play everything with alternate picking (thats just stupid) Its far more important to develop hybrid and economy picking skills.
You are also expected to learn to play and bend strings with your fourth finger... what???, as well as having to learn some incredible impractacle fingerings for licks.
Ive been playing guitar for a few years and wanted to use this book as a primer so i could get the sound and feel of blues under my fingers and bring it into my own playing. After getting about 2/3 through the book i gave up.
You learn more about the blues from a week of playing BB, Albert, Freddy or Clapton licks than this book will teach you in a year.
And to a complete beginner, Id recommend spending some money on lessons.
This book has enough bad advice and pointless busy work to completely stunt your progress. As well as songs that will quickly extinguish your desire to learn.
Great learning tool!, 07 Sep 2007
I have used many methods to learn/improve my playing from books with CDs to tuition DVDS to the internet. Without a doubt this book is far better than any other material I have used to date. I have been playing since Jan 2007 and not really going any where. I had this book delivered had a look through it and I must say was greatly impressed before I started!! The way the book is set out is great from suggested time to spend on each lesson to amount of time to spend a day. As I have been playing for 8 months I knew chords, string bending, etc. so the fact that there was little explanation doesn't bother me. I recomend for total beginners to visit blues websites (there are loads) and learn the basics for a while and then follow this book as you WILL NOT go wrong and within a short space of time (21 lessons = 1 week/lesson = 21 weeks) and as the book states you will be at an intermediate/advanced level.
If I have one bit of advice worth noting, GET THIS BOOK! You will no regret it I promise.
Used Every Day, 31 Mar 2007
I use this book every day in teaching the guitar. Students who like the blues really appreciate the styles and sound of each exercise. You get to sound very good fast with this book. If you like blues then this is one of the best, but you'll need to get the basics learnt first. For that try Wolf Marshall's series, Vol 1,2,3. If you get the non CD versions the set will be very cost effective - then you'll be ready for John Ganapes. John also has two follow-on books that are Good - More Blues You Can Use and Jazzin the Blues.
Title doesn't describe contents, 28 Nov 2007
I don't think this is a Friendly Guide to Classical Music at all. I think it should be entitled 'A Friendly Guide to Classical Composers' and then it would be very good indeed.
Because it is, simply, a chronological biography of Classical Composers.
There is no information about the development, make up or instruments of the different types of orchestra.
There is no information about the different types of music, eg Symphony and Concerto, Cantata, Opera - all things you would hear referred to on Classic FM.
I bought this for my daughter-in-law - a newcomer to Classic FM - and I am deeply disappointed.
A good example of how to make classical music interesting, 04 Nov 2007
This is a great little book, another in the Classic FM 'Friendly' series, and just like its Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar 'Friendly' relatives, is so easy to read and full of interesting snippets of information.
Classic FM have for several years been diversifying their product range and books such as this are targeted at the newcomer to the sometimes daunting and confusing world of classical music.
Completely free of the 'serious' approach which is sometimes offputting to the classical novice, the book is presented in an extremely interesting and lighthearted way, making it both easy to read yet full of the important facts to get the reader engrossed in the world of classic music.
Importantly, the book concentrates on the actual subject of music and its composers rather than getting entrenched in the theories of music or sidetracked by the technicalities of each instrument used in the orchestra.
The paper quality and binding are similar to the others in the series, which I find a little on the budget side, but the book includes a free CD of classical highlights so does offer good value for money.
There are numerous books which aim to introduce classical music to a wider audience, but few are as easy as this one to pick up and read during those spare five minutes.
Well done again Classic FM.
For information, this is a summary of the 224 pages:
Page/chapter title
1 Who Was Composing When
16 Early Music
34 The Baroque Period
58 The Classical Period
80 The Romantic Period
139 The 20th Century
167 The 21st Century
186 Have a Listen For Yourself
199 Classic FM Hall of Fame Top 100
204 What They Said About Each Other
207 Classical Music Used in Films
211 Where To Find Out More
216 Index
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector.
Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings.
Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash.
If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad.
Excellent material, 11 Jun 2008
A very good, easy to follow guide. This includes much of the basics and a lot of more complicated material as well. The only person who won't benefit from this is already a complete expert. Strongly recommended.
COMPLETE PRACTICAL HELP - RIFFS AND LICKS NOT INCLUDED, 03 May 2008
I wanted to move my playing on after 30 years of playing rough, busker style, and this book has been fantastic - it just feels like a quality, informative, straightforward and complete guide to the basics and beyond.
The book isn't about style and "licks" - it's more about the elements of playing blues, including scales, slides and bends, so you can put the different pieces together to improvise your own stuff.
Each exercise builds progressively more difficult elements and aspects into your knowledge base, to use as you see fit - eg minor pentatonics, sevenths, ninths, funky blues, plus clues which signpost that John Lee Hooker played Delta Blues style, Jimi and SRV favoured seventh sharp ninths or whatever, giving you an idea what sound and feel the exercise may have, putting a marker on blues styles you may already like but don't know why, and without going into anoraky detailed tabs.
Granted, a lot of the tab notation isn't what you're hearing on the CD (Ganapes definitely slides a lot when he's told you to bend), but you can use your own ear to work that out, especially if you've been playing a few years.
If you think you can listen to BB or Albert or whoever for a week and learn more than this book, good luck to you, but that's like saying you can play football like Maradona by watching a few matches...
overrated, 26 Mar 2008
I bought this book based on the strength of the reviews here.
Good Points:
Starts off at a basic level anyone can follow.
Gives alot of different chord and scale shapes and uses.
Accompanying CD of all tracks.
Bad Points:
All of the songs are absolutely terrible. The phrasing and note choice are boring and cheesey. Anyone who has ever listened to any blues music will find the songs to be a complete chore to play.
The book COMPLETELY fails to address vibrato, slurs, dynamics... basically all of the most important aspects of blues guitar.
You are expected to play everything with alternate picking (thats just stupid) Its far more important to develop hybrid and economy picking skills.
You are also expected to learn to play and bend strings with your fourth finger... what???, as well as having to learn some incredible impractacle fingerings for licks.
Ive been playing guitar for a few years and wanted to use this book as a primer so i could get the sound and feel of blues under my fingers and bring it into my own playing. After getting about 2/3 through the book i gave up.
You learn more about the blues from a week of playing BB, Albert, Freddy or Clapton licks than this book will teach you in a year.
And to a complete beginner, Id recommend spending some money on lessons.
This book has enough bad advice and pointless busy work to completely stunt your progress. As well as songs that will quickly extinguish your desire to learn.
Great learning tool!, 07 Sep 2007
I have used many methods to learn/improve my playing from books with CDs to tuition DVDS to the internet. Without a doubt this book is far better than any other material I have used to date. I have been playing since Jan 2007 and not really going any where. I had this book delivered had a look through it and I must say was greatly impressed before I started!! The way the book is set out is great from suggested time to spend on each lesson to amount of time to spend a day. As I have been playing for 8 months I knew chords, string bending, etc. so the fact that there was little explanation doesn't bother me. I recomend for total beginners to visit blues websites (there are loads) and learn the basics for a while and then follow this book as you WILL NOT go wrong and within a short space of time (21 lessons = 1 week/lesson = 21 weeks) and as the book states you will be at an intermediate/advanced level.
If I have one bit of advice worth noting, GET THIS BOOK! You will no regret it I promise.
Used Every Day, 31 Mar 2007
I use this book every day in teaching the guitar. Students who like the blues really appreciate the styles and sound of each exercise. You get to sound very good fast with this book. If you like blues then this is one of the best, but you'll need to get the basics learnt first. For that try Wolf Marshall's series, Vol 1,2,3. If you get the non CD versions the set will be very cost effective - then you'll be ready for John Ganapes. John also has two follow-on books that are Good - More Blues You Can Use and Jazzin the Blues.
Title doesn't describe contents, 28 Nov 2007
I don't think this is a Friendly Guide to Classical Music at all. I think it should be entitled 'A Friendly Guide to Classical Composers' and then it would be very good indeed.
Because it is, simply, a chronological biography of Classical Composers.
There is no information about the development, make up or instruments of the different types of orchestra.
There is no information about the different types of music, eg Symphony and Concerto, Cantata, Opera - all things you would hear referred to on Classic FM.
I bought this for my daughter-in-law - a newcomer to Classic FM - and I am deeply disappointed.
A good example of how to make classical music interesting, 04 Nov 2007
This is a great little book, another in the Classic FM 'Friendly' series, and just like its Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar 'Friendly' relatives, is so easy to read and full of interesting snippets of information.
Classic FM have for several years been diversifying their product range and books such as this are targeted at the newcomer to the sometimes daunting and confusing world of classical music.
Completely free of the 'serious' approach which is sometimes offputting to the classical novice, the book is presented in an extremely interesting and lighthearted way, making it both easy to read yet full of the important facts to get the reader engrossed in the world of classic music.
Importantly, the book concentrates on the actual subject of music and its composers rather than getting entrenched in the theories of music or sidetracked by the technicalities of each instrument used in the orchestra.
The paper quality and binding are similar to the others in the series, which I find a little on the budget side, but the book includes a free CD of classical highlights so does offer good value for money.
There are numerous books which aim to introduce classical music to a wider audience, but few are as easy as this one to pick up and read during those spare five minutes.
Well done again Classic FM.
For information, this is a summary of the 224 pages:
Page/chapter title
1 Who Was Composing When
16 Early Music
34 The Baroque Period
58 The Classical Period
80 The Romantic Period
139 The 20th Century
167 The 21st Century
186 Have a Listen For Yourself
199 Classic FM Hall of Fame Top 100
204 What They Said About Each Other
207 Classical Music Used in Films
211 Where To Find Out More
216 Index
Helpful and interesting book, 03 Jan 2008
I'm not realy into Blues, but I realy enjoyed this book. it has improved my guitar playing alot. it was engaging and interesting.
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector. Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings. Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash. If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad. Excellent material, 11 Jun 2008
A very good, easy to follow guide. This includes much of the basics and a lot of more complicated material as well. The only person who won't benefit from this is already a complete expert. Strongly recommended. COMPLETE PRACTICAL HELP - RIFFS AND LICKS NOT INCLUDED, 03 May 2008
I wanted to move my playing on after 30 years of playing rough, busker style, and this book has been fantastic - it just feels like a quality, informative, straightforward and complete guide to the basics and beyond.
The book isn't about style and "licks" - it's more about the elements of playing blues, including scales, slides and bends, so you can put the different pieces together to improvise your own stuff.
Each exercise builds progressively more difficult elements and aspects into your knowledge base, to use as you see fit - eg minor pentatonics, sevenths, ninths, funky blues, plus clues which signpost that John Lee Hooker played Delta Blues style, Jimi and SRV favoured seventh sharp ninths or whatever, giving you an idea what sound and feel the exercise may have, putting a marker on blues styles you may already like but don't know why, and without going into anoraky detailed tabs.
Granted, a lot of the tab notation isn't what you're hearing on the CD (Ganapes definitely slides a lot when he's told you to bend), but you can use your own ear to work that out, especially if you've been playing a few years.
If you think you can listen to BB or Albert or whoever for a week and learn more than this book, good luck to you, but that's like saying you can play football like Maradona by watching a few matches... overrated, 26 Mar 2008
I bought this book based on the strength of the reviews here.
Good Points:
Starts off at a basic level anyone can follow.
Gives alot of different chord and scale shapes and uses.
Accompanying CD of all tracks.
Bad Points:
All of the songs are absolutely terrible. The phrasing and note choice are boring and cheesey. Anyone who has ever listened to any blues music will find the songs to be a complete chore to play.
The book COMPLETELY fails to address vibrato, slurs, dynamics... basically all of the most important aspects of blues guitar.
You are expected to play everything with alternate picking (thats just stupid) Its far more important to develop hybrid and economy picking skills.
You are also expected to learn to play and bend strings with your fourth finger... what???, as well as having to learn some incredible impractacle fingerings for licks.
Ive been playing guitar for a few years and wanted to use this book as a primer so i could get the sound and feel of blues under my fingers and bring it into my own playing. After getting about 2/3 through the book i gave up.
You learn more about the blues from a week of playing BB, Albert, Freddy or Clapton licks than this book will teach you in a year.
And to a complete beginner, Id recommend spending some money on lessons.
This book has enough bad advice and pointless busy work to completely stunt your progress. As well as songs that will quickly extinguish your desire to learn. Great learning tool!, 07 Sep 2007
I have used many methods to learn/improve my playing from books with CDs to tuition DVDS to the internet. Without a doubt this book is far better than any other material I have used to date. I have been playing since Jan 2007 and not really going any where. I had this book delivered had a look through it and I must say was greatly impressed before I started!! The way the book is set out is great from suggested time to spend on each lesson to amount of time to spend a day. As I have been playing for 8 months I knew chords, string bending, etc. so the fact that there was little explanation doesn't bother me. I recomend for total beginners to visit blues websites (there are loads) and learn the basics for a while and then follow this book as you WILL NOT go wrong and within a short space of time (21 lessons = 1 week/lesson = 21 weeks) and as the book states you will be at an intermediate/advanced level.
If I have one bit of advice worth noting, GET THIS BOOK! You will no regret it I promise. Used Every Day, 31 Mar 2007
I use this book every day in teaching the guitar. Students who like the blues really appreciate the styles and sound of each exercise. You get to sound very good fast with this book. If you like blues then this is one of the best, but you'll need to get the basics learnt first. For that try Wolf Marshall's series, Vol 1,2,3. If you get the non CD versions the set will be very cost effective - then you'll be ready for John Ganapes. John also has two follow-on books that are Good - More Blues You Can Use and Jazzin the Blues. Title doesn't describe contents, 28 Nov 2007
I don't think this is a Friendly Guide to Classical Music at all. I think it should be entitled 'A Friendly Guide to Classical Composers' and then it would be very good indeed.
Because it is, simply, a chronological biography of Classical Composers.
There is no information about the development, make up or instruments of the different types of orchestra.
There is no information about the different types of music, eg Symphony and Concerto, Cantata, Opera - all things you would hear referred to on Classic FM.
I bought this for my daughter-in-law - a newcomer to Classic FM - and I am deeply disappointed. A good example of how to make classical music interesting, 04 Nov 2007
This is a great little book, another in the Classic FM 'Friendly' series, and just like its Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar 'Friendly' relatives, is so easy to read and full of interesting snippets of information.
Classic FM have for several years been diversifying their product range and books such as this are targeted at the newcomer to the sometimes daunting and confusing world of classical music.
Completely free of the 'serious' approach which is sometimes offputting to the classical novice, the book is presented in an extremely interesting and lighthearted way, making it both easy to read yet full of the important facts to get the reader engrossed in the world of classic music.
Importantly, the book concentrates on the actual subject of music and its composers rather than getting entrenched in the theories of music or sidetracked by the technicalities of each instrument used in the orchestra.
The paper quality and binding are similar to the others in the series, which I find a little on the budget side, but the book includes a free CD of classical highlights so does offer good value for money.
There are numerous books which aim to introduce classical music to a wider audience, but few are as easy as this one to pick up and read during those spare five minutes.
Well done again Classic FM.
For information, this is a summary of the 224 pages:
Page/chapter title
1 Who Was Composing When
16 Early Music
34 The Baroque Period
58 The Classical Period
80 The Romantic Period
139 The 20th Century
167 The 21st Century
186 Have a Listen For Yourself
199 Classic FM Hall of Fame Top 100
204 What They Said About Each Other
207 Classical Music Used in Films
211 Where To Find Out More
216 Index Helpful and interesting book, 03 Jan 2008
I'm not realy into Blues, but I realy enjoyed this book. it has improved my guitar playing alot. it was engaging and interesting.
If you need this book then get it, 30 Jan 2008
What you get in this book is a thorough and inclusive guide to classical music, composers and recordings of their works that's tailored to the last millimetre for the beginner classical music lover. I really appreciate the passion that comes across in the writing. Other classical guides can be clinical, only liking music if it's well recorded or scrupulously performed. Here, the authors aren't afraid to say that the music simply moved them. This enthusiasm rubs off onto the reader.
I found the book summarises too much. Everything is a summary, in fact, and while there's sometimes a lot of depth (in the boxouts in particular), I found myself wishing the authors would spend just a few more lines discussing a particular piece. But I'll bet that the series editor didn't allow that, for fear of people's eyes glazing over.
In future editions I'd love to see a section looking at key performers on each instrument, or for each composer. This can be an enormous help when choosing recordings in a record shop or online. For example, I believe "you can't go wrong" when choosing Angela Hewitt for Bach's harpsichord/clavier/piano pieces, or Vladimir Ashkenazy for Chopin. I'm sure guides are available, covering performers, but they're probably too advanced for people of this level.
I'd advise you to read the reviews of recordings very closely, however. Don't just buy blindly simply because the recording is recommended. The reviews are short (more summarising). There's no use buying a "bold, fresh interpretation' of a piece if you've never heard it played straight. The fact the authors haven't realised this is something of a failing. I also would have liked information on whether the recording is digital (DDD) or not, or at least an indication of what kind of audio quality we might expect. Reissues of very old recordings are pretty common these days (from even the 1930s) and some are recommended here. Informative, exciting, and positively opinionated, 28 Nov 2005
The fourth edition of this invaluable guide is packed with information on classical music and should appeal to the novice and the longtime enthusiast - fact, anecdote, explanations of musical styles, explorations of musical forms, biographies and assessments of leading composers and musicians. It's an exciting, entertaining, informative, stimulating smorgasbord of a book which you can browse, read, use as reference material, or employ to settle arguments. It may, however, start as many arguments as it settles, for the material here does not sit on the fence. The assessments of various composers will fuel the ire of some fans … and bring a smile to the faces of others. This is information and professional opinion, not gospel. This is a reference book with presence, personality, and little pretension - it's never glib or trite. A book to stimulate those little grey cells, not one which will gather much dust.
The best place to start to explore classical music, 08 Nov 2005
This book is invaluable for those who have a limited knowledge of classical music and want to expand their listening repertoire. It is a compendium of information on over two hundred classical composers and their works. In addition to the information presented by composer, a number of boxes explore themes as diverse as "What is a Fugue?" (under Bach), "The Cult of the Conductor" (under Mahler) and "The Crisis of Tonality" (under Schoenberg). The choice of composers is excellent - of course when the number is limited, one can always gripe about the favourites that have been left out. The accounts are written in a lively, up-beat style that does not compromise the fidelity of the information. Each composer is covered by an introductory section that is largely biographic, followed by a treatment of major works. Finally, a number (typically one to three) of key recordings are recommended - they tend towards the conservative, but pretty much ensure that the new listener will not be disappointed.
It is worth pointing out that this book does not aspire to be a buyer's guide to CDs. That is the task of, for example, the Penguin and Gramophone guides (on Amazon: ISBN 0141022620 & 0860249727).
I would certainly recommend this book above the NPR guide and other "beginners guides" I have seen. Testimony to that is the fact that my copy has fallen apart from overuse over the years and is now held together with rubber bands. Enjoy!
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector. Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings. Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash. If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad. Excellent material, 11 Jun 2008
A very good, easy to follow guide. This includes much of the basics and a lot of more complicated material as well. The only person who won't benefit from this is already a complete expert. Strongly recommended. COMPLETE PRACTICAL HELP - RIFFS AND LICKS NOT INCLUDED, 03 May 2008
I wanted to move my playing on after 30 years of playing rough, busker style, and this book has been fantastic - it just feels like a quality, informative, straightforward and complete guide to the basics and beyond.
The book isn't about style and "licks" - it's more about the elements of playing blues, including scales, slides and bends, so you can put the different pieces together to improvise your own stuff.
Each exercise builds progressively more difficult elements and aspects into your knowledge base, to use as you see fit - eg minor pentatonics, sevenths, ninths, funky blues, plus clues which signpost that John Lee Hooker played Delta Blues style, Jimi and SRV favoured seventh sharp ninths or whatever, giving you an idea what sound and feel the exercise may have, putting a marker on blues styles you may already like but don't know why, and without going into anoraky detailed tabs.
Granted, a lot of the tab notation isn't what you're hearing on the CD (Ganapes definitely slides a lot when he's told you to bend), but you can use your own ear to work that out, especially if you've been playing a few years.
If you think you can listen to BB or Albert or whoever for a week and learn more than this book, good luck to you, but that's like saying you can play football like Maradona by watching a few matches... overrated, 26 Mar 2008
I bought this book based on the strength of the reviews here.
Good Points:
Starts off at a basic level anyone can follow.
Gives alot of different chord and scale shapes and uses.
Accompanying CD of all tracks.
Bad Points:
All of the songs are absolutely terrible. The phrasing and note choice are boring and cheesey. Anyone who has ever listened to any blues music will find the songs to be a complete chore to play.
The book COMPLETELY fails to address vibrato, slurs, dynamics... basically all of the most important aspects of blues guitar.
You are expected to play everything with alternate picking (thats just stupid) Its far more important to develop hybrid and economy picking skills.
You are also expected to learn to play and bend strings with your fourth finger... what???, as well as having to learn some incredible impractacle fingerings for licks.
Ive been playing guitar for a few years and wanted to use this book as a primer so i could get the sound and feel of blues under my fingers and bring it into my own playing. After getting about 2/3 through the book i gave up.
You learn more about the blues from a week of playing BB, Albert, Freddy or Clapton licks than this book will teach you in a year.
And to a complete beginner, Id recommend spending some money on lessons.
This book has enough bad advice and pointless busy work to completely stunt your progress. As well as songs that will quickly extinguish your desire to learn. Great learning tool!, 07 Sep 2007
I have used many methods to learn/improve my playing from books with CDs to tuition DVDS to the internet. Without a doubt this book is far better than any other material I have used to date. I have been playing since Jan 2007 and not really going any where. I had this book delivered had a look through it and I must say was greatly impressed before I started!! The way the book is set out is great from suggested time to spend on each lesson to amount of time to spend a day. As I have been playing for 8 months I knew chords, string bending, etc. so the fact that there was little explanation doesn't bother me. I recomend for total beginners to visit blues websites (there are loads) and learn the basics for a while and then follow this book as you WILL NOT go wrong and within a short space of time (21 lessons = 1 week/lesson = 21 weeks) and as the book states you will be at an intermediate/advanced level.
If I have one bit of advice worth noting, GET THIS BOOK! You will no regret it I promise. Used Every Day, 31 Mar 2007
I use this book every day in teaching the guitar. Students who like the blues really appreciate the styles and sound of each exercise. You get to sound very good fast with this book. If you like blues then this is one of the best, but you'll need to get the basics learnt first. For that try Wolf Marshall's series, Vol 1,2,3. If you get the non CD versions the set will be very cost effective - then you'll be ready for John Ganapes. John also has two follow-on books that are Good - More Blues You Can Use and Jazzin the Blues. Title doesn't describe contents, 28 Nov 2007
I don't think this is a Friendly Guide to Classical Music at all. I think it should be entitled 'A Friendly Guide to Classical Composers' and then it would be very good indeed.
Because it is, simply, a chronological biography of Classical Composers.
There is no information about the development, make up or instruments of the different types of orchestra.
There is no information about the different types of music, eg Symphony and Concerto, Cantata, Opera - all things you would hear referred to on Classic FM.
I bought this for my daughter-in-law - a newcomer to Classic FM - and I am deeply disappointed. A good example of how to make classical music interesting, 04 Nov 2007
This is a great little book, another in the Classic FM 'Friendly' series, and just like its Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar 'Friendly' relatives, is so easy to read and full of interesting snippets of information.
Classic FM have for several years been diversifying their product range and books such as this are targeted at the newcomer to the sometimes daunting and confusing world of classical music.
Completely free of the 'serious' approach which is sometimes offputting to the classical novice, the book is presented in an extremely interesting and lighthearted way, making it both easy to read yet full of the important facts to get the reader engrossed in the world of classic music.
Importantly, the book concentrates on the actual subject of music and its composers rather than getting entrenched in the theories of music or sidetracked by the technicalities of each instrument used in the orchestra.
The paper quality and binding are similar to the others in the series, which I find a little on the budget side, but the book includes a free CD of classical highlights so does offer good value for money.
There are numerous books which aim to introduce classical music to a wider audience, but few are as easy as this one to pick up and read during those spare five minutes.
Well done again Classic FM.
For information, this is a summary of the 224 pages:
Page/chapter title
1 Who Was Composing When
16 Early Music
34 The Baroque Period
58 The Classical Period
80 The Romantic Period
139 The 20th Century
167 The 21st Century
186 Have a Listen For Yourself
199 Classic FM Hall of Fame Top 100
204 What They Said About Each Other
207 Classical Music Used in Films
211 Where To Find Out More
216 Index Helpful and interesting book, 03 Jan 2008
I'm not realy into Blues, but I realy enjoyed this book. it has improved my guitar playing alot. it was engaging and interesting.
If you need this book then get it, 30 Jan 2008
What you get in this book is a thorough and inclusive guide to classical music, composers and recordings of their works that's tailored to the last millimetre for the beginner classical music lover. I really appreciate the passion that comes across in the writing. Other classical guides can be clinical, only liking music if it's well recorded or scrupulously performed. Here, the authors aren't afraid to say that the music simply moved them. This enthusiasm rubs off onto the reader.
I found the book summarises too much. Everything is a summary, in fact, and while there's sometimes a lot of depth (in the boxouts in particular), I found myself wishing the authors would spend just a few more lines discussing a particular piece. But I'll bet that the series editor didn't allow that, for fear of people's eyes glazing over.
In future editions I'd love to see a section looking at key performers on each instrument, or for each composer. This can be an enormous help when choosing recordings in a record shop or online. For example, I believe "you can't go wrong" when choosing Angela Hewitt for Bach's harpsichord/clavier/piano pieces, or Vladimir Ashkenazy for Chopin. I'm sure guides are available, covering performers, but they're probably too advanced for people of this level.
I'd advise you to read the reviews of recordings very closely, however. Don't just buy blindly simply because the recording is recommended. The reviews are short (more summarising). There's no use buying a "bold, fresh interpretation' of a piece if you've never heard it played straight. The fact the authors haven't realised this is something of a failing. I also would have liked information on whether the recording is digital (DDD) or not, or at least an indication of what kind of audio quality we might expect. Reissues of very old recordings are pretty common these days (from even the 1930s) and some are recommended here. Informative, exciting, and positively opinionated, 28 Nov 2005
The fourth edition of this invaluable guide is packed with information on classical music and should appeal to the novice and the longtime enthusiast - fact, anecdote, explanations of musical styles, explorations of musical forms, biographies and assessments of leading composers and musicians. It's an exciting, entertaining, informative, stimulating smorgasbord of a book which you can browse, read, use as reference material, or employ to settle arguments. It may, however, start as many arguments as it settles, for the material here does not sit on the fence. The assessments of various composers will fuel the ire of some fans … and bring a smile to the faces of others. This is information and professional opinion, not gospel. This is a reference book with presence, personality, and little pretension - it's never glib or trite. A book to stimulate those little grey cells, not one which will gather much dust.
The best place to start to explore classical music, 08 Nov 2005
This book is invaluable for those who have a limited knowledge of classical music and want to expand their listening repertoire. It is a compendium of information on over two hundred classical composers and their works. In addition to the information presented by composer, a number of boxes explore themes as diverse as "What is a Fugue?" (under Bach), "The Cult of the Conductor" (under Mahler) and "The Crisis of Tonality" (under Schoenberg). The choice of composers is excellent - of course when the number is limited, one can always gripe about the favourites that have been left out. The accounts are written in a lively, up-beat style that does not compromise the fidelity of the information. Each composer is covered by an introductory section that is largely biographic, followed by a treatment of major works. Finally, a number (typically one to three) of key recordings are recommended - they tend towards the conservative, but pretty much ensure that the new listener will not be disappointed.
It is worth pointing out that this book does not aspire to be a buyer's guide to CDs. That is the task of, for example, the Penguin and Gramophone guides (on Amazon: ISBN 0141022620 & 0860249727).
I would certainly recommend this book above the NPR guide and other "beginners guides" I have seen. Testimony to that is the fact that my copy has fallen apart from overuse over the years and is now held together with rubber bands. Enjoy!
Excellent Atlas -, 28 Mar 2006
This is undoubtably my new found friend and it will go with me on every journey I make. I was so impressed when I received this guide as it contains a clear overview of the UK but also loads of useful information from Caravan sites for the disabled to the beaches I can get my wheel chair onto. If that was not enough it includes city center town plans with the actual blue badge bays marked and showing how long you can stay. Excellent. Sorry but I am so impressed that I find it haard to express my pleaure! Very rarely do you find good access information for those of us that are not as mobile as others. But this is the key to getting out and about. Thank you Mr Talberg and good luck
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Customer Reviews
The ultimate guide to jazz on CD., 14 Nov 2008
The 9th edition of the 'Jazz Bible' maintains the high standards of previous volumes. Its 1600-plus pages contain perceptive, witty and knowledgeable reviews of 14,000 jazz CDs including 2000 new discs in this 2008 edition. There is also a moving tribute to the late Richard D. Cook(1957-2007) who gets awarded the highest accolade of a 'crown' from his co-author, Brian Morton.
The hours of concentrated thought and hard-listening that's gone into this monumental series from the two authors since 1992 is awe-inspiring and the latest, endlessly browsable edition is an indispensable guide for any serious jazz collector. Too many omissions but still the bible, 09 Nov 2008
I have to agree with the previous two reviewers. I have been buying the Penguin Guide since the early 1980s and have become increasingly disappointed. I also bought the 2008 edition and hoped that important recordings that had been omitted would be included. Abbados Mahler 6 and 7 recordings with the Berlin PO- surely among the primary recommendations and cornerstones of my collection- are omitted! And what about Simon Rattles recording of Szymanowskis Harnasie? And Chailly's wonderful Leipzig recordings of the Mahler editions of Schumann's symphonies- not everyone's taste I know- but perhaps the most frequently played of all my new CDs in the past year. I also wonder whether the reviewers hearing is quite what it used to be. I invested in the four star-rated recording of Messiaens Turangalila Symphony on RCA by Ozawa "..comes from 1967, but you would never guess that from the brilliantly atmospheric sound"- I agree that the performance is seminal, but the sound is uncomfortably distorted and glassy at times and falls far short of what we would expect nowadays- so much so that I have never got through it in one sitting, even in the car. All this having been said- I have got Greenfield, Layton, and March to thank for intoducing me to some wonderful recordings over the years, and I still agree with most of their recommendations (such as Richard Hickox's new Elgar 1- one of the greatest ever in my opinion, and with stunning sound). For anyone new to classical music who wants to build a collection-this guide is still like the bible, but it needs some more careful editing as the market beomes ever more saturated with reissues and new recordings. Slight improvement, sloppy editing, 06 Nov 2008
I reviewed the previous edition and remarked on the poor editing. There has been a slight improvement here but not enough to save the Guide from a so-so rating. Some CDs are noted but not rated, the text has not been updated so that "recent releases" are sometimes 10 years old and some new releases are bizarrely ignored altogether. This is the last edition I will ever invest in. I suggest that other readers think very carefully before they part with their cash. If you have the 2008 guide, don't waste your money on this, 17 Oct 2008
When the 2008 Penguin Guide appeared, I wrote that the main problem was the sheer number of good CDs omitted. I had hoped that with the 2009 Guide, important releases missed out previously would be included.
Not a chance. As I browsed through this latest edition, I kept thinking 'but this is the same as the 2008 edition'!. I got the previous Guide out, and there is precious little difference. All those excellent classical CDs and SACDs released over the last twelve months - so few reviewed.
Just to give a couple of examples; there has been an avalanche of fine Shostakovich recordings over the last year. How many make it into the Guide? Five. Take Mahler symphonies- there's always a steady stream of recommendable new releases; just three new releases are included (and one DVD). I could go on, but you get the point.
I have been buying the Penguin Guide for years, but have never been so disappointed as by this edition. If there is not space for more releases (and it is the sheer number of excellent releases from the last 12 months omitted that annoys me) then either we should have a two volume edition, or Penguin should just call it a day. It's not as though it's cheap either. I actually took my copy back to Waterstone's (sorry Amazon) and got a refund. And the new system, introduced last year, of giving up to four stars, putting shaded boxes around some recommended recordings, a rosette for some others, a 'key' symbol for others....this must be a little confusing for newcomers.
The one guide to classical compact discs which I now find indispensible is '1001 Classical Recordings You Must hear Before You Die', which is much better than it sounds. But I think the Penguin Guide has just had its day.
Sad. Excellent material, 11 Jun 2008
A very good, easy to follow guide. This includes much of the basics and a lot of more complicated material as well. The only person who won't benefit from this is already a complete expert. Strongly recommended. COMPLETE PRACTICAL HELP - RIFFS AND LICKS NOT INCLUDED, 03 May 2008
I wanted to move my playing on after 30 years of playing rough, busker style, and this book has been fantastic - it just feels like a quality, informative, straightforward and complete guide to the basics and beyond.
The book isn't about style and "licks" - it's more about the elements of playing blues, including scales, slides and bends, so you can put the different pieces together to improvise your own stuff.
Each exercise builds progressively more difficult elements and aspects into your knowledge base, to use as you see fit - eg minor pentatonics, sevenths, ninths, funky blues, plus clues which signpost that John Lee Hooker played Delta Blues style, Jimi and SRV favoured seventh sharp ninths or whatever, giving you an idea what sound and feel the exercise may have, putting a marker on blues styles you may already like but don't know why, and without going into anoraky detailed tabs.
Granted, a lot of the tab notation isn't what you're hearing on the CD (Ganapes definitely slides a lot when he's told you to bend), but you can use your own ear to work that out, especially if you've been playing a few years.
If you think you can listen to BB or Albert or whoever for a week and learn more than this book, good luck to you, but that's like saying you can play football like Maradona by watching a few matches... overrated, 26 Mar 2008
I bought this book based on the strength of the reviews here.
Good Points:
Starts off at a basic level anyone can follow.
Gives alot of different chord and scale shapes and uses.
Accompanying CD of all tracks.
Bad Points:
All of the songs are absolutely terrible. The phrasing and note choice are boring and cheesey. Anyone who has ever listened to any blues music will find the songs to be a complete chore to play.
The book COMPLETELY fails to address vibrato, slurs, dynamics... basically all of the most important aspects of blues guitar.
You are expected to play everything with alternate picking (thats just stupid) Its far more important to develop hybrid and economy picking skills.
You are also expected to learn to play and bend strings with your fourth finger... what???, as well as having to learn some incredible impractacle fingerings for licks.
Ive been playing guitar for a few years and wanted to use this book as a primer so i could get the sound and feel of blues under my fingers and bring it into my own playing. After getting about 2/3 through the book i gave up.
You learn more about the blues from a week of playing BB, Albert, Freddy or Clapton licks than this book will teach you in a year.
And to a complete beginner, Id recommend spending some money on lessons.
This book has enough bad advice and pointless busy work to completely stunt your progress. As well as songs that will quickly extinguish your desire to learn. Great learning tool!, 07 Sep 2007
I have used many methods to learn/improve my playing from books with CDs to tuition DVDS to the internet. Without a doubt this book is far better than any other material I have used to date. I have been playing since Jan 2007 and not really going any where. I had this book delivered had a look through it and I must say was greatly impressed before I started!! The way the book is set out is great from suggested time to spend on each lesson to amount of time to spend a day. As I have been playing for 8 months I knew chords, string bending, etc. so the fact that there was little explanation doesn't bother me. I recomend for total beginners to visit blues websites (there are loads) and learn the basics for a while and then follow this book as you WILL NOT go wrong and within a short space of time (21 lessons = 1 week/lesson = 21 weeks) and as the book states you will be at an intermediate/advanced level.
If I have one bit of advice worth noting, GET THIS BOOK! You will no regret it I promise. Used Every Day, 31 Mar 2007
I use this book every day in teaching the guitar. Students who like the blues really appreciate the styles and sound of each exercise. You get to sound very good fast with this book. If you like blues then this is one of the best, but you'll need to get the basics learnt first. For that try Wolf Marshall's series, Vol 1,2,3. If you get the non CD versions the set will be very cost effective - then you'll be ready for John Ganapes. John also has two follow-on books that are Good - More Blues You Can Use and Jazzin the Blues. Title doesn't describe contents, 28 Nov 2007
I don't think this is a Friendly Guide to Classical Music at all. I think it should be entitled 'A Friendly Guide to Classical Composers' and then it would be very good indeed.
Because it is, simply, a chronological biography of Classical Composers.
There is no information about the development, make up or instruments of the different types of orchestra.
There is no information about the different types of music, eg Symphony and Concerto, Cantata, Opera - all things you would hear referred to on Classic FM.
I bought this for my daughter-in-law - a newcomer to Classic FM - and I am deeply disappointed. A good example of how to make classical music interesting, 04 Nov 2007
This is a great little book, another in the Classic FM 'Friendly' series, and just like its Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar 'Friendly' relatives, is so easy to read and full of interesting snippets of information.
Classic FM have for several years been diversifying their product range and books such as this are targeted at the newcomer to the sometimes daunting and confusing world of classical music.
Completely free of the 'serious' approach which is sometimes offputting to the classical novice, the book is presented in an extremely interesting and lighthearted way, making it both easy to read yet full of the important facts to get the reader engrossed in the world of classic music.
Importantly, the book concentrates on the actual subject of music and its composers rather than getting entrenched in the theories of music or sidetracked by the technicalities of each instrument used in the orchestra.
The paper quality and binding are similar to the others in the series, which I find a little on the budget side, but the book includes a free CD of classical highlights so does offer good value for money.
There are numerous books which aim to introduce classical music to a wider audience, but few are as easy as this one to pick up and read during those spare five minutes.
Well done again Classic FM.
For information, this is a summary of the 224 pages:
Page/chapter title
1 Who Was Composing When
16 Early Music
34 The Baroque Period
58 The Classical Period
80 The Romantic Period
139 The 20th Century
167 The 21st Century
186 Have a Listen For Yourself
199 Classic FM Hall of Fame Top 100
204 What They Said About Each Other
207 Classical Music Used in Films
211 Where To Find Out More
216 Index Helpful and interesting book, 03 Jan 2008
I'm not realy into Blues, but I realy enjoyed this book. it has improved my guitar playing alot. it was engaging and interesting.
If you need this book then get it, 30 Jan 2008
What you get in this book is a thorough and inclusive guide to classical music, composers and recordings of their works that's tailored to the last millimetre for the beginner classical music lover. I really appreciate the passion that comes across in the writing. Other classical guides can be clinical, only liking music if it's well recorded or scrupulously performed. Here, the authors aren't afraid to say that the music simply moved them. This enthusiasm rubs off onto the reader.
I found the book summarises too much. Everything is a summary, in fact, and while there's sometimes a lot of depth (in the boxouts in particular), I found myself wishing the authors would spend just a few more lines discussing a particular piece. But I'll bet that the series editor didn't allow that, for fear of people's eyes glazing over.
In future editions I'd love to see a section looking at key performers on each instrument, or for each composer. This can be an enormous help when choosing recordings in a record shop or online. For example, I believe "you can't go wrong" when choosing Angela Hewitt for Bach's harpsichord/clavier/piano pieces, or Vladimir Ashkenazy for Chopin. I'm sure guides are available, covering performers, but they're probably too advanced for people of this level.
I'd advise you to read the reviews of recordings very closely, however. Don't just buy blindly simply because the recording is recommended. The reviews are short (more summarising). There's no use buying a "bold, fresh interpretation' of a piece if you've never heard it played straight. The fact the authors haven't realised this is something of a failing. I also would have liked information on whether the recording is digital (DDD) or not, or at least an indication of what kind of audio quality we might expect. Reissues of very old recordings are pretty common these days (from even the 1930s) and some are recommended here. Informative, exciting, and positively opinionated, 28 Nov 2005
The fourth edition of this invaluable guide is packed with information on classical music and should appeal to the novice and the longtime enthusiast - fact, anecdote, explanations of musical styles, explorations of musical forms, biographies and assessments of leading composers and musicians. It's an exciting, entertaining, informative, stimulating smorgasbord of a book which you can browse, read, use as reference material, or employ to settle arguments. It may, however, start as many arguments as it settles, for the material here does not sit on the fence. The assessments of various composers will fuel the ire of some fans … and bring a smile to the faces of others. This is information and professional opinion, not gospel. This is a reference book with presence, personality, and little pretension - it's never glib or trite. A book to stimulate those little grey cells, not one which will gather much dust.
The best place to start to explore classical music, 08 Nov 2005
This book is invaluable for those who have a limited knowledge of classical music and want to expand their listening repertoire. It is a compendium of information on over two hundred classical composers and their works. In addition to the information presented by composer, a number of boxes explore themes as diverse as "What is a Fugue?" (under Bach), "The Cult of the Conductor" (under Mahler) and "The Crisis of Tonality" (under Schoenberg). The choice of composers is excellent - of course when the number is limited, one can always gripe about the favourites that have been | | |