The inspiration for the Play It Loud exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art "Every guitar player will want to read this book twice. And even the casual music fan will find a thrilling narrative that weaves together cultural history, musical history, race, politics, business case studies, advertising, and technological discovery." —Daniel Levitin, Wall Street Journal For generations the electric guitar has been an international symbol of freedom, danger, rebellion, and hedonism. In Play It Loud, veteran music journalists Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna bring the history of this iconic instrument to roaring life. It's a story of inventors and iconoclasts, of scam artists, prodigies, and mythologizers as varied and original as the instruments they spawned. Play It Loud uses twelve landmark guitars—each of them artistic milestones in their own right—to illustrate the conflict and passion the instruments have inspired. It introduces Leo Fender, a man who couldn't play a note but whose innovations helped transform the guitar into the explosive sound machine it is today. Some of the most significant social movements of the twentieth century are indebted to the guitar: It was an essential element in the fight for racial equality in the entertainment industry; a mirror to the rise of the teenager as social force; a linchpin of punk's sound and ethos. And today the guitar has come full circle, with contemporary titans such as Jack White of The White Stripes, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys bringing some of the earliest electric guitar forms back to the limelight. Featuring interviews with Les Paul, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and dozens more players and creators, Play It Loud is the story of how a band of innovators transformed an idea into a revolution.

Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar

Arts & Photography

Tolinski, Brad

Di Perna, Alan

Music

DOUBLEDAY

By the longtime editor-in-chief of Guitar World and a veteran rock journalist, an unprecedented history of the electric guitar, its explosive impact on music and culture, and the people who brought it to life. Spanning a century and encompassing some of guitar's greatest builders and players, from Les Paul to Keith Richards to Eddie Van Halen, Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna bring the evolution of the guitar to roaring life. This is a story of inventors and iconoclasts, of scam artists, prodigies and mythologizers, as varied and original as the music they spawned. Play It Loud uses twelve landmark instruments, each of them a milestone in the progress of the electric guitar, to illustrate the chaos, conflict and passion it has inspired. It introduces Leo Fender, a man who couldn't play a note, but whose innovation helped transform the classical guitar into the explosive sound machine it is today. Some of the most significant social movements of the 20th century are indebted to the guitar: it was an essential part of Beatlemania and Woodstock; a mirror to the rise of the teenager as a social force; a linchpin of the punk movement's sound and ethos. And today the guitar has come full circle, with contemporary titans such as Jack White of The White Stripes and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys bringing some of those earliest electric guitar forms back to the limelight. For generations, the electric guitar has been an international symbol of freedom, danger and hedonism. Play It Loud is the story of how a band of innovators transformed a simple notion into a singular cultural force.

Doubleday, Canada

Anchor Canada

Formed in California’s East Bay in 1987 by a 15-year-old guitar player named Billie Joe Armstrong and his bass-playing friend Mike Dirnt (later joined by drummer Tre Cool), Green Day has risen from the Bay Area’s underground rock scene to become one of the world’s most popular bands. Lauded for bringing punk rock to the masses, Green Day’s remarkable rise from teenage garage band to multi-platinum artists is documented here for the first time to coincide with the band’s 25th anniversary. Author and frequent Guitar World contributor Alan di Perna, who has interviewed Green Day’s three members several times, offers readers and fans a complete band history, from their formation and first gigs in Berkeley, California, and signing to the Lookout! label through their highs and lows, eight studio releases (including the opening salvo 39/Smooth, the door-opening Dookie, the less well-received Warning, and more), the critically acclaimed Broadway show American Idiot, and their latest recording and film efforts. Di Perna’s revealing text is accompanied by more than 300 visuals, including concert and candid off-stage photography, gig posters and handbills, 7-inch picture sleeves, rare vinyl, backstage passes, and more, all presented in a stunningly designed package.

Green Day: The Ultimate Unauthorized History

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Voyageur Press

Fender Classic Moments examines momentous musical events of the last half century, focusing on Fender artists. It features over 100 photos and lively text chronicling great guitar moments and history-changing happenings. Includes photos of Elvis singing through a Fender amp at the 1955 Tupelo Fair; DylanÕs amplified antics at the Newport Folk Festival; HendrixÕs fury at Monterey; Eric ClaptonÕs comeback at Live Aid; Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza, and much more!

Fender Classic Moments: Fifty Years of Modern Music

Hal.Leonard Corp.

The inspiration for the Play It Loud exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art The electric guitar has long been an international symbol of freedom, beauty, and rebellion. In Play It Loud, veteran music writers Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna give us the story of this American icon. It’s a story of inventors and mythologizers, of scam artists and prodigies as varied and original as the instruments they spawned. The electric guitar looms large over the twentieth century: as an essential element in advancing racial equality in the entertainment industry, as a mirror to the rise of the teenager as a social force, as a linchpin of the punk rock ethos. And today it has come full circle, with contemporary titans such as Jack White and Annie Clark (known as St. Vincent) bringing back some of the instrument’s earliest sounds. Featuring personal interviews with Les Paul, Keith Richards, Eddie Van Halen, and dozens more players and creators, Play It Loud shows how a group of innovators and misfits transformed an idea into a revolution.

Anchor

(Book). The guitar, particularly in its electric form, is the most influential instrument of the past 60 years. Guitar Masters spotlights the players who made it that way: the visionary talents and living legends who developed the sound and style of the electric guitar as we know and love it. This book traces the life stories and assesses the musical legacies of such superstar guitarists as Jeff Beck and Keith Richards as well as anonymous but influential sidemen and behind-the-scenes stalwarts such as James Burton. Veteran music journalist Alan di Perna draws on three decades' worth of experience as a writer and interviewer to extract the essence of what makes these gifted guitarists so influential and unique. Their stories are as diverse as they are inspiring. Yet what all these guitar masters share is an unshakable dedication to their craft and a deeply intuitive connection with their chosen instrument. Whether you're a fan, a player, or a master in your own right, Guitar Masters will give you new insights into the lives and music of the players to whom we owe our very notion of what a guitar sounds like and its extraordinary power to move people like no other instrument.

Guitar Masters: Intimate Portraits

Humor & Entertainment

HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

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

Books by Di Perna, Alan

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

Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar

Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar

Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar

Green Day: The Ultimate Unauthorized History

Fender Classic Moments: Fifty Years of Modern Music

Play It Loud: An Epic History of the Style, Sound, and Revolution of the Electric Guitar

Guitar Masters: Intimate Portraits