Holiday photo books with a rock 'n' roll beat
So you don't want to give the music lover in your life another gift certificate to iTunes?These five photo books will rock their world this holiday season.
Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie and the Advent of Punk
By Chris Stein
(Rizzoli, $55)
Why it rocks: As a founding member of Blondie, Stein was on the scene at the birth of punk and power-pop. His photos of bands you've long since forgotten take you back to the days of Jell-O shots.
Fan base: 1970's club crawlers will appreciate Stein's memories and snapshots.
Danny Clinch: Still Moving
By Danny Clinch
(Abrams, $50)
Why it rocks: Clinch is the go-to photographer for everyone from
Bruce Springsteen (who wrote the foreword) to the Foo Fighters. His work for magazines and on album covers has defined music for 20 years. The book encompasses portraits, private moments and concert performances.
Fan base: If you have been to a half-dozen concerts or bought more than one CD by the same musician in the last two decades, this book is for you.
Kurt Cobain: The Last Session
By Jesse Frohman
(Thames & Hudson, $45)
Why it rocks: Photos from a July 1993 photo session and the same day's rehearsal offer a detailed look at late Nirvana fron
t man. It's a rare thing to see almost all of the photos taken from a photo shoot and a performance.
Seeing a young and already charismatic Dave Grohl is an added plus.
Fan base: Lovers of Cobain, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, plus aspiring photographers who can study Frohman's technique.
Lenny Kravitz
Foreward by Anthony DeCurtis
(Rizzoli, $60)
Why it rocks: Lenny Kravitz. Need we say more? Since 1989's Let Love Rule Kravitz has released 10 rock and roll albums while emerging as a fashion icon and a talented actor. A wide variety of photographers capture the musician in a multitude of situations, from portrait shoots to private moments and in concert.
Fan base: Ladies love Lenny; they'll enjoy the revealing nature of some of the portraits.
Hipgnosis/Portraits
By Aubrey Powell (Thames & Hudson, $60)
Why it rocks: This fascinating book showcases the photo and design talents of perhaps the most influential design collective in album art history. (Author Powell was a member of the team.) Their work includes covers of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy. The book is brilliantly divided into two halves: "Imagination" and "Realization." Part one details the conceptualizing that went into an album cover while part two displays the finished product. Powell's recollections are as charming as the final photos are intense.
Fan base: Classic rock lovers, rock music historians, photographers and designers.
Jym Wilson is the senior photo editor of USA TODAY's Life section.