Books | Lollipop Magazine

For The Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records – Review

October 27, 2017

Seeing the Metal Blade name associated with a band is as good as a guarantee that it’s the real deal, and this book shows what it took to make that a reality.

Capcom- 30th Anniversary Character Encyclopedia – Review

November 8, 2013

The video game world has no shortage of iconic characters. Rarely do those familiar faces originate from the same company, except when it comes to Capcom.

No Regrets – Ace Frehley – Review

December 23, 2011

Wanna rock all night, and party every day? Ace Frehley, he of the Spaceman makeup and Cherry Sunburst Les Paul did, and now he tells his life story.

It’s So Easy – and other lies – Review

November 18, 2011

Duff McKagan is one hell of a nice guy. And he’s also one lucky son of a bitch. These are the two main things you take away from It’s So Easy (and other lies).

Experienced – Rock Music Tales of Fact & Fiction – Review

October 28, 2011

An anthology of short stories and essays all connected by one theme: Rock’n’roll. I can’t say all the stories rock, but some of them do indeed roll.

The Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal – Volume 4 – The ’00s – Review

July 1, 2011

It’s a testament to the writing that this is good enough to read from beginning to end, discovering new artists as you go, just to hear the author’s take.

My Appetite for Destruction – Sex & Drugs & Guns N Roses – Review

May 26, 2011

Say one thing for Steven Adler, drummer for the original lineup of Guns N’ Roses: He tells it like it is. At least, according to him.

Jeff Buckley – Mystery White Boy Blues – Review

July 27, 2010

Jeff Buckley may not have been destined for tragedy – or fame – but his lineage, ascent to selective fame, and untimely demise is really remarkable.

Neon Angel – A Memoir of a Runaway – Review

May 1, 2010

The story of Runaways lead singer Cherie Currie, and in a broader context, the story of the sleazy reality of the music industry in the mid-to-late ’70s.

Guiness World Records 2010 -Gamer’s Edition -Review

May 1, 2010

Wisely avoiding being simply a rundown of high scores, the creators divide into logical categories and bundle together facts in bright, inviting layouts.

Poisoned Heart – I Married Dee Dee Ramone – Review

March 1, 2010

This story is from the perspective of Dee Dee’s first wife Vera Ramone King. It tells of an enduring love that would’ve sent most people to the brink.

Metallica – The Club Dayz 1982-1984 – Review

March 1, 2010

Metallica would soon take over the world, but here, they were a bunch of dirty, long-hairs drinking, playing fast, and living out their lean years with vigor.

Black Diamond – The Unauthorized Biography of KISS – Review

March 1, 2010

Black Diamond gives an exhaustive, behind-the-scenes account of the band throughout their impressive, sometimes tumultuous, history.

Mystery Train – Images of America in Rock ‘n’ Roll Music – Review

September 1, 2009

Originally published in 1975, Mystery Train is seemingly the last Marcus volume that is neither awash in academic incomprehensibility nor about Bob Dylan.

The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists – Review

June 1, 2009

It makes up its own rules, and it’s a helluva lotta fun. “Call someone up who’s kinda cool and ask’m ‘what’re yer fave nine unpunk things to do in a punk way.'”

Judas Priest – Heavy Metal Painkillers – Review

June 1, 2009

If you care about Priest or the germination of metal, you wanna see this. Popoff is a deep crate digger in the hard rock and metal world, a lifer’s lifer.

Keep It True – Festival History Book 2003-2008 – Review

January 1, 2009

Cool idea, a whole pile of enthusiastic metalheads getting together to celebrate the hard power “traditional” metal legacy of Germany’s Keep It True Festival.

The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists – Review

December 1, 2008

McIver making that paradigm shift, retiring the old gods for young pups in bands such as Bullet For My Valentine, Dragonforce, and Avenged Sevenfold.

Ye Olde Metal – 1973 to 1975 – Review

November 1, 2008

The second in Martin Popoff’s series of books detailing the early, odd, under-appreciated, or just all around forgotten gems of metal.

Reign In Blood – Review

November 1, 2008

D.X. Ferris did dozens of interviews and wrote a meticulous history of Slayer’s Reign In Blood, with sociological context bios and impact on the metal world.

Diary of a Punk – Life and Death in The Pagans – Review

September 1, 2008

The Pagans howled great high-octane rock and roll. The writing is plain spoken, sensible, and focused. Like reading Burroughs’ Junkie or Bruce Caen’s Hollywood.

The Collectors Guide To Heavy Metal – Vol. 3: The 90s – Review

March 1, 2008

Herein, you get about 3100 reviews, the stuff you expect in the metal genre/gene-splice spiced with heavy aggressive music tangential to metal.

Sixx A.M. – The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack – Review

February 1, 2008

Nikki Sixx published a book called The Heroin Diaries and this is the soundtrack. A lot of inspired lyrics, but none so beautiful as “Accidents Can Happen.”

The Rock & Roll Film Encyclopedia – Review

February 1, 2008

A film guide whose focus is rock & roll-based movies. A reference guide for folks in search of music-based feature films, bio-pics, documentaries, and the like.

Roller Derby – The History and All-Girl Revival of the Greatest Sport on Wheels – Review

February 1, 2008

A brief, breezy history of the sport’s beginnings, its descent as a result of TV, and its rebirth as the sport for the PBR-swilling rockers and Goth girls.