REDMOND, Wash. – Jan. 20, 1997 –
MSN TM , The Microsoft Network today announced that the exclusive online serialization of excerpts from Fred Goodman’s
“The Mansion on the Hill: Dylan, Young, Geffen, Springsteen, and the Head-On Collision of Rock and Commerce”
is now available on the Music Central
™
music entertainment and reference guide. In-depth excerpts from
“The Mansion on the Hill”
will be delivered on Music Central in four weekly installments. The book will be published on Jan. 22 by Times Books, a division of Random House Inc.
“The Mansion on the Hill”
chronicles the controversy behind the creation of the modern rock-and-roll business with profiles of the artists who shaped the 1960s-through-1980s music scene. An industry insider for more than 15 years, Goodman takes a critical look at the controversial management styles and business practices of the executives behind rock and roll’s legendary artists. Music Central enriches the serialization, which will total 8,000 to 10,000 words, with multimedia presentationssuch as song clips, artists’ discographies and biographies culled from the site’s extensive archive of information and media.
“Goodman’s book paints a compelling and in-depth picture of the early rock music scene – from the pure joy of making music to the hard-core, lucrative business of promotion,”
said Bob Bejan, executive producer for MSN.
“Previewing the book on Music Central gives people an interactive experience and actually brings that time to life. For example, while reading excerpts about Bob Dylan, you’ll be able to see images and hear audio clips of Dylan performing.”
Serialized Content on Music Central
Music Central, located at (http://musiccentral.MSN.com/) will present the serialization in four weekly installments that will be archived online for an additional 30 days after the final installment. Current installments can be viewed by anyone with Internet access. MSN members will have access to the full serialization, including archived installments. Each week, Music Central will include an excerpt from the book covering a specific era in the music industry, with the artists and managers who shaped the music scene.
Week 1 Cumulus Nimbus – Albert Grossman and Bob Dylan
Jan. 17 Explores the social,cultural and artistic impact of the urban folk movement, charting Bob Dylan’s career and historic partnership with manager Albert Grossman. Featured artists include Dylan,Peter Coyote, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Todd Rundgren, and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Week 2
“
Shut Up, We’re Going to Sell Out
”
– The Eagles vs. David Geffen
Jan. 24 Describes the controversial management styles of the 1970s music industry that led to the heightened control over the careers and creativity of artists such as the Eagles. Featured artists include Bob Dylan, Glenn Fry, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and Peter Asher.
Week 3 Bad Moves and Bad Blood – David Geffen vs. Neil Young
Jan. 31 Follows Neil Young’s career from his folk rock of Buffalo Springfield to the rise of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The excerpt details a mid-’80s showdown with Young and the owner of his record company, David Geffen, causing a significant change in how the industry viewed creative talent. Featured artists include Young, Stephen Stills, Elton John and Donna Summer.
Week 4 A Great Marketing Experience – Jon Landau and Bruce Springsteen
Feb. 7 Features rock critic and would-be producer Jon Landau and his impression of Bruce Springsteen as
“the future of rock ‘n’ roll.”
This excerpt details how marketing forged a new chapter in the industry’s handling of creative talent. Featured artists include Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt.
“Having written album reviews for Music Central, I’m impressed by the multimedia applications of the site,”
Goodman said.
“When I finished my book, I was intrigued by what an online excerpt might look and sound like. Working with Music Central and MSN, we were able to create something that’s more than just a magazine article on a computer screen. As a writer, I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing more and more online excerpts as an alternative to standard magazine serialization. Even more enticing, the creative possibilities are literally unimagined.”
Early reviewers of
“The Mansion on the Hill”
have described it as the most anticipated book about the music industry in the past decade.
“‘The Mansion on the Hill’ is a hard-nosed history of the rock music business – the best since Charlie Gillette’s seminal ‘The Sound of the City,'”
said Kurt Loder of MTV.
“Goodman asks a fundamental question: When your music becomes a business, is your business still music?”
Fred Goodman
Fred Goodman has been a music critic and rock journalist for 15 years. He has served as news editor for Billboard and music editor for Rolling Stone. A contributing writer for Music Central on MSN, Goodman has been published in periodicals such as The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, US and GQ.
MSN and Music Central
Music Central is the MSN music entertainment and reference guide providing the latest music news and reviews, including artist interviews and concert tour information. Consumers can also check out the hottest new releases and purchase music titles online.
MSN is the third-largest online service worldwide, offering high-quality information, entertainment and communications on the Internet. With the new Web-based version launched in December 1996, MSN also makes available hundreds of special-interest bulletin boards and such online services, programming and Web shows as the Microsoft® Encarta® multimedia encyclopedia, Expedia
™
travel service, Star Trek: Continuum
™
, Slate
™
online magazine, CarPoint
™
online car-buying guide, and up-to-date news and information from MSNBC News. The MSN home page can be reached at (http://www.MSN.com/) .
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“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing each day.
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