Overview
Uncle John loves rock... but he also loves classical, rap, jazz, country, blues, world music-even opera. So the dedicated staff at the BRI plunged into music of all styles and put together this jam-packed volume. In these pages, you'll find all of your favorite Bathroom Reader features: quotes, lists, origins, trivia, urban legends, behind-the-scenes stories, and loads of lost lore-all with a musical twist. So sit back, take off your headphones, and read about... The Rise and Fall of Disco, Musical legends, from "outsiders" like the Shaggs and Jandek to the Carter Family, Louis Armstrong, Bach, and the Beatles, The stories behind popular songs like "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider," "Shiny Happy People," "Tutti Frutti," and "Whole Lotta Love", The origins of instruments from the electric guitar and the ukulele...to the didgeridoo and the hurdy-gurdy, The strange story of the "Hungarian Suicide Song", Musical facts, feuds, fads, and flubs ...and much, much more!Synopsis
What do Franz Liszt, Louis Armstrong, Woody Guthrie, and Elvis Presley have in common? What’s the story on the birth of the banjo, the electric guitar, and the Stradivarius violin? Why did disco happen? Who are the punk princesses? These are just a few of the questions answered in this lively book. Filled with facts, trivia, and stories about the world’s musicians, instruments, songs, and more, this endlessly diverting "plunge" dips into the history of Motown, muzak, and marching bands; tells the secret stories behind the hits; explores legendary venues like the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo, and the Fillmore; spots the rarely sighted “two-hit wonders”; describes the origins of karaoke, rap music, and the cha cha cha. In short, it includes all the music news that’s fit to print is here in a variety of formats — longer entries for extended sojourns and brief tidbits for shorter stays.