Let me just state right off the bat- this is a GORGEOUS book. For anyone who is remotely interested in classic hard rock, pop, and prog music of the '70s, a time when real 'rock stars' graced concert stages around the world, this is a book for you. Written by Douglas Harr, designed by Tilman Reitzle, and with a forward by Armando Gallo, Rockin' the City of Angels is a huge, colorful, and insightful coffee-table sized book that looks at many of the heavyweights of the '70s who released classic albums during that era and played in the authors home in the Los Angeles area of California. Including a wealth of classic & rare photos by Richard E. Aaron, Jørgen Angel, Fin Costello, Ian Dickson, Armando Gallo, Stacey Katsis, Terry O'Neill, Neal Preston, Michael Putland, Jim Summaria, Lisa Tanner, Brian Weiner and Neil Zlowzower and many more, Rockin' the City of Angels is a feast for the eyes, Harr sharing his recollections of a host of his favorite bands with the dazzling photographs giving the visual experience. As for the bands covered, it's a list of the giants of that era, including AC/DC, Ambrosia, David Bowie, Camel, Alice Cooper, Dixie Dregs, Eagles, ELO, ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Happy the Man, Heart, Jethro Tull, Elton John, Kansas, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, PFM, Pink Floyd, Queen, Rolling Stones, Rush, Styx, Supertramp, UK, The Who, Yes and more. As you can see, the author is a big prog rock fan, and for many fans, some of the vintage photographs included here of these classic acts will be viewed and enjoyed for the very first time. In addition to the photos, Harr talks about some of the albums released by these bands during this period, and his experiences seeing the groups live in concert at the many venues in the Los Angeles area. He also lists any video & audio documentation that exists of live appearances of these bands during this classic era, which is great for those searching for the best resources to purchase.
At close to 400 pages and with over 500 images, Rockin' the City of Angels is packed to the gills with wonderful memorabilia and commentary. If there's anything negative to say here, it's that the book is so huge and heavy that it can be a tad uncomfortable to read if you don't have large & strong hands, but that's a minor quibble of what is just a remarkable tome that any rock 'n' roll fan would want to have displayed in their collection to show to friends & family. Well done!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
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