1. Target

Season of the Witch - by Peter Bebergal (Paperback)

Season of the Witch - by  Peter Bebergal (Paperback)
Store: Target
Last Price: 16.89 USD

Similar Products

Products of same category from the store

Product info

<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>"From the hoodoo-inspired sounds of Elvis Presley to the Eastern odysseys of George Harrison, from the dark dalliances of Led Zeppelin to the Masonic imagery of today's hip-hop scene, the occult has long breathed life into rock and hip-hop--and, indeed, esoteric and supernatural traditions are a key ingredient behind the emergence and development of rock and roll ... [and in this book] writer and critic Peter Bebergal illuminates this web of influences"--Amazon.com.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><b>This epic cultural and historical odyssey unearths the full influence of occult traditions on rock and roll -- from the Beatles to Black Sabbath -- and shows how the marriage between mysticism and music changed our world.</b> <p/>From the hoodoo-inspired sounds of Elvis Presley to the Eastern odysseys of George Harrison, from the dark dalliances of Led Zeppelin to the Masonic imagery of today's hip-hop scene, the occult has long breathed life into rock and hip-hop--and, indeed, esoteric and supernatural traditions are a key ingredient behind the emergence and development of rock and roll. <p/>With vivid storytelling and laser-sharp analysis, writer and critic Peter Bebergal illuminates this web of influences to produce the definitive work on how the occult shaped -- and saved -- popular music. <p/>As Bebergal explains, occult and mystical ideals gave rock and roll its heart and purpose, making rock into more than just backbeat music, but into a cultural revolution of political, spiritual, sexual, and social liberation.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"A fascinating thesis reflecting the time when everyone seemed to give rock and roll the status of, if not a religion, then certainly that of a spiritual belief system. Peter Bebergal's <i><b>Season of the Witch</b> </i>brought it all back. It's an absorbing read deserving an important place in rock literature."<br><b>--Michael Moorcock </b><br><p>Rather than turning in either a fanboyish rhapsody or a scholarly dissertation, he treads the line between those approaches. The result is passionate, informed, gripping and at times wonderfully lyrical.<br> --<b>NPR</b></p>"This sharply written narrative illuminates the centrality of the occult imagination at the heart of rock and roll."<br>--<b><i>Library Journal</i> (starred review)</b> <p/>A thoroughly researched, absorbing, entertaining ride for anyone who's ever played the Beatles' 'White Album' backwards."<br>--<b>Andrea Shea, WBUR/ NPR</b> <p/>"Kudos to Bebergal for taming the wily spirits of rock long enough to capture their essence in this fascinating book. Perhaps more impressive is the book's comprehensiveness--from Delta blues to beatnik bluster to acid evangelists to metal overlords, <i><b>Season of the Witch</b></i> puts the hellfire in highbrow."<br><b>--<i>The Contrarian</i></b> <p/>Skillfully woven...will delight any music fan and music historian in equal measure."<br><b>--<i>Spirituality Today </i>(5/5 stars)</b> <p/>"This book is a glorious headlong rush into the dark, full of the electricity of the arcane. I loved it."<br><b>--Warren Ellis</b>, author of <i>Gun Machine</i> and <i>Transmetropolitan</i> <p/>"From grimoires to topographic oceans, from heavy metal to hip-hop, Peter Bebergal tracks the Mysteries through half a century of popular music (and some underground noise as well). At once an overview of rock's mystic rebellions and a handy primer on modern esoterica, <b><i>Season of the Witch</i></b> suggests that we may need to round out the trinity of sex, drugs, and rock' n' roll with an additional deity: the occult, another primal portal to a re-enchanted world."<br><b>--Erik Davis</b>, author of <i>Led Zeppelin IV</i> and <i>Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica</i> <p/>"Told with clear-eyed scholarship and delectable anecdotes, Peter Bebergal's mind-expanding occult history opened my third eye to Rock & Roll's awesome power over human behavior. Rock & Roll will never sound the same to me again, and I'm glad about it."<br><b>--Mark Frauenfelder</b>, founder of <i>Boing Boing</i> <p/>Bebergal displays an intelligent understanding of the interaction between religion and culture when he argues that the 'occult imagination is the vital force of rock-and-roll culture.' <br><b>--<i>Publishers Weekly</i></b> <p/>"Peter Bebergal has written of his own searching, reconciling spiritual aspirations and personal background, in <i>The Faith Between Us</i> and <i>Too Much To Dream</i>. Both are on my bookshelves. Here, in <i><b>Season Of The Witch</b>, </i> Peter presents an overview of one "alternative influence" at work on some of those intending to change the world.<p><br> The world they hoped to change was a dangerous mess. <p/> Now, half a century later..."<br> <b>--Robert Fripp</b></p><p> </p><p>"Unfussy but thoroughly documented...establishes the occult as a phenomenon above and beyond its debatable status of mere fad in the history of contemporary music."--<b>Ralph Elawani, <i>Exclaim!<br> </i></b><br> "Anyone seeking shocking tales of demonic rock'n'roll would be best served looking elsewhere, but for someone interested in the interplay between music, culture and spirituality, <i>Season Of The Witch</i> is a revelatory and fascinating grimoire." <b><i>--Record Collector</i></b></p><p><b><i> </i></b>"A must-read for anyone who prefers their music loud, riff-driven, and loaded with lyrics about Satan, wizards, and mystical quests." --<b>Cheryl Eddy, <i>io9.com</i></b><i><br> </i><br> "Bebergal, a Dungeons & Dragons playing rock fanboy and graduate of Harvard Divinity School has exactly the right pedigree for this line of work, infusing what could be a dry litany of rumors, hearsay, and matter-of-facts with a genuine love for the source material." <b>--Cooper Berkmoyer, <i>Flavorpill</i></b></p> <p/><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Peter Bebergal</b> writes widely on the speculative and slightly fringe. His recent essays and reviews have appeared in <i>NewYorker.com, The Times Literary Supplement</i>, <i>Boing Boing</i>, <i>The Believer</i>, and <i>The Quietus</i>. He is the author of <i>Too Much to Dream: A Psychedelic American Boyhood</i> and <i>The Faith Between Us: A Jew and a Catholic Search for the Meaning of God</i> (with Scott Korb). Bebergal studied religion and culture at Harvard Divinity School, and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<p></p>

Price History

Cheapest price in the interval: 16.89 on October 27, 2021

Most expensive price in the interval: 16.89 on December 20, 2021