NoJ Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Autobiography, biography, ghost written or not, I don't care. Which are your favs? Mine are, in no particular order: Neil Young's "Shakey"Levon Helm's "This Wheels on Fire"Graham Nash's "Wild Tales"Tony Iommi's "Iron Man"Phil Lesh's "Searching for the Sound"Bob Dylan's "Chronicles 1" What are some other good ones? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Waging Heavy Peace is a good read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Yeah, I forgot about that one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 i've had teh Morrissey book for several months but haven't cracked it yet. was fairly disappointed in Iron Man Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Last week or so I finished Todd Snider's "I Never Met a Story I Didn't Like" --- funny as hell. I not all that familiar with his music - but the book kept my interest --- quick read, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon' was a good read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chez Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 "Who I Am" -- Pete Townshend"Twenty Thousand Roads" -- Gram Parsons"Shaky" -- Neil Young"Learning How To Die" -- Wilco"Let it Blurt" -- Lester Bangs"Big Day Coming" -- Yo La Tengo and, of course, "Our Band Could Be Your Life" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Oh, a couple more I forgot that maybe don't exactly fit the category, since they're more memoirs, but Patti Smith's "Just Kids" is a totally amazing book--I couldn't recommend it more highly. It covers her early life and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. As you would expect, she's a very poetic and evocative writer. Another one I enjoyed was Richard Hell's "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp." It was a very honest, warts and all memoir. And there were lots of warts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Last week or so I finished Todd Snider's "I Never Met a Story I Didn't Like" --- funny as hell. I not all that familiar with his music - but the book kept my interest --- quick read, too.Yeah, fun read. A bunch of the stories in it he tells (abbreviated, mostly) between tunes at shows. I think you'd really like his music, too. NOJ: You ever read the MP's one? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Another one I enjoyed was Richard Hell's "I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp." It was a very honest, warts and all memoir. And there were lots of warts.I am a huge Richard Hell fan, but I found that book to be a bit annoying -- self-aggrandizing, with too many potshots taken at his contemporaries. (He's particularly harsh on Richard Lloyd.)I mean, it was all very interesting, especially for a big fan of the man, and of that CBGBs scene. But the tone kinda spoils it a bit. He obviously feels more than a little bit slighted by history. Maybe rightfully so, but it all comes off as very pouty. Quite unbecoming. So I didn't enjoy it as much as I really should have. My favorite:The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll Of course it ends before Jim even starts with the whole rock n roll thing, but I think that it qualifies. And it's stunning to think that it was written by a 13-year-old. (Even if it was run over by professional editors.) This was a real life Holden Caufield, writing his own story -- as it would have been had he come from Queens (or wherever JC was from), as opposed to being from the upper crust on Long Island. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
moxiebean Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 a few that I've read recently that I've enjoyed: "Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division" -- Peter Hook (also, his book about the Hacienda Club)"The Stone Roses: War and Peace" -- Simon Spence"Who I Am" -- Pete Townshend Keef's autobiography was a fun read, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I am a huge Richard Hell fan, but I found that book to be a bit annoying -- self-aggrandizing, with too many potshots taken at his contemporaries. (He's particularly harsh on Richard Lloyd.) I mean, it was all very interesting, especially for a big fan of the man, and of that CBGBs scene. But the tone kinda spoils it a bit. He obviously feels more than a little bit slighted by history. Maybe rightfully so, but it all comes off as very pouty. Quite unbecoming. So I didn't enjoy it as much as I really should have. I don't disagree at all. I actually know him a bit (I grew up with and am still good friends with his sister and mother) and have spent a little time around Richard. I think the book was pretty true to his actual character, which really isn't that appealing, sorry to say. I enjoyed it more for the insider view of that whole scene. Richard had the look and the attitude that perfectly fit with the zeitgeist of that time and place, but I don't think he ever really had the musical chops--or interest, frankly--to sustain a career in music. FWIW, he's a happily married, curmudgeonly writer/poet these days. I don't think music is a part of his life at all anymore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 Oh yeah, I forgot about Keefs, that was a good one. Lammy, nope, haven't picked up the MPs one yet. Found out yesterday they're playing in Chicago on 10/23, co-headlining (?!) with Cass McComb (who ever that is). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I am a huge Richard Hell fan, but I found that book to be a bit annoying -- self-aggrandizing, with too many potshots taken at his contemporaries. (He's particularly harsh on Richard Lloyd.)who isn't? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I never did finish the Keith biography. I should try harder with it.Oh yeah, I forgot about Keefs, that was a good one. Lammy, nope, haven't picked up the MPs one yet. Found out yesterday they're playing in Chicago on 10/23, co-headlining (?!) with Cass McComb (who ever that is).Yeah, saw the tour dates yesterday, too.Pretty spread out. No CO but caught them a few months ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 i didn't finish it either...it started great but really petered out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 i didn't finish it either...it started great but really petered out.Huh. I found the beginning to be a little tedious, actually. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 the account of the cop car pulling them over while they hid their stash inside the panels of the car? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted July 30, 2014 Author Share Posted July 30, 2014 T's and Blues in Keefs hat.Lammy, you saw them a few months ago? Please tell me they didn't play Sloop John B and Wasted Days N Wasted Nights. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 The Real Frank Zappa BookBill Harkleroad - Lunar Notes: Zoot Horn Rollo's Captain Beefheart ExperienceKristin Hersh - Rat Girl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 While he was not a rock n' roll musician, they don't get much more rock 'n roll than this: Extraordinarily entertaining. Maybe a little bit trashy, and a little bit light on his musical thinking, but there is a lot of insight about the man, himself. Still, some great stories about other jazz greats and, just… a really good read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Chronicles - Bob Dylan (straight from the horses mouth, but some of his stories see over-blown) Long Time Gone - David Crosby (honest and hard to put down) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 While he was not a rock n' roll musician, they don't get much more rock 'n roll than this: Extraordinarily entertaining. Maybe a little bit trashy, and a little bit light on his musical thinking, but there is a lot of insight about the man, himself. Still, some great stories about other jazz greats and, just… a really good read. I think this one is argualbly the best book, period. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tinnitus photography Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 the Zappa book was really good. i liked the one on Sun Ra, but it was a bit dry. very informative, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
suites Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 Keith Richards...the first chapter alone is worth the price. Shakey is a Biography....does not count for this list I think. The thing about Waging Heavy Piece is that almost a commercial for Pono....brings it up like 10 times...who gives a shit about that crap. The WIlco (Learning) is also written by someone other than J Tweedy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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