It's perhaps the relative modernity of rock 'n' roll that makes the genre a minefield of myths and legends accepted as truth. History hasn't had time to dissect the bunk. Until now.Discover the real stories behind rock's biggest crocks, how they came to be but why they have persisted. Did Cass Elliott really asphyxiate herself with a ham sandwich? Did the Beatles spark a spliff in Buckingham? Did Willie Nelson do the same in the White House? Did Keith Richards get a complete "oil change" at a Swiss clinic in 1973 to pass a drug test necessary to embark on an American tour with the Stones? Then there's the freaky (did Michael Jackson own the remains of the Elephant Man?), the quasi-medical (Rod Stewart and that stomach pump?), the culinary (did Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne really do all those things to bats, chickens, etc. onstage?), and the apocryphal (did Robert Johnson sell his soul to the Prince of Darkness in exchange for mastery of the blues?). In all, more than 50 enduring lies are examined, explained, and debunked.

Rock 'n' Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Infamous Legends

Arts & Photography

Graff, Gary

Durchholz, Daniel

Music

Voyageur Press

Since his first recordings with Buffalo Springfield in 1967, Neil Young has been described as brilliant, cantankerous, confounding, ruthless, mercurial, and vexing. Regardless, his profound musical influence and his status as a critical favorite cannot be denied. Now the first illustrated biography to span Young’s 40-plus years as a recording and touring musician (and nearly as many forays into divergent musical genres, some wags might say), is updated through 2012. From Young’s earliest days in the Canadian folk and rock scenes through his tenures with Buffalo Springfield and CSN&amp;Y and on to his varied solo career backed by bands including the Stray Gators, the Ducks, the Bluenotes, Booker T. &amp; the MGs, Pearl Jam, and, of course, Crazy Horse, every aspect of Young’s long and varied career is covered. The book features the work of rock photographers from the 1960s to the present, as well as concert posters and ephemera from around the world, including picture sleeves, LPs, ticket stubs, pins, T-shirts, backstage passes, and more. Notable musicians from around the world chip in with commentary, and the book is further complemented with a discography and sidebars examining topics like Young’s involvement with Lionel toy trains (of which he is a part owner), Farm Aid, and San Francisco’s Bridge School.

Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History, Updated Edition

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

In this exquisitely produced book, experience the extraordinary life and career of the original “shock rocker” through 75 key releases and events.\nPythons, guillotines, stage blood…Alice Cooper is widely considered the godfather of shock rock thanks to his inventive concoction of vaudeville, horror film conceits, and three-chord rock ’n’ roll. In Alice Cooper at 75, veteran rock journalist Gary Graff shows you this rock icon through the lens of 75 career accomplishments, events, and partnerships. This exquisite volume features: 
Slipcased hardcover format Stunning concert and candid offstage photography Images of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period adds, and more Gatefold Alice Cooper timeline Unpublished 8×10-inch photo Two pullout posters 
Through seven-and-a-half decades, Graff covers it all: 
Cooper’s childhood in Detroit and Arizona and early garage bands the Earwigs and the Spiders All 28 studio albums, including those as front person of Alice Cooper the band A selection of his greatest singles, like the classic-rock standards “I’m Eighteen,” “School’s Out,” and “Welcome to My Nightmare” Collaborations with artists including Slash, Dave Grohl, Johnny Depp, Wayne Kramer, and more Associations with notable guitarists, including Glen Buxton, Nita Strauss, Orianthi, and others Nonmusical passions like classic cars and, of course, golf His relationship with wife and entertainment accomplice Sheryl Tireless charity work 
Beginning with his1969 debut LP Pretties for You and continuing through his latestrelease, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper is regarded as one of the most influential performers and musicians in hard rock and heavy metal, influencing countless acts both visually and musically. This book is your unprecedented retrospective of Cooper’s career from teenage garage rocker to international star and celebrity.\nThe result is a unique and lavishly produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star.

Alice Cooper at 75

Motorbooks

Break out the flannel, scrunchies, and high-rise jeans and indulge in this nostalgic illustrated trip through the 1990s' most influential albums across all genres. In 501 Essential Albums of the '90s, Gary Graff leads a cast of fellow music journalists in presenting the music of everyone's favorite decade...the last decade before the proliferation of social media and digital downloads. With lively descriptions of the releases and over 600 images, this hefty 448-page volume curates 501 albums spanning genres and subgenres--pop, hip-hop, R&B, grunge, metal, country, world music--and features: &nbsp; <ul> <li>Year-by-year organization</li> <li>Knowledgeable rundowns of every album featured</li> <li>Album art for each selection</li> <li>Artist imagery</li> <li>Record label, release date, and producer(s) for each</li> <li>Soundtracks and compilation releases also included</li> </ul> The journalists detail the circumstances of the releases, notable singles from each, their influence on contemporary and later artists...in short, why each is considered one of the best of the decade. Britney or Body Count, Nirvana or NSync, Metallica or Morisette, Garth or Green Day, Weezer or Wu Tang--whatever your tastes, you will relish this ultimate retrospective of the decade's music.

501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide

501 Essential Albums of the '80s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide

Alice Cooper: The Godfather of Shock & Roll

A guide to rock music provides reviews and tells what to buy, what to buy next, what to avoid, and what is worth searching for

Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide

VISIBLE INK PRESS+

Tom Weschler spent more than ten years from the late 1960s through the 1970s in the Bob Seger camp, working as tour manager and photographer during Seger's hard-gigging, heavy-traveling, reputation-making early days. Weschler's behind-the-scenes photographs document the frustrations and triumphs of recording, performing, songwriting, and building the Seger empire before the breakthroughs of Live Bullet and Night Moves. Travelin' Man collects Weschler's early photos with additional images leading into the present. Weschler and award-winning music journalist Gary Graff annotate the images with Weschler's recollections of the events and Graff provides additional background on Seger's career in an introduction, timeline, and cast of characters section.
Weschler's photographs and stories pull back the curtain on seldom-seen aspects of Seger's career, including time in the studio recording Mongrel, early struggles to get radio airplay, and small shows at schools and shopping malls. Weschler captures Seger's personality on stage and at home and reveals the colorful personalities of those people he worked and performed with, including Alice Cooper, Bruce Springsteen, Glenn Frey, and KISS. He takes readers inside Seger headquarters in Birmingham, Michigan, and practice space in Rochester, Michigan, introducing them to renowned manager Punch Andrews and the various members of Seger's bands. Weschler's photos feature highlights like Seger's show at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1976, his first gold record in 1977, the first meeting between Seger and Bruce Springsteen in 1978, and Seger's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. 
Travelin' Man also contains art from eight Seger album covers that Weschler designed, a foreword by John Mellencamp, an afterword by Kid Rock, and a comprehensive discography. Seger fans and readers interested in music and biography will enjoy the one of a kind story in Travelin' Man.

Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger (Painted Turtle Press)

Photography & Video

Wayne State University Press

...profiles the work of 1,999 rock/pop artists and groups with a 40% increase over the last edition

Schirmer Trade Books

Book by Graff, Gary; McFarlin, Jim; Lac, Joshua Freedamdu

Musichound R&B: The Essential Album Guide

McFarlin, Jim

Lac, Joshua

Schirmer Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Graff, Gary. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Graff, Gary

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Graff, Gary. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Rock 'n' Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Infamous Legends

Neil Young: Long May You Run: The Illustrated History, Updated Edition

Alice Cooper at 75

501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide

501 Essential Albums of the '80s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide

Alice Cooper: The Godfather of Shock & Roll

Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide

Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger (Painted Turtle Press)

Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide

Musichound R&B: The Essential Album Guide