Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears has written one of the most unusual rock memoirs I’ve ever read, one built around his lifelong fascination with astrology. I dig into Welcome to Your Life and whether the book works even if astrology isn’t your thing. Plus, a new Neil Peart documentary is coming featuring Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Stewart Copeland, Chad Smith, Danny Carey and more paying tribute to the legendary Rush drummer.

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In this episode of Rock Talk Studio, I break down the three things that finally made Elvis "click" for me:

• The Colonel and the King: Why understanding the mysterious and relentless Colonel Tom Parker provided the context I was missing.
• EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert: How seeing  these rehearsals and concert footage revealed the raw work ethic behind the spectacle.
• Elvis Presley: Conversations With Scotty Moore: A look at the new book by Jim Berkenstadt that gives a first-hand account of Elvis’s early career through the eyes of his legendary guitarist.

Whether you're a die-hard Elvis fan or a skeptic like I was, this is a story about how the right history can make you reconsider an artist you thought you had all figured out.

Special shout out to listener Vaughan M. for the encouragement to dive deeper!

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 This week on Rock Talk Studio, Big Rick reviews Jesse Malin’s Almost Grown and counts down some of the greatest New York City rock books ever written. From Patti Smith and Jim Carroll to Please Kill Me, discover the books that best capture the music, the people, and the spirit of New York rock ’n’ roll. 

*Want the latest in Rock N Roll Book and Documentaries news sent to your inbox? New editions come out on the last Friday of the month featuring all the book buzz and doc news, recently released titles, top 5 lists, and entry into ALL giveaways and more. Enter here

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Rock n roll books usually follow a predictable path, but these five books go somewhere completely different. Today's show explores some of rock’s most unusual reads, featuring Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Wolf, a forgotten Beatle, a CIA-recruited hair-metal drummer, and one author’s deeply personal journey through the music and life of Joni Mitchell.

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Did the Rolling Stones, now in their 80's, just release on of their top 10 studio albums of all time? No way right? Let's count them down and see.

*Want the latest in Rock N Roll Book and Documentaries news sent to your inbox? New editions come out on the last Friday of the month featuring all the book buzz and doc news, recently released titles, top 5 lists, and entry into ALL giveaways and more. Enter here

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Jeff Beck was a guitarist’s guitarist-a restless genius who could do things that even contemporaries like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix couldn't touch. But why did one of the top five greatest guitarists of all time never achieve the same massive commercial success as his peers?

The new book Blow by Blow: The Jeff Beck Story looks at the "Woodstock moment" that defined his career, his complicated artistic identity, and why his refusal to be "packaged" made him both a legend and an enigma. Plus, a look at "Jeff’s Guitar Garage," a technical breakdown of the gear that powered his otherworldly sound.

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Looking for that next great rock n roll documentary to dig into? Today it’s the Top 5 best rock n roll docs of 2026…so far. I've got one that take you inside the private collapse and comeback of a legend, one that gives overdue credit to a person who lit the match of an huge band,  a story about someone has done more than any other artist has done for the New York concert scene, a punk rocker who figured out how to win on MTV, and a part one doc that definitely needs a part two!

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Looking for your next great rock n' roll read? In this episode I rank the Top 5 best rock books of 2026 so far. From the definitive history of The Clash and The Rolling Stones to a fresh look at the grunge movement and the glory days of AOR radio, we’re breaking down the books that every rock fan needs on their shelf.

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Grunge is often told as a Seattle story. But Kim Thayil’s new memoir, A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond, reveals a deeper and more personal look at how it all came together. 

 In this episode, we look at Soundgarden from a whole new angle through the eyes of one of the band’s founding members. Thayil’s story traces the community, friendships, outsider identity, and creative values that helped shape not only Soundgarden, but the sound and spirit of grunge itself. 

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Inspired by the news of Rush returning to the stage with drummer Anika Nilles, I take a look at the bands that managed to turn tragedy into a second life.

But I’m going deeper than just a list. For every band I rank, I’m connecting them to a specific book. So, if you want the full story behind the tragedy and the return, you’ll also get the definitive reference point for each band.

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