oh, i want to add Heavier Than Heaven...excellent book...

Red Square wrote:oh, i want to add Heavier Than Heaven...excellent book...

That book is a piece of shit PR exercise in re-writing someone's life to fall in with what is most convenient for his ex wife. There's a chapter in there where Cross talks of what is going through Cobain's mind as he kills himself! Talk about artistic license in a biography!

i really enjoyed that nick cave biography.

The great thing about this book? You don't even have to agree with everything he says, but it is still worthwhile.

Better than Bangs:


cultural theory, but nicely done:



trashy, wildly entertaining:

The Trouser Press Guide to 90's Rock is a constant resource.
As mentioned, Carducci's Pop Narcotic is great.
Christgau's 1970's Record Guide comes in handy.

Other than that the books I dig are about bands I dig. Got a bunch of Small Faces/Faces that is fun (Ian McLagan's All the Rage is the best so far), and some T. Rex/Bolan drivel.

Any good Queen/Mercury books out there?

John Sinclair's Guitar Army is inspirational/great. Full of fantastic photos of longhairs, taken mostly by his wife and comes with a free CD.

The Albert Goldman book on Lennon is a riot. I don't care if a word of it is true.

And England's Dreaming by Jon Savage taught me a lot about music and British history.

Have none of you read Lords of Chaos?

Go read that!

= Justin

PS - The Dirt was also good.

My favorites:

- crazy rock dude and his American point of view:

Joe Carducci "Rock and the Pop Narcotic"

- followed by feeble English or "fag" (sorry Simon, it's not me, it's Joe):

Simon Reynolds "Rip It Up and Start Again" (UK edition)

- full-on into the English punk academia:

Jon Savage "England's Dreaming"

- then British take on rock aus Deutschland:

Julian Cope "Krautrock Sampler"

- and finally back to America; a drink or two with:

Lester Bangs "Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung"



I'm planning to buy The Rough Guide to Reggae by Steve Barrow. Any other suggestions?


I also need a recommendation for a decent book about soul/FUNK/disco.

Cranius wrote:And England's Dreaming by Jon Savage taught me a lot about music and British history.

i have this but haven't read it yet...