Favourite Rock books.

[wanderlust]

John Lydon- No Irish no blacks no dogs-Is a good read also JOHN by Cynthia lennon is a very interesting, obviously Hugh's Song by song is up there and I am currently reading Nick Mason's-Inside out as well.

[zontar]

A splendid feelbad holiday gift for yer mum: AND I DON'T WANT TO LIVE THIS LIFE by the mother of human trainwreck, Nancy Spungeon, infamous for sinking her claws into wastecase Sid Vicious. No lurid tell-all, just a heartfelt cautionary tale remarkably free of namedropping - well, the Pretty Things turn up to mooch a meal - and stunningly sympathetic to delusional Sid. Don't read it all @ once...you may o.d.

The title is lifted from a Sid poem!

[dreamtime101]

A splendid feelbad holiday gift for yer mum: AND I DON'T WANT TO LIVE THIS LIFE by the mother of human trainwreck, Nancy Spungeon, infamous for sinking her claws into wastecase Sid Vicious. No lurid tell-all, just a heartfelt cautionary tale remarkably free of namedropping - well, the Pretty Things turn up to mooch a meal - and stunningly sympathetic to delusional Sid. Don't read it all @ once...you may o.d.

The title is lifted from a Sid poem!

I read that years ago and I agree it's an excellent read - some of it is heartbreaking stuff - the way she watches her daughters life spiral out of control. It's by Deborah Spungen if I remember correctly.

[wadey]

Velvet Underground: Up Tight

Ian Dury Song by Song: Jim Drury

Uptight isn´t bad, but if you want a deeper and more substantial view of Velvet Underground try this one : The Velvet Underground (Icons of Pop Music) by Richard Witts. A warts and all account of the main players and how they where prepared to shaft one another. It´s quite sympathetic to John Cale.

Cale gets much more credit these days. I dont think any velvets biog could ever be sympathetic to Reed, as one quote I read was "I never met anyone that liked him one bit. Everyone thought he was a nasty bitch." They also said that Cale offered more to the Velvets sound, without which they would/could have been a very average band.

[unbroken69]

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought it a good idea to resurrect this thread. So if you have any other recommendations for good music books to make great stocking fillers, please add them here.

Can I start with Luke Haines follow up to his 2009 book "Bad Vibes". "Post Everything" continues where "Bad Vibes" left off. circa 1998 with the Auteurs disbanding and Luke about to embark on the Blackbox Recorder episode of his musical career.
"Post Everything" is at times a very tripy account of a minor rock star who is enjoying the gravy train of the music business. At one point his manager obtains Luke "a reggae research budget", in order to give him the knowlege to mix one of his records in a reggae style (money for nothing). The contrast with the last days of the hedonistic music business and the industry today are very clear and amusing.
A very witty, informative and enjoyable read.

[vagabond]

Beds are burning midnight oil the journey by Mark dodshon is a great read about one of the best live bands ever plus Born in a small town John mellencamp the story by Heather johnson and Five against one the pearl jam story by Kim neely

[Burn e 77]

"WONDERLAND AVENUE" An informative and well written book about the Doors, written from the perspective of a young OBSESSIVE fan (Danny Sugerman) and friend of the band, who later was invited to become their press officer. It details all the studio shenanigans (a constantly pissed & drugged Jim) in rehearsals, all the private life issues of the band members, and of Jim & his Girlfriend (all the good plus all the bad - Heroin) some hilarious memoirs of a "Drugged transvestite and close friend... Mr Iggy Pop!) A good insight into the political situation at the time (Vietnam)... loads of insight into the recording of the studio albums and the live performances, plus all the band politics and fights with a very disturbed and
troubled (Drunk / Drugged) Jim Morrison... The author himself got involved in class A drugs at the time along with Jim... and gives a good description of their descent into
a hellish life of petty crime and hospital admissions due to overdoses... Also good memoirs of Jim's last months in France.

cheers
Burn e 77

[Alias]

With Christmas just around the corner, I thought it a good idea to resurrect this thread. So if you have any other recommendations for good music books to make great stocking fillers, please add them here.

Can I start with Luke Haines follow up to his 2009 book "Bad Vibes". "Post Everything" continues where "Bad Vibes" left off. circa 1998 with the Auteurs disbanding and Luke about to embark on the Blackbox Recorder episode of his musical career.
"Post Everything" is at times a very tripy account of a minor rock star who is enjoying the gravy train of the music business. At one point his manager obtains Luke "a reggae research budget", in order to give him the knowlege to mix one of his records in a reggae style (money for nothing). The contrast with the last days of the hedonistic music business and the industry today are very clear and amusing.
A very witty, informative and enjoyable read.

Won't read above post due to spoilers, but I picked up Bad vibes today- let you know what I think....

[theraven1979]

Just finished "Do It For Your Mum" by Roy Wilkinson - very enjoyable even if you're not a British Sea Power fan.

Jim

[RetroRocket]

Tony Visconti's autobiography is just brilliant.

Bit of a blur - Alex James

Adam Ant - Stand and deliver

John Peel - margrave of the marshes

Jules Holland - barefaced lies

the Keith Richards thingy

The Smiths - songs that saved your life

the stranglers song by song (a bit of a bible for me)

[unbroken69]

Sorry Alias, meant it to be more of a taster than a spoiler.
Will be very interested to find out what you think of Bad Vibes.

[unbroken69]

Just finished "Do It For Your Mum" by Roy Wilkinson - very enjoyable even if you're not a British Sea Power fan.

Jim

Will give it a try, I do have most of British Sea Power´s stuff without knowing much about the band itself.