The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia Of Rock & Roll

Very good book! We have added to our collection of Rock and Roll Memorabilia.

For the money, this book really covers a lot of ground. I am a working DJ, and I use the information I found in this book every time I am behind a mic. No matter if it's to mention what city the band was formed in, to who the lead singer is this week, er month. It's handy, useful and very well written. Even if you are just a fan of Rock & Roll, you should own this book, you could almost consider this a history book of modern music. I found very few bands that are not included, (i.e. larger regional acts, etc.) Over all you can't go wrong.. buy this book now!!

I cant believe people didnt like this book, then again everyone has an opinion. I thought this book was very well done and well written. Im a bit confused about the book though. It does say Rock n Roll but clearly has country acts, a few metal bands, and alot of bands who shouldnt even be in the book. As a lover of all music, I didn't mind the entrees though. I was on a 3 hour trip home and I read the book all the way home. It does pass alot of time and covers alot of ground. Its a great read for music lovers and i'm really glad I bought this book. I cant wait for the Fourth edition to come out, this book ends at 2000.

Usually I have a problem with Rolling Stone because many of the critics they have are notoriously biased towards or against certain genres of music, like Dave Marsh. But this book is nothing like that at all. It's as unbiased as they come. Bands and artists are alphabetically categorized, so if you're looking for AC/DC, look in the front, if you're looking for Frank Zappa or ZZ Top, look in the back. A complete discography (well, as complete as they were able to get with the information they had at the time), with year of release and label of albums included. Members of the bands are mentioned (including even their birthdate and where they were born), when they left, and when new members came in. A description of the band or artist is included, the bigger names, obviously getting more print. The book seems to avoid criticisms of certain albums, which is great, so not to scare people off when they show interest in a certain band/artist, although they would point out how the critics scorned Jethro Tull's A Passion Play, there's no opinion themselves that this is a bad album or not (in in my opinion, it's a great album, but then I like prog rock). Big names like the Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Rolling Stones, are all naturally included, to '50s pioneers like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, etc. Even the prog rock scene like Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis, Jethro Tull, etc. gets a fair shake (something you can't say of their magazine, particularly when albums like Tarkus, A Passion Play, and Tales From Topographic Oceans are concerned), and even lesser known prog rock bands like Soft Machine, Gentle Giant, Can, Amon Düül II, Gong, and Van der Graaf Generator get mentioned here. Big time folkies like Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, etc. are included, while Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Nick Drake, The Pentangle, etc. are also covered. Plus there are some jazz, country, traditional pop, electronic, etc. that also have an importance to the rock music in general, be it directly or indirectly. This book, being from 1983, even covers rap music way before it became popular by anyone except maybe a small portion of fans on the streets of New York. I love this book, it's very useful. Yes, it's outdated, it's from 1983, so if you're looking for Metallica, Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, or the latest rap star, you'll be disappointed (it's been revised since, however). But for those trying to build up your record collection, this is a great book to try.

The Rolling Stones "History of Rock and Roll" is my all time favorite reference tool for remembering those classic rock, oldies, and other groups, songs, albums, and trivia. I have really enjoyed using the book, but it would be really "groovy" to get it on CD. I find it really makes a great gift for music lovers of Classic Rock and Roll. Now, how about an updated version on CD?