Few bands are as shrouded in the murky haze of rock mythology as The Doors, but now the band's notoriously quiet guitarist is finally breaking his silence to set the record straight. His often amusing memories will be loved by all Doors fans. It is a series of vignettes which takes us back to where it all happened - the pawn shop where he bought his first guitar, the jail cell he was tossed into after a teenage drug bust, his parents' living room where his first writing songs with Jim Morrison took place, and the many concert venues that erupted into historic riots. There are stories of the albums, flashpoints, the group's rise to fame, singles, drug and alcohol use all painting a picture of the 1960's counterculture. At the same time it is a moving reflection on what it means to find oneself as a musician, from the iconic and definitive first album on Elektra, we are reminded of the swirling technical wizardry on keyboards of Ray Manzarek and the solid drumming of John Densmore. Sadly of course Jim Morrison entered the 27 club but here his bandmate sets the record straight after wild acclaims and misunderstandings. Along the way he also managed to write 'Light My Fire', an anthem for the band. A great read from this underrated guitar player who writes with the same easy going style. 422 page paperback, many photos.

Adoring fans surrounding the limousine as a young David Bowie with his iconic haircut smoking a cigarette emerging into his newfound fame graces the cover of this gorgeous, celebratory read. The age of the rock star, like the age of the cowboy, has passed. What did we see in them? Swagger, recklessness, sexual charisma, self-belief, a certain way of carrying themselves, good hair, interesting shoes, talent? What did we want of them? To be larger than life but also like us. To live out their songs. To stay young forever. No wonder many didn't stay the course. Never a dull moment with 40 enjoyable romps across the years 1955 to 1994 with the rise of the drum machine. Here are bad boys, guitar heroes, rock bands, female rock stars and career suicide from the early days of Elvis Presley and Fats Domino to David Bowie, Morrisey to Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne to Björk, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Sid Vicious, The Edge, Bob Marley, Kurt Cobain, Keith Moon and on into infinity. It's about the fantasy figures that rock fame transformed them into and the personal price they paid for playing a starring role in our dreams. We wanted rock stars to be glamorous but also authentic, willing to beat off willing sexual partners but also live a fulfilled family life, staying up too late and never giving their full attention, but still operating at their full potential and talent. Rock stars were uncommon people who came from the masses and got to the top without the help of education, training, family ties or money and surprisingly many had careers that lasted far longer than they ever had any right to expect. Here their legends endure. 421pp, paperback with many photos.

'His descriptions of songs, especially, unfold like thrillers or romantic rhapsodies, sucking you in and revealing aspects of each beat or vocal trill that you'd never have noticed on your own. As the most esteemed music writer of his generation, Marcus has made a career of challenging conventional wisdom...' This man can write beautifully and deeply about songs and singing and although these ten songs may not be your choices, they will certainly get you rushing to YouTube to check them all out before compiling your own top ten list and giving them the same intimate treatment. Marcus has selected 10 songs recorded between 1956 and 2008. They include 'Transmission' by Joy Division, 'All I Could Do Was Cry' by Etta James, Beyoncé and 'To Know Him Is to Love Him', first recorded by the Teddy Bears and almost half a century later by Amy Winehouse. Marcus tells the story of the music, the desire for freedom in all its unruly and liberating glory, braiding together past and present. The chapters on Joy Division, on Buddy Holly and on the two ?Money' songs are tours de force. We will never listen to music in the same way again after reading this meticulous, surprising and inspirational book. Bang a gong! Get it on! 306 page large softback.

First advertised as a "mind-stretching experience," Nicolas Roeg's 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth stunned the cinema world. A tour-de-force of science fiction as art form, the movie brought not only hallucinatory visuals and a haunting exploration of contemporary alienation, but also glam-rock legend David Bowie in his lead role debut as paranoid alien Newton. Based on Walter Tevis's 1963 sci-fi fable of the same title, it follows alien Newton from his arrival on earth in search of water; his transition to wealthy entrepreneur, leveraging the advanced technologies of his native planet; his sexual awakening with the young Mary-Lou; and then the discovery of his alien identity, his imprisonment, abandonment, and descent into alcoholism. Throughout, Roeg coaxed a beguiling performance from his cast, presenting not only Bowie in ethereal space-traveller glory, but also pitch-perfect supporting performances from Candy Clark, Rip Torn, and Buck Henry. The book presents many rare stills and behind-the-scenes images by unit photographer David James, including numerous shots of Bowie at his playful and ambiguous best. A fresh introductory essay explores the shooting of the film and its lasting impact, drawing upon an exclusive interview with David James, who brings first-hand insights into the making of this sci-fi masterwork. Heavy with colour images, 15.6 x 21.7cm, 480 pages. New from Taschen.

The author has publications about Queen, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and the James Bond film series and has written a comprehensive study of every song recorded and performed by The Beatles between 1957 and 1970. Here he turns his careful attention to Fleetwood Mac. Music fans tend to divide into two camps at the mention of their name - those who think of the multi-million-selling five-piece that formed in the mid 1970s and released Rumours, the biggest selling album of all time. But there are those who adopt a self-appointed 'cooler' stance, preferring the late-sixties blues band fronted by the virtuosic guitarist Peter Green. But that's not the whole story. Between May 1970 when Green left his own band to be replaced by the bass player's wife Christine McVie, to the beginning of 1975, when Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac, there were five years of what can only be described as turmoil. One by one talented musicians such as Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Bob Weston and Bob Welch joined and left the band. While it's impossible to ignore the skill and longevity such classic as 'Rhiannon' and 'Don't Stop' and albums like Fleetwood Mac, Rumours and Tusk, there are an equal number of half-forgotten classic songs from the first half of the 1970s, and many deep album cuts that have been overlooked. Here is the full story of the music, people, tours, rumours, failures, love and successes. 160pp in large softback, colour photos.

Across the 1970s, Genesis both together and apart released eight studio and two live albums, played a thousand concerts and launched the solo careers of four of its members. They weathered the departures of Anthony Phillips, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett, ending the decade as a self-contained trio of Tony Banks, Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford, one that was about to become the biggest band in the world. For many though, the 1970s represents their artistic peak as a hothouse for incredible songwriters. It made for a combustible, heady brew when those talents were all harnessed in the service of the band, helping create the progressive rock genre, pioneering the multimedia concert experience, as well as making a rakishly worn daffodil the headgear of choice for the cognoscenti. Genesis began the decade by playing before an audience of one and asking if he had 'any requests?' and ended it by headlining the Knebworth Festival in front of 80,000 fans. The book tells the whole story of that decade on record, on stage, together and apart. Superbly detailed on the acoustic side of the band, the vocalists and impressive standards and influences. 188pp, paperback with colour photos.

Here you will find the Iranian vinyl of 'Whole Lotta Love', the Angolan 'Over the Hills', the Spanish 'D'yer Mak'er', which was translated as 'El Tintero', and the Turkish 'Immigrant Song', with an illustration of migrants running. The very first Jimmy Page solo single 'She Just Satisfies' dates from 1965, and that's where it really all began. Ross Halfin's first album he ever brought was Led Zeppelin II and he has at least 20 versions of it now. At the very beginning of 'Whole Lotta Love', Robert Plant either coughs or sighs as the guitar kicks in with the greatest guitar riff of all time. During the course of their 12-year career Led Zeppelin released only eight studio albums and no singles but now there are more than 1,000 official singles and 2,000 LPs on the market. This definitive volume illustrates practically them all in full colour and includes the rarest and most interesting vinyl releases, one-of-a-kind rarities, bizarre regional variations, official albums and bootleg recordings of legendary concerts. Who can forget Live in Japan, Earls Court or Live at Budokan in '72? A huge heavyweight 12" square album sized volume, there are page after page of colour images featuring beautiful handmade artwork, coloured vinyl, labels and covers documented by photographer Ross Halfin in superb detail, and all annotated with details of their release. The book also has a 40 page comprehensive discography with all known album and single vinyl releases from around the world including catalogue numbers, release or recording dates and additional notes. A real labour of love and a graphic designer?s and art lover?s paradise, this brings back so many memories and raises a smile like page 92 with the Phony Beatlemania Has Bitten the Dust strictly limited edition, numbered and on red Virgin vinyl. Remember the days when we spent hours poring over our album covers, squeezing every detail of the meaning out of the artwork? The bonus here is a gallery of images of the gorgeous Robert Plant with his long golden locks! Exquisitely produced hardback, 216pp with plastic protective sleeve - naturally.

The third and final real stereophonic LP from Columbia with a part three booklet. The tracks are You're No Good, Talkin' New York, In My Time of Dyin', Man of Constant Sorrow, Fixin' To Die, Pretty Peggy-O, Highway 51, Gospel Plow, Baby Let Me Follow You Down, House of The Risin' Sun, Freight Train Blues, Song To Woody and See That My Grave Is Kept Clean. Originally released 1962 and with the iconic young Dylan in the photograph by Don Hunstein holding his acoustic guitar and wearing a sheepskin jacket and trademark black corduroy baker boy cap. Terrific value for money and a companion to 94044 The Freewheelin' 12" Vinyl Album and 94423 The Times They Are A-Changin' 12" Vinyl Album.