William McKeen je autorem několika knih, které se ponořily do hlubin americké kultury a jejího hudebního dědictví. Jeho psaní zkoumá prolínání rock and rollu s novinařinou a ztělesňuje ducha „outlaw“ žurnalistiky. McKeenův styl je zároveň pronikavý i nostalgický a nabízí čtenářům jedinečný pohled na kulturní historii.
An electrifying collection of the most entertaining and illuminating writing on and from the rock-and-roll scene. "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" assembles the writing of those who played the music and pushed it to new limits, as well as those who were there to witness and celebrate its power. 20 photos.
An indispensable account of a time of beauty and terror, this social history explores the vibrant yet tumultuous music scene of Los Angeles in the 1960s. The era produced iconic rock 'n' roll hits like "California Dreamin'" and "Good Vibrations," capturing the joy and beauty of the time. However, beneath the surface of this musical paradise lay a darker reality, where naive musicians often fell prey to opportunistic hangers-on, all amidst a backdrop of sex, drugs, and the quest for overnight fame. The narrative reveals chilling stories, such as a surf music star unknowingly funding the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra Jr., and the mysterious death of Bobby Fuller, suspected to be linked to the Mob. Neil Young's recommendation of Charles Manson to a record executive, followed by Manson's rejection and the subsequent infamous murders, underscores the era's volatility. Chronicling the migration of the rock 'n' roll industry to Southern California, the book features an astonishing cast of characters, including the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, Phil Spector, Cass Elliot, and Joni Mitchell. Their intertwined tales illustrate the epic struggle between innocence and cynicism, joy and terror, forever altering how we perceive that beautiful music.
Hunter S. Thompson detonated a two-ton bomb under the staid field of journalism with his magazine pieces and revelatory Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In Outlaw Journalist, the famous inventor of Gonzo journalism is portrayed as never before. Through in-depth interviews with Thompson’s associates, William McKeen gets behind the drinking and the drugs to show the man and the writer—one who was happy to be considered an outlaw and for whom the calling of journalism was life.