incredibledisc Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 What's everyone's favourite books about music/musicians?A few of mine would be:Last Train To Memphis/Careless Love - by Peter Guaralnick. 2 Volume book on ElvisShout - by Philip Norman and Revolution in the Head by Ian McDonald. Both about the Fab FourThe True Adventures of the Rolling Stones - by Stanley Booth. In which Mr Booth hangs around with the Stones circa Exile on Main Street, gets fucked up with Keith Richards and Gram Parsons and cops a skag habit for his trouble!England's Dreaming - by John Savage. Probably the most comprehensive look at the original punk movement. I don't buy into all of his Situationist theories but its a cracking read all the same.Riders on the Storm - John Densmore. Excellent personal account of life with The Doors.Shakey - Jimmy McDonough. Neil Young biography. Starts off with complete cooperation from Young but then he gets increasingly cantankerous as the book progresses and tries to stop it being published.Behind The Shades (Take 2) by Clinton Heylin. Good study of Bob Dylan. Not loved by all his fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addi Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 i got a book called music form and music performance the other day, its rocking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incredibledisc Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 i got a book called music form and music performance the other day' date=' its rocking.[/quote'] Errrm, not really what I was getting at. But each to their own, eh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 'The Complete David Bowie' - Nicholas Pegg. It's more a definitive history of Bowie's career rather than perhaps the kind of narrative your discussing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 I've got too many to list, but ones I've enjoyed muchly have been...Nik Cohn 'Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom'The Legendary Joe MeekGinger Geezer (about Viv Stanshall)King of the Delta Blues (about Charlie Patton)Invisible Republic (about Dylan's Basement Tapes)Dream Brother (about Jeff & Tim Buckley)Crazy Diamond (about Syd Barrett)Nico-Life & Lies of an IconThe Lives of John Lennonthe Nick Drake one by Patrick HumphriesI'm in the middle of reading "America over the Water" by Shirley Collins, about her travels across America collecting folksongs with Alan Lomax, and have 'John Peel-a life in music 'still to read, along with 'On the road to Nirvana', about the rise of grunge, kindly given to me by Ragu Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RF Scott Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 our band could be your life (or is it THIS band could be your life) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incredibledisc Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 'The Complete David Bowie' - Nicholas Pegg. It's more a definitive history of Bowie's career rather than perhaps the kind of narrative your discussing. Well, I don't know. "Revolution in the head" is hardly a narrative (although it does treat the Beatles' recordings chronologically) but it still makes for a very satisfying read. I don't know how many times I must've read it since picking it up to read on the bus home from Uni a good 10 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incredibledisc Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 I've got too many to list' date=' but ones I've enjoyed muchly have been...Nik Cohn 'Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom'The Legendary Joe MeekGinger Geezer (about Viv Stanshall)King of the Delta Blues (about Charlie Patton)Invisible Republic (about Dylan's Basement Tapes)Dream Brother (about Jeff & Tim Buckley)Crazy Diamond (about Syd Barrett)Nico-Life & Lies of an IconThe Lives of John Lennonthe Nick Drake one by Patrick HumphriesI'm in the middle of reading "America over the Water" by Shirley Collins, about her travels across America collecting folksongs with Alan Lomax, and have 'John Peel-a life in music 'still to read, along with 'On the road to Nirvana', about the rise of grunge, kindly given to me by Ragu Dave.[/quote'] Cool choices. Nick Cohn's stuff is very good. Did you ever see the illustrated book he did - "Rock Dreams" totally cool rock n' roll fantasy stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zeenat Aman Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 The Complete Rock Family Trees - Pete FrameRevolution in the Head- Ian MacDonaldIn the Court of King Crimson - Sid SmithStone Alone - Bill Wyman/Ray ColemanAre You Experienced - Noel Redding/Car ApplebyThe Hendrix Experience - Mitch Mitchell/John PrattKind of stopped buying such books (rock biographies etc) now though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARC Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers) by Simon Price is good although i wished he'd update it. Also Touching From a Distance by Deborah Curtis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NARC Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 And "Dream Brother" about Jeff and Tim Buckley - fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skubbs Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Touching From a Distance by Deborah Curtis.I second that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incredibledisc Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Please Kill Me: The Unscensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Didz Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 I agree with Touching from a Distance, The Dirt (Motley Crue) is an entertaining read, Scars of Paradise (Janis Joplin) and Scar Tissue is worth reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Elvis Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Dream Brother (Jeff & Tim Buckley)Cash: The AutobiographyAway to read book on Layne Staley from Alice in Chains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psydoll Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 'The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell' on Marilyn Manson, Kurt Cobain's Diaries and Kid Koala's 'Nufonia Must Fall' are favourites of mine although the Kid Koala one isn't really about music but is still music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flossie suvara Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Head on/Re-possessed - Julian CopeTurlough - Brian Keenan (about 16th Century blind Irish harper O'Carolan) - by one of the Beirut Hostages)Who's Crazee now - Noddy Holder (just finished it - good read)Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung : The Work of a Legendary Critic: Rock'N'Roll as Literature and Literature as Rock'N'Roll - Lester BangsRegardsFlossie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam 45 Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 I enjoyed reading Scar Tissue and Heavier than heaven. Also read a pretty good book about dave grohl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laxton's Superb Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 'I was a robot' by ex-Kraftwerk member, Wolgang Flur, an excellent bit of insight into the band, and how he was screwed by Schneider-Esleben and Hutter.the bastards, still love 'em though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laxton's Superb Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 it would surely be more rewarding if you read a book of varied subjects once a week, the only thing i read weekly is the NME, for shame.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laxton's Superb Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 my brane iz fin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Cool choices. Nick Cohn's stuff is very good. Did you ever see the illustrated book he did - "Rock Dreams" totally cool rock n' roll fantasy stuffYep...I bought it when it first came out, and it eventually fell to bits, but I managed to replace it. The Guy Pellaert (sp?) pix were fab!Flossie....I bought Head On, and liked it a lot, but then it came out as a 'twofer' with 'Repossessed'....I don't think the latter ever came out on its own, annoyingly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incredibledisc Posted February 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 I am also currently reading Paul Johnson's "AHistory of the Jews" and "Boothby-Recollections Of A Rebel"' date=' so I'm keeping it varied.Don't read NME, it only rots your brain (says the man who recommended at least three books by ex-NME journos...)[/quote'] Aye, but the NME was a good read when the likes of Kent, Shaar Murray et al were writing for it. These days its just shite. The stuff the writers turn out these days is vacuous drivel with few, if any redeeming features - even the letters (which used to be quite entertaining) is just wank now.Always preferred Sounds anyway - at least until it went tits up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummerOfIntenseEvil Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers) by Simon Price is good although i wished he'd update it. Also Touching From a Distance by Deborah Curtis.Everything is by far the best music book I've read so far. Although it's not something that's supposed to be admitted to in public...I thought Touching From A Distance lacked a certain something (other than pages), presuambly since it's written by a normal person rather than a journalist.Last Gang In Town by Marcus Gray was quite good, although it ruined the image I had of The Clash a wee bitty. Very thoroughly researched... possibly a bit TOO thorough, it can get confusing keeping track of all the randomers throughout.Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance is probably my second favourite music book... almost fucked up my exam revision cos I couldn't put it down half the time. Suffers a bit from Johnny Regan's Americanised views coming through at times though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumpy Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 catherine has this book for uni...its like the in's and out's of the whole music industry...can't go wrong with this bad boy....must find out the name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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