Charlie Gillett, author of the classic rock history The Sound of the City, has produced an equally definitive companion volume. While the earlier work focused on “the stylistic developments of the rock & roll revolution,” Making Tracks examines “some of the people who had engineered that revolution, the producers and musicians, and the men who owned the labels.”

Subtitled Atlantic Records and the Growth of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Industry, the impressively researched book primarily chronicles the label’s development; but through the story of the one company, Gillett manages to paint a vivid picture of the entire record business. The discussion encompasses the search for artists; record producing, promotion, and sales; payola, advances, and royalties;, important session people; and more. Highly recommended.