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

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.

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!

And who could forget: Philip Larkin's All What Jazz?

the sun ra biog.

Nik Cohn/Guy Peelaert - Rock Dreams

Fred and Judy Vermorel (ed.) - Starlust

An almost complete history of the dj.

meltzer's gulcher is actually my favourite meltzer
john 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 singers
ben thomps*n's two books (disclaimer: he's a really close friend)

I agree with Nathalie about Greil Marcus, although I did like Mystery Train. He's got a lot of people fooled.

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.

robin: his other book is "ways of hearing"

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 books
Marcus' twaddle-laden Basement Tapes book
Toop's twaddle-laden Exotica
Tosches' 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.

or better yet, Dogwalker, by Arthur Bradford, it's not about music, but if you like music, you'll like his stories.

I take it lists and cronology are not your thing. :)

It's a pretty good social study all around, though.

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.

I'd add Val Wilmer's As Serious as Your Life, for starters.

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.

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....

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.

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.

VERY good choice. The more time goes on the more I'm frustrated with Mackenzie's death and his obscurity.

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.

Seconded, thirded and fourthed.

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!

oh and by the way chris, ned - if you go here :

http://petshopboys.net/default.html

and click 'literallys',
you can read transcripts and see pictures from every
original chris heath-penned psb 'literally' fan magazine,
from the mid 80's to present. they are all wreitten
in the same style as the books and they are ace.

isn't the internet great ?

- "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

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 WWW
http://www.tomrobinson.com/work/klf.htm

and I second (third?) Have gun Will Travel and Hit Men. Moguls and Madmen is a fun read in spots.

OOP so yay WWW

Bullshit, fuck Tom Robinson.

you HAVE to get the autobio twofer

OMG I FORGOT! THAT'S THE MOST CRAZY ENTERTAINING SURREAL AUTOBIO EVER! Rollins on ghost writing too I guess....