Greg Prato

From late 1992 and throughout the remainder of the decade, if you spent any amount of time watching MTV or listening to rock radio, you were bound to come in contact with a tune by Stone Temple Pilots. With such classic releases as 'Core, ' 'Purple, ' and 'Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop' selling millions and spawning countless hits ("Sex Type Thing," "Plush," "Creep," "Vasoline," "Interstate Love Song," "Big Empty," "Big Bang Baby," etc.), STP is now widely considered one of rock's all-time great acts. And during this time, there were few rock frontmen who commanded an audience and generated as many headlines as Scott Weiland. Despite fronting another successful band, Velvet Revolver, and issuing his own critically acclaimed solo albums, Weiland could not overcome his demons - passing away in 2015 (at the age of 48). 'Scott Weiland: Memories of a Rock Star' features nearly 30 all-new interviews conducted exclusively for this book, including members of bands that toured with STP (Megadeth, Meat Puppets, Blind Melon, etc.), worked with Scott (Scott's autobiography co-author David Ritz, video directors Kevin Kerslake and Josh Taft, producer/engineer Chris Goss, etc.), or were friends and/or admirers of Scott's music (Richard Patrick, Bob Forrest, Matt Pinfield, Eddie Trunk, etc.). Get ready for an honest and accurate portrayal of Scott Weilan

Get the definitive story of the ’90s alt-rock movement straight from the musicians and figures who lived it. No period in the history of rock music offered such an abrupt shift in prevailing tastes as the 1990s. While just a short while before, radio and MTV were clamoring for hair metal bands, suddenly alt-rockers such as Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Primus, Smashing Pumpkins, and of course, Nirvana, brought a sea change not just in what the most popular bands sounded like, but also in fashion, politics, and seemingly all aspects of pop culture. In Alternative for the Masses: The Oral History of the ’90s Alt-Rock Revolution, veteran music critic Greg Prato presents more than 60 new interviews conducted exclusively for the book—with an emphasis on the 1990–1995 peak period—including insights from renowned names like:Ian MacKaye (Fugazi, Dischord Records)Frank Black (Pixies)Corey Glover (Living Colour)Moby (solo artist/DJ)Al Jourgensen (Ministry)Les Claypool (Primus)Kennedy (host of MTV’s Alternative Nation)Matt Pinfield (host of MTV’s 120 Minutes)Butch Vig (producer of Nirvana’s Nevermind)Tanya Donnelly (Belly, Breeders)Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Saturday Night Live)Prato also includes excerpts from one of the last interviews with Steve Albini, arguably the period’s most influential recording engineer and producer, responsible for influential albums by the likes of Nirvana and PJ Harvey producer, among many others. Prato sets out his book in thematic chapters covering topics such as:The Lollapalooza music festivalThe impact of NirvanaAlt-rock’s many subgenresNotable producers of the periodThe impact of women rockersMTV’s influenceDrugs and addictionand much more! Do you long for the days when it seemed rock artists were all about daring to be different, speaking their minds, and shaking up the music industry? The last decade before the internet, downloads, and streaming took over music? Alternative for the Masses will take you back to that time when alt-rock truly promised something different.

An oral history of the legendary band Primus, with a star-studded cast of interviewees (Tom Waits, Phish front man Trey Anastasio, etc.) "It's a wild ride that's vividly captured in Greg Prato's excellent oral history . . ."--Bass Player MagazineUsually when the "alternative rock revolution" of the early 1990s is discussed, Nirvana's Nevermind is credited as the recording that led the charge. Yet there were several earlier albums that helped pave the way, including the Pixies's Doolittle, the Red Hot Chili Peppers's Mother's Milk, Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking, and especially Primus's 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese. This fascinating and beautifully curated oral history tells the tale of this truly one-of-a-kind band. Compiled from nearly fifty all-new interviews--including Primus members past and present and many more fellow musicians--conducted by journalist/author Greg Prato--this book is sure to appeal to longtime fans of the band, as well as admirers of the musicians interviewed for the book. Interviewees include: Tim Alexander, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Matthew Bellamy (Muse), Les Claypool, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde, Geddy Lee (Rush), Mickey Melchiondo (Ween), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Matt Stone (South Park), Tom Waits, and many more.

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 readers 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. Black Sabbath, Eagles, Soundgarden, Rick Springfield, Toto, Kiss, Sepultura, MC5, Billy Joel, Police, Whitesnake, Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Funkadelic, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, King Crimson, Run-DMC, Primus, Pantera, Agnostic Front, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Metallica, Sex Pistols, Rush, Bauhaus, Cheap Trick, Nirvana, plus a foreword by Keith Roth (host of Ozzy's Boneyard and Hair Nation on Sirius Radio, plus the Electric Ballroom radio show)...they're all included in Facts on Tracks

Few rock bands were as successful as the Scorpions by the mid '80s - headlining arenas/stadiums worldwide, scoring two mega-selling albums (the platinum-certified 'Blackout' and the triple-platinum certified 'Love at First Sting') and two hit singles/videos ("No One Like You" and "Rock You Like a Hurricane"). But what quite a few newcomers to the band didn't realize was that the Scorpions had been regularly recording music since 1972, and that throughout the remainder of the decade, featured two guitarists (Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth) at separate points that are considered legendary amongst the heavy metal masses. And while such albums as 'Lonesome Crow, ' 'Fly to the Rainbow, ' 'In Trance, ' 'Virgin Killer, ' 'Taken by Force, ' 'Tokyo Tapes, ' and 'Lovedrive' did not come close to obtaining the commercial success of the aforementioned '80s era efforts, they inspired and influenced countless renowned musicians. 'German Metal Machine: Scorpions in the '70s' is the first-ever book to focus solely on this period of the band. Interviews include such former members as Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Francis Buchholz, and Herman Rarebell, longtime Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, plus members of other bands that are major admirers, including KK Downing (Judas Priest), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Joe Satriani, Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and Eddie Trunk ('That Metal Show'), among many others, while Kirk Hammett (Metallica) provides a for

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). But it was also a time in which quite a few colorful and memorable players donned the Mets uniform, while the Amazins slowly but surely began putting together the "pieces of the puzzle" that would eventually lead to a dramatic World Series win in 1986.'The Seventh Year Stretch: New York Mets, 1977-1983' is the first-ever book to focus solely on this era of the team. Featuring all-new, exclusive interviews with players and those close to the team, the book is a fly-on-the-wall view of what was going on behind the scenes and on the field. Set up in the oral history format, 'The Seventh Year Stretch' reads like a documentary, but in book form.

Since its inception in the late 1960's, 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 1990's. In what seemed like one fell swoop, a style of metal that had been popular for much of the 1980's was rendered obsolete, and in its place, was a much more real, raw, and unique approach - detected in several new metal-based "sub-genres." Add to it several changes in the music industry and media, and it appeared as if traditional metal may have met its expiration date...before several bands (and a certain traveling festival tour) helped put headbanging rock back on track.'Survival of the Fittest: Heavy Metal in the 1990's' is the first book to focus entirely on this decade. Set in an oral history format, 'Survival' features over 80 interviews conducted exclusively for this book, including current or past members of Pantera, Sepultura, Fear Factory, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, Dream Theater, King's X, Extreme, Winger, Cinderella, Living Colour, Faith No More, Primus, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Stone Temple Pilots, Kyuss, Danzig, Clutch, Life of Agony, Biohazard, Type O Negative, Within Temptation, Cradle of Filth, Death, Coal Chamber, and System of a Down (among many others), as well as Eddie Trunk, Riki Rachtman, and Lonn Friend. Also featured is a foreword penned by Pantera bassist Rex Brown.

On par with only a select few rock bands, the Bad Brains influenced numerous artists over the years - covering a wide range of styles. This is understandable, as the Bad Brains themselves offered up a variety of sounds since forming in the late '70s (punk, hardcore, reggae, metal, funk, etc.), and in the process, penned some of rock's all-time great tunes ("Pay to Cum," "Sailin' On," "Re-Ignition," "Sacred Love") and classic albums ('Bad Brains, ' 'Rock for Light, ' 'I Against I, ' 'Quickness'). But somehow, someway, the Bad Brains never managed to truly break through to the mainstream - while many of the bands they influenced (Beastie Boys, Living Colour, Nirvana) did. At last, there is a book that tells the story of the band, 'Punk Hardcore Reggae PMA Bad Brains ' Interviews include Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Max Cavalera (Soulfly/ex-Sepultura), Chad Channing (Nirvana), Bobby Hackney (Death), Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets), Mitts (Madball), Keith Morris (Circle Jerks/ex-Black Flag), Chuck Mosley (ex-Faith No More/ex-Bad Brains), Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan), Travis Stever (Coheed and Cambria), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Tesco Vee (Meatmen), and Tim Williams (Vision of Disorder), among many others. Part biography and part oral history, 'Punk Hardcore Reggae PMA Bad Brains ' helps put it all into perspecti

Over a decade's worth of classic albums that defied categorization. An appearance on Nirvana's classic 'MTV Unplugged' performance. A hit video on MTV. A gold certified album. An opening slot on a sold-out tour with the Stone Temple Pilots. By the end of 1994, it appeared as though the Meat Puppets were poised to become the success story of the '90s. However, what seemed like in the blink of an eye, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets is the first-ever book to fully examine the entire career of this highly influential and respected band. Comprised of nearly 50 exclusive interviews (including band members past and present, friends and fans from other bands, etc.), you'll finally learn the real wild and wooly tale of the mighty Meat Puppets.

Before he was the author of such books as 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched By Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' and 'Grunge is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music,' Greg Prato was a writer for such respected UK-based publications as Classic Rock, Guitarist, Metal Hammer, and Record Collector. 'No Schlock... Just Rock!' collects most of Greg's writing for these mags between a five-year span (2003-2008), with the focus on the creme de la creme of classic rock, heavy metal, and punk/alt-rock. Included are features that explore the entire careers of Faith No More, Soundgarden, Bad Brains, Meat Puppets, The Cars, The Raspberries, and GG Allin, as well as additional interviews/articles on the Ramones, Cheap Trick, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Jethro Tull, Rush, King Crimson, Steely Dan, William Shatner, and Run-DMC (among many others), plus the 3 articles that later led to Greg's Melon, Bolin, and Grunge books.

Weaving together the definitive story of the Seattle music scene through a series of interviews with the people who were there, this book contains more than 130 interviews, along with essential background information. Digging deeper than other accounts, this history begins in the early 1960s, tracing the chain of events that spawned some of the greatest rock acts of all time in the 1990s, including Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. First-ever interviews include Eddie Vedder's take on Pearl Jam's history, a discussion among the members of Alice in Chains, and Layne Staley's mother's comments on her son's drug addiction and death. There is also plenty of information on less well-known aspects of the grunge scene, including the Riot Grrrl movement and the oft-overlooked but highly influential Seattle bands such as Mother Love Bone/Andy Wood, the Melvins, Screaming Trees, and Mudhoney. The end result is a comprehensive guide that includes a wealth of previously untold stories and offers a fresh and immediate approach to music history.

To many, Tommy Bolin was the legitimate heir to Jimi Hendrix's rock guitar throne. Stints with the James Gang and Deep Purple - as well as solo albums and a groundbreaking release with jazz-rocker Billy Cobham - certainly proved that the adulation was rightly deserved. And with a techno-color fashion sense, he certainly stood out from the pack. Only one problem, Tommy had a death-defying drug addiction, which ultimately would lead to a premature and tragic end - before he was able to truly take his standing among the elite musicians of the world. 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story' is the first book to focus entirely on the life story of Tommy Bolin - compiled from nearly 50 exclusive interviews (including family, friends, and band members that played alongside Tommy throughout the years). "After reading 'Touched by Magic,' it seemed to me every interview 'takes you there' for the moment... I give 105 stars to Greg!" -Johnnie Bolin, Tommy's brother

One of the most tragic stories of the 1990's rock world was that of singer Shannon Hoon, and his band, Blind Melon. Despite scoring one of the decade's most enduring singles and videos, "No Rain,"and a quadruple platinum hit with their 1992 self-titled debut album (in addition to touring alongside rock's biggest names), Hoon could not overcome a dangerous drug addiction. Only two records into a promising career, Hoon was dead from an overdose at the age of 28. 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other' is the first book to tell the group's story--culled from over 50 exclusive interviews (including the surviving band members and those closest to the band) and featuring many never-before-seen photos. "I am honored that Greg has painstakingly accounted for what the hell happened during those crazy times. He has summed up all the chaos, jubilation, and paranoia that is Blind Melon." -Brad Smith, Blind Melon bassist