These Albums Merit An Entire Book Written About Them! Name Your Picks.

Fire and Rain by David Browne is essentially the story of 1970, the Fire and Rain album by James Taylor, Deja Vu by CSNY, Bridge over troubled water by Simon and Garfunkel, and Let it be by the Beatles, alongside the rise of JT, and the splits of the other three bands. It's a good read.

There is also a series called Vinyl Frontier published in the Uk by Unanimous Ltd, part of MQ Publications, London. I have read the Rolling Stones and the making of Let it Bleed, by Sean Egan, which came out in 2005. I think there may now be some more than the following, but this was the sixth in the series, with the other 5 being the White Album, Are you experienced, Led Zep IV, Pet Sounds, and Tommy. I vaguely recall seeing others on amazon, ? Joy Division, but haven't checked in a while. The Stones book was decent enough, and was £ 9.99 at full price.

 

As I've mentioned before, I'm currently in the process of writing up a proposal to Bloomsbury for a 33 1/3 book on ELO's intended swansong, Secret Messages, which was ultimately released as a heavily truncated single LP rather than in its original double album configuration. During my extensive research, I've managed to get former band member Dave Morgan to answer a few questions (that have proved extremely revealing, I should add!) along with session engineer Bill Bottrell, who has even accepted my offer to pen a short foreword about his recollections* from this period. To add well-needed historical context, I'll also be covering the group's final proper tour in support of Time, as preliminary work on its follow-up started at this point, in addition to its actual last record in nearly 15 years, Balance Of Power. So far, the basic framework of my book has been laid out in rough, and I've finalised the first quarter, with the rest something I that anticipate easily falling into place. I won't be doing any more until I hear back from my prospective publishers, but if things don't work out then I have a backup plan - this is too much of a passion for me to keep it locked away, I can assure you all.

*I won't give too much away this early, but he's already disclosed quite a few exclusives that hardcore Jeff Lynne fans will hopefully enjoy, including details about how certain songs came to be and even some of his infamous production tricks...

 

That would be an interesting trip! Wonder how many pages it would devote to Green Typewriters.

 

I keep meaning to check out the one on Aeroplane. That's such a one-of-a-kind record.

 

Abracadabra is a good book about Revolver. Route 19 Revisited is a good one on London Calling. I'd do one on Cosmo's Factory or Morrison Hotel. I'm surprised no one, to my knowledge, has tackled A Hard Day's Night.

 

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) - Brian Eno
The Golden Age of Wireless - Thomas Dolby
Drastic Plastic - Be-Bop Deluxe
Face to Face - The Kinks
Stranded - Roxy Music
East Side Story - Squeeze
Setting Sons - The Jam
Secondhand Daylight - Magazine

 

Maybe someone is working on this now, but will ultimately give up and put out a book on Who's Next...

 

Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album:

At least another LP's worth of material recorded for it but not used. Untold reasons for why Chapman was ousted as co-producer (possibly Neil Innes was nudged out of the picture too?). Palin talks about being disappointed with the final product in his diaries (presumably based on higher expectations). I'd love to know what happened during the making of that LP, I don't suppose I ever will though.

 

How about a book,on the creation and making of the LAYLA album with Duane, Eric, et all?

 

I have them both, pretty dull they were too, IMO.

 

Greil Marcus wrote one about "Like A Rolling Stone." Without having read Marsh's book, I can virtually guarantee that it's better than Greil's.

Whether or not you think it might deserves one, Ken Sharp wrote a wholly engrossing oral history around Hunky Dory, called Kooks, Queen Bitches, and Andy Warhol: The Making of David Bowie's Hunky Dory. Lots of insights into the songs, the album's release, and Bowie's ch-ch-changes over the course of making it. (In the months between its completion and its release, David had recorded almost all of Ziggy Stardust.) Highly recommended.

 

This. Frank Zappa's 200 Motels soundtrack.


This magnum opus features conceptual continuity galore that encapsulates his career up to this point.

 

One album that I'd always wanted to know more on the making of was The Beach Boys' Sunflower, but engineer Stephen Desper is currently busy doing just this in written form as well as with his ongoing series of highly informative (and great sounding!) study videos... Now all I can hope for is that someone will tackle the entire Brian's Back era, preferably in a single release covering 15 Big Ones, Love You and the still-officially unavailable Adult/Child, plus its similarly shelved predecessor, assembled on test acetate as "New Album."

 

There's a 33 1/3 book on Loveless by My Bloody Valentine, but the definitive account of the saga behind that album has still to be written. The book is OK, but on the shallow side and didn't reveal much fans wouldn't already know - and IIRC it left out some interesting things about the recording techniques as well.

 

What was his (and your) problem with it, if I might inquire? It's a bit dryly academic in spots, but an informative read overall IMHO.

 

Live Anthology by Tom Petty. while not a traditional studio album of which most books are about - it promises great potential.

I base this on what it could include:
Of the classic and usual cuts performed in concert -WHY THOSE performances were selected for the box? Comments about all the venues. Of the deep cuts - how was the selection process for them done?
Of the cover songs, their history of plying them from the inception of the band and why the selected cuts made the grade.

Who know? A book on a great, live album may break new ground and serve as a prototype for more.

If there is a live album that's gotten the "book" treatment that you,like - please share!

 

Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Nothing's Shocking
Fun House

 

It's already been mentioned - but Richie Unterberger's Won't Get Fooled Again: The Who From Lifehouse to Quadrophenia covers it pretty well!

 

I'd definitely read a book on Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden. If there was a Laughing Stock sequel ... so much the better.

 

Beggar's Banquet by the Stones. Jagger, Kenny Anger, Donald Cammell, Anita, Marianne, Bulgakov, Nitzsche, Cooder, Brian Jones, Drugs, Satan, The Process Church Of Final Judgement...
I did read Sway but I need the inside story.

 

That sounds great. I hope they accept your submission!

 

Another in the vein of mediocre albums with interesting stories: Happy Mondays - Yes Please. Following up on the successful Pills n Thrills n Bellyaches and the Madchester craze, label head Tony Wilson sinks a ton of money into the follow-up album by hiring Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads to produce the band in a high-end Barbados studio. However, all the plans are foiled by the band's massive drug use (Shaun Ryder discovers crack!) and the legendary Factory Records label goes bankrupt in the end. A comic tragedy...

 

Elmer Wayne Henley, convicted serial killer, sold art from prison.

Back on topic:

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique - Deserves it's own book.

First, it's amazing the album ever got made, what with all the drugs, alcohol, women, and tearing up L.A.

Secondly, like it or not, Paul's Boutique became the blueprint - nay, the bible - for sampling and hip-hop production, which thousands of artists tried to emulate.

Imagine annotated lyrics with all the name-drops, places, things, samples, recollections, anecdotes, and song-by-song discussions. I believe it would be a compelling read.

 

Born To Run by Springsteen may be fun to document and narrate - but then again - that book may end up being too long! LOL

 

Oh yes!

But it would have to be told "Rashoman" style, with each participant telling their own story, which would overlap and contradict the others. Maybe print it in color, with Todd's version in one color, Andy's in another.

Two geniuses in one room is usually one genius too many.

My own suggestion would be Kate Bush's "The Dreaming", but it will never happen. Dear, sweet Kate imposes a code of omerta that is the envy of Mafia Dons the world over