Has anyone read any good music related books?

[bucky]

What are some of your favorite music related books or are you currently reading any music books?

I just finished guitarist Dick Wagner's autobiography 'Not Only Women Bleed'. It's actually a bunch of short chapters of stories . Dick Wagner is a guitarist who played on just about every Alice Cooper album from the 70's & became part of Alice's touring band after the original band split.He did play as a session musician on the final 3 albums of the original band but became a regular starting with Alice's classic 'Welcome to my Nightmare' album where he also co-wrote songs. He also played guitar in Lou Reed's early 70's Rock & Roll Animal band, played the guitars along w/ Steve Hunter on Aerosmith's "Train kept a Rollin'" instead of Perry & Whitford, played guitars on "Sweet Pain" & "Beth" from Kiss 'Destroyer', Played guitar on a couple of Peter Gabriel tracks, played guitar for Tim Curry's 70's stuff, played & co-wrote with Air Supply...& the list goes on!

I've always been a fan of his work since the first time I heard his solo on I'm 18 off of the live 'Alice Cooper Show' album from the 70's but I was kind of disappointed in him after reading this book with how cocaine addiction practically ruined his life. Here's a guy that had such great credentials & co-wrote so many great songs that it's a shame that his habits drove him to having nothing. I mean at one point he was on the verge of losing his home so he brought all 14 of his classic guitars to a pawn shop where they were put in Hock for an advance of $3500! He had to get the money back to the owner in a certain amount of time or he'd lose all of his beloved guitars. He left the shop & bought some coke. There was no way he'd have the money to pay back but just prior to the due date he received a royalty check for $9000 because the singer from the Little River Band covered "Only Women Bleed"! I Mean that guy got that much on a royalty check! How can he have money problems w/ royalty checks coming in like that? Anyway, he's now close to 70 & has faced death a few times in the past decade due to heart problems & a brain tumor & he really seems sorry for everything he's done but talk about sex, drugs & Rock n Roll...this book has it

[spacel0rd]

[Frank]

Im waiting to come in the mail Iron Maide book Flight 666. Suppose to be a good book.

[bucky]

Iron Maiden should be good... I enjoyed the Pat Benatar book (I bought it the day after seeing her in concert last year). I'm currently reading 'Rock Bottom' by Pamela Des Barred & it's about the dark moments in rock history...real cool book so far

[Jesse]

Dirty Little Secret Of The Music Business was a good read. I highly recommend it....I think I actually did a review of that book here a few years ago.



Haven't read anything music related recently.

[snakesandladders]

PICKED UP THESE 2 BEAUTIES RECENTLY.....

By blackglove at 2012-06-20


By blackglove at 2012-06-20

[Frank]

Been wondering bout the Mark Evans book......

[Equinox]

I've read a bunch of good ones, here are a few.

To the Limit (Eagles) Good and balanced IMO, a bit pro henley

Heaven and Hell (Eagles, by Don Felder) Not bad, but written with motives IMO

This Wheel's on Fire (The Band, by Levon Helm) Liked it alot for his story telling.

Red, My Uncensored Life in Rock (Sammy Hagar) Fun, fast read!

Across the Great Divide, The Band and America (The Band) Great book, but with a definite robbie robertson slant

Starman, David Bowie Different, but interesting

[snakesandladders]

By blackglove at 2012-06-21

[Speedy]

I haven't read any for quite awhile. I like to read about history and inner workings of bands. Not necessarily a fan of "tell all" type books

There are a few I liked though.

RUN TO THE HILLS - A very detailed Iron Maiden bio. About the size of a Bible. Has been printed with several different covers. mine has this one.


KISS AND SELL - Very detailed book about the inner workings of KISS in the 70/80's.


KISS and TELL - 2 "friends" of ACE Frehley through the 70/80's give their version of "ACE". If it was anyone other than ACE these might be unbelievable. You will read this one in a day because the stories are so strange. ACE is as weird as he seems.

[bucky]

I enjoyed the Kiss & Sell book & even though I didn't care much for the authors that wrote Kiss & Sell it still was book that I could not put down. I thought those authors came off like they were trying to ride the coat tails of Ace & get what they could out of him. Ace kind of screwed those guys but those guys were stupid to keep going back but worse was Wendy Moore's book 'Into the Void' where she wrote a shitload of shit on Ace

[bucky]

Jun 20, 2012 19:20:27 GMT -5 Equinox said:

I've read a bunch of good ones, here are a few.

To the Limit (Eagles) Good and balanced IMO, a bit pro henley

Heaven and Hell (Eagles, by Don Felder) Not bad, but written with motives IMO

This Wheel's on Fire (The Band, by Levon Helm) Liked it alot for his story telling.

Red, My Uncensored Life in Rock (Sammy Hagar) Fun, fast read!

Across the Great Divide, The Band and America (The Band) Great book, but with a definite robbie robertson slant

Starman, David Bowie Different, but interesting

I'd definitely think about the Sammy Hagar & Bowie books

[kim]

In the last 8 months or so, I've managed to go through
"Bad Moon Rising" - about the band CCR.
"You Never Give Me Your Money" - about The Beatles.
"John Lennon The Life"
"Paul McCartney A Life"
"Mackenzie Phillips High On Arrival"

These books were pretty darned good compared to the
one I'm currently trying to get through...Nikki Sixx, Heroin Diaries.

Let's just say that Nikki's book is reeeal easy to put down and is not a real page turner in my humble opinion...but I'm determined to get to the end of it, even though it doesn't contain much substance.

I'm stubborn like that and proof was in reading the entire
"Geralds Game" book by Stephen King. Theres a number of hours of my life wasted that I'll never get back! DOH!

I noticed Pat Benatar's book mentioned. My wife read that
one on our Kobo reader, said it was good, so I may have to give that one a go.

Started reading Keith Richards bio, but that one is kinda
tricky as the guy is all over the place. I may give it another
shot when I get bored.

I still say, Sugarman's "No One Here Gets Out ALive", about
The Doors was my all time favourite rock oriented book.
I'd read that one again as it was back in 84' when I read it.

Off topic, does anyone else here re-read books?

I've read Kings' "The Stand" about 4 times since 1983.

I've also read a book called "Replay" about 5 or 6 times.

"Replay" is a book about a guy that suddenly dies at the age of 41, only to wake up in his college dorm room at the age of 18...knowing everything that he's lived in his previous life.
He repeats this numerous times and it's one of those books that stops and makes you think as you read it..."what if"?

Not Sci-fi, not technical, not about time travel, not hokey, and it's well written and is authored by a fella by the name of Ken Grimwood who is now deceased...(and maybe living his life over again somewhere else)...haha.

Kinda cool when he comes back during one "replay" and sees that there is no such thing as the movie "Star Wars"...realizing that he's not the only "replayer" in existence.
Of course he tries to prevent the Kennedy assasination with an interesting outcome...and I'll leave it at that. Tons of stuff that
truly mesmerized me.

Anyone I've lent the book to has loved it.

Undoubtedly, my all time favourite book.
It's one of those books that I would have with me on
a deserted island, because every time I read it, I come away
with something new from it.

I'd recommend it to anyone.

Bucky, you'd like this one

Thanks
Kim

[Frank]

Hey Kim,

I reread books all the time. In fact the Iron Maiden book that Speedy talks about Ive read about 6 times. Very inspiring story as far as I'm concerned.

[bucky]

I reread books all the time too especially when I go through phases with bands. Kim, I just added Replay to my Nook Account on my tablet & will definitely check it out. You're right on the Keith Richard book. No one Here Gets Out Alive was phenomenal book & is one of my favorite music books.

[Equinox]

Jun 23, 2012 9:58:09 GMT -5 kim said:

In the last 8 months or so, I've managed to go through
"Bad Moon Rising" - about the band CCR.

Thanks
Kim

Kim, what about this CCR book? I am an old school guy and always found the whole dynamic of this band fascinating.

[Equinox]

Here are a few more I've read...

Crossroads- Eric Clapton, not bad, not as good as alot I've read.

The Grand Delusion- Styx, I enjoyed the read and it confirmed alot of things I believed about the band and their music. Especially the affects of "Babe" and "Kilroy" on the band... Of course I'm a Styx fan.

Shakey- Neil Young, While it is a very in depth book with alot of great facts, it kind of drags in alot of the places where the author tries to tell you the meaning behind Neil's songs.

[Warpig]

I read this one recently, a really good read IMO.

[bucky]

Jun 26, 2012 13:53:53 GMT -5 Warpig said:

I read this one recently, a really good read IMO.

One of my favorites
I'm a big fan of Johnny Thunders & this book had a lot of info. It still pisses me off because his drug habits totally killed his career. Johnny Thunders & the Heart breakers 'LAMF' is a must have for any punk fan (kind of Ram ones style with guitar solos). His solo album from 78 'So Alone' is a great all around album & features Phil Lynott playing bass on almost every track. One track,an oldie remake titled "Daddy Rollin' Stone" features Thunders singing the first verse, Lynott singing the second verse, & an amazing third verse sung by Steve Marriott.

[kim]

Jun 25, 2012 11:14:14 GMT -5 Equinox said:

Jun 23, 2012 9:58:09 GMT -5 kim said:

In the last 8 months or so, I've managed to go through
"Bad Moon Rising" - about the band CCR.

Thanks
Kim

Kim, what about this CCR book? I am an old school guy and always found the whole dynamic of this band fascinating.

Hey Equinox,

In my opinion, it is a pretty good read.

I too, was always enamored with this group and is reason why I elected to purchase the book.
Bottom line, here's a group that had it made, and somehow, along the way, for the most part, their
management fucked them over big time. That and the fact, as you read on, you realize that John is not the nicest guy on the
planet and the proof comes out in the book. To treat his brother
the way he did makes you realize why in hell they went the
way that they did.

I love Fogerty's music, but John was a control freak and one that
figured it was all bout him, even though the book gives him a little
latitude, you can see for yourself just why things turned out the
way that they did. John stuck to his pistolas so to speak only to
the demise of what I figure was one of Americas greatest bands
of the day.

Check it out if you can, it's worth it.

As one critic mentioned, it is truly one of the saddest stories
in rock history and I have to agree.

Thanks
Kim