Read any good music books lately? Or some all-time favorites?

The proportion of B.S to solid, astute analysis in Greils writing continues to increase. (He jumped the shark, the entire lagoon in fact, with that idiotic long jumper analogy in his 'analysis' of Astral Weeks in his Van Morrison book). The man needs an editor. Or his wife or someone needs to tell him that his personal favorite records are just sometimes... good records and not apocalyptic epistles. That said, the chapter on Buddy Holly's 'Crying, Waiting, Hoping' is imaginative and engaging - an exploration of what Buddy might have done should he lived into the 60's. The rest isn't bad, but isn't especially insightful, imo. Prose that is sometimes eloquent, but supporting a rather overly dramatic sentiment. I wish he ( or better someone else like Jim Fusilli) would compile 'Stranded 2'. R+R has changed so much since the first edition in the late 70's

Nick Tosches bio of Dean Martin is a take no prisoners take on Dino, and by default, his contemporaries in pop music at that time. Very, very good.

 

I normally do not read books twice, but I am reading "I am Ozzy" for the second time.
The book is hilarious, aside from I can identify with a great deal of it because it seems he and I grew up in similar circumstances.
Funny thing is I don't care for the guys music and I am only a fan of a small part of the Sabbath catalog.
If he hadn't had the good fortune to be able to talk some musicians into letting him try to sing for them, the guy could have been a stand up comic, his sense of humor and wit is great.

 

Tim, Neil Young's "Waging Heavy Peace" is like riding across the country in Neil's LincVolt. Five Stars From Page 1 on..

 

Just started the first published novel of a friend, Joe Milazzo's "Crespescule w/Nellie" about Thelonious Monk, Nellie Monk and Nica de Koenigswarter.






http://jadedibisprod...om/joe-milazzo/

 

That Greil Marcus book made me feel dumb. I'm a reasonably intelligent human being, I'm interested in history, and I love Dylan and the Basement Tapes, but I'd read for days and forget it had anything to do with Dylan. He's a bit full of himself.

 

I read a couple Stones books by Robert Greenfield: "Exile on Main St.: A Season in Hell With the Rolling Stones" which details their stint in the south of France while making the record, and "S.T.P.: A Journey Through America With the Rolling Stones", which covers the '72 tour. It's all pretty trashy stuff, but even if there are questions about accuracy I've seen "C.S. Blues" so the books can't be too far off.

 

A couple of books by neurologists on the way music interacts with the brain (both quite readable and enjoyable):

Tone Deaf and All Thumbs? by Frank R. Wilson. Out of print but readily available used online

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks. (If you remember the movie 'Awakenings', the character Robin Williams played was based on Sacks. He has written several popular books on the way the brain works; this one concentrates on how music interacts with our brain. Brilliant.

 

Another good book in this vein is Daniel Levitin's This Is Your Brain on Music.

 

I'm currently reading Galadrielle Allman's "Please Be With Me". The Allman Brothers have been my favorite band since I heard their debut album in 1969. I've recently read "One Way Out", by Allan Paul, and Gregg Allman's autobiography, but I think Ms. Allman's work is the best of the bunch. Not only is it informative, it's very well written, and apparently it wasn't ghosted. She did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people, and has turned out an excellent book.

 

I just bought "Rocks" by Joe Perry. Will be reading it soon.

 

I'm currently rather enjoying Lost Highway: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians by Peter Guralnick. I like it mostly. There's lots of great info on early country, folk and blues people, but sometimes his opinions are in the way of the narrative. Not too often, just occasionally. Some of the essays were obviously magazine pieces, but that doesn't bother me.

 

All time favorite would probably have to be Please Kill Me.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Marooned-Gene...UTF8&qid=1414463723&sr=1-17&keywords=marooned

 

Please Kill Me, Rotten, and The Brothers are amazing books

I just read Rod Stewart's and much like his career it tanks about 1975... from that point on all he talks about are the blondes...

 

Just finishing Nick Masons book. Great read, and an interesting insight into PF.

 

I enjoyed the book on Bill Graham, that was a fave. Keef's book was enjoyable. Also really liked Tony Bramwell's Beatles book.

 

imo keith richards book LIFE is not very well written and makes it an awkward read. i actually didn't finish it. ray davies newest book though is a must read for any rock fan

 

The Bobby Womack bio is really fun to read

 

My favourite ever is "MILES" by Miles Davis.......Closely followed by Gregg Allmans "MY CROSS TO BEAR".

 

Springsteen: Album by Album
Usually these large format type things are real hack jobs. But this is well written and insightful, the author knows his stuff. Plenty of good pictures to go around. A nice companion to the Bruce CD remasters I just got as an early Christmas present.

 

Hit Men: Power brokers and Fast Money inside the Music Business. by Fredric Dannen

Life by Keith Richards

...powerful eye openers, especially the first one.

 

Damn! "Miles" was an awesome book. It's practically a who's who of jazz.

 

Yes your right.....It was real in depth. I though he was brutally honest about himself and others. It's really funny in parts.....The bit about Charlie Parker in the back of a taxi with a young lady and a bucket of fried chicken springs to mind ;-)

 

Yeah! That was hilarious!

And the one where Nancy Reagan asked him in back of the presidential limo, "Your mammy must really be proud of you? "

I still remember that when he'd call you "one bad mother****" it was the highest compliment he could pay you.

 

Hahaha...He always liked to remind people what his father did for a living and that he was from a "middle class" family. Why not? They didn't like it though!! Excellent book.