What Music Books Have You Read Recently? (1 Viewer)

Diumraid

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John 'Drumbo' French: Beefheart - Through the Eyes of Magic

I expected to be unable to listen to the Magic Band again after the reports I was getting on this book. It certainly does cast a certain light over the catalogue but James Brown's personality defects (for one example) never stopped me listening to HIS music so ... hey! The book is pretty exhaustive on detail but even the endless minutae has a rhythm of its own. There's a slather of self-pity and born again Christian zeal in the writing that clangs badly with the weirdo rock'n'roll but otherwise a great read

Clinton Heylin: Babylon's Burning (From Punk to Grunge)

Any music writer who praises the Ruts while damning Crass and slobbers over Maria McKee while lambasting Throbbing Gristle should be dumped in an open sewer with a sack of his own books tied around his neck. Terrible

Rob Young: Electric Eden - Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music

Just about every section of this book could have been a book unto itself - from the folk revival of the 19th century to the eccentrics of the 80's and 90's (K Bush, Talk Talk etc.) Electric Eden delves into a mystical vision of Britain and its culture / history that is pretty much the opposite of jingoism. The thread becomes a bit stretched after the 70's and the weight and obvious passion the author has for the earlier material is somewhat lacking, while giving remarkably little attention to the loose association of acts on the World Serpent label that very much carried that torch.

Aside from that overall feeling of wanting much much more on so many of the topics, I really recommend this.

David Browne: Goodbye 20th Century - A Biography of Sonic Youth

This was pretty much as expected - the stories from the 80's had me mad with envy (SY and Swans touring together playing to half a dozen people every night), the whole downtown scene ...

The early Geffen years are as depressing as you might fear, then they get some autonomy (SYR records etc.), Jim O'Rourke is a freak.

The writing is a bit twee and stutters through endless non-events in order to paint pictures of the various times. Enjoyable all the same.
 
Do It For Your Mum by Roy Wilkinson. Former manager of British Sea Power. Very enjoyable although not sure how it'll go down with anyone who doesn't count BSP among their favourite bands. Guardian article on it.

Almost forgot about this one - my thoughtful girlfriend brought me home a biography of Richey from the Manics from the local library. A Version Of Reason by Rob Jovanovic. One of the worst things I've ever read. Filled with awful shite like "As I sat in my car outside Richey's parents house I wondered what would happen if I knocked on the door and introduced myself? I promised myself I wouldn't do it when I started this project. I couldn't.", "I pressed play on In Utero as the journey began just like Richey probably did on his last journey back to Wales. As I neared the Severn Bridge 'Milk It' began".
 
Rob Young: Electric Eden - Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music

Just about every section of this book could have been a book unto itself - from the folk revival of the 19th century to the eccentrics of the 80's and 90's (K Bush, Talk Talk etc.) Electric Eden delves into a mystical vision of Britain and its culture / history that is pretty much the opposite of jingoism. The thread becomes a bit stretched after the 70's and the weight and obvious passion the author has for the earlier material is somewhat lacking, while giving remarkably little attention to the loose association of acts on the World Serpent label that very much carried that torch.

Aside from that overall feeling of wanting much much more on so many of the topics, I really recommend this.

I thought it went astray in the 80s too. Maybe he thought David Keenan's book (due to be reprinted, I think i read somewhere) was enough about the world serpent world. I liked the stuff about John Ireland and some of those earlier lads the best, Fairport and those clod-hopping bands are a bit tiresome. John Martyn was right about the backbeat on that stuff.
 
I thought it went astray in the 80s too. Maybe he thought David Keenan's book (due to be reprinted, I think i read somewhere) was enough about the world serpent world. I liked the stuff about John Ireland and some of those earlier lads the best, Fairport and those clod-hopping bands are a bit tiresome. John Martyn was right about the backbeat on that stuff.

I think the reprint of 'England's Hidden Reverse' is also sold out and fetching outlandish bucks second-hand ... I doubt EHR is the reason though, surely giving that scene proportionate attention wouldn't be treading on Keenan's toes too much? Current 93 and Eyeless In Gaza are barely mentioned when both have a large body of folk and folk-derived music behind them.
 
Yeah, I agree. Leaving c93 out is odd particularly considering all the space shirley collins gets. Don't know eyeless in gaza - good?

I think they're sublime - it's a lonely aul' station tho'
Duo of Martyn Bates and Peter Becker - Bates has a kind of Tim Buckley visionary exuberance about him and quite the voice and a mean attack on the guitar when called for - Becker does a wonderful ramshackle 80's DIY backing - never took off, can't imagine why.
 
Laurel Canyon by Michael Walker - It's about the rise of the laurel canyon, LA folk/country rock music scene in the mid sixties to late seventies. CSN, the eagles, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, ect... . Quiet good, although not as good as Barney Hoskyns Hotel California book. I'd recommend that one, if your into that kind of thing.
 
Currently reading
Carol Clerk: 'The saga of Hawkwind'
Thoroughly enjoying this, still only halfway through the 70's though so it remains to be seen if the story will stay compelling after the music no longer was (IMO). Dave Brock fails to endear himself yet again; the author seems to love Nik Turner and Lemmy though - very funny to hear all the different takes on the same stories.
 
Bob Mould autobiography See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody - Very, very good. Especially when he relaxes and embraces the gaiety. He kinda flies through the Husker Du bits though.

You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup. - Wow, the Beatles were dicks! Great read. At different points you hate a different Beatle, which is cool. Harrison to McCartney during a post breakup meeting where Paul is trying to break from Apple - "You'll stay on the label, Hare fucking Krishna." They guys didn't have a clue to frightening extent.
 
sweet-soul-music.jpg


Passionate writer. Flawless attention to detail. Great stories.
 
Read that Clinton Heylin one too, good range of stuff not always covered in punk books like Cleveland scene etc, he is a bit of a yap though, very dismissive of the Ramones...

"Please Kill Me" is a good read, not so much about music as debauchery, violence and (literal) back stabbing...

Have Bo Mo's book...haven't made a start on it...

"We Never Learn" is a great overview of the 80s/90s garage/lo-fi/rock 'n'roll scene written by the guy from New Bomb Turks...lot's about Gories, Billy Childish, Rocket From The Crypt, The Oblivians and what have you...
 
levitin_300.jpg

Almost finished this. Patchy in places, but some interesting parts.
Not such a great read if you're half asleep on the train though... and a bit of an effort to read when you've just spent all your day working with sound and been browsing audio forums on your breaks....
 
Currently reading
Carol Clerk: 'The saga of Hawkwind'
Thoroughly enjoying this, still only halfway through the 70's though so it remains to be seen if the story will stay compelling after the music no longer was (IMO). Dave Brock fails to endear himself yet again; the author seems to love Nik Turner and Lemmy though - very funny to hear all the different takes on the same stories.

This is still rocking (now in the late 80's) and the story has included incidents with, among other neglected curios Rustic Hinge and Dumpy's Rusty Nuts which is somehow incredible to me...
 
finished this a while ago:

arthur-russell-cover.jpg


really great book- not just on russel's life but the whole downtown scene which was just incredible with New Music, No-Wave, Disco, Hip-hop (ok, not exactly donwtown) and all sorts of mutant derivatives all rubbing up against each other, and with Russell in the middle of all of them.

Tim Lawrence gave a talk in the bernard shaw and his next book will be about NYC between 1980-1983 which promises to be pretty awesome judging by his track record on documenting the new york music scene..
 

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