Crowded House Something So Strong

'It's pretty stupid comparing us to the Beatles. There were four of them. There's only three of us.' — Paul Hester Crowded House promised to become the most successful band ever to have come out of Australasia. When 'Don't Dream It's Over' and 'Something So Strong' exploded in the US charts, worldwide success looked inevitable. Critics compared them musically to the Beatles and fans adored them for their warmth and humour on stage. Four brilliant albums later, their rollercoaster ride of achievements and disappointments came to an end on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, in front of one of the largest audiences in Australian history. The dream was over, the band had finally broken up, their enormous promise was only partially fulfilled. In this definitive account, New Zealand journalist Chris Bourke has written the true story of the first phase of Crowded House. With unparalleled access to all the band members, their families, friends, musical collaborators, managers, and record company personnel, he has captured their essence. It is a unique tale of musical chemistry, family bonds and the personal costs of pursuing an artistic vision. From the manic energy of the recording studio to the machinations of the record industry, this riveting account is a book for every Crowded House fan. This latest edition of Crowded House: Something So Strong includes new material from the author.

This masterful survey covers all genres of popular music, from pop, rock, soul, and country to jazz, blues, classic vocals, hip-hop, folk, gospel, and ethnic/world music. Collectors will find detailed discographical data while music lovers will appreciate the detailed commentaries and deep research on the songs, their recording, and the artists.

Steven Crendfeldt, an average guy, participated in Ironman and Hafl Ironman Triathlons, simply because he could. No podium finishes, just pleased to make it across the finish line. This is the story of how he got back into the sport he loves, after a serious bike accident. It is how an event can change your life and how your network of friends surround you and give the greatest chance of success, more than you would ever be able to achieve on your own.

The Rock Song Index, Second Edition, is a new version of a well-received index to the classic songs of the rock canon, from the late '40s through the end of the 20th century. The study of the history of rock music has exploded over the last decade; all college music departments offer a basic rock-history course, covering the classic artists and their songs.

The history of Crowded House is traced up until its split in 1996, and the internal politics that led to the split are explored. Three chapters have been added to this updated edition which deal with their final concerts, and the lives of the band members are followed from birth in New Zealand.

To what extent do indie masculinities challenge the historical construction of rock music as patriarchal? This key question is addressed by Matthew Bannister, involving an in-depth examination of indie guitar rock in the 1980s as the culturally and historically specific production of white men. Through textual analysis of musical and critical discourses, Bannister provides the first book-length study of masculinity and ethnicity within the context of indie guitar music within US, UK and New Zealand 'scenes'. Bannister argues that past theorisations of (rock) masculinities have tended to set up varieties of working-class deviance and physical machismo as 'straw men', oversimplifying masculinities as 'men behaving badly'. Such approaches disavow the ways that masculine power is articulated in culture not only through representation but also intellectual and theoretical discourse. By re-situating indie in a historical/cultural context of art rock, he shows how masculine power can be rearticulated through high, avant-garde, bohemian culture and aesthetic theory: canonism, negation (Adorno), passivity, voyeurism and camp (Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground), and primitivism and infantilism (Lester Bangs, Simon Reynolds). In a related vein, he also assesses the impact of Freud on cultural theory, arguing that reversing binary conceptions of gender by associating masculinities with an essentialised passive femininity perpetuates patriarchal dualism. Drawing on his own experience as an indie musician, Bannister surveys a range of indie artists, including The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine and The Go-Betweens; from the US, R.E.M., The Replacements, Dinosaur Jr, Hüsker Dü, Nirvana and hardcore; and from NZ, Flying Nun acts, including The Chills, The Clean, the Verlaines, Chris Knox, Bailter Space, and The Bats, demonstrating broad continuities between these apparently disparate scenes, in terms of gender, aesthetic theory and approaches to popular musical history. The result is a book which raises some important questions about how gender is studied in popular culture and the degree to which alternative cultures can critique dominant representations of gender.

Discovering a good song is like finding hidden treasures. A particular song may kindle your memory and connect you to the past. Try "Gnarls Barkley - Crazy" (2006) ? Or "Duran Duran - Ordinary World" (1993) ? How about "Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (1987) ? These are only a few examples. "Billboard Top Ten Hits 1980-2015 With Video Links" presents all 2548 songs that reached Billboard Hot 100 Chart Top 10 positions, from 1980 to 2015. All songs come with direct links of Youtube music videos. Just 1-Click away to enjoy music! This book will be a wonderful journey. Let's travel back through time again, along with all these beautiful songs and memories. This book has two smart views - By Year view and By Artist view. By Year view lists all Top 10 hits by year. By Artist view groups the Top 10 hits by each artist. Every Song comes with detailed information such as peak position, peak date, week counts in Top 10, artist Top 10 hits info, view counts of Youtube music video (which measures the song's lasting popularity), and more.

An unusual perspective on current End Times events as prophesied in the Book of Revelation, including the Rapture and the Tribulation, updated and expanded to over 600 pages.