Next Week in Music | November 3-9 • 24 New Books (Chapter 3)

It’s November already? Yoiks! The year is running out fast. Wish I could say the same for the list of new books — but that just keeps getting longer. Next week’s additions include tomes by or about Tom Petty, Live Aid, Olivia Newton-John, Charli XCX, George Michael, David Bowie and umpteen more. Read all about ’em:

Tom Petty: The Life & Music
By Gillian G. Gaar

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With 28 Billboard Top 10 singles, induction in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and a string of best-selling studio albums, Tom Petty remains one of rock’s most beloved figures nearly a decade after his untimely passing. In Tom Petty: The Life & Music, veteran rock journalist Gillian G. Gaar reveals this rock icon through 75 career releases, performances, and accolades. This luxuriously produced collectible edition features: A slipcased hardcover format; stunning concert and candid offstage photography; images of memorabilia, including gig posters, vinyl record sleeves, ticket stubs, period ads, and more. Through the decades, Gaar covers it all: Petty’s childhood in Florida and early band, Mudcrutch; all 13 studio albums, including those with The Heartbreakers and as a solo artist such as the breakouts Damn The Torpedoes and Wildflowers; a selection of his greatest singles, like the rock standards Don’t Do Me Like That and Free Fallin’; relationships with notable rock figures such as Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Johnny Cash and Stevie Nicks; legendary gigs, from his first SNL appearance to his 2004 performance with Prince and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and his Super Bowl halftime performance, and much more. Beginning with Petty and The Heartbreakers’ 1976 self-titled debut LP and continuing right through the band’s final release, Hypnotic Eye in 2014, Petty is one of the most beloved performers and musicians in rock ’n’ roll history, influencing countless acts for decades. This book is your unprecedented retrospective of Petty’s life and art, from teenage Florida rock ’n’ roll enthusiast to international star and celebrity.”

Live Aid: The Definitive 40 Year Story
By Paul Vallely

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 1985, with £100 million-plus in his back pocket from Live Aid — the greatest rock concert the world had ever seen — Bob Geldof took a trip across Africa to decide how to spend the money he had raised for the Ethiopian famine. He asked Paul Vallely to go with him. Over the next four decades Vallely became one of Geldof’s closest advisers — travelling with him to meet the world’s top rock stars and politicians. Here, for the first time, Vallely gives his full eye-witness account of those 40 years. The book, which has a foreword by Geldof, is crammed with stories of how pop, poverty, politics and power are interwoven in the Live Aid story. Geldof encounters presidents, prime ministers and popes as well as the pop heroes who adorned his bedroom wall as a boy. Bob drinks late-night whisky with Margaret Thatcher, is forced to write a grovelling apology to Bill Clinton and meets Vladimir Putin on a boat in the Mediterranean. He pressures The Who, sweet-talks Pink Floyd, and is awestruck by David Bowie. Is Geldof a bully or a charmer, saint or ‘white saviour’, or simply a force of nature? The journey from Live Aid to Live 8 went from giving money to calling for action, from charity to justice — and an entire generation went on it with him. Live 8 in 2005 was the largest gathering in human history. Its eight simultaneous concerts created a seismic event which the leaders of the world’s most powerful nations could not ignore. It made a whole generation feel they could make a difference. In more ways than one, Live Aid rocked the world.”

This Ain’t Rock ’N’ Roll: Pop Music, The Swastika And The Third Reich
By Daniel Rachel

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Over the last seven decades, some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most celebrated figureheads have flirted with the imagery and theatre of the Third Reich. From Keith Moon and Vivian Stanshall kitting themselves out in Nazi uniforms to Siouxsie Sioux and Sid Vicious brandishing swastikas in the pomp of punk, generations of performers have associated themselves in troubling ways with the aesthetics, mass hysteria and even ideology of Nazism. Whether shock factor, stupidity, or crass attempt at subversion, rock ‘n’ roll has indulged these associations in a way not accepted by any other artform. But how accountable should fans, the media, and the music industry be for what has often seemed a sleazy fascination with the eroticised perversions of a fascist regime?”

Olivia: Grace And Gratitude
By Miranda Young

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “No matter how far she roamed, Olivia always called Australia home. From the U.K. to Melbourne and beyond, Grease superstar Olivia Newton-John remains a global icon in music, acting, and philanthropy. This updated edition of Grace And Gratitude celebrates Olivia’ s remarkable life as an artist, mother, wife, and advocate, with a new chapter exploring the evolution of her legacies including her lasting impact on cancer advocacy, and the powerful blueprint and inspiration her life continues to provide to women in music in 2025 and beyond. This special edition is for the fans who miss the Great Dame and a chance to honor the woman behind the fame. Author Miranda Young combines over two decades of research with exclusive insights and heartfelt tributes from Australian icons and international stars, offering a fitting tribute to one of the world’ s most cherished figures.”

The Life, Style And Music Of Charli XCX
By Charlotte Gunn

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In summer 2024, Charli XCX released Brat. It defined the summer with songs like 360, Apple and Von Dutch, but it was more than perfect pop — it was fashion, it was an attitude, it was a cultural phenomenon. This book charts the rise of Charli XCX — from ‘young girl from Essex’ to pop icon. Written by music journalist Charlotte Gunn, this book is a deep-dive into the music, styles and influence of Charli. Complete with behind-the-scenes stories and incredible photos, chapters delve into her early musical inspirations to her collaborations with Troye Sivan and Billie Eilish, from her inimitable lyrical vulnerability and the lockdown recording of the album How I’m Feeling Now, which resonated with a huge LGBTQ+ audience. While nothing can compare to the energy of a Charli XCX gig, this book is the next best thing.”

George Michael: A Life In Pictures
By Brian Aris

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A stunning, official book of pictures from George Michael’s life by renowned music photographer Brian Aris. It includes many unseen images of George at different stages of his career. He hated having his photo taken, which makes this stunning collection of images spanning over 20 years such an unusual and beautiful tribute to one of the most consummate performers the music world has ever seen. Brian Aris first met George when he shot him and his Wham! colleague Andrew Ridgeley in 1984. He gained George’s trust and subsequently took some of the most iconic shots of the star that provide an illuminating document of a complex character.”

Rock & Soul: Portraits By Barry Morgenstein
By Barry Morgenstein

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When I was young, I wanted to be Jimmy Page,” says Barry Morgenstein. “That job was already taken, so I learned how to work a camera and photographed Jimmy Page instead.” Before Morgenstein ever clicked a camera shutter, he was shredding guitar solos in his high-school garage band, chasing the same rush that electrified his musical idols. He had no idea that he would one day cruise through New York City in Tina Turner‘s limousine or hand Elton John a bouquet of balloons in the middle of Madison Square Garden. After two years learning under famed rock photographer Mark Weiss’s wing, Barry struck out on his own, armed with grit, passion, and an uncanny ability to freeze raw emotions into a single frame. From the smoky corners of L’Amour to the thunderous roar of Giants Stadium, Barry poured his blood, sweat, and soul into capturing the faces that defined 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s music culture — including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Steven Tyler and Chuck Berry — in moments both fabled and intimate. Rock & Soul: Portraits is a visceral, visual collection of some of the best work throughout Barry’s career. This isn’t just a coffee table book — it’s a backstage pass, a time machine, and lightning strikes on paper. Each image tells an unfiltered story, immortalized by someone who didn’t just shoot the scene — he lived it. Turn the pages. Feel the flashbulb fire. Experience the soul of rock ‘n’ roll, locked in the lens for all time.”

Collaboration: Frank Ockenfels 3 X David Bowie
By Frank Ockenfels 3

THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From photographer Frank Ockenfels 3, Collaboration: Frank Ockenfels 3 X David Bowie is a breathtaking array of photographs, some of which have never been published, of Bowie made during 16 photo sessions across a period of years. The images showcase the evolution of Bowie’s iconic style, capturing his artistry, eccentricity, and deep humanity. They result from a close partnership. Ockenfels’ unique access to Bowie allowed him to document the musician. The photographs in this book span the years they spent working together, from 1991 to 2006, and include candid shots, iconic portraits, sketchbooks, and contact sheets from working sessions. The images reflect the many facets of Bowie’s career. Collaboration sheds light on Bowie’s changing image and reflects his influence on music, fashion, and culture. Accompanied by a foreword by veteran music journalist Joe Levy, these intimate photographs offer an unfiltered look at the man behind the persona, spotlighting the mutual respect between the photographer and his subject. The book serves as both a visual tribute to a legendary figure and a documentation of a profound artistic connection.”