Music books that are good

This one is a classic.


I don't read very much, got quite a few but never the willpower to sit down & read any of them. I'd imagine you've read E's book? That was a good read & when I say read I mean that was a good audiobook I heard

Murphs recommends tony McCarroll's book that came out this year. I quite fancy getting that one myself.

aye, E's is lovely innit.

Haha i'm such a techno twat lately. If it's not on Kindle THEN IT CAN FUCK OFF. I race through them on that, but with a physical book, that i can feel the thickness of in my hands, it takes me forever

I reckon you'd love Tearing Down The Wall Of Sound though, Karl. Really long (!), but fascinating stuff. Phil Spector is an absolute nutbar

Evil Spirits, the Ollie Reed biog is amazing too. I'm counting him, cos he tried to play a bit of drunken trumpet on Des O Connor once

The Longest Cocktail Party aka The book Liam's making into a film, is well worth a read.

I tend to shy away from Beatles books, because usually everything that can be said has been said about their time together. But this surprised me, it's an insider's account of working at Apple right up before they split, and is full of amusing anecdotes, most of which were new to me. Derek Taylor, their press officer, sounded like an absolute don.

For the Kinks Dan, read Ray's autobiography 'X-Ray' in typical Ray Davies fashion its not quite a straight up obvious autobiography but is like half fiction half autobiogrophy, basically the story is set in a futuristic dystopia where a younger version of Ray interviews his current day older self about his days as a rock star, good insight into his world and its a different view on the 60's from the usual flower power bollocks you read.

I read that Tearing Down The Wall of Sound as Dan suggested it eons ago. It was excellent.

Yeah Derek Taylor, along with Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans were the unsung heroes of the Beatles story

Is Geoff Emerick's book any good?

Just started Sir Keef's one - Life, as it was a Crimbo pressie

Will report back!

im about three quarters through Keiths and im loving it. anything robert greenfield or stanley booth wrote on the stones is the real deal, and Mozipedia, though more of a reference book is amazing too on all things smiths and morrissey.

seconded on that book.

Another good Beatles one (at least one I've been partial to for 10+ years) is The Love You Make by Peter Brown.

Dan are you downloading the books illegally? I'm looking into getting a kindle/e-reader just wondering my options at stealing books.

Dan, get this book:



it's a resort of the 1975 tour (The Rolling Thunder Revue) by a journalist who was travelling with Dylan and the band. Probably the best book on Bob Dylan you can find. trust me, I rarely read a music book as interesting as this (it's +450 pages and I've devoured it in 3 days).

ive had the severed alliance on the shelf for years now after picking it up in a charity shop. must get round to reading it soon.

i would very much recommend...

Have to say that I found The Severed Alliance to be terribly dated, and just a bit dull really.

It's a product of the early 90s, when Morrissey bashing was all the rage and people genuinely thought Johnny Marr working with The Pretenders was something to get excited about.

Meetings with Morrissey, which came out last year, is the best Mozz/Smiths related book I've read.

Keef Richards one is quite good. Always thought he was a bit of a dick but my opinion changed. Mainly great anecdotes and that tho, but it doesnt tell you everything, more like a couple of good glimpses. Which is udnerstandable but a slight dissapointment. Nevertheless good reading.

All Too Beautiful about Steve Marriott i found truly great, not that well written at all, but its very thorough and insightful, tragic as well. Basically, the guy was totally fucked.

The book from Mark E. Smith from The Fall (Renegade) is great as well. Just a 300 page rant really. Lays into everybody and everything Funny as fuck

He mentions his dislike for Morrissey at least once every couple of pages Definitely a good read that one.

Also, In Search of The La's: A Secret Liverpool is worth checking out for any madferit La's fans. A great insight into a person you don't hear a great deal about though it does only add fire to his status as a 'legend'. Personally, I've come to the conclusion that he perfected his art & now is washed up & does not have anything to give. I refuse to believe he has thousands of classic songs that he's sitting on & even if he does it doesn't matter because he hasn't got the bollocks to record them.

Haha yeah and the rest of Rough Trade. Ive given up on the La's book, would love to read it but ive never been able to find a copy below, what is it.. 60 pound or so. Mavers, ive no idea what the guy is about. The Kitchen Tape is one of the best things ive ever heard and ive only the music to go by, know nothing about him or the band really.