Gary Graff – författare

This value-priced reissue of Alice Cooper at 75 (2023) celebrates the godfather of shock rock with expert commentary, hundreds of images, and an illustrated timeline.Pythons, guillotines, stage blood…with his concoction of vaudeville, horror film tropes, and three-chord rock ’n’ roll, Alice Cooper invented a genre. Let veteran rock journalist Gary Graff and Detroit rock writer Gary Graff be your guide to Cooper’s extraordinary career through the lens of 75 career accomplishments, events, and collaborations. This exquisite volume features:Stunning concert and candid offstage photographyImages of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, and period adsAn illustrated Alice Cooper timelineThrough seven-and-a-half decades, Graff covers it all:  Cooper’s childhood in Detroit and Arizona and early garage bands the Earwigs and the SpidersAll 28 studio albums, including those as frontman of Alice Cooper the bandA 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, Johnny Depp, Wayne Kramer, and moreAssociations with notable guitarists, including Glen Buxton, Nita Strauss, and OrianthiNonmusical passions like classic cars and, of course, golfHis relationship with wife and entertainment accomplice, SherylTireless charity workBeginning with his 1969 debut LP Pretties for You and continuing through his latest release, 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.The result is a unique and lavishly produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star.

In this exquisitely produced book, experience the extraordinary life and career of the original “shock rocker” through 75 key releases and events.Pythons, 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 formatStunning concert and candid offstage photographyImages of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period adds, and moreGatefold Alice Cooper timelineUnpublished 8×10-inch photoTwo pullout postersThrough seven-and-a-half decades, Graff covers it all:  Cooper’s childhood in Detroit and Arizona and early garage bands the Earwigs and the SpidersAll 28 studio albums, including those as front person of Alice Cooper the bandA 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 moreAssociations with notable guitarists, including Glen Buxton, Nita Strauss, Orianthi, and othersNonmusical passions like classic cars and, of course, golfHis relationship with wife and entertainment accomplice SherylTireless charity workBeginning 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.The result is a unique and lavishly produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star.

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:  Year-by-year organizationKnowledgeable rundowns of every album featuredAlbum art for each selectionArtist imageryRecord label, release date, and producer(s) for eachSoundtracks and compilation releases also includedThe 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.

Break out the parachute pants, jelly shoes, and Aqua Net and indulge in this nostalgic illustrated trip through the 1980s’ most influential albums across all genres.In 501 Essential Albums of the ’80s, Gary Graff leads a cast of fellow music journalists in presenting the music of one of the most pivotal decades in the history of recorded music…the decade that gave us some of the most monstrous-selling albums ever and introduced more and more listeners to emergent genres like indie rock and hip-hop. With lively descriptions of the releases and nearly 600 images, this hefty volume curates 501 albums spanning genres and subgenres—pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, metal, country, college and indie rock, and more—and features:Year-by-year organizationKnowledgeable rundowns of every album featuredAlbum art for each selectionArtist imageryRecord label, release date, and producer(s) for eachSoundtracks and compilation releasesThe 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.Madonna or Michael, Prince or the Police, Bruce or Black Flag, Men at Work or Mötley Crüe—whatever your tastes, you will relish this ultimate retrospective of the decade’s music.

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.

In this definitive, illustrated guide to every Neil Young album, take an unparalleled journey through one of rock’s most prolific and uncompromising careers.Few artists have pursued a creative path as restless, unpredictable, and influential as Neil Young. Across more than six decades and more than 100 albums, Young has continually reinvented himself—moving from folk-rock pioneer to grunge godfather, from chart-topping songwriter to fiercely independent icon. Neil Young: Album by Album captures this extraordinary career in full, offering a comprehensive, album-by-album exploration of his complete recorded output.Written by veteran music journalists Gary Graff and Daniel Durchholz, this richly illustrated volume uses each album as a stepping stone through Young’s evolving artistry. From his earliest recordings with Buffalo Springfield to his work with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, his defining collaborations with Crazy Horse, and his expansive Archive Series, every phase of Young’s career is examined in detail. Along the way, the book explores the creative breakthroughs, stylistic detours, and cultural moments that have made Young one of the most enduring figures in modern music. Inside, you will find:Complete album-by-album coverage of more than 100 releases across Young’s solo and collaborative careerIn-depth analysis of recording sessions, songwriting, and production, revealing how each album came togetherCoverage of key eras and turning points, including the “Ditch Trilogy,” experimental 1980s output, and 1990s resurgenceDetailed fact boxes featuring release dates, chart performance, personnel, and album artworkMore than 200 images, including iconic performances, rare archival photography, and memorabiliaThis is more than a discography—it’s a narrative of artistic evolution, risk-taking, and reinvention. Whether revisiting classics like Harvest and After the Gold Rush or exploring lesser-known releases and archival gems, you will gain a deeper understanding of the scope and significance of Young’s work.Perfect for longtime fans, vinyl collectors, and anyone interested in the history of rock music, Neil Young: Album by Album is both an authoritative reference and a visually immersive celebration of a singular artist whose music continues to resonate across generations.Explore even more great albums and artists through the Album by Album series, including: Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Rush, and Taylor Swift.