Showing results by narrator "Greg Prato" in All Categories

There have been few seasons by a professional sports team as bad as the New York Islanders' inaugural 1972-73 season. However, the lessons learned on and off the ice served as a crucial building block for the team's quick turnaround. And eventual, dynasty. 'Hapless Islanders' is the first-ever book to thoroughly study this era of the team, mixing brand new interviews with those directly involved, along with archival material. And also, serving as a study of the rough n' tough playing style of the NHL at the time, Long Island history, plus, the early '70s in general.

Few rock drummers remain as universally praised as Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. Listen to any Zeppelin album, and you will hear a virtual showcase on expert rock drumming, while never getting in the way of the group’s other members and their contributions - singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones. But sadly, one of rock’s all-time greats died tragically young - he was only 32 years old - resulting in the end of one of rock’s most celebrated bands.

Since its inception in the late 1960s, heavy metal has experienced quite a few ups and downs in popularity. But there was one specific decade that sticks out as the most troubling - the 1990s. In what seemed like one fell swoop, a style of metal that had been popular for much of the 1980s was rendered obsolete, and in its place, was a much more real, raw, and unique approach - detected in several new metal-based "sub-genres".

It is widely believed that Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time...and quite possibly, the greatest. All you have to do is compare what rock guitar sounded like before Jimi burst on the scene in the late ‘60s and what it sounded like after. And in addition to trailblazing new sounds and approaches, his influence reached beyond just the guitar community.

Renowned guitarists (or experts) discussing “tools of the trade” in their own words serve as the basis of Iconic Guitar Gear. Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Johnny Ramone, The Edge, Gary Moore, Alex Lifeson, Billy Sheehan, Les Claypool, Mike Watt…the list goes on and won’t let you down! If you’ve ever pondered what rock’s top guitarists and bassists favor gear-wise (instruments, amps, effects), then Iconic Guitar Gear is most certainly the book for you.

Despite being one of the biggest metal bands by the dawn of the '90s, many of Megadeth's members battled personal demons. And in some cases, defied death–during which time many members came and went within their line-up. The World’s State-of-the-Art Speed Metal Band: The Megadeth Story 1983-2002 focuses on the era of the band that many consider to be their best.

Over their long history, the New York Jets have provided their fans with countless unforgettable football memories. However, not all of them have been enjoyable. And now, every miscalculation and misstep has been compiled into one book–Butt Fumbles, Fake Spikes, Mud Bowls, & Heidi Games: The Top 100 Debacles of the New York Jets–which was updated/expanded in September 2023 for your (dis)pleasure.

In late 1983/early 1984, one of the biggest metal bands in the US was Quiet Riot. Their album, 'Metal Health,' had topped the charts (over Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and other now-classic mega-sellers), their single "Cum on Feel the Noize" was a top-5 smash, the album's title track became an instant anthem for headbangers, they were all over MTV and the covers of rock mags, and were a highly-sought after opening act (by the likes of Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, the Scorpions, ZZ Top, and Judas Priest).

The 1980s New York Yankees were loaded with talent - their always-outspoken owner made sure of that. Just Out of Reach: The 1980s New York Yankees is the first-ever book to focus solely on this decade of the team. Featuring nearly 30 all-new, exclusive interviews with players and those close to the team, Just Out of Reach is a fly-on-the-wall view of what was going on behind the scenes and on the field.

There have been few rock singers as beloved as the late, great Bon Scott of AC/DC. After all, it was his unmistakable vocals and streetwise/sexually charged lyrics that were a major part of such all-time classic rock anthems as “Highway to Hell", “Sin City”, “Whole Lotta Rosie", “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”, and “TNT”. And it was the “Bon era” that set the stage for AC/DC to go on to become one of rock’s most universally popular and enduring bands. But few rockers partied as hard as Bon - sadly resulting in his death at the age of 33.

"How fast can you play?" "What guitar do you have?" For metal fans in the '80s, these were common and important questions. Tune in to MTV, pick up a magazine, or walk into an instrument store, and more often than not you'd be exposed to what is now known as shredding—the fast, virtuoso soloing popularized by musicians like Van Halen and Dimebag Darrell. Though shredding fell out of favor, it has become increasingly popular again in recent years. Drawing on more than 70 interviews with key shredders, Greg Prato has assembled the definitive guide to the fastest players of them all.

It seems like the days of flipping through vast vinyl, cassette, or CD collections is a thing of the past. And while there's no denying the convenience of having all your favorite albums on a mobile device, it's becoming more common for recordings to get lost in the shuffle and/or completely forgotten about. Author/journalist Greg Prato is willing to provide some assistance, with his 12th book overall, Overlooked/Underappreciated: 354 Recordings That Demand Your Attention.

“What are the greatest rock albums of all-time?” Perhaps one of the more common questions examined between music-loving chums, that has led to many a good-natured debate. But if you really dig deeper into the question…is it from the standpoint of the album’s importance in rock history? A classic release that proved significant to an artist’s career? Or perhaps merely a personal favorite, that you just can’t get enough of?

Who doesn’t like to learn about the stories behind our favorite rock songs from throughout the years? We all do! And now, author/journalist Greg Prato is prepared to guide listeners through 100 bona fide classic songs from a multitude of rock genres - heavy metal, punk rock, grunge, hair metal, funk, instrumental, classic rock, arena rock, power ballads, new wave, prog rock, soft rock, yacht rock, power pop, thrash metal, hardcore, southern rock, rap, alternative, etc. - with each listing containing background info plus insight from someone closely associated with the track.

There's no denying that the seven year span between 1977-1983 was one of the darkest in New York Mets history. After all, it was during this time that the team failed to post a single winning season, traded away the most beloved Met of all-time, and took a back seat once again to their crosstown rivals, the Yankees (who were busy winning two World Series).

“What are the greatest rock albums of all-time?” Perhaps one of the more common questions examined between music-loving chums that has led to many a good-natured debate. But if you really dig deeper into the question...is it from the standpoint of the album’s importance in rock history? A classic release that proved significant to an artist’s career? Or perhaps merely a personal favorite, that you just can’t get enough of?

There have been seemingly countless “Greatest Rock Guitarists” lists assembled over the years - for articles or books. But...what about bassists? In The 100 Greatest Rock Bassists, author/journalist Greg Prato courageously attempts to level the playing field, single-handedly. In addition to counting them down from the bottom to the top, each entry contains info on each player. Also featured are 10 all-new interviews for this book, with some of the greatest rock bassists of all time.

There is a reason why there have been countless books penned over the years about Queen and their legendary singer, Freddie Mercury - they were unquestionably one of the greatest and most universally beloved rock bands of all time. However, most of these books can be neatly filed into one of three categories - a recounting of the band’s history, an examination of the singer’s life story, or a collection of photographs.

Few rock artists were as fearless and uncompromising as the late/great John Lennon. Whether it be standing up for causes he believed in, promoting peace, or penning some of rock’s all-time classic tunes (while taking unexpected musical twists and turns along the way), Lennon has become one of rock’s most unforgettable figures.

Few bands in rock history have proven to be as enduring and influential as Led Zeppelin. And during the '80s, there was an overabundance of "Zeppelin disciples," or, as guitar great Gary Moore once put it, Led Clones.