"Moon" - Tony Fletcher's bio of Keith Moon, one of the best bios!
"White Line Fever" - Lemmy Kilmister's (Moterhead) autobiography.
"A Riot of Our Own" - A Clash Bio written by one of their roadies Johnny Green. He meets them shortly after they come together and stays with them through all the peak years - a great read!
"The Dirt" - autobiography of Motlet Crue (worth reading even if you're not a fan!)
"Life and Def" - autobiography of Russel Simmons (Def Jam/Phat Farm).
"Get in the Van" - A compilation of Henry Rollins' journals from the time he was in Black Flag.
"The Rocker" - Mark Putterford's bio on Phil Lynott (of Thin Lizzy) - again, worth reading even if you're not a fan.
"The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records" by Ronin Ro. A look at Suge Knight and Death Row Records - VERY GOOD!
Other people have mentioned "Our Band Could be Your Life", "Lords of Chaos" and "Please kill Me" - I'd also recomend them.
― CretanBull (CretanBull), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 06:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― charlie va (charlie va), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 06:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― T. Weiss (Timmy), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 06:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Clarke B., Tuesday, 21 January 2003 06:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
Is that the one that lists the band that did the "Muchos Gracias / Limelight" 45 as the same "The Pack" that had Kirk Brandon in it? I don't mean to make fun of it; I wish I'd owned a copy, even though the book I'm remembering had been implicated in a little grumpiness experienced sometime in the late 80's by a certain Canadian teenager upon the receipt of a small, flattish package from Germany. Anyone care to guess the square dimensions?
Does anyone remember there was a list-type book published a few years ago, maybe by Spin magazine or something, about "Alternative" groups, that had an entry about X Ray Spex referring to Paul Dean as being the same Paul Dean that played in Loverboy? It's well worth reading for that very reason. Maybe even framing.
― tom (other), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 07:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 07:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
Urban Blues by Charles Keil. The original anti-authenticity, non-rockist text. Keil argues that the slick urban music and live productions of the likes of B.B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland is just as important and valid as the antecedent country blues forms. And how dare white record collectors state otherwise, anyway?
Rock and the Pop Narcotic by Joe Carducci. Learn what it means to be rockist. Great historical section (though some found it pointless).
Highway to Hell : The Life and Times of AC/DC Legend Bon Scott by Clinton Walker. Sympathetic portrayal of Scott. Actually serves as an excellent history and overview of the late 60's / early 70's Australian Pop music scene.
File Under Popular by Chris Cutler. Henry Cow drummer and Recommended records honcho argues for musical advancement through formal innovation. Structural materialist manifesto.
The Freedom Principle by John Litweiler. An excellent guide to all kinds of exciting Jazz music, for those searching for a way in.
The Autobiography of Miles Davis by Miles Davis w/ Quincy Troupe. Motherfucker!
Extended Play: Sounding off from John Cage to Dr. Funkenstein by John Corbett. Good writer with lots of insights on offer. Book is sort of divided into half theory, half journalism (some very entertaining interviews with the likes of Evan Parker and the Ex).
Improvisation by Derek Bailey. Just what the title says! All you ever wanted to know!
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 07:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
And who could forget: Philip Larkin's All What Jazz?
― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 07:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― nathalie (nathalie), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 08:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 09:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
the sun ra biog.
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 10:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
Nik Cohn/Guy Peelaert - Rock Dreams
Fred and Judy Vermorel (ed.) - Starlust
― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 11:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 12:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
An almost complete history of the dj.
― Macattack (Macattack), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 12:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
― nathalie (nathalie), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 12:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― robin (robin), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 12:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Paul R (paul R), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 13:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
meltzer's gulcher is actually my favourite meltzerjohn cage: silence tosches: country and unsung rock'n'roll heroes music grooves: keil and feld adorno's book on wagner henry pleasants: the great american popular singersben thomps*n's two books (disclaimer: he's a really close friend)
― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 13:24 (twenty-one years ago) link
I agree with Nathalie about Greil Marcus, although I did like Mystery Train. He's got a lot of people fooled.
― Jim M (jmcgaw), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 13:35 (twenty-one years ago) link
― robin (robin), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:17 (twenty-one years ago) link
Another vote for 'Psychotic Reactions and Carburretor Dung' - a very entertaining read.
Craig Werner - 'A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of America' is excellent.
Charles Shaar Murray - 'Crosstown Traffic' - looks at Hendrix from a variety of angles.
― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:20 (twenty-one years ago) link
robin: his other book is "ways of hearing"
― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
The Recording Angel by Evan Eisenberg (much slept-on book, and sadly OOP)The Rise and Fall of Popular Music by Donald Clarke (you don't have to agree with him to find it fascinating)Flowers in the Dustbin by James Miller (ditto)It Came From Memphis by Robert Gordon (not about music only, but close enough)
Subtract:
Guralnick's non-Elvis booksMarcus' twaddle-laden Basement Tapes bookToop's twaddle-laden ExoticaTosches' twaddle-laden Where Dead Voices Gather (and I say that as a huge fan)
I don't see Stranded anywhere. It's a bit dated, but there's some great writing there.
― Lee G (Lee G), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 14:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nicole (Nicole), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 15:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
or better yet, Dogwalker, by Arthur Bradford, it's not about music, but if you like music, you'll like his stories.
― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 15:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
I take it lists and cronology are not your thing. :)
― Macattack (Macattack), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
It's a pretty good social study all around, though.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
these are the 5 I would go with for joyful and informative reading. If you choose to go the Greil Marcus route, God help you. I just never found his writing enjoyable. Informative maybe but nothing to spend a present on. Check those out from the library.
― Carey, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'd add Val Wilmer's As Serious as Your Life, for starters.
― hstencil, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― TMFTML (TMFTML), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
― TMFTML (TMFTML), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:01 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'll second Bidini's On a Cold Road, though it may be of limited interest to those outside Canada. And Meltzer's A Whore... is definitely worth having, especially to see his evolution through the years.
― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
Boy George - Take it like a man - one of the, if not THE, finest rock autobiography. His tales of cold turkey with Diana Ross and Marilyn were brilliant....
― russ t, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
Tosches' Hellfire -- Similar to Booth's Stones book, Hellfire's writing is timeless, coming off like Faulkner and Twain. The way he breaks down Jerry Lee Lewis (God, the devil & dirt) is ingenious.
Meltzer's Gulcher -- His best work. His writing is spectacular, loose but tight and always on the verge of big ideas.
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
Nik Cohn's Ball the wall, which collects most of his writing from the 60's and 70's.
Brian Eno's A year with swollen appendices.
Bill Drummond's 45, and if you can find it How to have a number one the easy way.
I know he's not particularly hip but Simon Frith's Music for pleasure covers a lot of similar ground to the discussions which regularly reoccur on ILM.
Chris Heath's two books about the Pet Shop Boys are excellent too, especially Pet Shop Boy's versus America, which has some fantastic Pennie Smith photos.
As for (auto)biography. I'd go for Julian Cope's Head on/Repossessed, Tom Doyle's Billy Mackenzie bio The glamour chase and Charles Mingus's Beneath the underdog
And finally try to get Ray Lowry's Ink and It's only rock n' roll. One of the most acerbic and incisive commentators in the business.
― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
VERY good choice. The more time goes on the more I'm frustrated with Mackenzie's death and his obscurity.
Seconded, thirded and fourthed.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 17:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― hstencil, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
Although he has this strange idea that he's the only rock writer that likes 80s glam metal/non-alternative rock, it bugs the fuck out of me. At least that's the impression I got. But he really knows his stuff!
― Arthur (Arthur), Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Burr, Tuesday, 21 January 2003 18:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Derek Kent, Monday, 2 May 2005 14:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― joey b, Monday, 2 May 2005 16:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― pdf (Phil Freeman), Monday, 2 May 2005 16:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 31 January 2006 23:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link
- "The Worst Rock 'n' Roll Records of All Time," Jimmy Guterman & Owen O'Donnell (at age 17, my introduction to how much fun rock criticism could be...)- "A Cure For Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage," Joe Jackson- "Killing Bono," Neil McCormick- "Cheese Chronicles: The True Story Of A Rock 'n' Roll Band You Never Heard Of," Tommy Womack- "The Nearest Faraway Place," Timothy White
― John Fredland (jfredland), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:31 (eighteen years ago) link
We guarantee that we will refund the complete price of this manual if you are unbale ot achieve a number one single in th eofficial (Gallup) U.K. charts within three months of th epurchase of this manual and on condition that you have fulfilled our instructions to the letter"
OOP so yay WWWhttp://www.tomrobinson.com/work/klf.htm
― blunt (blunt), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link
and I second (third?) Have gun Will Travel and Hit Men. Moguls and Madmen is a fun read in spots.
― Uncle Tom (Uncle Tom), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 04:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― SoHoLa (SoHoLa), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 05:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― sleeve (sleeve), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 06:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Josh Love (screamapillar), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 08:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― nervous (cochere), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 08:14 (eighteen years ago) link
OOP so yay WWW
Bullshit, fuck Tom Robinson.
― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 09:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Prof X O'Skeleton, Wednesday, 1 February 2006 10:52 (eighteen years ago) link
you HAVE to get the autobio twofer
― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 12:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 13:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 14:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― Slavoj Zizek's wife, Wednesday, 1 February 2006 14:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 14:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― James, Wednesday, 1 February 2006 14:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:33 (eighteen years ago) link
OMG I FORGOT! THAT'S THE MOST CRAZY ENTERTAINING SURREAL AUTOBIO EVER! Rollins on ghost writing too I guess....
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 1 February 2006 22:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 2 February 2006 00:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 2 February 2006 02:34 (eighteen years ago) link