Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen

Oversized rock pictorials are nothing new, but Smithsonian Books have produced a winner by taking a fan-led approach to creating this latest work. Instead of rehashing the same archived photos seen in other similar titles, the Smithsonian has used crowdsourced photos collected through their website. These images, all laid out beautifully and profiling more than 140 performers, are accompanied by short biographies about the artists and their music. The list includes the obvious choices (e.g., the Beatles, U2), but the inclusion of contributors such as Doug Sahm and Alejandro Escovedo also shows that the editors have made an effort to introduce fans to artists about whom they may be less informed. The biographies aren't comprehensive, but that's not really the point. This book is about the photos, which are plentiful and outstanding, especially those from early shows or that capture their subjects offstage.