Good rock 'n' roll books

EveryHour · #1 03-06-2004, 10:13 PM

I am completely engrossed right now in Blown Away: The Rolling Stones And The Death Of The Sixties. I don't know if this book is particularly good or if this is the kind of thing I find intriguing now that I'm pushing 25

. I normally am not into the "lets place this person in the context of this and analyze it", but this book is fascinating. You really get to learn a lot more about Brian Jones than in other Stones books, and it largely consists of commentary from people involved with the Stones in the Sixties. Also Rolling With The Stones, compiled by Bill Wyman himself, is amazing in that it consists of his excruciatingly detailed journals and memoribilia collection from his entire career with the band. Very impressive.
The new Lennon Legend book is also completely unbelievable and unique. I've never seen anything like it before. It is full of 3D replicas of all kinds of John memoribilia, handwritten lyrics, etc. As a big-time John fan, I find it very exciting.

It led me to wonder...what are some other great rock 'n' roll books ya'll have read? (Here come the sarcastic Mick book comments.....

)

DrummerDeanna · #2 03-06-2004, 11:04 PM

Well, I actually enjoyed Mick's book....I mean you take some of the info with a grain of salt, but all in all it was quite an enjoyable read for me.

Other rock books I've enjoyed are:

Somebody to Love - Grace Slick...this book had me in stitches, the woman is hilarious, I really enjoyed her writing style and the book itself was great

The Walrus was Paul-H. Gary Patterson...this is a great Beatle death clue book...it still gives me chills when I read it lol....

Who was Elenor Rigby-now this isn't a novel actually....it's a Beatle quiz book...but it's quite enjoyable

Dolly-Dolly Parton...such a nice and inspiring little book, I enjoyed it immensely

gldstwmn · #3 03-06-2004, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EveryHour
I am completely engrossed right now in Blown Away: The Rolling Stones And The Death Of The Sixties. I don't know if this book is particularly good or if this is the kind of thing I find intriguing now that I'm pushing 25. I normally am not into the "lets place this person in the context of this and analyze it", but this book is fascinating. You really get to learn a lot more about Brian Jones than in other Stones books, and it largely consists of commentary from people involved with the Stones in the Sixties. Also Rolling With The Stones, compiled by Bill Wyman himself, is amazing in that it consists of his excruciatingly detailed journals and memoribilia collection from his entire career with the band. Very impressive.
The new Lennon Legend book is also completely unbelievable and unique. I've never seen anything like it before. It is full of 3D replicas of all kinds of John memoribilia, handwritten lyrics, etc. As a big-time John fan, I find it very exciting.

It led me to wonder...what are some other great rock 'n' roll books ya'll have read? (Here come the sarcastic Mick book comments..... )

No One Here Gets Out Alive, the Janis book by Myra Freidman (sorry can't think of the name offhand).

darklinensuit · #4 03-07-2004, 02:27 AM

Love, Janis is by Joplin's sister & includes her letters. There's a musical based on it.

I have a coffee table book called Rock Stars that includes cool photos & a chapter on Stevie (an abridged RS interview). I'm sure it's out of print.

I like the Stevie interview in Rock Lives.

And Deanna, I like Mick's book, too, when I'm in the mood for fiction.

- Jake

laurie816 · #5 03-07-2004, 08:14 AM

Unfortunately, I haven't read too many

I've read Hammer of The Gods and No One Here Gets Out Alive in High School.

I've read Step Into The Light (Dave Matthews Band)
I've read Mick's book and was quite bored with it.

A Wished For Song (Jeff Buckley)...it's more of a coffee table book, the pictures in it are absolutely BEAUTIFUL...Buckley had such a beautiful soul and it seeped through in his face....he was absolutely gorgeous in a mystical ethreal way (which is unusual for a man, but it's true) and the book mostly contains excerpts from people who knew him best and they share stories and such.
A MUST for Jeff Buckley fans, and even if your not...PICK IT UP!!

DeeGeMe · #6 03-07-2004, 09:24 AM

Up and Down with the Rolling Stones by Tony Sanchez--this guy hung out with Keith Richards and it details the heroin scene around Keith in the early-mid 70's. Eye-opening to say the least!

No One Here Gets Out Alive--about Jim Morrison

golddustwoman77 · #7 03-07-2004, 11:02 AM

I would recommend these rock books (They're in no particular order):

1. Got a Revolution! : The Turbulent Flight of Jefferson Airplane
by Jeff Tamarkin

2. Somebody to Love?: A Rock-And Roll Memoir
by Andrea Cagan/Grace Slick

3. No One Here Gets Out Alive (Jim Morrison)
by Dann Sugarman/Jerry Hopkins

4. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (San Fran music scene and Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters)
by Tom Wolfe

5. Rhino's Psychedelic Trip
by Alan Bisbort

6. I Want to Take You Higher: The Psychedelic Era, 1965-1969
by James Henke

7. Grateful Dead Family Album Grateful Dead Family
by Jerilyn L. Brandelius

8. The Beatles Anthology
by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lennon

9. Summer of Love: The Inside Story of LSD, Rock & Roll, Free Love and High Times in the Wild West
by Joel Selvin

10. Peter Green: The Authorized Biography
by Martin Celmins

11. My Twenty-Five Years in Fleetwood Mac
by Mick Fleetwood, Stephen T. Davis

As you can see, I do a lot of reading about rock music, especially 60s rock. I know that I'm forgetting some of the books that I have read.

macmar71 · #8 03-07-2004, 03:56 PM

I read this one probably about 12 years ago but I am not sure of the author. It was on the Beach Boys called Heroes and Villians. It was pretty good.

jadegypsy · #9 03-07-2004, 04:32 PM

I've read a few:

1) Somebody to Love, by Grace Slick, really funny and really blunt, most colorful and amusing.

2) The Beatles by Hunter Davis (not sure about the author) it's really old since all of them are married to their first wives in it, good chapters on their childhoods

3) Fleetwood Mac, the one by Mick, amusing but I take it with a pound of salt.

4) Authorized History of Fleetwood Mac, by Graham, great pictures.

5) I Want to Take You Higher (this is from the R&R hall of fame) coffee table book, great pics.

6) Beatle Interviews (not the name but thats what's in the book), some of their answers to the reporters questions are hilarious.

golden braid · #10 03-07-2004, 11:07 PM

I enjoyed reading Motley Crue's The Dirt ( I think that's what it's called). It had good pictures in it too.

Mick's book was ok but kind of boring. Maybe because I already knew a lot of the information.

I also just read and I don't remember the title exactly but it was something like The Complete History of Heavy Metal. I liked the beginning when it was talking about Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden but it got a little boring towards the end when it was talking about some bands I had never even heard of.