Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock 'n' Roll Photographs

by Graham Nash, Experience Music Project Staff

This handsome volume features vibrant photographs of some of the world's most recognizable musicians, selected by Graham Nash, an internationally acclaimed artist of two media- photography and music-who is uniquely qualified in both worlds. Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Johnny Cash share pages with Kurt Cobain, Sting,Michael Stipe, and many others, in shots by legendary photographers such as Daniel Kramer, Charles Peterson, Annie Leibovitz, and others. A rare collection, Taking Aim is destined for the shelves of both photo collectors and rock and roll fans.

Genres: Music, Art, Photography

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Graham William Nash, OBE is a British singer-songwriter known for his light tenor voice and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock super group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. A dual citizen of the United Kingdom and United States, Nash became an American citizen on 14 August 1978.

Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1997 and as a member of The Hollies in 2010.

Nash was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours List for services to music and to charity.

Nash holds four honorary doctorates, including one in Music from the University of Salford in 2011, and his latest Doctorate in Fine Arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. It's just a collection of great pictures of cool people. If you need the Avedon Simon & Garfunkel portrait in the same place as the original photo that John Lennon used on the cover of his Rock and Roll album, along with the less-frequently-seen picture of Neil Young looking down at the photographer through all his fringe (literal, suede-jacket fringe - I'm not being all British and referring to his bangs, although, um, those too), you should get this book. I should maybe get this book. There are photos that I remember seeing in Rolling Stone and SPIN when I was younger - Lynn Goldsmith concert pictures and Anton Corbijn portraits (I could maybe do with a whole giant book of Anton Corbijn, now that I think of it) - plus much older photos of Jerry Lee Lewis and Tina Turner way back when. There are the expected Annie Liebowitz photos. There's something awesome on every page.

[Daniel Dimitrov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking Aim — сборник с емблематични, а и някой не толкова известни Rock’N’Roll фотографии, подбрани от Graham Nash (това е същият Nash от Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, може би познати от участието им на Woodstock ‘69). Фотографиите са страхотни — легендарната Annie Leibovitz (нейна е снимката на Джон и Йоко, и тази на Деби Хари по гащи и електрическа китара — просто пънк), Richard Avedon, Jim Marshall (негова е снимка на Джанис, поседнала преди коцерт, прегърнала бутилка бърбън), профилът на Джони Кеш (няма как да го объркаш), ръката на Джон Лий Хукър, Кросби, Стилс и Наш на изоставен дивен пред изоставена къща някъде в Калифорния през ‘69та, няколко месеца преди участието им на Удсток, Дилън подрънкващ на китара, чакайки самолет на летището в Хонг Конг, някъде през 70те, Майлс, Чък Ди, банджото на Pete Seeger... и въобще рокът е усещане, естетика, много повече от конкретен стил музика...
... и още други, а между известните рок репортери и емблематични фотографии има и по някоя снимка и от самия Nash, който оказва се е и нелош фотограф освен всичко друго.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of photos, some iconic, others not as mainstream, to break your heart...Janis Joplin, Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, John & Yoko, Mama Cass, Buddy Holly; many to make you smile... Johnny Cash, Mick Jagger, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, Eddie Van Halen, The Clash and more. It's a bit heavy on Dylan and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but with Graham Nash as the curator of this collection, I guess that's not surprising.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many beautiful and amazing photographs in this collection, capturing both the quiet moments and the intense performances. There's a great range of subjects too with everyone from John Lee Hooker to Fugazi and Ice-T to Ned's Atomic Dustbin. The only downside is that the words are entirely superfluous and add no additional insight to the images. Whilst the inclusion of a disc of Graham Nash talking is a nice thought, he has nothing of any consequence to say, and the amount of times he says "my friend..." or "Rock N Roll" can be quite off-putting, especially in his strange Blackpool meets America accent. Having said that though, it's not a book about words, it's a book about music and images, and these speak volumes.

[Ed Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham Nash's photos bring me back in a time of upheaval in
America. Although his book reaches from the 60s to current time 2009, the best photos of the rock n' rollers at their very best. Many photos taken by Annie Lebowich & others not just Nash. They include the famous Rolling Stones, Beatles, Doors etc.
My favorite is actually one Nash took of Neil Young's car
driving away circa 1990 after a CSN gig in California.
Nash frames the photo in way, you see a lonely car going down a dirt road and you think you are there

[Кремена Михайлова · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Rock is so good to me. Rock is my child and my grandfather.”
Check Berry