The ABCs of Rock

by Melissa Duke Mooney, Print Mafia (Illustrator)

Overview

From one of the top rock band poster artists in the country comes a collection of evocative images of 26 of rock music's most recognized icons. Starting with AC/DC's familiar lightning bolts and ending with ZZ Top's custom Ford coupe, this alphabetical retrospective of more than four decades of rock history will inspire music lovers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781582462936
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/12/2010
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 12 Years

About the Author

A native of Louisiana, MELISSA DUKE MOONEY worked as a publicist in the film industry for 14 years before settling in Nashville. She drew inspiration for The ABCs of Rock from her love of singing at the top of her lungs to her favorite rock songs, and the rush of performing live in front of screaming fans while fronting the bands Junebug and Delores Duke. While working on the book she worked for Junket Productions, helping produce press events for film studios.
 
PRINT MAFIA is the team of Connie Collingsworth and Jim Madison, who have been making rock posters for bands including The White Stripes, the Eagles, Tool, and The Shins, since 1997. To create their unique designs, they hand-pull each color in their silkscreens and use X-acto knives, copy machines, and a variety of other materials, to give their finished product a gritty, irreverent, and at times retro feel. Connie and Jim work out of offices in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Review, Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2010:
"The bewitchment of album art returns."

Review, Examiner.com, October 12, 2010:
"[A] tuneful work that promotes the arts and literacy."

Review, Nashville Scene, October 14, 2010:
"The perfect cross between language-learning primer and hipster coffee table book."

Review, Parenting, October 15, 2010:
"The artwork...will make you feel like you're in CBGB's."

Review, VenusZine.com, October 28, 2010:
"The ABCs of Rock rocks!"

Review, Good News Now, October 11, 2010:
"...has made learning the letters of the alphabet hip."

Review, Alternative Press, December 2, 2010:
"Trust us: It's educational on several different levels."

Review, The Buffalo News, December 5, 2010:
"... a glorious collection of posters ... from A is for AC/DC to Z is for ZZ Top."

Review, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, December 12, 2010:
"This book—wait for it—rocks."

Editorial Reviews

The late publicist and musician Mooney lists performers and design shop Print Mafia provides grainy silkscreens in this nostalgic AC/DC to ZZ Top abecedary. With the exception of the letter W, for the White Stripes, this selection skips 21st-century acts and instead salutes '70s- and '80s-era Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, and Neil Young. Younger music lovers remain conversant with letter N's Nirvana, M's Bob Marley, and O's Ozzy Osbourne, but they forgivably might draw a blank on the punkabilly X, whose one-letter name is paired with L.A.'s iconic Hollywood sign, or the bubblegum-new-wave Go-Go's, represented by a serigraph of a ponytailed teenybopper. Print Mafia's lurid illustrations in fuchsia, electric green, and hot yellow perfectly suit letter T's Talking Heads and letter C's the Clash--borrowing straight from these bands' cover art and concert poster aesthetics; the designs imitate the DIY style of pasteup and photocopier art, with a dash of Roy Lichtenstein. Almost but not quite the size and shape of an LP, this compendium recalls the predigital era and speaks best to those who are kids at Heart (or loved the band). All ages. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Review, Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2010:
"The bewitchment of album art returns."

Review, Examiner.com, October 12, 2010:
"[A] tuneful work that promotes the arts and literacy."

Review, Nashville Scene, October 14, 2010:
"The perfect cross between language-learning primer and hipster coffee table book."

Review, Parenting, October 15, 2010:
"The artwork...will make you feel like you're in CBGB's."

Review, VenusZine.com, October 28, 2010:
"The ABCs of Rock rocks!"

Review, Good News Now, October 11, 2010:
"...has made learning the letters of the alphabet hip."

Review, Alternative Press, December 2, 2010:
"Trust us: It's educational on several different levels."

Review, The Buffalo News, December 5, 2010:
"... a glorious collection of posters ... from A is for AC/DC to Z is for ZZ Top."

Review, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, December 12, 2010:
"This book—wait for it—rocks."

From the Publisher

In this graphic abecedarium, iconic rockers get bold treatments by the late Mooney and Print Mafia, a Kentucky-based team cranking out gig posters the old-fashioned way, via hand-pulled silkscreens. The 26 choices yield surprises: Bowie, not the Beatles; R.E.M., not the Stones. Iggy Pop pops up—with a cover blurb, too. The White Stripes also make the cut. An—
Eureka!—the "X" page actually works, centered on those L.A. punk progenitors, the band X. The artists plumb each band's historical era and musical touchstones to create the pictures. A page of brief notes reveals that album cover art was also studied—for images not to include. The notes don't completely explicate the spreads, leaving potential detective work for aficionados. Bowie's page includes an acknowledged homage to "Space Oddity" (a rocket) and also an image of his distinctive eyes (one blue, one brown). Not every page rivets: Kiss is just, well, Kiss (though the foursome's arguably an eyeful for youngsters). Ideal for high-school arts classrooms, nostalgic parents and little hipsters alike. (Picture book. 3 & up)

Kirkus Reviews