Last week my plan was to list 13 musical biographies in this week's Thursday Thirteen. Well, that's the plan for next week. As I started to look for the books I realized I had a lot of books on the subject of music, so decided this week to feature some of them. I didn't include any information on the book, because most of them are pretty evident from their sub titles. A wide range of musical genres are featured in these books, from the blues, to rock to country. Any of these books are worth reading.1) The Mansion on the Hill: Dylan, Young, Geffen, Springsteen and the Head-On Collison of Rock and Commerce by Fred Goodman
2) Romancing The Folk: Public Memory and American Roots Music by Benjamin Fidene
3) Are You Ready For The Country? Elvis, Dylan and the Roots of Country Rock by Peter Doggett
4) Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes From The American Underground 1981-1991 by Michael Azerrad
5) Mystery Train by Greil Marcus
6) Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues by Elijah Wald
7) Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Legendary Neighborhood by Michael Walker
8) Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung: The work of a Legendary Critic: Rock n Roll as Literature and Literature as Rock n Roll by Lester Bangs, edited by Greil Marcus
9) Lost Highway: Journeys and Arrivals of American Musicians by Peter Guralnick
10) Flowers in the Dustbin: The Rise of Rock and Roll 1947-1977 by James Millers
11) Waiting For The Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes and the Sound of Los Angeles by Barney Hoskyns
12) South by Southwest: A Road Map to Alternative Country by Brian Hinton
13) Fortunate Son: The Best of Dave Marsh by Dave Marsh
5 comments:
You weren't kidding about your list featuring a wide range of genres. I am curious. Does the book "Are You Ready For The Country? Elvis, Dylan and the Roots of Country Rock" give any credit to Michael Nesmith for helping to develop the genre?
Of all the great armies of rock fans, few can match the devotion of Bruce Springsteen's. Anyone who has experienced Springsteen in concert will testify that the bond between audience and artist transcends the usual adulation. Something magical, almost mystical happens. Some might describe it as spiritual-most definitely it is life affirming. It is in trying to nail this phenomenon that the beautiful hardbound For You has arrived.
Edited by Lawrence Kirsch and replete with an amazing welter of outstanding photographs, it's a mind-blowing collection of thoughts and stories from fans of every age and many nations, each explaining why Springsteen occupies such an important place in their hearts. Covering all four decades of Springsteen's career it is possibly the ultimate fanzine for it is the fans who have made the journey and whose words tell us as much about them as they do about Springsteen. The warmth and humanity that flows from every page is truly moving and provides a beacon of hope from which we can all draw strength in these hard times. Not a book to be read at one sitting but rather to revisit and enjoy over time.
I'll have to take this list with me to the store and check some of 'em out! :)
Malcolm, Yes the book gives credit to Michael Nesmith. A lot of time he probably goes uncredited, or is known only as the Monkee, but this book talks a good big about him.
That's a pretty comprehensive list in terms of musical subject matter. This reminds me that it's probably time to update my Top 40 music book. I think I bought it 10 years ago.
Thanks for th eother suggestions.
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