Your favorite music books/bios?

Options
24

Comments

  • Loujoe
    Loujoe Posts: 11,683

  • Loujoe
    Loujoe Posts: 11,683

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Loujoe said:

     Wow, nice! 
    I have an even 10 Ramones books and read and love them all.  Time to make it 11! 
    And how cool that you have a singed copy! 
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • soph189
    soph189 Posts: 582

    Enjoyed this one and recommend the audiobook. Mark is the narrator and his raspy voice brings the raw and brutally honest stories alive. 
  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,225
    a few I can remember. I’m on the library (yes, the library) wait list for the geddy lee book.


    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Wobbie said:
    a few I can remember. I’m on the library (yes, the library) wait list for the geddy lee book.



    Some great titles there (and a few to put on my reading list!) 
    Azerrad's Our Band Could Be Your Life is way up on my list of favorite music books.  SO darned good!

    I really liked Mould's See a Little Light despite squirming a bit in the parts where he went into some detail about his sexual exploits.  One thing for sure, it's an honest book.

    And Hooray for the library! 
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,225
    Thought the exact same about the Mould book…I told a gay buddy it was a bit “graphic”…he said “men are pigs, right?”…I said “yeah”…he said “imagine putting two of them together .” 

    these have been on my ipad FOREVER. the buddy who sent them says The Dirt is great….I’m not a huge fan of either the Crue or Aerosmith…I was reading another Zevon book (from the library!) but I had to quit it….it was so damn depressing! RIP Warren.


    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Wobbie said:
    Thought the exact same about the Mould book…I told a gay buddy it was a bit “graphic”…he said “men are pigs, right?”…I said “yeah”…he said “imagine putting two of them together .” 

    these have been on my ipad FOREVER. the buddy who sent them says The Dirt is great….I’m not a huge fan of either the Crue or Aerosmith…I was reading another Zevon book (from the library!) but I had to quit it….it was so damn depressing! RIP Warren.



    Oh man yes, we lost Warren way too soon.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • xavier mcdaniel
    xavier mcdaniel Somewhere in NYC Posts: 9,429
    I haven't read a lot of bios in this genre but I just finished Dave Grohl's book and enjoyed it a lot.
    Reading 2004
    Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
    Chicago 2007
    Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
    Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
    Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
    Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
    Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
    Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
    Fenway 2, 2018
    MSG 2022
    St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
    MSG 2024, MSG 2024
    Philadelphia 2024
    "I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
    Things happen in the game. Nothing you
    can do. I don't go and say,
    "I'm gonna beat this guy up."
  • Loujoe
    Loujoe Posts: 11,683

  • GB281198
    GB281198 Virginia Posts: 628
    Finished reading Wayne Kramer's book The Hard Stuff. I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites but it was definitely interesting. It's more about his criminal activity and incarceration and struggles with substance abuse than music. Now reading one by Merle Haggard another guy who had a little trouble with the law. 
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    GB281198 said:
    Finished reading Wayne Kramer's book The Hard Stuff. I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites but it was definitely interesting. It's more about his criminal activity and incarceration and struggles with substance abuse than music. Now reading one by Merle Haggard another guy who had a little trouble with the law. 

    I like both of Merle's books but especially the first one, Sing Me Back Home. That dude was something else!  Amazing that he... well, no spoilers!  It's really good!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • GB281198
    GB281198 Virginia Posts: 628
    brianlux said:
    GB281198 said:
    Finished reading Wayne Kramer's book The Hard Stuff. I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites but it was definitely interesting. It's more about his criminal activity and incarceration and struggles with substance abuse than music. Now reading one by Merle Haggard another guy who had a little trouble with the law. 

    I like both of Merle's books but especially the first one, Sing Me Back Home. That dude was something else!  Amazing that he... well, no spoilers!  It's really good!
    I'm reading My House of Memories but might have to pick that one up. He lived quite the life with the train hopping and jail escapes before his music career took off.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    GB281198 said:
    brianlux said:
    GB281198 said:
    Finished reading Wayne Kramer's book The Hard Stuff. I wouldn't say it was one of my favorites but it was definitely interesting. It's more about his criminal activity and incarceration and struggles with substance abuse than music. Now reading one by Merle Haggard another guy who had a little trouble with the law. 

    I like both of Merle's books but especially the first one, Sing Me Back Home. That dude was something else!  Amazing that he... well, no spoilers!  It's really good!
    I'm reading My House of Memories but might have to pick that one up. He lived quite the life with the train hopping and jail escapes before his music career took off.

    Yes, fascinating to read about Merle's life. 
    It's been some time since I read Sing Me Back Home so I checked my card file to see what I liked about it.  I said "I like the stories he tells about an interesting and tough life" and referred to it as "an honest memoir".  Any book I refer to as "honest" means I have a lot of respect for it.  I hope you find a copy and enjoy it!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Loujoe
    Loujoe Posts: 11,683
    so far so good. Easy read while spinning some of his records.  Says how he writes lyrics first then music follows. Really cool.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Loujoe said:
    so far so good. Easy read while spinning some of his records.  Says how he writes lyrics first then music follows. Really cool.

    Ooooh!  That looks interesting!  I have a bunch of Willie Nelson book but have not seen that one.  Cool!
    Here's on that is coming out in August that I am SUPER excited about.  I remember 3 or 4 years ago Steve Wynn talking about possible doing a memoir.  So excited!
    May be a graphic of 1 person and text

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Loujoe
    Loujoe Posts: 11,683
    WN book is new 11/2023
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Loujoe said:
    WN book is new 11/2023

    Will have to check it out, thanks, Lou!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • JOEJOEJOE
    JOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,819
    Not sure if this counts as a music bio, but, "The Basketball Diaries" by Jim Carroll is one of my all-time favorites....it chronicles his life before he started making music.
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    Not sure if this counts as a music bio, but, "The Basketball Diaries" by Jim Carroll is one of my all-time favorites....it chronicles his life before he started making music.
    Yeah, I think it counts!  Great book!  I keep my copy with music memoirs and music related books.


    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • JOEJOEJOE
    JOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,819
    brianlux said:
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    Not sure if this counts as a music bio, but, "The Basketball Diaries" by Jim Carroll is one of my all-time favorites....it chronicles his life before he started making music.
    Yeah, I think it counts!  Great book!  I keep my copy with music memoirs and music related books.


    The biblio-authority has spoken!
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    brianlux said:
    JOEJOEJOE said:
    Not sure if this counts as a music bio, but, "The Basketball Diaries" by Jim Carroll is one of my all-time favorites....it chronicles his life before he started making music.
    Yeah, I think it counts!  Great book!  I keep my copy with music memoirs and music related books.


    The biblio-authority has spoken!

    LOL, thanks, Joe, I'm honored.  Of course, I have to say, I sometimes think I've gotten good at this book business thing until I go to a book fair and run into guys like Ken Sanders or Bill Ewald... holy moly! 
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Guy Dudebro
    Guy Dudebro Posts: 1,479
    These are two of my favorites




    I just got Glen Matlock’s new book the other day but it’s going to be awhile before I can read it. I just need Paul Cook to write a book now.


  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Guy Dudebro said:
    These are two of my favorites




    I just got Glen Matlock’s new book the other day but it’s going to be awhile before I can read it. I just need Paul Cook to write a book now.



    I haven't read Steve or Glen's book but might just have to do that!  Both of John Lydon's books- Rotten and Anger is an Energy- are two of my favorite music related books!  And how cool that you have a signed copy of his first book-- nice!
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,225
    I’m about halfway through this. It’s a good read and interesting to hear who they used to open for….some pretty shitty bands, IMO.

    Geddy doesn’t badmouth too many people but he has a deep contempt for Bill Graham and isn’t much of a fan of Aerosmith. Funny, in his Black Crowes memoir, Steve Gorman said Joe Perry was about the biggest prick he’d ever met.


    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Wobbie said:
    I’m about halfway through this. It’s a good read and interesting to hear who they used to open for….some pretty shitty bands, IMO.

    Geddy doesn’t badmouth too many people but he has a deep contempt for Bill Graham and isn’t much of a fan of Aerosmith. Funny, in his Black Crowes memoir, Steve Gorman said Joe Perry was about the biggest prick he’d ever met.



    Sounds interesting. 
    "So many books, so little time".  :lol:
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    I recently updated my list of favorite music biographies.  What other most excellent music biographies am I missing here?

    Michael Azerrad; Our Band Could Be Your Life
    Peter Ames Carlin: Catch a Wave, The Rise, Fall & Redemption of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson
    John Densmore; Riders on the Storm
    Kim Gordon: Girl in a Band
    Julianna Hatfield: When I Grow Up
    Farah Jasmine Griffin and Salim Washington: Clawing at the Limits of Cool, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and the Greatest Jazz Collaboration Ever.
    Peter Jesperson: Euphoric Recall
    Steve Kurutz; Like a Rolling Stone (excellent biography about a cover band artist)
    John Lydon: Anger is an Energy
    Keith Morris: My Damage
    Greil Marcus; Ranters & Crowd Pleasers
    Bob Meir: Trouble Boys, The True Story of the Replacements
    Thurston Moore: Sonic Life
    Kris Needs: Dream Baby Drea, Suicide, A New York Story
    Eric Nisenson: Ascension, John Coltrane and His Quest
    Willie Nelson; The Tao of Willie (actually more philosophy than music.)
    Keith Richards; Life
    Henry Rollins; Smile, Your Traveling
    Patti Smith; Just Kids
    John F. Szwed: Space is the Place, The Lives and Times of Sun Ra
    Everett True: Hey Ho Let's Go; The Story of the Ramones
    Neil Young; Waging Heavy Peace
    Warren Zanes: Petty, the Biography

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • Wobbie
    Wobbie Posts: 31,225
    ^^^ first on your list was so good.

    but SOME of those bands totally suck. :lol:
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,639
    Wobbie said:
    ^^^ first on your list was so good.

    but SOME of those bands totally suck. :lol:
    Definitely one of the best rock book ever! 

    But, yeah, not all the bands in the book are great, especially Mission of Burma.  They proved how bad they suck by making this album:
    The Horrible Truth About Burma - Wikipedia

    Of course, you probably know I'm a big Burma fan and am being very tongue in cheek here.  But then, I actually can't stand that album, the only one of theirs I haven't kept.  My best guess is they either put that album out to fulfill a contract, or as a very bad self-effacing joke.  Their other albums, especially the first EP and first full album, are fantastic!  
    I also adopted something Clint Conley said at the "Live at the Bradford show", something I often say when my wife has yet another chore for me to do:  "How long do we have to play before we get paid?"  :lol:    

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • iOnlyownMymind
    iOnlyownMymind Posts: 2,952
    Already mentioned above but I’m about halfway through Geddy Lees book and really enjoying it. 

Categories