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[Alan Cynic]

I enjoyed Joe Boyd's 'White Bicycles'
Review of White Bicycles by Joe Boyd [DJ Alchemi]

This is surely my specalist subject....

Music Bios:

Head on - Julian Cope (amazing, even if you know nothing about the man or his music, or indeed find his music rubbish. It's just a great book, all round.

Our Band COuld Be Your Life - Michael Azzerad (an essential look at the American indie/punk scene during the 80s. You'll have heard of some of the bands in here, and it will make you want to listen to them again. The bands you haven't heard of? You'll be listening to them before too long.)

Across the Great Divide - Barney Hoskins (I think..) (a history of the Band, and a great look at Americana in general.)

The Ambient Century - Mark Pendergast (a fascinating look at the evolution of sound over the 20th century)

Rip it Up - Simon Renyolds (The history of post-punk)

England's Dreaming - Jon Savage (the history of punk)

Please Kill Me - Legs McNeil (the American punk sceen in all it's dirty glory)

Psychotic Reactions and Carburettor Dung - Lester Bangs (simply the best music journalism ever written)

Let it Blurt - Jim DeRogatis (a biography of Lester Bangs that is also a brilliant look at the evolution of rock criticism)

My Magpie Eyes are Hungry for the Prize - David Cavanagh (a long out of print look at the history of Creation records, and the concept of the British indie scene in general. Really hard to find, and almost completely discredited - suspiciously by the people it says unfavourable things about... - but worth snapping up if you can find it.)

No surrender - Johnny Rogan (Rogan's comparison of Van Morrisson and Ian Paisley. Better than it sounds)

The Severed Alliance - Johnny Rogan (Rogan's look at the Smiths. Brillaint reading, even if you have no interest in the Smiths)


See also: any of the 33 and a 1/3 series (Ottakars had the whole lot the last time I was in Aberdeen. Essentially, a biographical look at specific albums. Generally really good, bitesize reading.)


MOVIES:

Easy Riders and Raging Bulls - Peter biskind (seedy seventies film-making, in the golden age of Amercan cinema)

Seventies - Howard Sounes (Not strictly a film book, but has brilliant bits about Apocalypse Now, the Godfather, Woody allen, Jaws, etc.)

Woody Allen on Woody Allen - Stig Bjorkman (largly humourless look at his films, with fascinating insights)


(sorry I keep using the word 'fascinating' so much.)

[Alan Cynic]

Agreed on many of those...also...

America over the water (Shirley Collins)
Ginger Geezer (Viv Stanshall)
Margrave of the marshes (Peel)
Invisible Republic (Greil Marcus on Dylan's Basement Tapes)
Nick Drake biog by Patrick Humphries

I've got a backlog of bios to read..including ones on Soft Machine, Tim Buckley, Pete Brown and many others.

Currently reading a fascinating one about Moondog, and trying to get hold of 'Spectral Soprano', about Lol Coxhill.

Originally Posted by Alan Cynic

Nick Drake biog by Patrick Humphries

.

I enjoyed that one immensely!

(after years of saying Nick Drake was completely rubbish...)

A great little companion piece is the 33 and a 1/3 of "Pink Moon".

[scottyboy]

oddly enough i didn't think much of easy riders, raging bulls either

[Bigsby]

Originally Posted by scottyboy

oddly enough i didn't think much of easy riders, raging bulls either

I liked it.

Thanks for all those recommendations, I think the Woody Allen one will have to be a must, although it will make me want to watch his films and they hardly seem to be shown on the telly nowadays.

I watched The Front recently, just brilliant, and it's not even one of his best ones.

[czefski]

A lot of excellent books already listed. I'd also add:

Redemption Song - The definitive biography of Joe Strummer
No Black, No Dogs, No Irish - John Lydon
Nowhere To Run: The History of Soul Music - Hirshey Gerri
All The Rage - Ian McLagen
Diary of a Rock and Roll star - Ian Hunter

on films:
The Day the Laughter Stopped: The True Story of Fatty Arbuckle - David Yallop
Evil Spirits The Life of Oliver Reed - Cliff Goodwin
Stranger Than Fiction (Maverick film makers in recent American Cinema) - Geoff Andrew
Rat Pack Confidential - Shawn Levy
Crying With Laughter - Bob Monkhouse

[Alan Cynic]

The new Mark E Smith one sounds good!

Filmwise....I once enjoyed Louise Brookes' autobiog...think it was called 'Lulu in Hollywood' .

Originally Posted by czefski

Redemption Song - The definitive biography of Joe Strummer

I wasn't that fussed on this one...I kind of felt it made Joe Strummer out to be a complete saint...maybe just too reverential?

[Didz]

Motley Crue "The Dirt" - Shit band, great book!