Hail Hail Rock N' Roll

Do you want to learn how to play guitar in two pages? Have you ever wondered what goes into Marilyn Manson's backstage rider?* Do you know what Jimi Hendrix might do with a Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face? John Harris's Rock and Roll Bible is the ultimate guide to what Spinal Tap called 'the majesty of rock, the mystery of roll'. Gloriously irreverent, it is also satisfyingly definitive, with a list of every Glastonbury line up, a dictionary of obscure genres from Alt.country to Shoegazing, a brutally honest guide to the Beatles' solo albums, the surprising wit and wisdom of Shaun Ryder and Noel Gallagher, Bob Dylan's collected thoughts on Christianity and Keith Richards' less-collected thoughts on drugs, and a handy flow chart that shows you how to listen to all of Captain Beefheart's albums without going insane. From essential stage equipment to strange collaborations (Lou Reed and Kiss, anyone?) to the long, tragic journey of the rock moustache, The Rock and Roll Bible is an endlessly fascinating miscellany from one of the best music writers around. *(Clue: it's slightly less disturbing than Celine Dion's.)