“This book is beyond amazing. Since I began teaching at UCLA, I have been dreaming of a book like this, and it will immediately become required reading for my course Docs That Rock, Docs That Matter. From interviews with the all-time greats to the best of the contemporary doc makers, Kubernik touches all the bases and beyond. A Hall of Fame book for everybody, including those of us in the field. I’m honored to be included, and this book takes a top of the list place in Kubernik’s more than a dozen epic rock chronicle books. Simply put, this book is essential for anybody who cares about music history.” Professor David Leaf, UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music “Harvey Kubernik is a cornucopia of American culture...His book is a totally original scan across this history, uncovering major and minor players, aficionados and accomplices of every stripe.” David E. James, professor USC School of Cinema Television “I first met Harvey Kubernik at the Hollywood Bowl the night Brian Wilson first performed Pet Sounds. It was 2000, an auspicious beginning to the century. HK and I had the last century and more to gnaw on. He was equally at home discussing Steely Dan or Dan Bourgoise; George Harrison or Chakiris; Sandra Dee or Dee Anthony. Harvey has a third ear; he writes with it, and that is what separates him from the cut & paste. He is our reference library and he reps us well.” Andrew Loog Oldham Record producer, author, deejay and university lecturer “Harvey Kubernik understands the merger of rock music and cinema. This is a mandatory book for anyone who wants to know and learn about this fascinating collaboration.” Poet/Actor Harry E. Northrup |
“Rock is the gift of sound and vision, and Harvey Kubernik’s Docs That Rock is the essential guide to the history of rock on film. Kubernik’s been doing his homework on this subject for fifty years; he knew everyone, spoke to everyone, and got them to tell stories they never told anyone else. We learn how Steve Binder made The T.A.M.I. Show happen in 1964 and helped save Elvis’ career in 1968; we hear Murray Lerner giving the details of filming Hendrix at the Isle of Wight in 1970, and we even dig into the backstory of Shindig! Perfect for film and cultural studies classes, Docs That Rock gives a rich context to movies you thought you knew all about.” Professoer Dr. James Cushing Cal Poly San Luis Obispo English and Literature (ret.) It matters not that I’ve known Harvey Kubernik since the early 1970s. Even if this author were an utter stranger, I still would cite him as today’s best on the spot codifier of pop culture’s complex media. He sees and immediately can articulate the big picture behind the distracting flack of all the other big pictures. The studios, the music companies and Madison Avenue pay big bucks for intellectual understanding of their products. What these products represent to both their intended audiences and to their context within the field in general remain ever so important since it helps sell the singularity of them in crowded realms. Harvey can toss off these split-second analyses about every other sentence in casual conversation and even make you laugh at the same time with some heretofore never imagined juxtapositions. So imagine the glorious outcome of his concerted research efforts added to his extraordinary insights about music and film. Harvey’s books are the unique culmination of both in whatever topic he addresses. Harvey Kubernik by-passes the lock-step conformity that our entertainment business has become as a matter of course, and we're damn lucked to have him." Heather Harris, Photographer |
 “Not only does Kubernik reveal his choices for the greatest music films of all time, but give us the background, challenges, discoveries and excitement inherent in these visual treasures, taking us into the dressing rooms, the cutting rooms, the theaters and the auditoriums, speaking with the prime creators of the form. An absolute must-read for anyone who loves popular music and its secret histories.” Roger Steffens Author/Reggae scholar “For those thoroughly discriminating amongst us who know and wish to listen with their eyes as well as both ears, Harvey Kubernik’s most authoritative view of on-screen rock ‘n’ roll instructs plus informs as it brightly illuminates the always-on-key figures on both sides of the lens. Oh! And you can also dance to it!” Gary Pig Gold Musician and writer. “Most books about rock in movies are by ‘double outsiders’--people who wish they understood movies and definitely don’t understand rock. As a Hollywood native with a music biz insider’s eye for the secret details upon which pop history turns, Harvey Kubernik puts shame in their game.” Daniel Weizmann: Writer |
