Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

12/27/2009

Review of Hollywood Remains to Be Seen: A Guide to the Movie Stars' Final Homes (Paperback)

Besides being very well-written and witty, this book is one of the best-researched "graving guides" I have seen on the market. I believe this is because Masek lives in the area, and is a regular visitor to these sites. Many other books have been written by people who either don't know the subject matter personally, or who have relied heavily on other, usually erroenous, sources. These mistakes are repeated over and over in guide after guide, but not in this one. Masek has clearly done all the leg work himself, and it shows.

Besides giving directions, the book also contains some very witty anecdotes about the people and the places they are buried. Although a bit large to sneak into the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn, this book really needs to be at your side for any excursion out there into the increasingly-popular world of celebrity grave-hunting.

Product Description
Hollywood Remains to Be Seen is a fascinating, gossipy guide to the fourteen most significant Hollywood-era cemeteries and the final resting places of the movie stars who are buried in them.Arranged as an easy-to-follow tours of the properties, the fourteen chapters-one for each cemetery-include histories of the cemeteries, directions for finding them, and a detailed listing of exactly where more than three hundred stars, and a detailed listing of exactly where more than three hundred stars are buried.

Strange as it may seem, cemeteries are becoming one of the most popular destinations for tourists to Hollywood and for film fans who want to pay their respects to the rich and famous and passed-on.Every year, millions of people from all over the world visit the graves of the legendary film stars buried in Hollywood, and the interest in these places grows from year to year.

Hollywood Remains to Be Seen highlights the legend and lore of celebrity graves, from Rudolph Valentino's mysterious "Lady In Black" to the regular deliveryof one red rose to Marilyn Monroe's grave, to the strange journeys made by the body of John Barry more immediately after his death in 1942- and again thirty-eight years later.Also included are information and images of Hollywood's most lavish and majestic graves, from the huge mausoleum of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., complete with Roman pillars and giant reflecting pool; to Liberace's flamboyant tomb, with a musical score set on white marble; to the spectacular domed monument of Al Jolson, featuring a life-sized statue of the entertainer atop a 120-foot cascadin waterfall.

Heavily illustrated with nearly one hundred photographs, Hollywood Remains to Be Seen includes photographs of the celebrities as well as photographs of the cemeteries, mausoleums, and graves, maps of the burial grounds and gravesites, and a final section fitly titled "Exit Lines" made up of celebrities' last words.

About the Author
Mark Masek is a travel writer with many feature stories published under his byline.A native of Chicago, Illinois, he lives in Pasadena, California, with his wife, Theresa.Hollywood Remains To Be Seen is his first book.

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9/28/2009

Review of The AudioPro Home Recording Course, Vol. II (Paperback)

This is the best written, easy to understand book that I've read on audio recording.Bill Gibson has a tallent for writing and teaching, that few have, namely: what you read is written in such a way that you bothunderstand and remember it.I've tested his equipment settings in mystudio and they work.The accompaning CD's let you hear exactly what he istelling you.A great must-have book.

Product Description
This essential complement to the first book in this series and required reading for anyone who is conscientious about recording the right way. This second volume also uses illustrations and audio examples to present all you need to know about impedance and balancing; recording bass guitar, vocals, pianos, and synths; panning and stereo imaging; and the recording session itself, down to the final mixdown. Let Bill Gibson give you the information you need to master your recording techniques and produce incredible recordings.

About the Author
Bill Gibson, President of Northwest Music and Recording, has spent the last 25 years writing, recording, producing and teaching music and has become well-known for his production, performance and teaching skills. As an instructor at Green River College in Auburn, WA, holding various degrees in composition, arranging, education and recording, he developed a practical and accessible teaching style which provided the basis for what was to come--15 books, a DVD, and a VHS video for MixBooks/ArtistPro along with a dozen online courses for members of ArtistPro.com. Bill's writings are acclaimed for their straightforward and understandable explanations of recording concepts and applications.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The AudioPro Home Recording Course, Vol. II (Paperback)