What are your favorite books about music? Either about a single band, a movement or genre, or history of 18th century violin making - I don't care. Just recommend something! Lately I've been in the mood to read about music, and I know a lot of you have suggested books in the past in the many "what are you reading" threads, but I'm too lazy to go back and cull.

Shakey by Jimmy McDonough. Neil Young bio. McDonough's writing style is goofy, but Neil cooperated with the effort, so it has some good stories and shit.

i was recommended 'killing yourself to live' by chuck klosterman from someone on here.

i got it for xmas. but i haven't started reading it yet.

I'm dying to read this. Anyone know if there is any good writing on Frank Zappa or Sun Ra?

David Toop writes good music books. I enjoyed his "Oceans of Sound".

I picked my copy up for maybe five bucks on half.com.

the basic necessities i've enjoyed:
our band could be your life
please kill me
main lines, blood feasts, and bad taste: a lester bangs reader

necessary for electronic/dance music:
last night a dj saved my life: the history of the disc jockey
straight outa bristol (although it's out of print, but a good read on massive attack, portishead, etc.)

currently reading:
rip it up and start again: post punk 1978-1984

it's taking me awhile to read, but so far i like.

i was also reading mixtape: the history of cassette culture by thurston moore. very easy read, but the artwork is fabulous.

i've been trying to delve more into music books but that's all i know of so far.

Things I've read

Rotton (Johnny Rotton's auto biog) -- a good read
Please Kill Me -- one of the better books on punk
Tropical Truth (Caetano Veloso's autobiog) -- often fascinating to me, but I recognize I'm biased and that its fairly self-indulgent, long-winded and doesn't translate all that well to english

Things I have on the bookshelf to read soon:

John Cale's autobiography
A Biography on Fela Kuti
Soulsville (book re: Stax Records)
That Simon Reyolds Post punk book
Bob Dylan's book
Some book on Brasilian music that I forget the name of

psychotic reactions and carburator dung by lester bangs (just another collection)

Peter Guaranik is a great writer - he has stuff on Memphis, a massive 2 volume thing on Elvis, and the new Sam Cooke book. He is a researchin' fool.

There's a real cool book about the making of Coltrane's Love Supreme.

Will Pop Eat Itself? Pop Music in the Soundbite Era was pretty good.

absolutely. a fantastic book. definitely a must read for any neil young fan.

Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste - Lester Bangs
Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung - Lester Bangs
Please Kill Me - Legs McNeil
Fargo Rock City - Chuck Klosterman

Chuck's other two books Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs : A Low Culture Manifesto and Killing Yourself to Live are loosely about music, but he talks more about himself. I'm actually looking forward to reading Legs' other book The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry.

The best is Shakey though.

The John Cale's pretty good. And he's still standing, go figure (though I remain untempted by Black Acetate). WoodyGuthrie: A Life is also fairly awesome.

Though, as a rule I don't go for the biogs - it usually distracts me from the music but the JC was a gift.

I too am working on Rip it Up, but slowly. Seems good though. And a thing about Joe Hill.

All this presumes we need more than the bible that is high fidelity

Reading "The Real Frank Zappa" right now, and its written by him so it comes from his mouth better or worse. Unfortunately I'm finding the middle portion in which he wax philosophizes about composition to be a little dry, but there are some definite funny passages. Unfortunately, it is broken into really tiny chunks so he doesn't go into much detail.

I've heard from a few reliable sources that The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones - Stanley Booth is supposed to be a good read. That's on my list.

the motley crue bio book the dirt is pretty awesome, and i'm not even remotely a fan, even in an ironic sense

i dig the first 2 klosterman books, didnt have much interest in the dead rockstar book

I read a book last year titled "how soon is never". I can't remember the author. The book is about, as one should be able to tell by the title, an Smiths fan and her quest to get the Smiths to do a reunion tour. I enjoyed it. The book is fiction. Good read if you like the Smiths or the 'new wave' movement of the mid 80's.

i just got the rock snob's dictionary from amazon today. it's not a real read, but it's been amusing to page through.

i'll cosign last night a dj saved my life, but add that it's not just for electronic/dance music lovers. its chapters on hip-hop, northern soul, and disco have had a tremendous influence on the listener that i am today.

I read that one two years ago, and for christmas my parents picked up the other collection of his stuff (Mainlines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste), and the biography of his life written by Jim DeRogatis called Let It Blurt. Both are entertaining enough.

How many times am I gonna tout this here?
Just as many times as this thread gets made...

By: Mark Lewisohn
Everything you need to know about why the Beatles were so damn important.

Haven't read many but here are my favorites:

1. Our Band Could Be Your Life
2. Behind the Shades (Bob Dylan)
3. Electric Gypsy (Jimi Hendrix)
4. Saucer Full of Secrets (Pink Floyd)
5. Riders on the Storm (The Doors)

I am a fan and it was extremely entertaining.

I read that book too. The author is Marc Spitz. I enjoyed it as well.


And to who mentioned Chuck Klosterman, Killing yourself to Live is great. "Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs" is his best work in my opinion (but its more about pop culture). If you're an 80s metal fan you could pick up his first book "Fargo Rock City"