He probably was just told the title by someone else.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
promising project in the works to make e-books collecting musicians' thoughts on the first time they heard certain artists:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scottheim/the-first-time-i-heard-book-series
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 09:14 (1 year ago) Permalink
Interesting idea, but hopefully future books will included other subjects than white British art rockers.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 17 April 2012 10:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just finished James Fearnley's book about the Pogues. It falls away in the second half, but the stuff set round Kings Cross and Camden in the early 80s is fantastic.
― Viva Brother Beyond (ithappens), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 11:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
Surprised that it hasn't been mentioned, but Aaron Copland's What to Listen for in Music. It was written in the early fifties, so even jazz barely rates a mention but don't let that putt you off. As a foundation, 'where the hell am I?' sort of resource it is invaluable and regardless of what you listen to, you'll find it useful.
― Popture, Tuesday, 17 April 2012 11:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
For old skool industrial types like me, the three essential tomes are Charles Neal's Tape Delay, Simon Ford's Wreckers of Civilisation and David Keenan's England's Hidden Reverse.
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 17 April 2012 11:49 (1 year ago) Permalink
Bob Mould's memoir See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody is a great read.
― tigerbeathappening, Tuesday, 17 April 2012 13:41 (1 year ago) Permalink
agreed re: copland's book, very readable and relevant to just about anyone
― teledyldonix, Tuesday, 17 April 2012 14:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
life against dementia by joe carducci is a fun read so far (not all music). a bit of an odds n sods compilation, but some great stuff, including a really interesting, detailed look at the portland music scene of the 70s (hurley, holy modal rounders, etc.)
― tylerw, Tuesday, 17 April 2012 14:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
trying to find a good thread to put something about the upcoming Meat Puppets oral history bio in. It's called Too High To Die and its by Greg Prato.http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=wtt7y9cab&v=001xIsb6zOAIu7Rlnkead1HL3_WCTRVv9eduECqEm79iLaM0Y31Thj0F3zSAK1cGvvcc1eQkH1W-i8GH0X6NuhSvVGJEdHEUijIgdvX4TwKekx7EiyhtdNeaA%3D%3DLooking forward to reading it whenever I can get my hands on a copy
― Stevolende, Sunday, 13 May 2012 22:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
Stevolende
I am in
― Jessie Fer Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Sunday, 13 May 2012 23:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
^^ really looking fwd to that book. here's hoping it's good to great...
― rusty_allen, Monday, 14 May 2012 00:16 (1 year ago) Permalink
Holy shit that looks awesome!
― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Monday, 14 May 2012 16:27 (1 year ago) Permalink
yeahhh that is a book i would read. been re-reading a bunch of carducci stuff, so i've been listening to vintage sst quite a bit.
― tylerw, Monday, 14 May 2012 16:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
on a similar tip, the forthcoming Yo La Tengo book is great. wouldn't have thought that a rock book so devoid of sex/drugs/mania would be so entertaining, but there it is. monogamy! softball leagues! feedback! it covers a lot more than just the band -- there's kind of a history of the underground rock scene of the 80s thread running through it all. a little overlap with something like our band could be your life, but not a lot. also, some interesting stuff about Georgia Hubley's animator parents which could almost be a whole book on its own.
― tylerw, Monday, 14 May 2012 16:38 (1 year ago) Permalink
Charles Neal's Tape Delay is indeed awesome--lots of self-flagellating short fiction from Michael Gira interspersed among the terrific interviews. Charles is a friend of mine; funnily enough, he now imports really interesting wines and spirits from SW France, and I met him in the context of distributing those through the NY-based company I used to work for.
― Clarke B., Monday, 14 May 2012 18:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
x-post--oh, so a wfmu dj and critic wrote the YLT bio coming out in June
http://www.wunderkammern27.com/
― curmudgeon, Monday, 14 May 2012 19:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
I like old biographies that have the social history in them. Right now, I'm slowwwly working my way through a Cole Porter biography.
― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Bulgarian Tourist Chamber (Mount Cleaners), Monday, 14 May 2012 19:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
new Richard King, "How Soon Is Now"
― Napo, Monday, 14 May 2012 19:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
this looks like it might be fun Introduction: The Quine Machine1) …If You Dug It: Lenny Kaye2) The Individualist: Richard Thompson3) Don’s Secret: Zoot Horn Rollo (Bill Harkleroad)4) Doing the Work: Wayne Kramer5) Riff Appeal: James Williamson6) Forst Exposure: Michael Rother7) Infinite Delay: Richard Pinhas8 ) Love Theme from The Twilight Zone: Tom Verlaine9) They Say the Neon Lights are Bright on the Bowery: Cheetah Chrome10) Gun, Guitar, Bullhorn: Lydia Lunch11) Meta Box: Keith Levene12) Purloiner: Rowland S. Howard13) The Shi(f)t: Fred Frith14) The Shakespeare Squadron: Glenn Branca15) Starting with Thunders: Bob Mould16) Infinity Suitcase: Lee Ranaldo17) The Believer: Johnny Marr18) Purple Sparkle: J Mascis19) Reverend Spaceman: Jason Pierce20) Furtive Gestures: David Pajo21) The Joy of Despair: Kim Deal & Kelley Deal22) The Radiant Guitarist: John Frusciante23) Psychedelic Sound Freak: Michio Kurihara24) Fennesz + Not-Fennesz: Christian Fennesz25) Black Wolf, White Wolf: Ben Chasny
― tylerw, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 19:34 (1 year ago) Permalink
Ha! Just saw David Todd speak on his book at the Pop Culture Association of Canada conference last weekend. Sounds pretty cool.
― Look at how funky he is! (jer.fairall), Tuesday, 15 May 2012 20:42 (1 year ago) Permalink
Everything but the Bishop.
― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 15 May 2012 21:06 (1 year ago) Permalink
yeah seems like only chasny and thompson are repping on the acoustic side of things -- though obviously they both have their electric sides. still, if he's a good interviewer, i'd read the hell out of this.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 21:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
it's pretty much me catnip.
― Hierophantiasis (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 15 May 2012 21:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
here's the site for the bookhttp://www.feeding-back.com/some good mixes, excerpts etc.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 15 May 2012 21:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
Currently reading Forces in Motion, Graham Lock's Anthony Braxton book. Lock comes across as a total Braxton fanboy so the gushing enthusiasm can get a bit tiring. OTOH there's enough interview transcripts, gig reviews and tour diary minutiae to make a total Braxton fanboy like, er, me very happy. Wish he'd do a second edition.
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 12:19 (1 year ago) Permalink
James Brown/The One by RJ Smith is magisterial.
― (REAL NAME) (m coleman), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 09:50 (11 months ago) Permalink
today the new york times book review ran a review of "the one" by al sharpton. this is strange because sharpton is a source and 'player' in the book (by his own estimation sharpton was JB's surrogate son). would the times have bill moyers review the latest LBJ installment by robert caro? don't think so.
― (REAL NAME) (m coleman), Sunday, 3 June 2012 12:35 (11 months ago) Permalink
That is weird.
Looked at Feeding Back in the store but deferred purchase for now.
― I don't know what to read so I am reading it here (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 3 June 2012 14:21 (11 months ago) Permalink
A few books by Albin J. Zak III look interesting: The Poetics of Rock and I Don't Sound Like Nobody.
― Stumpy Joe's Cafe (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 21 June 2012 20:33 (10 months ago) Permalink
Thanks. I see he's got a nice blurb from Rob Bowman, author of that Stax book in re to I Don't Sound Like NobodyRemaking Music in 1950s America
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=295986
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 June 2012 17:02 (10 months ago) Permalink
Saw that which was a selling point for me too.
― Stumpy Joe's Cafe (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 22 June 2012 17:13 (10 months ago) Permalink
xpost Not uncommon in UK book reviewing to have someone involved in events covered in non-fiction review the book: that's if you're treating reviews more as entertainment than buyers' guide. I take it that's not the case in the US, then.
― Manfred Mann meets Man Parrish (ithappens), Friday, 22 June 2012 18:24 (10 months ago) Permalink
Thinking about picking this up.
― Jazzbo, Friday, 22 June 2012 18:46 (10 months ago) Permalink
Oh, yeah, forgot about that. I somehow thought I was going to be able to buy a copy of Dr. John or Ivan Neville at BAM a few months agao.
― Stumpy Joe's Cafe (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 22 June 2012 19:13 (10 months ago) Permalink
Has Alice Echols' recent-ish "Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture" been mentioned here yet? That's a good 'un.
― to welcome jer.fairall, pie is served. (jer.fairall), Friday, 22 June 2012 21:42 (10 months ago) Permalink
x-post-- Eyed the Sandmel book on Ernie K. Doe when I was down in New Orleans at Jazzfest, but decided not to get it right then at the fest. Maybe I should have. It looks very nice and comprehensive and well-written
― curmudgeon, Friday, 22 June 2012 21:46 (10 months ago) Permalink
Two-thirds of the way through the Charlie Louvin autobiography that I've been flacking for here RIP Charlie Louvin, which may turn out to be one of the best music books ever.
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 25 June 2012 17:12 (10 months ago) Permalink
I've started reading Dave Tompkins' history of the vocoder How to Wreck a Nice Beach, lots of crazy fun so far.
― Merdeyeux, Monday, 25 June 2012 17:31 (10 months ago) Permalink
I have that book and like to look at the pictures but it is so off-the-wall that I haven't been able to really read it so far.
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 25 June 2012 17:40 (10 months ago) Permalink
Two-thirds of the way through the Charlie Louvin autobiography ― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs
You are the king of reading books about music. I am impressed. Seriously, I take forever to get through books.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 25 June 2012 18:56 (10 months ago) Permalink
The trick is to post before you've actually finished or even read much of the book at all.
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 25 June 2012 19:14 (10 months ago) Permalink
The singer of DC band Edie Sedgwick does an ocassional column for the Washington City Paper blog called "5 Books I would read if I had the time."
― curmudgeon, Monday, 25 June 2012 19:37 (10 months ago) Permalink
Well gosh, these seem enticing (he btws sev right at the end)http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Rock-Roll/Music-for-Lovers/ba-p/8231
― dow, Monday, 25 June 2012 22:59 (10 months ago) Permalink
So glad I finally read The Rest Is Noise. (how is Listen To This?)
― dow, Monday, 25 June 2012 23:04 (10 months ago) Permalink
You ready to sign on for some Sibelius, Dick Strauss and Feldman now, dow?
I haven't read Listen To This yet, but it's basically an expanded collection of his NYer pieces, right? In which case, go for it definitely.
― Lewis Apparition (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 26 June 2012 18:50 (10 months ago) Permalink
btws sev = ?
― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 26 June 2012 18:54 (10 months ago) Permalink
He mentions several other books right toward the end, almost off-handedly or something. Jon, Ross has me more interested in getting back into Messiaen, and checking out the great villain/fabulous ahole of the book, Boulez--wotta punk!
― dow, Tuesday, 26 June 2012 22:35 (10 months ago) Permalink
http://www.npr.org/2012/06/26/155293473/aretha-einstein-and-knowing-too-much
A new Anthony Heilbut book looks good
The Fan Who Knew Too Much--Aretha Franklin, the Rise of the Soap Opera, Children of the Gospel Church, and Other Meditations
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 June 2012 23:49 (10 months ago) Permalink
Sounds intriguing
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 27 June 2012 01:39 (10 months ago) Permalink