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Monsters Among Us
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by:
ISBN:
1-4958-0650-2
©2015
Price:
$29.95
Book Size:
Landscape 11" x 8.5"
, 50 pages
Category/Subject:
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / General
Monsters Among Us is a new book and album by New York City singer-songwriter-author Bill Sunkel. The CD album (included) features thirteen new original songs, while the book contains full lyrics, detailed musician credits, deep (and frequently revealing and provocative) backstory about the meaning behind and creation of each song via the author’s fascinating and informative Decoder© notes, and original full-color photographic illustrations of each track, as well as performance photos and other snapshots from Bill’s personal collection. In a world of digital downloads and virtual everything, think of it as the ultimate album cover.
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Customer Reviews
Stunning Achievement!
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09/13/2015
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Reviewer:
Walt Donaldson
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As a long-time fan of Bill Sunkel and his work, I must say that his latest release, Monsters Among Us, feels like the crowning achievement of a prolific and formidable career as a songwriter, poet, singer, and artist. As impressive and compelling as Bill's prior work has been, in this latest release, Bill seems to bare his soul as never before, each song layers deep with emotion, intelligence, gravitas, and humanity. The songs alone would well be enough to convincingly and effectively convey all of this, but combined with the stunning artwork and insightful and revealing commentary of the book, the result is as powerful an artistic statement as I can recall experiencing in many years. So, if you're wondering where, in this throw-away, disposable, redundant (yet utterly forgettable) music environment, all the true artists have gone, you need look no further than Monsters Among Us -- it is a true artistic achievement that will no doubt stand the test of time.
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Into the sensual soul of an artist...
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09/18/2015
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Reviewer:
Thubten Dorje
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Bill Sunkel has always written great songs, and intrigued us with his passionate vocals, but his latest creation, 'Monsters Among Us', shows us the mind of this mad genius in a refreshingly personal manner. There are 13 songs on 'Monsters' to be enjoyed for their fine craftsmanship and wide range of stylistic expressions. Additionally, this time around, Bill has given us a stunning book to enjoy, to go along with his always inspired musical arrangements. In the book, Bill decodes each song, and it is here that we enter into the mind of the artist, as he shares his feelings, his passion, and his musical intelligence. Bill is lyrically a storyteller, and during his decoding of the material, we get the story behind the story. We see the man; we feel the passion; we feel the vulnerability....it is real and it is personal. And by the way, the songs kick ass!! Thank you Bill for sharing yourself so thoroughly...
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Food for the soul and brain
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10/26/2015
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Reviewer:
Bill Smith
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Wow. Not only a return to the album concept, but a return to the concept album. This album is a gift that keeps on giving the more I listen. And then it gave even more as I picked up the book of lyrics and decoders. I do recommend that this package be enjoyed in that order: listen first (maybe a few times) and then read the decoders. Why? Well, I will borrow Bill’s metaphor of seeing a movie vs. reading a book. When you read a book, your imagination paints the pictures. If you see the movie first, you are deprived of that extra dimension. The pictures are formed for you. That’s not much different than forming, in your mind, the meaning of a song before it is explained to you. If the meaning is explained to you first, your interpretation can become circumscribed by the songwriter’s “truth.” To be honest, I was dubious about the concept of including decoders for this reason. I was concerned that, even if read later, Bill’s explanations could replace my own interpretations and connections to the lyrics and therefore disrupt my meaning. I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case. I still feel a conviction to my own initial impressions. Bill’s explanations have added to and not replaced them. In hindsight, this is not surprising. Many interpretations of literature coexist. The trick here is not to let the writer be the definitive interpretation. I know that sounds contradictory. But as a photographer, I can create a photo with a certain idea in mind. Yet I still hope it will mean something personal to the viewer. That’s not to diminish the decoders. I loved eventually knowing what Bill was thinking. The keyword there is “eventually.”
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