Astral Weeks

A Secret History of 1968

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century, Biography & Memoir, Entertainment & Performing Arts
Cover of the book Astral Weeks by Ryan H. Walsh, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ryan H. Walsh ISBN: 9780735221352
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: March 6, 2018
Imprint: Penguin Books Language: English
Author: Ryan H. Walsh
ISBN: 9780735221352
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: March 6, 2018
Imprint: Penguin Books
Language: English

A mind-expanding dive into a lost chapter of 1968, featuring the famous and forgotten: Van Morrison, folkie-turned-cult-leader Mel Lyman, Timothy Leary, James Brown, and many more

Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is an iconic rock album shrouded in legend, a masterpiece that has touched generations of listeners and influenced everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Martin Scorsese. In his first book, acclaimed musician and journalist Ryan H. Walsh unearths the album's fascinating backstory--along with the untold secrets of the time and place that birthed it: Boston 1968.

On the 50th anniversary of that tumultuous year, Walsh's book follows a criss-crossing cast of musicians and visionaries, artists and hippie entrepreneurs, from a young Tufts English professor who walks into a job as a host for TV's wildest show (one episode required two sets, each tuned to a different channel) to the mystically inclined owner of radio station WBCN, who believed he was the reincarnation of a scientist from Atlantis. Most penetratingly powerful of all is Mel Lyman, the folk-music star who decided he was God, then controlled the lives of his many followers via acid, astrology, and an underground newspaper called Avatar.

A mesmerizing group of boldface names pops to life in Astral Weeks: James Brown quells tensions the night after Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated; the real-life crimes of the Boston Strangler come to the movie screen via Tony Curtis; Howard Zinn testifies for Avatar in the courtroom. From life-changing concerts and chilling crimes, to acid experiments and film shoots, Astral Weeks is the secret, wild history of a unique time and place.

One of LitHub's 15 Books You Should Read This March

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A mind-expanding dive into a lost chapter of 1968, featuring the famous and forgotten: Van Morrison, folkie-turned-cult-leader Mel Lyman, Timothy Leary, James Brown, and many more

Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is an iconic rock album shrouded in legend, a masterpiece that has touched generations of listeners and influenced everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Martin Scorsese. In his first book, acclaimed musician and journalist Ryan H. Walsh unearths the album's fascinating backstory--along with the untold secrets of the time and place that birthed it: Boston 1968.

On the 50th anniversary of that tumultuous year, Walsh's book follows a criss-crossing cast of musicians and visionaries, artists and hippie entrepreneurs, from a young Tufts English professor who walks into a job as a host for TV's wildest show (one episode required two sets, each tuned to a different channel) to the mystically inclined owner of radio station WBCN, who believed he was the reincarnation of a scientist from Atlantis. Most penetratingly powerful of all is Mel Lyman, the folk-music star who decided he was God, then controlled the lives of his many followers via acid, astrology, and an underground newspaper called Avatar.

A mesmerizing group of boldface names pops to life in Astral Weeks: James Brown quells tensions the night after Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated; the real-life crimes of the Boston Strangler come to the movie screen via Tony Curtis; Howard Zinn testifies for Avatar in the courtroom. From life-changing concerts and chilling crimes, to acid experiments and film shoots, Astral Weeks is the secret, wild history of a unique time and place.

One of LitHub's 15 Books You Should Read This March

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book Longarm 370 by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Above the Line by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Hidden Fire by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Where the Water Goes by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Booze for Free by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Slow Kill by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Underground by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book The Sayers Swindle by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book After Dark by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book The Barefoot Running Book by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book True Stories of Law & Order: SVU by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Deadly Daggers by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Baby It's Cold Outside by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might by Ryan H. Walsh
Cover of the book Stopping at Every Lemonade Stand by Ryan H. Walsh
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy