"Reading should be a daily neccesity in everyone's life. It can take you to places that you have never visited before".
~ Health Educator, Brian Burgess
The reading room consists of books that relate to music. Each book listed has a brief review and is rated on a scale of 1-5 stars. New entries and reviews are always welcome and should be submitted to brianburgess1@yahoo.com. Happy reading!
5 stars
- A must read
4 stars
- Very good reading
3 stars
- May be interesting to some readers
2 stars
- Read only if you have nothing else to do!
1 star
- Garage sale material
1. All Music Guide to the Blues-Michael
Erlweine, Vladimir Bogdonov, Chris Woodstra and Cub Koda (657 pp.) 1999.
The history of the blues is
a long and phenomenal journey. Finally there is a book available that details
a large portion of the blues history. Over 6,000 blues recordings are rated
by the authors in this book. Many of the recordings also include important
information about the artist and songs recorded. From contemporary blues
to blues rock it's all here. If you are a blues conniseur this is the book
for you! Musical tidbit: Co-author Cub Koda was the lead singer of the
group Brownsville Station who had a huge hit with the song "Smokin' in
the Boy's Room". (5 stars)
2. All Music Guide to Rock-Michael Erlweine,
Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra (973 pp.) 1995.
Believe it or not this guide
is actually more in-depth than the first entry above! The genres of rock,
pop, soul, r&b, and rap are all visited here with expert ratings and
analysis of many recordings throughout musical history. From the obscure
to the well-known artist, this is a knowledgable reading experience. The
authors have done extensive research and are on the money with most of
their ratings. If you are a musical historian or just a casual reader there
is a wealth of interesting information contained here.
(5 stars)
3. Behind The Music: Casualties of Rock-Quinton
Skinner (176 pp.) 2001.
"Behind the Music" has become
one of VH-1's top-rated series giving stirring accounts of the triumphs
and tragic fallings of some of music's more popular icons. "Casualties
of Rock" follows along the same lines highlighting some of rock's
most tragic stories and untimely deaths. From Sonny Bono's fatal skiing
accident to ex AC-DC singer Bon Scott's death due to alcohol asphixiation
there is a wide number of stories told. Also includes quotes and essential
listenings for each artist portrayed. Musical tidbit: The average rock
star only lives to be 34 years of age! (3.5 stars)
4. Ballad of a Thin Man The Authorized Biography
of Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy-Stuart Bailie (193 pp.) 1996.
Irishman Phil Lynott and his
band Thin Lizzy rode to the top of the charts in the late 1970's attaining
worldwide success with their huge radio hit "The Boys Are Back In Town".
Sadly Lynott's life was also filled with a daily struggle to survive as
drug and alcohol problems plagued him until his death on January 4, 1986(at
the age of 36!) from liver failure. Bailie does a good job of chronicaling
Lynott's life and career and deeply delves into his drug and alcohol addictions
that eventually killed him. Musical tidbit: Phil Lynott was often referred
to as "The Irish Elvis" due to his strong personality and stage persona.
(4.5 stars)
5. Bound For Glory-Woody Guthrie (320 pp.) 1943,1977.
Woody Guthrie was an amazingly
talented man who looked at life from a totally different perspective. He
spent most of his life as a hobo traveling the highways and byways of America.
He saw America from the open road and knew its people(especially the poor
and destitute) firsthand. He was often referred to as the "Dustbowl Ballader"
and penned over 1,000 songs before he died of Huntington's Disease on October
3,1967. A phenomenal tale of one of America's great poet-folk singers.
(5 stars)
6. Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memories
of a Rock and Roll Survivor-Al Kooper (312 pp.) 1998.
Lifelong session man Al Kooper
has rubbed elbows with many of rock's heavyweights including Bob Dylan,
The Rolling Stones and Blood, Sweat and Tears. If you've ever been blown
away by the familiar organ in Dylan's classic "Like A Rolling Stone" then
you now know Al Kooper. Kooper has also been a producer, song writer, solo
artist and professor of music during his five decades in the music business.
This autobiography takes the reader through the life and times of Kooper.
There are also many great photos in this book. (3.5
stars)
7. Backstage Passes: Life on the Wildside with David
Bowie-Angela Bowie w/ Patrick Carr (350 pp.) 1999.
I'm not much on these tell-all books.
Angela Bowie is the ex-wife of rock star David Bowie. She shares many experiences
of her ten year relationship with Bowie as well as happenings in her own
life. Actually she probably could have downsized her book to one chapter
and named it "Sex and Drugs and Rock-n-Roll". Boring... (1
star)
8. Barbara Streisand: The Untold Story-Nelly
Bly (348 pp.) 1994.
An in-depth look at the highly
successful and publicized life of Barbara "Babs" Streisand. Streisand has
had great success as a recording star and actress and this biography follows
her life as a child in Brooklyn up to her life-long acting and recording
career. (3 stars)
9. The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal-Martin
Popoff (538 pp.) 1996.
If you are into hard rock and
heavy metal than this book is for you. Popoff rates over 3600 heavy metal
and hard rock titles with interesting tidbits added for many. There is
also a wealth of information about hard rock and heavy metal in general.
Popoff obviously has done his research and it is evident that he has a
love for the genre himself. If that's not enough to wet your metal palate,
a 19 track cd sampler is included with the book. From Accept to Zebra it's
all here. Raise thy metal fist into the air and bang your head! (5
stars)
10. Cash: The Autobiography-Johnny Cash w/ Patrick
Carr (432 pp.) 1997.
Johnny Cash is a country music
legend. The "Man in Black" has been to hell and back during his historical
career and lifetime. A brilliant recording career has been interrupted
at various times by addiction, health issues and personal tragedy. He is
a survivor in the truest sense and at the same time a great story teller.
It almost feels like you are sitting with Cash on his back porch as he
weaves tale after tale about his life and career. Well worth looking into.
(4.5 stars)
11. Clapton!-Ray Coleman (361 pp.) 1985.
Eric Clapton has been called
one of the greatest guitar players of his time. His place in music history
is firmly intact after playing with super groups such as Cream, Blind Faith
and Derek and the Dominos. He has also had a long and successful solo career
with many hit recordings. Clapton has also struggled with alcoholism and
heroin addiction and Coleman does a good job of relating to the reader
Clapton's personal demons. Now clean and sober Clapton has dedicated much
time and money for drug and alcohol tratment centers.There are also over
50 awesome photos in the book. Musical tidbit: Clapton and Cream were inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in (4 stars)
12. Crazy From The Heat-David Lee Roth (358
pp.) 1997.
You have to say one thing about
David Lee Roth: he sure is one arrogant SOB. He can also tell a story like
no other person offering up many of his "Daveisms". Putting that aside,
Roth also happened to be the lead singer of successful rock group Van Halen
before egos and musical differences split the group up. If you can tolerate
Dave's habit of going off on tangents this could be a decent read for some.
I couldn't...
Musical tidbit: Roth toured with another ex-Van Halen
singer Sammy Hagar in 2002. (1.5 stars)
13. Crosby, Stills and Nash-Zimmer Diltz (301
pp.) 1984, Revised 2000.
Crosby, Stills and Nash are
considered to be innovators in the world of music with their beautifully
sounding harmony vocals and strong song writing abilities. Their first
album became a very important part of the political atmosphere in America
when it was released in 1969. Diltz has done an excellent job of following
each artist from their childhoods through their successful careers. David
Crosby is lucky to be alive after years of substance abuse but has thrived
as a solo artist. In fact a liver transplant was necessary for his life
to continue. Both Stephen Stills and Graham Nash also have had great success
as solo artists as well. A wealth of information about this important group
and some incredible photos make this book a necessary read. Musical tidbit:
Jerry Garcia of Grateful Dead fame played steel guitar on the classic CSN
track "Teach Your Children". (5 stars)
14. Dream On: Livin' on the Edge with Steven Tyler-
Cyrinda Fox Tyler and Danny Fields (261 pp.) 1997.
Cyrinda Fox was a regular on
the New York city circuit in the 1970's when she met and married Steven
Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith. Unfortunately, she also married his drug
and alcohol addictions. Fox shares her thoughts on life with Tyler and
focuses on the toll that fame, fortune and drug abuse had on their relationship.
Musical tidbit: Fox died in 2002 after succumbing to inoperable cancer
with Steven Tyler paying for many of her expenses. (3
stars)
15. The Def Leppard Story-Dave Dickson (234
pp.) 1995.
Def Leppard were one of the first bands to come out of
the New Wave of British Heavy Metal Band(NWOBHM) era. Their landmard album
"Pyromania" went on to sell over 17 million copies making it one of the
top selling recordings of all time. Their career has beem marred by tragedy
though. Drummer Rick Allen lost an arm due a severe car crash though he
courageously still plays with the band today. He has also had bouts with
alcoholism and domestic violence. Original guitarist Pete Willis was asked
to leave the group in 1982 due to his alcoholism and most devastating was
the death of guitarist Steve "Steamin'"
Clark from alcohol poisoning. Def Leppard's success was
a labor of love and Dickson does a good job showing the ups and downs that
the group has endured. Musical tidbit: Def Leppard released the cd "X"
in the year 2002.(4 stars)
16. Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock-John
Enarson (287 pp.) 2001.
Considering the talented song
writing and musicianship of many country rock bands its surprising the
genre never really caught on with the buying public. Many of the bands
discussed in this book (Poco, Byrds, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) had some degree
of success but weren't considered mega sellers. They developed a strong
fan base but were never considered heavyweight bands in the music business.
Groups though like The Eagles did obtain mega stardom but it can be argued
that their music became more pop/rock oriented when they hit their peak
with the huge selling "Hotel California". The origin of the country rock
movement is a fascinating one filled with many unheralded groups and performers(check
out Gram Parsons). The fact that these groups stuck to their beliefs and
styles when the genre was not at the forefront of the musical
climate is admirable. You can tell that the return of "alternative-country"
in the 1990's is heavily influenced by the original country rockers of
the 1970's. Enarson completely covers the history of country rock and is
able to show it's importance and significance in musical history. (4.5
stars)
17. A Drink With Shane McGowan-Shane McGowan
and Victoria Mary Clark (359 pp.) 2001.
Irishman Shane McGowan is best
known as the co-founder of the Irish band The Pogues. The book is a series
of questions that his wife Victoria Mary Clark asked Shane about his life
and career. One thing that stands out is Shane grew up in an alcoholic
family and has not broken the cycle of addiction as he fancys his drink.
Some parts of the book are interesting but alot of Shane's answers are
drawn out and make for slow reading. Clark also doesn't always ask the
most interesting questions either. (2.5 stars)
18. Dancing With Demons: The Authorized Biography
of Dusty Springfield-Penny Valentine and Vicki Wickham (306 pp.) 2000.
I didn't know much about Dusty
Springfield before I read this book. Springfield was a successful British
pop singer who scored quite a few hits including "I Only Want To Be With
You" and "Son of a Preacherman". Springfield also suffered from some serious
mental health issues during her life hence the title of the book. This
led to severe depression, insomnia, insecurities and alcoholism which all
had a toll on her life and career. A up close and personal look at her
life and her struggles with her own demons. Springfield died on March 2,
1999. (3.5 stars)
19. Encyclopedia of Albums-Michael Heatley,
Paul Lester and Chris Roberts (255 pp.) 1998.
Authors list (in their opinions)
in alphabetical order 1000 "best" albums of all time. Some of the selections
ring true with artists such as U2("Under A Blood Red Sky") and Black Sabbath("Paranoid")
getting a nod. Then you get Boston(Third Stage) and Blondie(Eat To The
Beat)? Maybe Boston's classic first album but Blondie? I think the authors
have put some personal bias into their selections which is bound to happen.
If I came up with a list of my own a lot of my selections would be based
on personal music preferences. Some neat album(yes vinyl, not cd) cover
photos and write-ups though. (2.5 stars)
20. Free Birds: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Story-Marley
Brant (256pp.) 2002.
Lynyrd Skynyrd epitomized the
genre of music known as southern rock. Constant touring resulted in success
and a hardcore following. The big time was right around the corner when
tragedy struck. On October 20, 1977 the plane that was carrying the band
to a concert crashed killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve
Gaines, singer Cassie Gaines, manager Dean Kilpatrick and roadies John
Gray and Walter McClary. The surviving band members courageously continued.
Gary Rossington and Allen Collins formed the Rossington-Collins band with
other Skynyrd musicians while Artimus Pyle formed All Points Bulletin.
Skynyrd did reform with all the original surviving members except for drummer
Artimus Pyle. They added lead singer Johnnie Van Zant(brother of Donnie)
and valiantly carried on the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd and southern rock.
Bad luck and bad habits continued to follow Allen Collins though. His wife
died from illness and he was paralyzed after a drunk driving accident.
He eventually died on January 23, 1990 from complications due to pnemonia
and alcoholism. Bassist Leon Wilkerson died in 2001 from cirrohsis of the
liver after living in the fast lane for too many years. Skynyrd carries
on today but with only two original members remaining: Gary Rossington
and keyboardist Billy Powell. Author Brant has done an excellent job of
sharing the importance and legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Information gathered
has been based on one to one interviews with Skynyrd members, family, friends,
and fans. There are also many never seen before photos of the group. Long
live southern rock... (5 stars)
21. Free
At Last: The Story of Free and Bad Company -
Steven Rosen
(224 pp.) 2001.
Free were innovators on the
British blues rock scene of the late 1960's and early 70's. Turn on any
classic rock station and sooner than later you will hear their trademark
song "All Right Now". Many groups list Free as major influences on their
own careers including the Who and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Constant touring which
led to burnout and out of control drug use by guitarist Paul Kossoff led
to a premature end for this music group. Kossoff went on to form the much
hyped but unsuccessful Backstreet Crawler before his death due to overdose.
Lead singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke formed one of the best
classic rock groups of all time: Bad Company. Bad Company recorded many
classics and toured constantly during the 1970's. Rodgers(who lived the
hard life of a rock star himself) has not always been the easiest lead
singer to work with and he left the group for a solo career. He was replaced
by singer Brian Howe and they became a shadow of their former selves. Time
(and the need for money) heals old wounds as the band reunited in 1999
and still tour today. (4 stars)