“One Foot on the Platform,” by Peter Goddard, House of Anansi,听$26.99.
One Foot on the Platform: A Rock 鈥橬鈥 Roll Journey
Peter Goddard; edited by J.A. Wainwright
House of Anansi, 352 pages, $26.99
When Peter Goddard died in 2022, the loss reverberated throughout the Canadian music world. The journalist and critic鈥檚 byline was ubiquitous throughout the country before finding a home in the pages of the Star for more than 30 years. Goddard left a legacy that offers lessons for any aspiring music writer on capturing the zeitgeist and placing your subject into the broader cultural context.
Before he passed, Goddard was working on a new book. Its premise: to reflect on how, over 50 years of writing about the music scene, rock had changed. Many of these original essays are included here along with a curated selection of Goddard鈥檚 best writing.
Through lively description and clever literary devices, Goddard made readers feel as if they were attending a performance with him. Describing a 1969 Chuck Berry concert and the hypnotizing effect that occurred when his voice collided with his guitar, Goddard wrote, 鈥淭he effect was that of a pneumatic drill caught in the iron cage of the beat.鈥
Featuring record reviews, artist interviews and pop-culture rambles, this collection highlights the depth and breadth of Goddard鈥檚 published work. It鈥檚 a rock 鈥檔鈥 roll journey well worth taking.
“Ten Telecaster Tales,” by Rik Emmett, ECW, $24.95.
Ten Telecaster Tales: Liner Notes for a Guitar and Its Music
Rik Emmett
ECW Press, 208 pages, $24.95
Artists 鈥 no matter their chosen medium 鈥 are storytellers. Whether through lyrics, melody or prose, Rik Emmett has made a career of sharing tales with the hope these creations resonate. For more than a decade 鈥 from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s 鈥 the singer-guitarist played with the 海角社区官网hard-rock trio Triumph. Since leaving the band and becoming a solo artist, he has also written books, including 鈥淩einvention: Poems鈥 and 鈥淟ay It on the Line: A Backstage Pass to Rock Star Adventure, Conflict and Triumph.鈥
In 鈥淭en Telecaster Tales,鈥 Emmett proves yet again that he is as adept at non-fiction as he is at arena-rock anthems. This project began with Emmett鈥檚 idea to design a hybrid electric Telecaster guitar 鈥 which he nicknamed Babs 鈥 and use this newfangled instrument to guide and inspire him to compose 10 solo pieces that move, groove, swirl, slink and sigh. This brief book offers extended liner notes for these new songs while also letting readers in on the musician鈥檚 creative process.
Buy the companion album, 鈥淭en Telecaster Tales,鈥 and listen to each song while reading Emmett鈥檚 descriptions on how each of these compositions 鈥 including waltzes and nocturnes 鈥 were born.
“Richard Manuel,” by Stephen T. Lewis, Schiffer, $50.
Richard Manuel: His Life and Music, From the Hawks and Bob Dylan to the Band
Stephen T. Lewis
Schiffer, 400 pages, $50
In the introduction to this biography of one of the least understood members of the Band, Stephen T. Lewis writes of a series of 鈥渃oincidences, connections and conversations鈥 that convinced him to tell Richard Manuel鈥檚 story. I, for one, am glad for these connections, and any lover of the Canadian group will also celebrate this long-overdue portrait of the soulful musical misfit from Stratford, Ont. As Lewis, a writer from upstate New York, admits in the introduction, this was no easy task: 鈥淩ichard鈥檚 talent was immense and his soul so complex that to capture his essence was like shoveling smoke.鈥
Other members of the Band have chronicled their stories (Robbie Robertson in 鈥淭estimony鈥 and Levon Helm in 鈥淭his Wheel鈥檚 on Fire鈥), but singer-pianist Manuel’s life, which ended tragically by suicide in 1986, has never been fully explored, until now.
This well-researched examination (available June 17) fills in the gaps in Manuel鈥檚 musical journey: learning about the blues by listening to radio from south of the border; getting into trouble in rural Ontario as a teenager; and sharing the stage with Bob Dylan. Through interviews with friends and family members, Lewis presents the most complete portrait yet of this often-misunderstood musical genius.
“Cold Glitter,” by Robert Dayton, Feral House,听$51.99.
Cold Glitter: The Untold Story of Canadian Glam
Robert Dayton
Feral House, 408 pages, $51.99
As the aphorism goes, 鈥淎ll that glitters is not gold.鈥 Fittingly, all the artists that appear in this massive romp through the history of glam rock in our country are not shiny stars. And that鈥檚 the point. It鈥檚 also what makes this exhaustive examination so interesting and fun.
Robert Dayton, a comedian, musician and performer, admits that by the time he finished writing, the book had 鈥渂ecome a beast, almost savage and difficult to wrestle, going further than I ever thought.鈥 His cheeky and informal writing style suits the hundreds of stories of such flamboyant artists as Sweeney Todd (fronted by Nick Gilder and, later,听Bryan Adams), Johnnie Lovesin, the Clichettes and Thor.
This photo- and ephemera-packed book takes the reader on a seductive road trip, from west to east, revealing how these artists faced the same struggles 鈥 chasing record deals, getting radio play 鈥 as their counterparts in more mainstream genres.
Glam rock is an important part of our collective cultural story. I’m glad Dayton pursued his passions to produce this important addition to the canon of Canadian music books.
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