What books about music ARE worth the paper they're printed on?

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1. STRAIGHT LIFE by Art Pepper
2. UP AND DOWN WITH THE ROLLING STONES
3. WONDERLAND AVENUE by Danny Sugarman
4. GET IN THE VAN by Henry Rollins

― NO TIME FOR SCREAMING, Wednesday, 22 January 2003 00:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

I second Michael Chanan's Repeated Takes and Nick Tosches's Country. The latter is totally factually unreliable, but it is very entertaining and will point you in the direction of many great things (I was surprised that it's not half as patronizing as its cover or subtitle would suggest, either). It's also pretty cheap in paperback.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 01:26 (twenty-one years ago) link

Now that I'm home and can look over what the heck I have, Tainted Life by Marc Almond is a great autobiography, Chris Lendt's Kiss and Sell is an insightful and often hilarious look into Kiss from 1977 or to 1988, and Neal Karlen's Babes in Toyland is now essential history from 1992 and 1993.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 02:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

Is The Ambient Century really so bad? I got it for Christmas a few years back but haven't tacked it yet. Ditto John Cale's What's Welsh For Zen?. Managed to get through Lamacq's Going Deaf For A Living, however, which was, er, mildly diverting.

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 02:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

Stairway to Hell!!! Literally changed my life. Hell if I know if it will help you but might.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 02:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

Oh, and Tainted Life heartily seconded, although I left it on the tube before I finished it, bah.

Can't believe nobody's mentioned Jon Savage's England's Dreaming - am I the only person whose whole worldview it changed?

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 02:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm still mad at it for making me buy a Subway Sect album, sorry.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 02:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

Give yourself to Vic Godard. He loves you.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 04:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

Vic Godard was like a reverse-gateway discovery for me. I loved Orange Juice, heard that they were inspired by VG and the Slits (and indeed cover one or two VG songs). Picked up VG and the Slits, and was fairly unimpressed (esp. by VG). Then began to wonder what it was I saw in Orange Juice. Who I still like, I guess, but with no great conviction.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 04:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

Loves me or not, he sure as fuck posed no threat to rock'n'roll despite what his song titles or Jon Savage say to the contrary.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 04:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

Charlie: yes it's really that bad. Douglas sums it up pretty nicely:

http://12.11.184.13/boston/music/other_stories/documents/00630909.htm

― charlie va (charlie va), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 04:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

John Cale's autobiog is as dull as dishwater and about as palatable.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 04:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

Goddamn, that's a great review. thanks for the link, Charlie Va. made my night.

“the rise of Nazism brought out a rebellious spirit in him, as in many others.”

yeah, I heard some French guys started some kind of underground movement around that time.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 04:19 (twenty-one years ago) link

Zazou, what you gonna do? A knock, on the door, in the night.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 05:16 (twenty-one years ago) link

Charlie: yes it's really that bad. Douglas sums it up pretty nicely

Fantastic review, cheers! It seems Wolk is irritated by the very same things that'd wind me right up - that is, factual inaccuracy, unattributed generalisation and grammatical chaos - so I think I'll chuck it in the pile marked "sell" as soon as I get home.

Is Cale's tome really as dull as you suggest, ESOJ? It looks so purdy...what's wrong with it? I was looking forward to diving in.

Oh, and Lydon's No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs is a great read.

― Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 06:05 (twenty-one years ago) link

Anthony: if you don't want yr Subway Sect album, can I have it?

Lydon's book is incredibly badly organized and repetitive but still very funny.

Isn't Simon Reynolds supposed to be writing a book about postpunk, or is that just wishful thinking?

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 07:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

yes, he is. I'm not sure its a good idea tho'.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 12:04 (twenty-one years ago) link

he's finished it. not sure when it's coming out though.

as discussed at saturday's FAP, the ben watson book on derek b remains in limbo.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 22 January 2003 12:09 (twenty-one years ago) link

I assume that's feted improv guitarist derek b and not the old school Brit rapper derek b.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 12:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

indeed i refer to mr bailey and not the derek b who was a "bad young brother," ooh, 15 years ago.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 22 January 2003 12:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

Many thanks for the suggestions! I do have or have already read some of the titles you've listed here, but you've given me an impressive reading list. (BTW, I'm amused that no one here has mentioned Dance of Days, about the rise of Dischord Records and Fugazi. That's quite all right, because it's a tedious read, though informative. Fargo Rock City was much better as a portrait of a scene -- I still don't like the music but I appreciate the insight into its fans.)

j.lu, I'll trade you something for that 1st edition of that Eddy book, if it's not already gone (may have missed it somewhere in the thread).

Going...going...gone! To Sean C.! E-mail me.

― j.lu (j.lu), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 15:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

....yep, Marc Almond's 'Tainted Life' is a funny, tragic read.... his story about taking acid before recording the Johnny Carson live chat show in America was terrifying!
I just thought how easy it'd be to sink to the drug depths like he did with all that money and all those hangers-on.

― russ t, Wednesday, 22 January 2003 15:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

Yeah. It would be great, wouldn't it?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 17:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

Absolutely!

― russ t, Wednesday, 22 January 2003 18:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

sorry, Justyn. I actually don't mind the album, so I ain't giving it up. I'm just flabbergasted that Jon Savage would think this shit was at all revolutionary (maybe he did because the titles were so hhheaavy). Especially in a book that so dimisses bands like the Damned.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 18:42 (twenty-one years ago) link

Screw the 'thoughtful' books - I want some fun, trashy, gossipy stuff. I just finished We got the neutron bomb and The vinyl closet and I read those in one sitting. If anyone has any recommendations along those lines, please let me know.

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 21:48 (twenty-one years ago) link

"Please Kill Me" is another dirrrty book like that, Kerry. The local record store was saying "Richard Lloyd...I fucked him." for ages after everybody read it.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 22 January 2003 21:51 (twenty-one years ago) link

six months pass...

_Volume: The International Discography of the New Wave_, 1982-83 edition. Invaluable
Bill Brewsters and Frank Broughton's "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life"

― Jens (brighter), Monday, 28 July 2003 12:18 (twenty years ago) link

three weeks pass...

Did anyone mention Simon Napier Bell's book? That is funny, funny, funny.

― m.s (m .s), Monday, 18 August 2003 04:14 (twenty years ago) link

Black Vinyl, White Powder. He has no respect for overinflated musician egos. It's a great read.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 18 August 2003 05:02 (twenty years ago) link

I'm reading Joachim E. Berendt's "The Jazz Book" right now, it is quite wonderful, the best compendium piece on jazz I've ever read. My copy is a ninth, revised edition from 1982, I'm not sure if there are newer ones.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 18 August 2003 06:22 (twenty years ago) link

Hey, if anyone wants to see a sample of that Simon Napier Bell book, there's a nice website here that's sort of interactive and has some shocking quotes. I don't remember all this shockingness, I thought he was sweet! What a prudish memory I have. http://www.uim.info/snb/main.htm

― m.s (m .s), Monday, 18 August 2003 07:44 (twenty years ago) link

three months pass...

I've been reading Faces of Salsa, a collection of interviews, which has turned out to be much more interesting and informative than I had expected. Merengue star, Johnny Ventura was the mayor of Santa Domingo? He didn't just run for office: he was actually the mayor at some point. Cachao, who I rather wrongly had pigeon-holed as being "only" Latin jazz, wrote over 2000 danzones with his brother! Some of these people are superhuman. Also, lots of good information in the changes that have occurred in various styles, and the usual arguments about the weight to be assigned to Cuban vs. Puerto Rican/NuYorican contributions.

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 21:46 (twenty years ago) link

"Read it, motheruckers!"

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 21:47 (twenty years ago) link

[f]

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 21:48 (twenty years ago) link

ARGH

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 21:58 (twenty years ago) link

Okay, I didn't plug this the first time, but I will now. King Jammy's by Beth Lesser--and not just because I was involved. ANYONE who likes dancehall must read it.

― cybele (cybele), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 23:38 (twenty years ago) link

Mark Anthony Neal is occassionally fucking brilliant. His new book "Songs In The Key Of Life" is slightly hit-and-miss but FINALLY somebody giving r&b the recognition it deserves (even if he is a bit neo-soul for my tastes).

His prior book, "Soul Babies" is also pretty great in the music sections, on occasion. His stuff with R. Kelly is great, Outkast less so, etc. But I have no FUCKING idea what he means when he calls all these different dudes Gramscian, or rather I'm afraid I do have an idea and its a painfully bad one.

But yeah, he's still great.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 4 December 2003 00:27 (twenty years ago) link

Also coz he's for the most part solved the question of voice and authenticity pretty well, especially compared to somma his academic counterparts.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 4 December 2003 00:28 (twenty years ago) link

I'm very fond of Chuck Klosterman's Fargo Rock City, but more for the personal/anecdotal stuff and humor than anything else.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Thursday, 4 December 2003 00:58 (twenty years ago) link

I just picked up the copy of City of Musical Memory: Salsa, Records Grooves, and Popular Culture in Cali, Colombia, by Lisa Waxer. I suspect I will be saying more about it. I read an essay by the same author (I think--it must have been) on the way for many years the emphasis in Colombia was on playing salsa records, rather than forming salsa bands and making their own recordings. Apparently they sometimes (intentionally) played records at a faster speeded than they were intended to be played. The essay also discussed the history of salsa clubs and the way it is intertwined with the drug trade and with politics. I assume the book will be a more detailed treatment of the same subjects (with some surprises as well, hopefully).

(Sorry, Ned, but I seem to have latched onto that sentence. It would help if I didn't make any typos though.)

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 4 December 2003 01:58 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

any new recommendations, recently published?

― moley, Monday, 25 April 2005 22:20 (nineteen years ago) link

not so recent but "lexicon devil" is good.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Ned Sublette's Cuba & Its Music as everyone knows by now.

― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Monday, 25 April 2005 23:40 (nineteen years ago) link

That Reynolds bookette isn't too bad.

― Derek Kent, Monday, 2 May 2005 14:45 (nineteen years ago) link

i thoroughly enjoyed the fun romp that is Crazy from the Heat: David Lee Roth's autobiography. if you already luv Dave-era Van Halen (fuck sam halen/van hagar, etc.) you'll be xxtra psyched on this. he's hilarious & seems surprisingly down-to-earth, almost ...philosophical? (although pretty self-congratulatory, but what did you expect?)

― joey b, Monday, 2 May 2005 16:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Has anybody read this Miles Davis book (covering only his post-comeback years) that's reviewed in the new Wire? I haven't even gotten the issue yet, but since I talk a lot about the 80s albums in my own Miles book (out in the fall), I'm interested to know who this guy is and what his take is.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Monday, 2 May 2005 16:32 (nineteen years ago) link

eight months pass...

recently finished "deep blues," and i think it's the first book about blues that i've read that gives a really holistic look at the entire context of how mississippi delta blues developed (socioeconomically, ya know). so good.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 23:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't know where I read the endorsement of Stanley Booth's True Adventures of the Rolling Stones, but I ordered it off ebay and two thirds through it's fantastic - lyrical, moving, sad, electric, poetic... and I don't even like the Stones.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link

yanc3y loves that book. i really need to read it someday.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:18 (eighteen years ago) link

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