The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds

Like a proud father, Rhino Records co-founder Bronson (Hey, Hey, We're The Monkees) tells the story of the label's birth and growth. Originally a record store in Los Angeles, Rhino established itself as a well-known and profitable player in the music industry; it was one of the first labels to reissue the work of older artists, helping to start a trend which has become more prevalent over time, as more labels are now devoted to vinyl reissues of out-of-print or underappreciated albums. In between chapters on the store and the label, Bronson discusses the careers of some of the artists he worked with, including the Turtles, the Knack, and Dick Dale. Bronson is most exciting when he details the creative ways Rhino put together albums%E2%80%94for example, they released an album that only contained different cover versions of "Louie Louie," and compiled into a collection "the worst recordings by celebrities." Bronson's romp is more than just a story of the good ol' days, he offers plenty of interesting lessons on how to stand out in the cut-throat music industry. (Nov.)