An electrifying cultural biography of the greatest and last American rock band of the millennium, whose music ignited a generation—and reasserted the power of rock and roll"[Carlin's] unique gift for capturing the sweep and tenor of a cultural moment...is here on brilliant display." —Michael ChabonIn the spring of 1980, an unexpected group of musical eccentrics came together to play their very first performance at a college party in Athens, Georgia. Within a few short years, they had taken over the world – with smash records like Out of Time, Automatic for the People, Monster and Green. Raw, outrageous, and expressive, R.E.M.’s distinctive musical flair was unmatched, and a string of mega-successes solidified them as generational spokesmen. In the tumultuous transition between the wide-open 80s and the anxiety of the early 90s, R.E.M. challenged the corporate and social order, chasing a vision and cultivating...

A revelatory account of the life of beloved American music icon, Paul Simon, by the bestselling rock biographer Peter Ames CarlinTo have been alive during the last sixty years is to have lived with the music of Paul Simon. The boy from Queens scored his first hit record in 1957, just months after Elvis Presley ignited the rock era. As the songwriting half of Simon & Garfunkel, his work helped define the youth movement of the '60s. On his own in the '70s, Simon made radio-dominating hits. He kicked off the '80s by reuniting with Garfunkel to perform for half a million New Yorkers in Central Park. Five years later, Simon's album "Graceland" sold millions and spurred an international political controversy. And it doesn't stop there. The grandchild of Jewish immigrants from Hungary, the nearly 75-year-old singer-songwriter has not only sold more than 100 million records, won 15 Grammy awards and been installed into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame twice, but has...

This is a stunning biography of Bruce Springsteen describing his life and work in vivid intimate detail. After 3 decades of groundbreaking music Bruce Springsteen still manages to amaze audiences around the world with his live shows and bring new fans to his music with every album release. Highly acclaimed music critic Peter Carlin tracks the Boss' dazzling ascent to fame, whilst painting a vivid portrait of the real Springsteen: an insistently private man who nevertheless would do anything for his fans. Recently, in response to his mother's failing health, Springsteen decided he wanted to tell his story, and that he wanted Carlin to tell it. He gave Carlin many hours of interview time, including a trip to his family home, and let him preview his unreleased album. With unprecedented access to Springsteen, his family, friends and management, Carlin presents a riveting and highly personal account of Springsteen's life.From BooklistFor this authorized biography of anthemic rocker Bruce Springsteen, music critic and unabashed Springsteen fan Carlin, who has also written about Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney, was able to obtain interviews with many of the musician’s closest friends and relatives. His access to, among others, Springsteen’s mother, sisters, early bandmates, and high-school pals makes for an unusually intimate portrait. Carlin provides detailed accounts of the musician’s personal and professional life, from his lower-working-class childhood in Freehold, New Jersey, to his social invisibility in high school, to his local and then regional popularity, and then worldwide stardom. Along the way, Springsteen battled depression, which also afflicted his father; eschewed drugs and alcohol; juggled numerous romantic entanglements; and worked tirelessly on his music and his stage presence, morphing from a shy loner to a mesmerizing performer of hours-long concerts. Like many highly creative people, he was fairly ruthless about allowing his music to dictate his direction, which sometimes led to dissension within the E-Street Band. Springsteen emerges from these pages as a hard worker and a painstaking musician who has never forgotten his working-class roots. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Published in conjunction with Bruce Springsteen’s worldwide tour in support of his latest album, this authorized biography is sure to draw plenty of off-the-book-page interest. --Joanne Wilkinson Review“Bruce delivers. . . . Carlin gets across why Mr. Springsteen has meant so much, for so long, to so many people.” (*New York Times* )“Do we need another Springsteen biography? The answer, here, is yes, thanks in large part to Carlin’s tireless reporting, which helps straighten out some of the lore-laden stories of Springsteen’s early years in New Jersey, and further illuminates his later struggles with depression.” (*Boston Globe* )"There are probably more books about Bruce Springsteen than there are about any other rock star of his generation. But until one comes out with the words 'By Bruce Springsteen' on the cover, Bruce will be the definitive one." (*The Star-Ledger* )“Interviews with bandmates, family members, and exes paint an unflinching portrait of the rock icon... Dives into Springsteen’s personal life in unprecedented depth... No previous biographer has uncovered as much about Springsteen’s family.” (*Rolling Stone* )“Carlin’s exhaustively researched portrait of rock and roll’s working-class hero delivers everything a fan could wish for.” (*People* )"An astute engaging account." (*USA Today* )“An honest portrayal of the rock & roll legend.” (*Entertainment Weekly* )"An epic look at the man and his music." (*Kirkus Reviews* )"For all those of us who grew up on the Jersey Shore, chasing Bruce and the band every weekend: the chase is over. It’s all here. Everything we didn't know then -- we're surprised to learn now. It's close, it's intimate -- the master of introspection allows some full-on inspection of his life." (Brian Williams, NBC News )“There are many things I could and should be doing right now, but I am not… I am reading and rereading this book. Why did you do this to me?” (Jon Stewart )