(Book). In the early 1960s; a handful of brash British kids needed a new sound for a new kind of music. They marched into a music store in their blue-collar town and asked the gentleman behind the desk to build them an amplifier with leg-shaking power and jaw-dropping tone. So he did. This first-ever biography tells the story of Jim Marshall founder of Marshall Amplification and creator of guitar amplifiers that have defined the sound of rock and are prized by rock guitarists of every age and style from his childhood when he was diagnosed with a rare bone disease that confined him to a body cast for nine years; to his stage success as a crooner and big-band drummer; through his development of the "Marshall Stack" and ultimate rise to the forefront of the music instrument industry. Forty years after Jim Marshall sold his first JTM45; three generations of guitarists and fans revere the name. Highlights in Marshall history; images of amp anatomy; details about famous players preferred models; and testimonials from guitar stars round out this engrossing success story. Full-color photos throughout. "What Jim marshall did ... was provide English heavy metal and blues players of the mid 60s and early 70s with these weapons." Pete Townshend
#676847 in eBooks 2009-11-01 2009-11-01File Name: B00GQZPX4Q
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Hungry HitchBy C. C. BlackJust when you thought every subject had been covered in the cottage industry that is Hitchcock film studies; here comes Stockholms Professor Olsson to prove us delightfully wrong. The principal subject he examines in this study is food; human avoirdupois; and Hitchcocks famous infatuation with comestibles and the rotund physique that it produced. This is not an eccentric subject: for years viewers and critics have noticed the often delightful; often strange ways that eating and food have embellished Hitchcocks films: among others; the sweet-nothings that Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman whisper in each others ears about roasting a chicken in "Notorious"; Mrs. Oxfords sleuthing while serving her husband; a chief inspector for Scotland Yard; hideous meals in "Frenzy"; and the many bread knives associated with the movies murders ("Blackmail"; "Sabotage"; "Psycho"). What Olsson has done is to examine these and many other culinary references under a microscope and to report to us his findings. The special approach the author takes; however; is twofold: (1) examining the directors self-exploitation for diet; and (2) one of the most careful analyses of episodes; directed by Hitch; from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955-62) that I have ever read. The latter in itself is well worth the books price. Olsson is to be thanked for offering us a thoughtful assessment of a subject thats been hiding in plain sight; much like the directors ample waistline.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Hitchcock creates his "brand" with a frozen leg of lambBy Ron WiseThere have been numerous books written about iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock; but few; if any; are quite like Jan Olssons "Hitchcock a la Carte." Dr. Olsson; a Professor of Cinema Studies at Stockholm University; examines Hitchcock with a new set of eyes and from some intriguingly fresh perspectives.Olssons primary focus is Hitchcock inside a hotbed of creativity; the ever-changing landscape of 1950s and 1960s Amercian television. "Hitchcock a la Carte" provides an insightful tour de force into an area of Hitchcocks fabled life of which only a few of his biographers and critics have ventured for any length of time.Except for a couple of episode guides (one of great detail from a production standpoint; and the other one fairly brief in scope); Hitchcocks television work remained basically uncharted territory until the publication of "Hitchcock a la Carte."Hitchcocks two television series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and later "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" were seen first-run for a total of ten years from 1955 to 1965. And these two brilliant series have been seen non-stop in syndication for the last 50 years."Alfred Hitchcock Presents" was a thirty minute anthology series focusing on murder mysteries and suspense with an occasional rare paranormal episode thrown in (somewhat in the same vain as "The Twilight Zone").After seven seasons and over 270 episodes "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" evolved into an hour long series with a name change to "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." This series lasted three season with almost 100 episodes. Both series were basically the same in theme and design. But the switch to the hour long format was a trend of the times in television that worked for some series such as "Gunsmoke;" but not for others like "The Twilight Zone."Olsson also focuses on Hitchcock the gourmet; both in his personal life and his film work. He points out that Hitchcock loved good food; good wine; and good conversation (usually in small group settings) almost as much as he loved a good murder mystery or suspense story.And Olsson paints a picture of Hitchcock as an astute businessman who channeled his talents and resources into developing a "brand" long before it became a buzz word. Instead of turning his nose up at television as some directors and actors did in the mid-1950s; Hitchcock saw vistas of opportunity within the confines of the small television screen; which at the time was basically a black and white world that was ripe for the mining of gold.Hitchcock used this fairly new medium to develop his on-screen persona. Pardon the pun; but Hitchcock was very much of a "ham" who loved being before a camera or microphone. He wanted to do guest shots on radio shows in the 1940s; but his agents advised against it; thinking it was beneath him. Maybe the advice turned out to be good; because Hitchcock was very much of a visual person. His rotund body was promoted to the maximum along with his drawn-out British accent.And when "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" premiered in the fall of the 1955-56 television season; the American viewing public actually got to know Hitchcock; and to fall under the spell of the droll; lovable Englishman who migrated with his family to the U. S. in 1940 and completely embraced the American way of life.In other words; Alfred Hitchcock himself became as much of a "hit" as his television show. In fact; many people tuned in each week to see what kind of off-the-wall things Hitchcock would say and do in his introductions than to actually see what the nights "play" was about. This development of a cult following helped cement in the publics mind the fact that Hitchcock really was "The Master of Suspense."This was most evident in the extended trailer of "Psycho" (1960) when Hitchcock played his television persona to the hilt. "Psycho" plays like an extra-long episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." It should; since Hitchcock used his television crew to help make this landmark film for just under one million dollars. And in the ensuing years; "Psycho" reaped many millions for Hitchcock."Hitchcock a la Carte" examines in depth quite a few episodes of both of Hitchcocks series; especially those that center around food. Several of the most famous stories include:1. "Lamb to the Slaughter" in which a wife gets in a fight with her boorish husband while getting ready to prepare dinner. She bashes him over the head with a frozen leg of lamb and kills him. Then she pops the leg of lamb into the oven; calls the police; and tells them that she returned home and found her husband dead. The police are perplexed because they cant find a trace of the murderer or the "blunt instrument" that killed the man. At the end of the episode; the wife pulls the sizzling; savory leg of lamb out of the oven and offers a late night snack to the hungry police detectives who gratefully take her up on her offer;2. "Speciality of the House" in which 1950s "foodies" compete to become members of a private dinner club that sometimes serves a special dish that is supposed to be prepared from a rare type of mountain sheep. In reality (and unknown to the members) they are actually dining on their own members who "go on trips " and dont return;3. "Arthur" in which the struggling owner of a modern chicken farm comes up with a way to make the chickens fatter and to lay more eggs. He begins to add a new secret ingredient to the chicken feed; people he has murdered and then runs through his giant grinding machine."Hitchcock a la Carte" is not only a great reference book and addition to any Hitichcock collection; but it is a darn good read. It is full of new information and insight; but its also fun... much like Alfred Hitchcock himself.
