Robert gordon 'it came from memphis'

[john stapleton]

picked this up secondhand a few weeks ago - reading it at the moment. what an amazing book! about memphis music (obviously I suppose) from the bottom up - the early days of the Mar-Keys, the American Studios band, Alex Chilton...highly recommended in every way.

which brings me to ask....

anyone have favourite music books to recommend?

[wayne]

Finally, a sane thread! Just finished Charles Shaar Murray's 'Crosstown Traffic', which I'd been too slack to read before - glad I finally got round to it! Also recently enjoyed Tim Willis' 'Madcap', probably the first entirely sane account of Syd Barrett's life and work, and Deborah Geller's 'Brian Epstein Story', which captures the contradictions of his period very well indeed. Even if you're not that interested in The Beatles, it's a good study of the transformation that took place in British culture between 1945 and 1967...

[MoogMan]

I suppose most of you know this one; for those who don't I suggest "Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One", by Rickey Vincent. It's a result of an academic study, a master's treatise, but it isn't in any way a boring reading, as someone could think. The author did a very fine job, studying Black People's history, from Africa, to slavery, to integration era, till nowadays, of course from a musical perspective. I'm reading it now and am quite impressed, since I know nothing on black music history.
And George Clinton wrote the foreword, what is for me more than the approval it needed.  

More info? Here: http://www.soul-patrol.com/funk/rickey.htm

Peace

[TuckinFrat]

David Ritz, ray charles biography is one of my fave books ...Rays the man, brilliant story spannin 40 years of black music history

charlie gillett..sounds of the city

the david ritz marvin gaye biography was shockin coz marvin was an icon to me as he is to many, but in his book he just comes across as a drug fuelled egomaniac ,man he was a regular prick

[theeman]

fred wesley - hit me, fred
great account of life on the road as a jobbing sideman, lots of info on James Brown (scary), George Clinton (equally scary), and fred's constant mental struggle between artistic integrity (jazz, skint) and selling out (r'n'b & funk, paychecks)

[ladyboygrimsby]

Quote[/b] (MoogMan @ Sep. 24 2004,03:23)]I suppose most of you know this one; for those who don't I suggest "Funk: The Music, The People, and The Rhythm of The One", by Rickey Vincent. It's a result of an academic study, a master's treatise, but it isn't in any way a boring reading, as someone could think. The author did a very fine job, studying Black People's history, from Africa, to slavery, to integration era, till nowadays, of course from a musical perspective. I'm reading it now and am quite impressed, since I know nothing on black music history.
And George Clinton wrote the foreword, what is for me more than the approval it needed.  

More info? Here: http://www.soul-patrol.com/funk/rickey.htm

Peace

I've always been disappointed with this book. I don't think it's well written at all and it's confusing, messy and directionless in parts. It's like Jasmes Joyce's Ulysses: one of those books you own and occasionally attempt to read, until finally giving up and admitting it's shite.

The best music book I've read recently is The Neville Brothers autobiography with David Ritz. It's fantastic. Loads of mad stories, including bank robberies in LA with Larry Williams.

[TuckinFrat]

larry bony maronie williams ended up being a drug dealer to the stars in LA, according to the ike turner autobigraphy and ended up gettin shot to death on his boat by gangsters!! he was a regular bad lad..shit someone should write a book about him

[Dean R]

'It Came From Memphis' is a truely amazing music book, read it probably about half a dozen times since it came out about a decade ago. It also spawned two rather wonderful CDs (ICFM 1 & 2) which include much of the stuff mentioned in the book.

Probably one of the best music books ever alongside Stanley Booth's 'True Life Adventure's of the Rolling Stones' and our very own Bill Brewster's 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' which I re-read last week and is really a monumental tome.

[theeman]

bit of a genre tangent here - the Motley Crue autobiography is very good (and terrifying&#33

[MoogMan]

Quote[/b] ]the david ritz marvin gaye biography was shockin coz marvin was an icon to me as he is to many, but in his book he just comes across as a drug fuelled egomaniac, man he was a regular prick

I would say the same about Chet Baker´s biography by James Gavin (Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker). Chet used to steal his friends and he´d even beaten his own mom cos´ he wanted money for heroin.
The problem with this book is that it´s more focused on Baker´s heroin addiction than on his fine music.  

[son of stan]

Quote[/b] (MoogMan @ Sep. 24 2004,15:28)]

Quote[/b] ]the david ritz marvin gaye biography was shockin coz marvin was an icon to me as he is to many, but in his book he just comes across as a drug fuelled egomaniac, man he was a regular prick

I would say the same about Chet Baker´s biography by James Gavin (Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker). Chet used to steal his friends and he´d even beaten his own mom cos´ he wanted money for heroin.
The problem with this book is that it´s more focused on Baker´s heroin addiction than on his fine music.  

I read that Chet Baker book recently too. A good read but rather bleak.

To be fair, the man himself seems to have focused more on his heroin addiction than his music.

[Mumbles]

If anyone has any interest in the Beatles at all then I'd recommend 'Revolution In The Head' by Ian McDonald. Thorough isn't the word. It can get a bit technical in places but a great page turner as it details every recording released and unreleased.The introduction essay is great too.

Don't pass up 'Stoned' and '2 Stoned' by Andrew Loog Oldham - brassneck or what!

I've just finished 'A Long Strange Trip-The Inside Story of The Grateful Dead' by Dennis McNally.They don't come across as particularly decent human beings which came as a bit of a surprise to me.

[MoogMan]

Quote[/b] ]To be fair, the man himself seems to have focused more on his heroin addiction than his music.  

Cosign.  

[wayne]

Quote[/b] (Mumbles @ Sep. 23 2004,16:48)]If anyone has any interest in the Beatles at all then I'd recommend 'Revolution In The Head' by Ian McDonald. Thorough isn't the word. It can get a bit technical in places but a great page turner as it details every recording released and unreleased.The introduction essay is great too.

True - great book. Where else can you glean the snippet that 'Back In The USSR' was inspired by Bruce Forsyth?

Always seem to mention these, but still can't beat Joseph Lanza's 'Elevator Music' or David Toop's 'Exotica' for deep-cheese history, either. You'll be surprised how much Lanza makes you actually want to hear some Mantovani LPs...

Still enjoying Taschen's lavishly illustrated book on polynesian pop 'The Book Of Tiki' and (even less to do with music, but highly recommended anyway) Chris Ware's 'Comics Issue' of McSweeney's. Must be one of the most beautifully designed & produced books ever made, quite apart from the contents being pretty ace as well...

[Tommo of Sprowston]

I can second the vote for the Loog Oldham books, but bizarrely, my favourite music book is Chris Heath's one on the Pet Shop Boys, called 'Literally'.



I know, I know. . .and to make matters worse Mr Heath has just written that book on Robbie Williams, but his PSB opus is extremely good. Very well written (and this isn't a genre famous for its quality of prose) and highly entertaining.