Classic Rock Fake Book - 2nd Edition

Rating:
Summary: Not really "Classic", but Pretty Good
Review: Fake Books have just the melody/lyric line (staff); piano players will only have their right hand busy; the left "fakes" it. And there's no tabs and songs are in their actual keys, so you need to read music. But if you do and either are good at theory or play a non-chording instrument, they're fantastic.

This book has a very impressive selection of songs, but "Classic Rock" doesn't describe it. More like "SuperHits of the 70s and 80s". There's some rock, some pop, some glam, a pretty wide variety of stuff people will likely request or that you might enjoy playing, but it's not all "rock" and certainly not "classic rock" - it's got songs from Heart, Bon Jovi and Jefferson Starship, fer cryin' out loud! Very playable stuff.

I enjoy this book a lot. I also enjoy the Disney Fake Book and the Ultimate Fake Book; there's not much overlap between them. The breadth of styles (again, it's not all classic rock) is a nice touch, and most of the songs were really big hits at one time. There are some omissions and excesses. No Dire Straits, but 22 Beatles songs. Six Elton John, but no Candle/Funeral for a Friend? No Led Zeppelin but FOUR Lennon/Ono (and one Lennon solo) songs? But on average it's a great collection.