Gillian G. Gaar – författare

For the first time, fans will see Elvis’s remarkable life through his treasured personal items, as well as the items that marked iconic milestones in his life, including:-Elvis’ first guitar-The Presley family bible-Contracts from the King’s early career-Elvis’ favorite comb-Annotated scripts from his moviesThese treasures and so much more paint a picture of one of the greatest performers of our time.AN INTIMATE LOOK at the life and times of Elvis Presley, through personal pieces that were collected by Elvis and insightfully annotated by music journalist, Gillian Gaar.NEVER BEFORE SEEN: Many items featured in Elvis Presley Treasures have been supplied by Graceland’s private archives and have never been seen in print.ICONIC PIECES: From the gold suit of Elvis's early career, the black leather wristband from the ‘68 Comeback Special and his iconic caped jumpsuit worn at the Aloha from Hawaii performance, to his private plane the Lisa Marie and his pink Cadillac, Elvis’s most iconic and memorable pieces are on display in this book.OFFICIAL ACCOUNT: Created in collaboration with the Elvis Presley estate and Graceland, fans of Elvis will get an exclusive look into the life of one of America’s most iconic figures.

A unique and beautifully produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star, Elton at 75 features a slipcased hardcover with a gatefold timeline, gatefold artwork, frameable pull-out gig poster, and a pull-out photo print!Few rock artists continue to gather more and more adulation with age. Sir Elton Hercules John is an exception who proves the rule. In Elton John at 75, veteran rock journalist Gillian Gaar presents a unique and beautifully produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star, examining Sir Elton through the lens of 75 career accomplishments and life events. Key studio albums are featured, of course, as are a curated selection of his earworm singles. But Gaar delves deeper to reveal the events that helped chart the course of Elton’s career:  Key performances such as his breakthrough performance at LA’s Troubadour, and the historic Soviet Union and Dodger Stadium concertsLegendary collaborations with the likes of George Michael, Billy Joel, and Kate BushHis many film and television roles, including Tommy and The Muppet ShowTireless work on behalf of AIDS researchNotable awards and honors, including knighthoodAnd of course his collaboration with longtime cowriter Bernie TaupinBeginning with his 1969 debut LP, Elton John is regarded as one of the most influential musicians and performers of the previous five decades. In examining 75 touchstones, Gaar provides a unique presentation of Elton’s career arc, from his first steps as a solo artist to the breakthrough album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to his flamboyant stage presence, and beyond.Every page is illustrated with riveting concert and candid offstage photography, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, and more. This incredible package also includes a gatefold Elton John timeline, a previously unpublished gatefold artwork, an 8×10-inch glossy print, and a pullout poster.The result is a stunning tribute to one of the most admired stars in rock—in a milestone year.

Experience the extraordinary career of “The Boss” with this richly illustrated package featuring two gatefolds, exclusive pullout poster, 8" × 10" glossy, and a sturdy slipcase.Twenty-time Grammy winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and best-selling author…Bruce Springsteen is, of course, also one of rock’s most revered songwriters and performers. In Bruce Springsteen at 75, veteran rock journalist Gillian G. Gaar reveals this rock icon through 75 career releases, performances, and accolades. This exquisite volume features:Slipcased hardcover formatStunning concert and candid offstage photographyImages of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and moreGatefold Bruce Springsteen timelineUnpublished 8" × 10" photoAn exclusive pullout posterThrough seven-and-a-half decades, Gaar covers it all:Bruce’s childhood in New Jersey and early garage bands, The Castiles and Steel MillAll 20 studio albums, including those with the E Street Band and as a solo artistA selection of his greatest singles, like the rock standards “Born to Run,” “Hungry Heart,” and “Born in the U.S.A.”Relationships with notable bandmates Steven Van Zandt and the late Clarence ClemonsLegendary gigs, from his early residency at New York’s The Bottom Line to his longest ever concert to his more recent Broadway showHis relationship with wife and bandmate, Patti ScialfaAwards like his Rock Hall induction and the Presidential Medal of Freedom...and much moreBeginning with his 1973 debut LP Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and continuing through his latest release and tour, Bruce Springsteen is one of the most beloved performers and musicians in rock ’n’ roll history, influencing countless acts for decades.This book is your unprecedented retrospective of The Boss’s career, from teenage Jersey garage rocker to international star and celebrity.

Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first commercial LP with this authoritative, highly illustrated, and multi-faceted look at the history and culture of vinyl record collecting and turntables.Vinyl records continue to be hot commodities among everyone from obsessive audiophiles to newbie collectors getting their toes wet. In the Groove: The Vinyl Record and Turntable Revolution is the book for both—and everyone in between. Published to mark the 75th year since the introduction of the commercial LP, In the Groove is written by a roster of well-known music journalists, vinyl junkies, and stereophiles teaming up to present a gorgeous tribute to the vinyl LP and the culture it has spawned:  Richie Unterberger explores the history of the 33 1/3 LP, including its predecessor, the 78rpm record, the first commercial LPs, the pressing process, stereo vs. mono, and formats like the 7-inch/45rpm record.Gillian Gaar tackles those temples to the turntable: record stores. Inside, she examines the history of LP merchandising everywhere from department stores to headshops, Record Store Day, the artist in-store appearance, and swap meets and record shows.Martin Popoff pens a paean to the physical object itself, discussing the advent of the sleeve, the great LP covers, famous sleeve designers, liner notes and packaging, colored vinyl, and more.Matt Anniss looks at the collecting hobby and topics like obsessive collectors, what makes a great listening space, playing and caring for vinyl, collecting and vinyl in DJ and hip-hop cultures, and the mixtape phenomenon.Ken Micallef, a top hifi journalist, has the gearheads covered with explanations of turntables from portables to audiophile-quality units, the workings and parts of a turntable from motors and tonearms to plinths and cartridges, and the components of a system.In the Groove is illustrated throughout with images of gear, listening spaces, record stores, sleeve art, and celebrities and musicians enjoying the vinyl hobby through the decades. Brief, entertaining sidebars cover topics like famous labels from Stax to Sub Pop, famous EPs, well-known record stores, milestone LP covers, a beginner’s guide to grading, and formats that have challenged the supremacy of the LP, including 8-track, reel-to-reel, and cassette.Feel the groove with this effervescent ode to vinyl.

A beautifully produced celebration of the iconic and beloved rock star, Elton John features live onstage and candid offstage photography, an entertaining history, and gatefold timeline.Few rock artists continue to gather more and more adulation with age than Sir Elton Hercules John. In this re-release of Elton John at 75 (2022), veteran rock journalist Gillian Gaar provides a unique examination of Elton’s life and career through the lens of 75 career accomplishments and life events—from his first steps as a solo artist to the breakthrough album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to his flamboyant stage presence, and beyond.Key studio albums are featured, of course, as are a curated selection of his earworm singles. But Gaar delves deeper to reveal the events that helped chart the course of Elton’s career:  Key performances such as his breakthrough performance at LA’s Troubadour, and the historic Soviet Union and Dodger Stadium concertsLegendary collaborations with the likes of Dua LIpa, Billy Joel, and Kate BushHis many film and television roles, including Tommy and The Muppet ShowTireless work on behalf of AIDS researchNotable awards and honors, including knighthoodAnd of course his collaboration with longtime cowriter Bernie TaupinEvery page is illustrated with stunning photography, including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, and more. This incredible package also includes a gatefold Elton John timeline.The result is a fitting tribute to one of the most admired stars in rock.

Authoritatively written and featuring rare photography and memorabilia, this beautiful slipcased hardcover is the only illustrated gift book to examine Queen’s most iconic album, A Night at the Opera.In 1975, Queen released what would become their best-selling album, which also happened to introduce their most enduring song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” A Night at the Opera has gone on the sell over 11 million copies worldwide and counting. In Queen and a Night at the Opera, rock historian Gillian Gaar takes a deep dive into the legendary English band’s most famous album on its 50th anniversary. Chapters cover:  Queen’s formation and history up to A Night at the Opera, including the three albums that preceded itThe recording sessions that resulted in the albumTrack-by-track analyses of each sideThe tour to support the album, and awards and accoladesThe band’s career after the album—and after the death of Freddie MercuryIn addition, numerous sidebars cover topics such as the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video, producer Roy Thomas Baker, Brian May’s “Red Special” guitar, and more. There are even capsule bios of Mercury and May, as well as bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor. IIlustrated with performance and off-stage photography as well as images of rare memorabilia, Queen and A Night at the Opera is a definitive and beautifully produced tribute to a legendary album from a legendary performer and artist.The Great Albums series presents authoritative explorations of rock’s most revered records, beautifully packaged for fans to treasure. Delve into even more groundbreaking releases with: Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon, The Who & Quadrophenia, Prince and Purple Rain, and Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run, with more to come.

Experience the extraordinary career of beloved rocker Tom Petty with this richly illustrated slipcase edition.Twenty-eight Billboard Top-10 singles, induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a string of best-selling studio albums … nearly a decade after his passing, Tom Petty remains one of rock’s most beloved figures. In Tom Petty: The Life & Music, veteran rock journalist Gillian G. Gaar reveals this rock icon through 75 career releases, performances, and accolades. This luxuriously produced collectible edition features:A slipcased hardcover formatStunning concert and candid offstage photographyImages of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and moreThrough the decades, Gaar covers it all:Petty’s childhood in Florida and early band, MudcrutchAll 13 studio albums, including those with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist such as the breakouts Damn the Torpedoes and WildflowersA selection of his greatest singles, like the rock standards “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Free Fallin’”Relationships with notable rock figures such as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Johnny Cash, and Stevie NicksLegendary gigs, from his first SNL appearance to his 2004 performance with Prince and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and his Super Bowl halftime performanceand much moreBeginning with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1976 self-titled debut LP and continuing right through the band’s final release, Hypnotic Eye in 2014, Tom Petty is one of the most beloved performers and musicians in rock ’n’ roll history, influencing countless acts for decades.This book is your unprecedented retrospective of Petty’s life and art, from teenage Florida rock ’n’ roll enthusiast to international star and celebrity.

Though "Nevermind" was Nirvana's most commercially successful album, and the record that broke them - and the grunge phenomenon - internationally, "In Utero" has increasingly become regarded as the band's best album, both by the critics and the band members themselves. Instead of sticking to the "grunge pop" formula that made Nevermind so palatable to the mainstream, Nirvana chose instead to challenge their audience, producing an album that the band's creative force, Kurt Cobain, said truly matched his vision of what he had always wanted his band to sound like. Here, the full story behind the creation of "In Utero" is told for the first time.

Witness one of the most stunning revolutions in rock ’n’ roll history in this authoritative and visually rich history of grunge.In the early 1990s, a new sound from the Pacific Northwest changed everything. Grunge! charts the rise of the movement that redefined rock through its raw power, authenticity, and emotion—and the community that gave it life. Longtime Seattle journalist Gillian G. Gaar, who lived the story firsthand, explores how bands such as grunge’s so-called “Big Four”—Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains—rose from dive bars and DIY record labels to dominate airwaves, fashion, and pop culture worldwide.Richly illustrated with rare photography, concert flyers, and memorabilia, Grunge! traces the genre’s roots in the region’s earlier garage rock and punk scenes, then follows its explosion and enduring influence, year by year, from 1986 through 1996. Gaar also spotlights:Key venues like the Central, Vogue, and Off Ramp that helped nurture the sceneFoundational labels, including Sub Pop, C/Z, and Kill Rock Stars, that transmitted Seattle’s sounds around the globePhotographers and chroniclers such as Charles Peterson and others who visually captured the chaos and creativityEssential bands, including the Big Four and trailblazers such as Mother Love Bone, Mudhoney, Melvins, Screaming Trees, the Gits, 7 Year Bitch, TAD, Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, and Foo FightersIn addition, Gaar includes relevant quotes from her own contemporary interviews with folks who figured prominently in the story, including Steve Albini (producer/engineer), Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam), Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney, Portlandia), Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains), Chad Channing (Nirvana), Cameron Crowe (filmmaker), Tad Doyle (TAD), Jack Endino (producer), Eric Erlandson (Hole), Danny Goldberg (Nirvana manager), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, solo), Courtney Love (Hole), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Krist Novoselic (Nirvana), Bruce Pavitt (Sub Pop cofounder), Charles Peterson (photographer), Jonathan Poneman (Sub Pop cofounder), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Everett True (journalist), and Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney).Grunge! revisits the years when Seattle ruled the world, offering an insider’s view of the movement that blended punk attitude, heavy riffs, and unvarnished authenticity into a cultural force that still resonates.For fans of rock history and 1990s culture, this is the ultimate tribute to music’s last true revolution—authentic, loud, and forever influential.

Elvis passed away in 1977 but his spirit lives on. His records still sell, his movies are still hugely popular and his concerts are still discussed by new generations of fans. The Elvis Presley estate has tens of thousands of photographs and miles of video footage from all eras of Elvis' career and fans' hunger for new imagery and information on the King remains unsated. This publication is a beautiful, desirable package, ideal for any Elvis fan. This book tells the personal story of Elvis and his relationships with those near and dear to him and contains more than 150 colour and black and white photographs from the Graceland archives, accompanied by insightful text from an author with a proven Elvis track record.To take you closer than ever before to the King, 30 items of rare memorabilia are carefully reproduced on the page, including personal letters, receipts, telegrams, publicity material and other fascinating items which provide new insight into the life of a legend.There are photographs of Elvis himself, Elvis with friends and family, and all manner of personal artifacts, including guitars, jewelry, clothing, vehicles and more.

On January 1, 1967, a new contract between 'Colonel' Tom Parker and his sole client, Elvis Presley, gave Parker a 50 per cent cut of royalties and profits that Presely generated. It was an unashamed grab for a bigger piece of a pie that had actually been shrinking for some time. Parker's plan to re-establish Presley as a star after he left the army in 1960 had been successful at first, with the success of films like "G.I. Blues" and "Blue Hawaii" and their soundtracks. But as the decade progressed the films became formulaic, the music bland, and sales declined. By 1967 Presley's singles struggled to break the top 20, and he hadn't had a number one for six years. Yet by the end of 1968 he was artistically revitalized, re-emerging in a TV comeback special of December that year slimmed down for the now iconic black leather suit, playing country-soul influenced rock like he meant it and loved it. It was the pivotal moment of the second great period of Presley's career, which lasted through to the end of 1970, during which he recorded some of his most enduring records, including "Suspicious Minds" and "In The Ghetto".In "Return Of The King" author Gillian Gaar shows how Presley reclaimed his crown, making an extraordinary transition from fading MoR balladeer to engaged, vital artist.