Alan Light

“A venerated creator. An adored, tragic interpreter. An uncomplicated, memorable melody. Ambiguous, evocative words. Faith and uncertainty. Pain and pleasure.” Today, “Hallelujah” is one of the most-performed rock songs in history. It has become a staple of movies and television shows as diverse as Shrek and The West Wing, of tribute videos and telethons. It has been covered by hundreds of artists, including Bob Dylan, U2, Justin Timberlake, and k.d. lang, and it is played every year at countless events—both sacred and secular—around the world. Yet when music legend Leonard Cohen first wrote and recorded “Hallelujah,” it was for an album rejected by his longtime record label. Ten years later, charismatic newcomer Jeff Buckley reimagined the song for his much-anticipated debut album, Grace. Three years after that, Buckley would be dead, his album largely unknown, and “Hallelujah” still unreleased as a single. After two such commercially disappointing outings, how did one obscure song become an international anthem for human triumph and tragedy, a song each successive generation seems to feel they have discovered and claimed as uniquely their own? Through in-depth interviews with its interpreters and the key figures who were actually there for its original recordings, acclaimed music journalist Alan Light follows the improbable journey of “Hallelujah” straight to the heart of popular culture. The Holy or the Broken gives insight into how great songs come to be, how they come to be listened to, and how they can be forever reinterpreted.

Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah"

The Holy or the Broken

Prince and the Making of Purple Rain

Let's Go Crazy

Inspired by the Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, an intimate and vivid look at the legendary life of Nina Simone, the classically trained pianist who evolved into a chart-topping chanteuse and committed civil rights activist. From music journalist and former Spin and Vibe editor-in-chief Alan Light comes a biography of incandescent soul singer and Black Power icon Nina Simone, one of the most influential, provocative, and least understood artists of our time. Drawn from a trove of rare archival footage, audio recordings and interviews (including Simone's remarkable private diaries), this nuanced examination of Nina Simone's life highlights her musical inventiveness and unwavering quest for equality, while laying bare the personal demons that plagued her from the time of her Jim Crow childhood in North Carolina to her self-imposed exile in Liberia and Paris later in life. Harnessing the singular voice of Miss Simone herself and incorporating candid reflections from those who knew her best, including her only daughter, Light brings us face to face with a legend, examining the very public persona and very private struggles of one of our greatest artists.

A Biography

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary year of Purple Rain's release, an acclaimed former senior editor of Rolling Stone and author of The Holy or the Broken offers a complete history of the making of both the popular film and the best-selling soundtrack album of the same name. 25,000 first printing.

'From her raging, handwritten letters to late-night phone calls with David Bowie, this biography gets up close and personal with the tempestuous Nina Simone' Observer Drawing on glimpses into previously unseen diaries, rare interviews and childhood journals, and with the aid of her daughter, What Happened, Miss Simone? tells the story of the classically trained pianist who became a soul legend, a committed civil rights activist and one of the most influential, provocative and least understood artists of our time. This is the story of the real Miss Simone.

The author of The Holy or the Broken and former editor-in-chief of Vibe brings his “thoughtful and illuminating” (The New York Times) insight to Fleetwood Mac’s iconic album Rumours, celebrating its story, mythology, and enduring impact. On January 1, 1975, struggling young singer-songwriter Lindsey Buckingham was invited to join the veteran blues band Fleetwood Mac. He agreed on the condition that his girlfriend, an equally unknown vocalist named Stevie Nicks, also be included. Within two years, Rumours was born—and went on to become one of the most popular albums of all time. Almost five decades later, it is the only classic rock record that still attracts young listeners and continues to top sales and streaming charts. In Don’t Stop, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Alan Light unravels the enduring allure of Fleetwood Mac’s monumental album. Since its 1977 release, Rumours has captivated generations with its unparalleled blend of romantic turmoil and musical genius. Light explores the album’s transformation from a pop phenomenon to a cultural touchstone, and its unique ability to remain relevant in today’s rapidly changing music scene. Drawing on in-depth interviews with current artists inspired by Fleetwood Mac, as well as fans who have only recently discovered the album, Light investigates what keep Rumours at the forefront of popular culture, from Glee to Saturday Night Live to Daisy Jones & the Six. Through insightful analysis and storytelling, Don’t Stop celebrates the album’s trail blazing sound and diverse voices, and the emotional depth that continues to fascinate audiences. From the incredible soap opera behind the album’s creation to its embrace in the age of TikTok, this book presents a kaleidoscopic view of a landmark work that has transcended its time.

Why We (Still) Love Fleetwood Mac's Rumours

Don't Stop

Acclaimed music journalist Alan Light follows the improbable journey of Cohen's "Hallelujah" straight to the heart of popular culture and gives insight into how great songs come to be, how they come to be listened to, and how they can be forever reinterpreted.

The Holy Or the Broken

Mickey Williams

Scott Stanfield

Ralph Arvesen

Using the same format that won Visual Basic How-To the Readers Choice Award from VR Journal for two years in a row, Visual C++ How-To presents over 100 How-Tos for Visual C++ programmers from the Microsoft mast ers. Complete Visual C++ projects are included on the CD to demonstrate the techniques and custom classes developed for the How-Tos.

The Definitive MFC Problem Solver

Visual C++ How-to

Inspired by the Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, an intimate and vivid look at the legendary life of Nina Simone, the classically trained pianist who evolved into a chart-topping chanteuse and committed civil rights activist. From music journalist and former Spin and Vibe editor-in-chief Alan Light comes a biography of incandescent soul singer and Black Power icon Nina Simone, one of the most influential, provocative, and least understood artists of our time. Drawn from a trove of rare archival footage, audio recordings and interviews (including Simone's remarkable private diaries), this nuanced examination of Nina Simone’s life highlights her musical inventiveness and unwavering quest for equality, while laying bare the personal demons that plagued her from the time of her Jim Crow childhood in North Carolina to her self-imposed exile in Liberia and Paris later in life. Harnessing the singular voice of Miss Simone herself and incorporating candid reflections from those who knew her best, including her only daughter, Light brings us face to face with a legend, examining the very public persona and very private struggles of one of our greatest artists.

[Anonymus AC02241024]

Tupac Shakur

Vibe, the voice of the hip hop generation, presents the essence of hip hop. Music, fashion, dance, graffiti, movies, videos, and business - it's all in this brilliant tale of a cultural revolution that spans race and gender, language and nationality. The definitive history of an underdocumented music genre, 'The Vibe History of Hip Hop' tells the full story of this grassroots cultural movement, from its origins on the streets of the Bronx to its explosion as an international phenomenon. Illustrated with almost 200 photos, and accompanied by comprehensive discographies, this book is a vivid review of the hip hop world through the eyes and ears of more than 50 of the finest music writers and cultural critics at work today, including Danyel Smith, Greg Tate, Anthony De Curtis, dream hampton, Neil Strauss, and Bonz Malone.

The Vibe History of Hip Hop

What happened, Miss Simone? è la storia di una bambina nera del Sud che inseguì un talento prodigioso e divenne Nina Simone; di Nina Simone imprevedibile e tormentata, che attraversò il proprio tempo e divenne la Sacerdotessa del soul; del soul che rincorse le sue dita sul piano, tra le fughe di Bach e il cuore del blues; è la vita e la leggenda di una donna che marciò con Luther King e Malcolm X, che cantò orgoglio e segregazione, che fece piangere e ballare. È la storia di una voce profonda e oscura, di una voce brutale e sincera che parlava d’amore e scagliava accuse, di una donna incapace di chiedere scusa, del suo disturbo mentale, di occhi severi e solitudine; della meraviglia di Sinnerman, della rabbia di Mississippi Goddam.Alan Light scrive la biografia più completa dedicata a Nina Simone: dall’esordio a dieci anni – in cui si rifiutò di suonare finché i suoi genitori non poterono sedersi con i bianchi – ai trionfi della Carnegie Hall, dal sogno di diventare una grande pianista classica alla consacrazione pop con il successo planetario di My Baby Just Cares for Me.Nato come arricchimento dell’omonimo documentario candidato all’Oscar, con documenti nuovi e inediti, What happened, Miss Simone? insegue, tra le cadute e i trionfi, il fantasma di una regina del jazz che visse con la stessa ruvida autenticità il suo tempo, la sua razza e il suo sesso, amò molti uomini, fu picchiata dal marito e oppresse sua figlia. Racconta la corsa febbrile che portò Nina a vivere a Barbados, in Liberia, in Olanda e in Francia, le diede la forza di suonare e cantare con vigore senza pari e di essere la voce di tutti gli afroamericani. Ritrae una donna young, gifted and black che, come disse Toni Morrison, «era capace di incarnare tutte le donne del mondo».

What happened, Miss Simone?

An illustrated biography of Johnny Cash that tells his life story through never-before-seen personal photographs and memorabilia from the Cash family Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black is a Cash biography like no other. It reveals Cash's personal and professional life through largely unpublished material from the Cash family, including his handwritten notes and set lists; personal photographs of Cash with his family, traveling, and performing onstage; and beloved objects from his home and private recording studio. Alan Light, one of America's leading music journalists, traces Cash's story from his origins in rural Arkansas to his early recordings with Sun Records; from his battles with drug dependency and divorce to his romance with June Carter; and from his commercial musical successes, including At Folsom Prison and American Recordings, to his death and legacy. The book also includes vignettes on four sustaining themes of Cash's life: his musical influences, his social justice advocacy, his relationship with June, and his religious beliefs. Rich and revealing, Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black is ideal for all those who want to learn more about the personal side of the beloved performer.

Alan Light

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