Fossils, Classic Rock Relics, Volume 3: More 1970s & '80s

Once upon a time, rock ‘n’ roll fanatics had to learn about new album releases through label advertising in rags like Creem, Trouser Press, Rolling Stone, Zoo World, Phonograph Record, Bomp! and other music zines of the 1970s and afterwards. There was no internet and no social media to hype new tunes from your favorite artists. These ads could be inane, they could be insulting, and they could be inept but when they were good, they featured a level of artistry on par with an album's carefully-crafted cover art.

With this third volume of Fossils, award-winning rock critic and music historian Rev. Keith A. Gordon peers through the looking glass into the past and these “classic rock relics,” reconsidering vintage album ads from the 1970s and ‘80s. Offering insightful and informative commentary on 76 more ads along with images of each, the “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll” explores this often overlooked creative aspect of the classic rock era and makes the case for album advertising as art with its own merits and history.

Rev. Keith A. Gordon has been writing about rock and blues music for over 50 years for over 100 print publications and websites worldwide, including Creem magazine, Rock ‘n’ Roll Globe, High Times, Blurt magazine, Book & Film Globe, the East Village Eye, Perfect Sound Forever, Blues Music magazine, and The Blues (U.K.).

Fossils v3 is a 164pp 5.5” x 8.5” paperback with B&W photos and is only available in paperback at $16.95 with shipping (no eBook version of this one, kids!). Get your copy through the handy Amazon.com link below or buy an autographed copy direct from Excitable Press:

Fossils, Relics of the Classic Rock Era, Volume Three

Buy an autographed copy direct from Excitable Press (PayPal):

Planet of Sound 3: Even More Essays From the Rock and Roll Globe Era, 2021-2024

Planet of Sound 3 is the third and final archival collection of rants, raves, and reviews penned by award-winning rock critic and music historian Rev. Keith A. Gordon. The Reverend covers a diverse range of popular music with these 46 essays, from well-known artists like Frank Zappa, Neil Young, and rapper Ice T to cult favorites like Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, rocker Joe Grushecky, and punk godfather Johnny Thunders. 

Planet of Sound 3 expands the series' coverage of live albums, with in-depth reviews of legit and bootleg releases from rock 'n' roll greats like The Yardbirds, Rory Gallagher, and Michael Bloomfield. You'll find reviews of punk-rock (Hüsker Dü, Dead Kennedys), garage-rock (The Unclaimed, The Vipers), and the blues (John Lee Hooker, Skip James) as well as book reviews and tributes to artists like Keith Richards, John Mayall, and Spirit. 

The “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon has been writing about classic rock and blues music over 50 years. A former contributor to the All Music Guide books and website, and the former ‘Blues Expert’ for About.com, Gordon has written for over 100 publications worldwide, including Creem, Blurt magazine, Goldmine, Blues Music magazine, High Times, The Blues (U.K.), and Live! Music Review. The Reverend has also written or edited 29 previous music-related books, including Nuggets Redux, The Jimi Hendrix Reader, and Sonicbond Publishing's Spirit...On Track! 

 Get an autographed copy from the Reverend for $19.99 postpaid! (U.S. orders only)

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 Buy the print version or an eBook from Amazon!

Nuggets Redux: A Song-By-Song History of the History of the Most Influential Album In Rock 'n' Roll

Since its release in 1972, the multi-artist compilation Nuggets – featuring songs hand-chosen by legendary musician and rock critic Lenny Kaye – has arguably become the most influential album in rock ‘n’ roll history. With 27 songs spread across two vinyl records and packaged in a colorful, multi-hued cover, Nuggets, sub-titled “Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968,” would become one of the most popular and enduring anthologies of rock music ever created.

With Nuggets Redux, music historian Rev. Keith A. Gordon dives deep into the album, providing a song-by-song history of the magic made by psych-and-garage rock legends like The Electric Prunes, The Vagrants, The Remains, The Shadows of Knight, The Chocolate Watchband, and many others. Gordon also digs into the album’s ongoing influence in the decades since and provides a succinct history of Nuggets sequels and copycats, including the 50th anniversary Record Store day vinyl box set. Nuggets Redux is illustrated with over three dozen color and vintage B&W photographs.

Order an autographed copy of Nuggets Redux for $17.99 postpaid direct from the publisher! (U.S. orders only)

Rather buy the book from Amazon? Here are some links:
Nuggets Redux print version
Nuggets Redux eBook

Planet of Sound 2: More Essays From the Rock and Roll Globe Era (2021-2023)

Planet of Sound 2 is the second collection of rants, raves, and reviews penned by award-winning rock critic and music historian Rev. Keith A. Gordon. Originally published by the Rock and Roll Globe and Book and Film Globe websites, the Reverend covers a wide range of rock and blues music with these 33 essays.

From well-known artists like John Lee Hooker, Lou Reed, Muddy Waters, The Kinks, Edgar Winter, and the Georgia Satellites to lesser-known talents like Joe Grushecky, The Jazz Butcher, Randy California, and Willy DeVille, the Reverend explores the history of these artists and places their legacies into proper context. Planet of Sound 2 also includes several book reviews that delve into the history of the underground comix of the 1970s.

The “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon has been writing about classic rock and blues music for 50 years. A former contributor to the All Music Guide, and the former ‘Blues Expert’ for About.com, Gordon has written for over 100 publications worldwide, including Creem, Blurt magazine, Goldmine, Blues Music magazine, High Times, The Blues (U.K.), and Live! Music Review. The Reverend has also written or edited 26 previous music-related books, including The Jimi Hendrix Reader, The Other Side of Nashville, and and Anarchy In The Music City!

Get an autographed copy from the Reverend for $19.99 postpaid!

Buy the print version or an eBook from Amazon!

Anarchy In The Music City! The Other Side of Nashville's Musical Pioneers

Since the early 1960s, Nashville has been known worldwide as the "Music City" for its robust country and gospel music industries. For over 40 years now, Nashville has also been home to a thriving hotbed of rock, blues, rap, and Americana music. "The Other Side of Nashville" has grown from a few makeshift bands playing original songs and scraping for gigs into an internationally-respected scene that has attracted creative immigrants from across the globe.

Anarchy In The Music City! is an oral history of the origins and evolution of Nashville's alternative music scene as told by the pioneers that made the music. Using artist interviews culled from the pages of Rev. Keith A. Gordon's critically-acclaimed book The Other Side of Nashville, this illustrated volume includes conversations with both well-known music-makers like Jason & the Scorchers, Webb Wilder, Tony Gerber, David Olney, and Chagall Guevara as well as regional cult rockers like Tommy Womack, the Dusters, Donna Frost, and Aashid Himons, among many others.  

The “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Gordon has been writing about rock and blues music for 50 years. A former contributor to the All Music Guide books and website, and the former Blues Expert for About.com, Rev. Gordon has written or edited 25 previous music-related books and eBooks, including Blues Deluxe: The Joe Bonamassa Buying Guide, Planet of Sound, The Other Side of Nashville, and Scorched Earth: A Jason & the Scorchers Scrapbook. 

Buy an autographed copy for $14.99 directly from the Reverend:

 

Prefer to buy from Amazon.com? Here's a link to the print version of Anarchy In The Music City! (also available as a Kindle eBook) 

The Rev sez "Paint It Black!"

The fifth and final collection of the Reverend’s personal archives, Paint It Black! is now available for order from Excitable Press and Amazon.com. Named for the classic Rolling Stones song, Paint It Black! is a collection of over 150 rock ‘n’ blues album and book reviews penned by the “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon over the course of his nearly 50 years as a rock critic and music historian.

From classic rockers like Bob Seger, David Bowie, and Frank Zappa to blues legends like John Lee Hooker and Stevie Ray Vaughan or punk rockers like the Dead Kennedys (and everything in between) if you love music, Paint It Black! is the cratediggers' guide to your next album purchases!

Order an autographed copy of Paint It Black! directly from the Reverend for $15.95 postpaid in the U.S. by using the PayPal button below. Canadian and European orders should be made through Amazon.com. Paint It Black! is a 5.5” x 8.5” trade paperback, a respectable 356 pages and profusely illustrated with B&W album cover artwork.

Paint It Black! $15.95

Prefer to buy from Amazon.com? Here's a link to the Reverend's Paint It Black! paperback (also available as a Kindle eBook)

Planet of Sound book now available!

The Reverend's latest effort, Planet of Sound, is now available from Amazon.com. Planet of Sound is a collection of essays, retrospectives, artist interviews and album reviews penned by award-winning rock critic and music historian Rev. Keith A. Gordon. Originally published by the Rock and Roll Globe website, the Reverend covers a wide range of rock and blues music with these essays.

From well-known artists like Steve Miller, Walter Trout, Frank Zappa, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and the Blues Brothers to lesser-known talents like avant-garde guitarist Eugene Chadbourne, singer/songwriter Buzzy Linhart, British oddball Screamin’ Lord Sutch, and cult rockers the Flamin’ Groovies, the Reverend explores the history of these artists and places their legacies into proper context.  

Within these pages are 33 aggressively looong essays, etc on rock and blues music – popular and otherwise – that you can read for free online but, in keeping with my obsessive quest to publish nearly every word I’ve ever written in some misguided and utterly futile attempt at immortality, I’m trying to sell you in printed and eBook form. I can only hope that you have as much fun reading this stuff as I did in writing it. Rock on!

Get an autographed copy from the Reverend for $12.99!

Buy the print version from Amazon.com: Planet of Sound

The Rock 'n' Roll Archives, Volume Five: Rockin' 'round the World

Excitable Press and That Devil Music’s Rev. Gordon are happy to announce the publication of the fifth and final volume in the Rev’s ongoing collections of artist interviews. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Five: Rockin' 'round the World is a budget-priced collection of vintage interviews with seventeen musicians from around the world, including Little Steven, Sisters of Mercy, R.E.M., John Wesley Harding, Wayne Kramer, and Midnight Oil, among others. The book also includes album reviews for many of the featured artists.

The “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon has been writing about music for almost 50 years. A former contributor to the All Music Guide books and website, and the former Blues Expert for About.com, Rev. Gordon has also written for Blurt magazine, Creem, High Times, and The Blues (U.K.), among many other publications, and has written two-dozen previous music-related books, including Blues Deluxe: The Joe Bonamassa Buying Guide, The Other Side of Nashville, and Scorched Earth: A Jason & the Scorchers Scrapbook.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Five: Rockin' 'round the World is a 108pp 5.5” x 8.5” paperback with B&W photos, priced at $8.99 for the print edition and $2.99 for the eBook. Get your copy through the handy Amazon.com links below:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Five: Rockin' 'round the World print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Five: Rockin' 'round the World eBook edition

Also available:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers eBook

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal eBook

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock eBook edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume One: Southern Rockers print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume One: Southern Rockers eBook edition

The Rock 'n' Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers

Excitable Press and That Devil Music’s Rev. Gordon are happy to announce the publication of the fourth volume in the Rev’s ongoing collections of artists interviews. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers is a budget-priced collection of thirteen “cult rockers” who have made great music that failed to find a mainstream audience, talents like Billy Bragg, Eugene Chadbourne, Mojo Nixon, Kirsty MacColl, Band of Susans, Barrence Whitfield, and They Might Be Giants, among others. The book also includes album reviews for many of the featured artists.

The “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon has been writing about music for 45+ years. A former contributor to the All Music Guide books and website, and the former Blues Expert for About.com, Rev. Gordon has also written for Blurt magazine, Creem, High Times, and The Blues (U.K.), among many other publications, and has written eighteen previous music-related books, including Blues Deluxe: The Joe Bonamassa Buying Guide, The Other Side of Nashville, and Scorched Earth: A Jason & the Scorchers Scrapbook.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers is a 74pp 5.5” x 8.5” paperback with B&W photos, priced at $7.99 for the print book and $2.99 for the eBook version with the same content. Get your copy through the handy Amazon.com links below:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Four: Cult Rockers eBook

Also available:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal eBook

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock eBook edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume One: Southern Rockers print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume One: Southern Rockers eBook edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal

Excitable Press and That Devil Music’s Rev. Gordon are happy to announce the publication of the third volume in the Rev’s ongoing series of archive interviews. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal is a budget-priced collection of ten vintage artist interviews from metal pioneers like Living Colour, Faith No More, King’s X, and Sepultura as well as cult artists like Killing Joke, Voivod, and Warrior Soul, among others. The book also includes album reviews for many of the featured artists.

The “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon has been writing about music for 45+ years. A former contributor to the All Music Guide books and website, and the former Blues Expert for About.com, Rev. Gordon has also written for Blurt magazine, Creem, High Times, and The Blues (U.K.), among many other publications, and has written fifteen previous music-related books, including The Other Side of Nashville and Scorched Earth: A Jason & the Scorchers Scrapbook.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal is a 70pp 5.5” x 8.5” paperback with B&W photos, priced at $6.99 for the print book and $2.99 for the eBook version with the same content. Get your copy through the handy Amazon.com links below:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Three: Heavy Metal eBook

Also available:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock eBook edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume One: Southern Rockers print edition

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Archives, Volume One: Southern Rockers eBook edition

The Rev's Boogie Chillun now available!

The fourth volume of the Reverend’s personal archives, Boogie Chillun is now available for order from Excitable Press and Amazon.com. Named for the classic John Lee Hooker song, Boogie Chillun is a collection of over 150 rock ‘n’ blues album, DVD, and book reviews penned by the “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon over the course of his 44+ year career as a rock critic and music historian. Boogie Chillun also includes a number of articles from the Rev's archives, including obituaries for Abbie Hoffman and Timothy Leary, a look back at the Kent State killings, musical piracy and more!

From classic rockers like Bob Seger, Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Grushecky to blues legends like Walter Trout, Tommy Castro, and Muddy Waters, if you love music, Boogie Chillun is the cratediggers' guide to your next album purchases! Order an autographed copy of Boogie Chillun directly from the Reverend for $15.99 postpaid in the U.S. or $22.99 for Canada by using the PayPal buttons below. European orders should be made through Amazon.com. Boogie Chullun is a 5.5” x 8.5” trade paperback, a respectable 414 pages and profusely illustrated with album cover artwork.

Boogie Chillun $15.99 U.S.

Boogie Chillun $22.99 Canada

Prefer to buy from Amazon.com? Here's a link to the Rev's Boogie Chillun 


What critics had to say about Let It Rock!, the third volume in the Rev’s archive series:

"Bottom line: There’s something here for all of us, kids, ‘cos when the Rev. sets up his tent to preach the gospel, it’s a big goddam tent he pitches. Apologies for the cursing; but this is, after all, the devil’s music." – Fred Mills, Blurt magazine

The Rev’s Let It Rock! book hits the shelves!

The third volume of the Reverend’s personal archives, Let It Rock! is now available for order from Excitable Press and Amazon.com. Named for the classic 1960 Chuck Berry song, Let It Rock! is a collection of over 100 rock ‘n’ blues album and book reviews penned by the “Reverend of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Rev. Keith A. Gordon over the course of his 44+ year career as a rock critic and music historian.

From classic rockers like King Crimson, Hawkwind, and Jimi Hendrix to relative newcomers like Graveyard and the Black Keys, if you love music, Let It Rock! is your guide to your next album purchases! Published on October 4th, 2016, you can order an autographed copy of Let It Rock! directly from the Reverend for $14.95 postpaid in the U.S. or $20.95 for Canada by using the PayPal buttons below. European orders should be made through Amazon.com. Let It Rock! is a 5.5” x 8.5” trade paperback, a respectable 274 pages and profusely illustrated with album cover artwork.

What critics had to say about Rollin’ ‘n’ Tumblin’, the second volume in the Rev’s archive series:

“To say that the good Reverend Keith A. Gordon knows a thing or two about the blues is akin to saying that a duck likes water…” – Terry Mullins, Blues Blast magazine

“More of a reference work than a tome designed to be read cover to cover, Rollin’ ‘n’ Tumblin’ is a useful consumer guide to the world of currently-available blues (and blues-informed) music.” – Bill Kopp, Musoscribe blog

“These are actual, genuine, honest-to-Wolf, get-your-mojo-workin’ blues reviews, the kind that display an abiding passion for the artform, an appreciation for and deep knowledge of its history, and most important, the kind of descriptive, illuminating and no holds barred style of writing that serves to make its subject come alive.” – Fred Mills, Blurt magazine


Let It Rock! $14.95 U.S.

Let It Rock! $20.95 Canada

Prefer to buy from Amazon.com? Here’s a link to the Rev. Gordon’s Let It Rock!

New Book! The Reverend's Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' hits the shelves!

Named for the classic Muddy Waters' song, Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' is the second volume in The Reverend's Archives, a collection of over 100 blues-related long-form album and book reviews written by the award-winning music critic, Rev. Keith A. Gordon. From classic blues by legends like B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters to contemporary albums by talents like Walter Trout, Duke Robillard, and George Thorogood, Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' provides a wealth of musical information guaranteed to send you to your local record store in search of new music!

Published on January 5th, 2016 you can buy the book via Amazon.com or order Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' direct from the Reverend for $14.95 postpaid for the U.S. or $24.95 for Canada by using the PayPal buttons below. European orders should be made through Amazon.com. Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' is a 5.5" x 8.5" trade paperback, a whoppin' 390 pages and profusely illustrated with album cover artwork.

Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' $14.95 (US)

Rollin' 'n' Tumblin' $24.95 (Canadian)

Excitable Press to Publish Best Rock Writing Book!

Excitable Press is happy to announce that it is currently accepting editorial submissions for the company's next book, That Devil Music: Best Rock Writing 2014. Scheduled for March 2014 publication, the book will showcase the best critical writing about rock music from the previous year.

For over a decade, Da Capo Press published its eagerly-awaited annual Best Music Writing books. The series was discontinued in 2011, however, and its former editor has been unable to re-launch the popular collection of music criticism. We feel that this has left a void in the publishing world that we can fill.

Our plans for That Devil Music: Best Music Writing 2014 is for book to become an annual series much like Best Music Writing, but we need to get this first volume off the ground. We're asking for submissions of music writing with an important caveat: it needs to focus on rock 'n' roll in all of its persuasions. Classic rock, prog-rock, heavy metal, punk rock, blues-rock – it's all good with us!

What we're looking for is essays, articles, interviews, rants and reviews written and/or published during 2013. Reviews can be of albums, books, DVDs or other flotsam and jetsam of rock culture. Submissions should be emailed to thatdevilmusic.com c/o gmail.com in MS Word or text formats and must include contact information.

We will accept editorial submissions through January 31, 2014 for the 2014 book, and we'll be contacting only those writers whose material will be used in the final book. We can't afford to pay much, but contributors will be paid a small fee and sent a copy of the finished book.

That Devil Music: Best Music Writing 2014 will be edited by infamous rock critic Rev. Keith A. Gordon, whose two most recent books include The Other Side of Nashville (2012) and Scorched Earth: A Jason & the Scorchers Scrapbook (2013, with Paul Needham), both published by Excitable Press. The book will receive a full promotional push and worldwide distribution through Ingram Distributing and Amazon.com and will be available in both print and eBook versions.