Rock n Roll Book and Documentary Reviews: Rock Talk Studio

It’s 70 years of rock n roll packed into 366 days. A virtual time machine for fans.  What if every day came with its own slice of rock history? That’s exactly what this book does.  It’s 366 days, 400+ albums, 2,700+ stories. 

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Bruce Springsteen said that Garland Jeffreys was on par, as a songwriter, with Bob Dylan and Neil Young!!! Wow!

This doc is an interesting exploration of success, while making sure to explain and  introduce probably to a lot of people, the depth of Garland Jeffreys and his life as an underappreciated artist. 

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Want to win some great Outlaw Music Festival merchandise? Have you seen the beyond cool gear they put together to celebrate Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Billy Strings, Lucinda Williams, Wilco and more? Just send me an email at the address below and I will enter you in to win. Three lucky Rock Talk Studio winners will get a chance at some Outlaw Music Festival 10th Anniversary Branded Merchandise. 

Check out the 10th Anniversary swag-Ou...

Want to win some great Outlaw Music Festival merchandise? Have you seen the beyond cool gear they put together to celebrate Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Billy Strings, Lucinda Williams, Wilco and more? Just send me an email at the address below and I will enter you in to win. Three lucky Rock Talk Studio winners will get a chance at some Outlaw Music Festival 10th Anniversary Branded Merchandise. 

Check out the 10th Anniversary swag-Ou...

This book is equal parts technical chronicle and counterculture memoir dives deep into the Grateful Dead, and the massive, brain-bending machinery used to build their iconic sound system- The Wall of Sound. 

*This episode is sponsored by the Outlaw Music Festival 10th Anniversary Merchandise. 

Want to win some of that great Outlaw merchandise? Just send me an email at the address below and I will enter you in to win. Three lucky Rock...

When you think of rock ‘n’ roll hotspots, Princeton, New Jersey probably doesn’t make the list. But according to Sharing in the Groove, maybe it should.
This episode dives into the surprising and sprawling history of the jam band movement through the lens of this compelling oral history. 

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How the jam band scene exploded in the late ‘80s and ‘90s—from Princeton to Athe...

Looking for a doc that is artsy, gutsy and very real. A doc that is meaningful, clever, and deep. Bono does something in 86 minutes that most documentaries struggle to do-he grabs your attention, sparks your emotion and delivers on a very high level.  

*Want to win a free copy of Guns N' Roses at 40 book?  It's easy, just send me an email to sign up. You can find a link to my email address below. *Reminder this is for US c...

Guns n Roses at 40 is a hardcover beast—sleek, embossed, and packed with full-color photos, gatefold timelines, and handmade Sunset Strip flyers. It’s pure class with just the right amount of dirt under the nails. 

 *This episode is sponsored by Motorbooks—one of my favorite sponsors because they always hook up the Rock Talk Studio audience with a chance to win great books! And with this sponsorship, they’re taking it one step furth...

Buzz Me In: Inside The Record Plant Studio chronicles how two men (with a little help from Hendrix) built the go-to recording hub of the decade. Over-the-top partying, tight deadlines, all-night sessions, and egos the size of hotel suites — this is the 1970s music scene in full throttle. 

*This episode is sponsored by Thames & Hudson - the world's great publisher of illustrated books on Art, Architecture, Design, Photograph...

Looking for a great new rock n roll documentary to check out? Here's the Top 5 rock n roll docs that have been released so far in 2025.

This episode is sponsored by Thames & Hudson Publishing, who were kind enough for hooking one lucky reader up with a free copy of the new book Buzz Me In: Inside The Record Plant Studio. 

*This episode is sponsored by Thames & Hudson who is sending me over a new book to give away!! Want ...

Looking for a new great rock n roll book to check out? Here's the Top 5 rock n roll books that have been released so far in 2025.

*This episode is sponsored by Thames & Hudson who is sending me over a new book to give away!! Want to win a free copy of the new book Buzz Me In: Inside The Record Plant Studio?  It's easy, just send me an email to sign up. You can find a link to my email address below. *Reminder this is fo...

The last genre that truly changed everything? Author Rob Janicke’s book Slacker tells how grunge didn’t just change music—It changed people.

*This episode is sponsored by Thames & Hudson who is sending me over a new book to give away. Want to win a free copy of the new book Buzz Me In: Inside The Record Plant Studio?  It's easy, just send me an email to sign up. You can find a link to my email address below. *Reminder this ...

Celebrating all the great Rock n Roll podcasts! Here's the top recommendations for a bunch of great shows to check out. 

*Want the latest in Rock N Roll Book and Documentaries news sent to your inbox? 

Sign up for the Monthly BLAST!! the newsletter that comes out on the last Friday of the month that features book buzz and doc news, recently released titles, top 5 lists, and more. Just shoot me over an email at the address b...

Richard Manual's biography finally does justice to one of rock’s most heartbreaking and beautiful voices. Author Stephen T. Lewis paints a vivid, deeply human portrait of Richard Manuel: gentle, complicated, and quietly unraveling. 

*Want to win a free copy of Queen & A Night At The Opera: 50 Years?  It's easy, just send me an email to sign up. You can find a link to my email address below. *Reminder this is for US cit...

SMiLE was an album that never came out. Not in the ’60s when it was made. Not after Pet Sounds. Brian Wilson made an album-when he was 24- that was so visionary it nearly broke him. And this tremendous book gives you everything you ever wanted to know about how SMiLE became myth, then obsession, then burden, and then finally against all odds- triumph! 

*Want to win a free copy of Queen & A Night At The Opera: 50 Years?  It'...

One rehearsal in the summer of ’68 lit the fuse—Becoming Led Zeppelin captures the raw formation of a band that would change music forever. With newly unearthed John Bonham audio and exclusive interviews from Page, Plant, and Jones, this doc is pure voltage—no critics, no fluff, just Zeppelin, and a ton of great music, in their own words.

*Want to win a free copy of Queen & A Night At The Opera: 50 Years?  It's easy, just s...

This isn’t just a book. It’s a front-row seat to the moment Queen became immortal.

Queen & A Night at the Opera: 50 Years by Gillian G. Gaar is a lavish, photo-packed look into the album that changed everything. With over 250 stunning images, behind-the-scenes stories, and rare insights, this book captures the chaos, craft, and brilliance behind Queen’s boldest leap. Built like a coffee table book, packed like a vault — this is ...

 In 1983, Cameron Crowe — still early in his career — picked up a camera and quietly captured something incredible. The result? A grainy, gutsy, joy-fueled snapshot of a band still hungry, and still trying to figuring it all out. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in their hungry years. 

MTV aired it once in the middle of the night, then shelved it for being too raw.
Now it’s restored, with 20 extra minutes, There’s no script, no p...