Could someone do a poll on here?
I think an edition of Cook & Morton's Penguin Guide to Jazz ought to be on that list.
Definitely - that or the Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, Brian Priestley 'Jazz: The Essential Companion'.
― Sunn O))) Brother Where Art Thou? (Chinaski), Saturday, 17 September 2016 20:21 (eight years ago) link
No Hear Me Talkin' To Ya seems like a glaring-ish omission.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 17 September 2016 20:30 (eight years ago) link
And no one remembers Mark Shipper's Paperback Writer, still the best book on the Beatles outside of Aesthetics of RockI remember loving that when it came out and wish I still had my copy! Trying to remember some of the songs from the reunion album "Disco Jesus"? "Captain Take Her To The Altar"? And then there was this running joke that went something like this: "In 1972, Ringo enjoyed a string of hit singles. First he enjoyed 'Rocket Man' by Elton John, then he enjoyed 'Mother and Child Reunion' by Paul Simon." Maybe I should just track down a copy.
― Sigue Sigue Kaputnik (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 September 2016 20:41 (eight years ago) link
Wondering if ilxor clemenza remembers this book as well.
― Sigue Sigue Kaputnik (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 September 2016 20:54 (eight years ago) link
Meanwhile I just got an email recommending I watch Ron Howard movie Eight Days A Week on Hulu.
― Sigue Sigue Kaputnik (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 September 2016 21:05 (eight years ago) link
I do (only book I ever remember Sedated getting compared to)--as I mentioned on another thread, I had a copy and, foolishly it looks like, gave it to a friend's brother who'd been trying to get hold of it. Copies in good shape are a little pricey on abe.com. (Never read it, by the way.)
― clemenza, Saturday, 17 September 2016 21:07 (eight years ago) link
My favorite title from the Mark Shipper Beatles book: "Yoko's Gone Broke-O."
― Edd Hurt, Saturday, 17 September 2016 21:38 (eight years ago) link
http://rockcriticsarchives.com/bookshelf/shipper04.jpg
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 17 September 2016 22:01 (eight years ago) link
lol at "Ken Percent."
― Sigue Sigue Kaputnik (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 September 2016 22:14 (eight years ago) link
clemenza's pal weighs in
― Sigue Sigue Kaputnik (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 September 2016 22:18 (eight years ago) link
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0JZ90BAAVI/UQ7PgWyIzzI/AAAAAAAAGog/X7uD7E8NhDU/s400/meat%2Bthe%2Bbeatles.tiff
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 17 September 2016 22:50 (eight years ago) link
This book sounds interesting to me.
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1281-tracing-the-rock-and-roll-race-problem/
Made it through this in about one day - definitely worth a read. It's interesting on Sam Cooke and his chameleon-like career, pointing out that in newspaper reports of his death he was called a "rock 'n roll singer" whereas by the time Hendrix died a black rock star was considered a strange anomaly. The book's good on the double standards applied to black musicians in the '60s - accusations of selling out, not being black enough, while no one said white musicians weren't being white enough, and so on. Also, the coverage of the trendy arguments over the meaning of the word "soul" in the late '60s is fascinating stuff. There are musicological comparisons of, for example, Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart" vs. Janis Joplin's version vs. Dusty Springfield's (I hadn't even known Dusty did the song), and Dusty's "Son of a Preacher Man" vs. Aretha's. The author seems to treat the matter of the white co-opting of rock 'n roll from blacks as a matter between musicians, their stylistic choices, and the reaction to those by critics/media. Which leads to what I think is missing from the book - discussion of the business side of the equation. I would think record company execs, A&R people, promoters, and even record sellers had a lot to do with how rock became white. The author includes telling quotes from Wilson Pickett about his music first appearing on Top 40 radio but later segregated on soul stations, and another quote from Miles Davis about record companies preferring to promote white faces, but these leads aren't explored by the author. Maybe I was expecting a bigger-picture study of segregation within the pop music business whereas this book has more of a narrow focus on matters of rock aesthetics and cultural give-and-take
― Josefa, Sunday, 18 September 2016 16:06 (eight years ago) link
"I would think record company execs, A&R people, promoters, and even record sellers had a lot to do with how rock became white."
i think it was just $$$. white kids loved R&B and they loved it even more when paler people sang it.
https://petegrafton.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/elvis-bb001.jpg
― scott seward, Sunday, 18 September 2016 16:48 (eight years ago) link
this page REALLY wants you to know that elvis was not a racist, but i do love the pictures and some of the old quotes.
http://photos.elvispresleymusic.com.au/images/50s/1956-july-1-leaving-the-hudson-theater.jpg
http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/elvis-not-racist.shtml
― scott seward, Sunday, 18 September 2016 17:02 (eight years ago) link
Ah, Elvis and B. B., they both bought their clothes at Lanksy's near Beale Street.
― Edd Hurt, Sunday, 18 September 2016 17:17 (eight years ago) link
http://photos.elvispresleymusic.com.au/images/celebrities/rufus-thomas-singer-comedian-elvis-presley.jpg
― Edd Hurt, Sunday, 18 September 2016 17:22 (eight years ago) link
I want to read this
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1338-curtis-mayfield-finally-gets-a-definitive-biography-what-took-so-long/
written by Curtis' son Todd, with writer Travis Atria
and this too, someday:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/10/shock-and-awe-glam-rock-and-its-legacy-simon-reynolds-review-magic-of-the-popular
new Simon Reynolds book on glam rock and its legacy
― curmudgeon, Friday, 28 October 2016 15:50 (seven years ago) link
Was wondering about that Curtis Mayfield book when I saw it out of the corner of my eye and couldn't figure out how I had missed it as surely it must have existed before.
― Funkateers for Fears (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 October 2016 15:53 (seven years ago) link
Loved James McBride's Kill 'Em and Leave on James Brown. Chuck Eddy's Terminated for Reasons of Taste is worth it for his excellent Billy Joel piece, Oneida profile and his obit on Mindy McCready, all good. Plugging Ed Ward's Michael Bloomfield bio The Rise and Fall of an American Guitar Hero, which I did the revisions and new material for, and the first volume of his history of rock 'n' roll, which is out in a couple weeks.
― Edd Hurt, Saturday, 29 October 2016 02:23 (seven years ago) link
Thanks, Edd. Will check those out.
― Funkateers for Fears (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 October 2016 03:32 (seven years ago) link
http://nodepression.com/article/who-was-james-brown-inside-james-mcbrides-kill-em-and-leave
Here's a review of the McBride book that also mentions the earlier RJ Smith bio, and notes how they are different, and both worth reading
― curmudgeon, Monday, 31 October 2016 16:48 (seven years ago) link
this seems like it could be interesting
http://uprootbook.com/assets/images/uproot-book-3d-crop.png
― Number None, Monday, 31 October 2016 22:36 (seven years ago) link
Bought a cheap ebook of Delta Lady by Rita Coolidge and read through it quickly on Sunday. Well done, I recommend.
― From a Vanity 6 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 31 October 2016 23:36 (seven years ago) link
Tim Lawrence's brand new Life and Death on the New York Dance Floor 1980-1983 is excellent (so far), very dense with facts. While I was already familiar with most of the names of the main scene-makers involved, the author really gets deep into how exactly everybody met each other and how each big event inspired the next one. He glues the story together really well.
It's particularly interesting on how & when the formula of "DJs + MCs + breakers + graffiti = hip hop" got established (it was later than you would think, and probably not where you would think)
― Josefa, Tuesday, 1 November 2016 23:04 (seven years ago) link
Really want to read Shock & awe by Simon Reynolds.
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 1 November 2016 23:11 (seven years ago) link
Leave us not forget this 'un: http://www.timlawrence.info/love-saves-the-day
Or this, which I didn't know about: Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 1973-92 http://www.timlawrence.info/hotyd-home
― dow, Tuesday, 1 November 2016 23:32 (seven years ago) link
Speaking of Reynolds, has anyone read Retromania? Is it any good?
― pumped up kicks and levels on repeat all night (2011nostalgia), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 02:23 (seven years ago) link
Retromania: Pop culture's Addiction to its Own Past. (New Simon Reynolds book).
― Josefa, Wednesday, 2 November 2016 03:27 (seven years ago) link
Welp, I'm lazy. But thank you!
― pumped up kicks and levels on repeat all night (2011nostalgia), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 05:34 (seven years ago) link
Shock & Awe is the first Reynolds book that I'm kind of "eh" about reading. Just don't see what could be added to the wealth of information about glam that's already out there.
― Position Position, Wednesday, 2 November 2016 13:55 (seven years ago) link
it's good so far, but I've never read an entire book about glam so ymmv. it's a nice mix of history and criticism, certainly not as heavy on the latter as Retromania from what I recall, for better or worse. but it's interesting for instance to see Reynolds chart Bolan's transformation from woodland hippy to glam progenitor, and then step outside the narrative to ruminate on whether Bolan was just cynically faking the hippy thing before T. Rex or if he just happened to get really swept up and committed to these different styles as they emerged.
― evol j, Wednesday, 2 November 2016 18:35 (seven years ago) link
hold onto your dreams is a very good, very full, very entertaining bio. (with some flaws. lawrence has a tendency to drop large chunks of studio/personnel/recording date info into the main body of the text instead of footnotes/endnotes.) if nothing else it enlarges and complicates the picture of russell as an actual (sometimes petty, usually flawed, often inscrutable) human being who happened to make (very good) music, versus the deified portrait of a cipher/savant that's come to define him during the whole 21st century reissue/documentary/hagiography deal.
― a basset hound (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 18:43 (seven years ago) link
Thanks! Will def get that. This AR documentary is really good too; the basic movie is on youtube at the moment, I think, but DVD is worth getting for the bonus material etc. (trailer etc here)http://www.arthurrussellmovie.com/
― dow, Thursday, 3 November 2016 00:04 (seven years ago) link
AR book is good and Strongo otm but Love Saves the Day is on another level and probably my favourite good book about music...in the end it's just a better story.
― wanderly braggin' (seandalai), Sunday, 6 November 2016 22:31 (seven years ago) link
Just picked this up. Anyone read it yet?http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/wm/live/1280_720/images/live/p0/49/cf/p049cf74.jpg
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 26 January 2017 18:06 (seven years ago) link
Reallly getting in to the Flying Nun memoir In Love With these Times by label head Roger Shepherd.Just read the chapter on the Fall record In A Hole which was released without full approval by the band since the test copy never made it over to the UK. So Shepherd got hit with a cease and desist when mark E Smith started seeing expensive import copies appearing in Manchester.
I need to grab the Gordons lp, had the e.p a long time back and it was great. Also finally need a physical copy of the Clean's Anthology. Will probably need other stuff as I go on.
― Stevolende, Thursday, 26 January 2017 19:57 (seven years ago) link
Pretty good:
http://03fcd67fd51850d3ba6b-6cb392df11a341bce8c76b1898d0c030.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/large/9780/5930/9780593074862.jpg
(North American cover's slightly different.)
1972's always been my favourite year for pop music, but Hepworth makes a good case for '71 as the peak year for albums, starting with Never a Dull Moment, Riot, Who's Next, Tapestry, Sticky Fingers, and Hunky Dory. He has a habit of doubling back again and again--"Wasn't that already covered?" I'd catch myself thinking throughout--and I didn't like it as much as David Browne's 1970 book, Fire and Rain. Good bit near the end, something worth taking note of and thinking about:
"Most of the musicians who became superstars in 1971...were slightly older than rock and roll itself, and therefore they could remember a world before it existed."
― clemenza, Monday, 20 February 2017 20:35 (seven years ago) link
Try that again (North American cover):
http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t427/sayhey1/never%20a%20dull%20moment_zpssn2s9zga.jpg
― clemenza, Monday, 20 February 2017 20:43 (seven years ago) link
Don't know about 'good' but Peter hook's new order book is 99p on Amazon today
― koogs, Sunday, 19 March 2017 05:30 (seven years ago) link
^ uk
― koogs, Sunday, 19 March 2017 05:31 (seven years ago) link
NB Kindle not paper
― Stevolende, Sunday, 19 March 2017 08:49 (seven years ago) link
sorry, yes. it's a kindle daily deal.
― koogs, Sunday, 19 March 2017 10:26 (seven years ago) link
He's dislikable and candid in equal measure, of course it's 95% contrarian against everything to do with Barney who is the focus of most of the ire, however it's not a bad read for all that.
― MaresNest, Monday, 20 March 2017 00:05 (seven years ago) link
https://www.palazzoeditions.com/psychedeliathis just got released psychedelia by Richard Morton Jack.Looks like it should be pretty interesting. That website has extracts you can look at.But I think Amazon currently has it cheaper.
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 25 April 2017 18:11 (seven years ago) link
https://www.press.umich.edu/23532/before_motown
― Shpilkes for a Knave (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 April 2017 12:29 (seven years ago) link
^this book really is good, although I think I found a mistake in it
― Shpilkes for a Knave (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 30 April 2017 12:46 (seven years ago) link
What mistake?
― curmudgeon, Monday, 1 May 2017 02:16 (seven years ago) link
Says Paul Chambers and Doug Watkins were cousins. Seems like they only pretended to be.
― ... Monkey Man or Astro-Monkey Man? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 1 May 2017 02:17 (seven years ago) link
Although some say cousins by marriage
― ... Monkey Man or Astro-Monkey Man? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 1 May 2017 03:01 (seven years ago) link
It's no secret that Nile Rodgers' autobio is good stuff but I was still surprised, not by the tons of interesting anecdotes but by the generosity of spirit, this Zen like gratitude from an artist who had such a tragic childhood
― niels, Tuesday, 2 May 2017 19:41 (seven years ago) link