Play It Loud

The definitive story of the electric guitar, its impact on music, its role in culture, and the people who brought it to life.The inspiration for the Play It Loud exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe electric guitar has long been an international symbol of freedom, beauty, and rebellion. In Play It Loud, veteran music writers Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna give us the story of this American icon. It's a story of inventors and mythologizers, of scam artists and prodigies as varied and original as the instruments they spawned.The electric guitar looms large over the twentieth century- as an essential element in advancing racial equality in the entertainment industry, as a mirror to the rise of the teenager as a social force, as a linchpin of the punk rock ethos. And today it has come full circle, with contemporary titans such as Jack White and Annie Clark (known as St. Vincent) bringing back some of the instrument's earliest sounds. Featuring personal interviews with Les Paul, Keith Richards, Eddie Van Halen, and dozens more players and creators, Play It Loud shows how a group of innovators and misfits transformed an idea into a revolution.

“"Every guitar player will want to read this book twice. And even the casual music fan will find a thrilling narrative that weaves together cultural history, musical history, race, politics, business case studies, advertising and technological discovery. It could serve just as easily as a text on entrepreneurship and corporate R&D in the 20th century as it could a weekend vacation read." --Daniel Levitin,”

“A thrilling narrative that weaves cultural history, musical history, race, politics, business, advertising and technological discovery.” —The Wall Street Journal

“A swooping, all-encompassing timeline of the instrument’s early days to its beyond-essential role in pop culture and music.” —The Guardian

“Fascinating. . . . A book that lives up to the urgent, innovative, all-encompassing spirit of its subject.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
“A cultural history, calling up the tastes, styles and fads, the economics and even the geopolitics of 90 years of music-making.” —Dallas Morning News 

“The definitive book about the history and business of the electric guitar.” —Forbes.com

“Fascinating, elegantly written, page-turning. . . . It’s all here—the history, the science, the musicians, and of course, the stringed beauties and the sounds they helped create.” —Jonathan Kellerman, author of The Murderer’s Daughter

“Everything knowable now becomes known about the plugged-in ax that changed the world. A comprehensive history of the electric guitar in cultural context is something long wanted, awaited and needed. At long last, it has arrived.” —Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee

“A marvelous survey of how the electric guitar has rocked its way into the hearts and minds of millions of music lovers. This is a rich trove of unforgettable anecdotes and vignettes. Highly recommended!” —Douglas Brinkley, author of Rightful Heritage

“Providing a holistic overview packed with contextual insights, music journalists Tolinksi and Di Perna skillfully pinpoint the watershed innovations and key musicians who turned a novelty into a mainstay of popular music. . . . An engaging introduction to a fun topic with broad appeal.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“The electric guitar changed the world, and Tolinski and di Perna impressively reveal its epic story.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“A comprehensive history of the electric guitar, tracing its roots in George Beauchamp’s experiments in search of a way to amplify a guitar’s vibrations. . . . The authors engagingly explore the importance of amplifiers on artists’ sounds.” —Publisher’s Weekly

Brad Tolinski was the editor-in-chief ofGuitar World, the world's bestselling magazine for musicians, for twenty-five years. He is the author ofLight & Shade- Conversations with Jimmy Page.Alan di Perna is a longtime contributor toGuitar WorldandGuitar Aficionadoand has written forRolling Stone, Creem, Billboard, Guitar Player, and other leading music publications. He is the author ofGuitar Masters- Intimate Portraits.

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