Kimbabig Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Hey Everyone! I'm hoping to find some new reading material, and I figured you'd all have some good opinions on the subject. The book can be an instruction manual for an instrument, music theory book, biography or a band/musician/composer, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Paul Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I'm pretty sure you can buy it off his website, "Brian May's Red Special". All about his guitar that he and his Dad built togerther early '60's. Excellent read and the last chapter is all about the time he played the National Anthem on the roof of Buck Palace for the Queen's 50th Jubilee (the real Queen, Betty Winsor, not the band I mean...lol). I've just bought one of his guitars so I got the book thrown in free. Top read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 My favorite (auto)biography is Miles about Miles Davis. My favorite instructional book is The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine which is generally considered the bible by jazz musicians, even though there are many who take exception to certain parts/concepts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Last two books I read were Slash's and Eric Clapton's biographies. Both very insightful. If you want theory, The Heavy Guitar Bible is one. Another is Wayne Krantz's OS for Guitarists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody78 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Just finished reading Sunburst: How the Gibson Les Paul Standard Became a Legendary Guitar by Tony Bacon, which was a really interesting read with lots about both the instrument and players. Also in the last month I've read and recommend any of the following; Gibson's Fabulous Flat-Top Guitars: An Illustrated History by Eldon Whitford and David Vinopal; The Gibson Electric Guitar Book by Walter Carter; Gibson Super 400: Art of the Fine Guitar by Thomas A.Van Hoose The Gibson ES 175 by Adrian Ingham (a bit badly edited and written in places, but lots of info) Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young (his 1st book) As you may have noticed I've been reading loads about Gibson! My all time favourites are; Gibson Electrics - The Classic Years by A.R. Duchossoir; Gibson Les Paul Book by Tony Bacon & Paul Day. In terms of music notation I've been working on; Jazz Improvisation for Guitar by Garrison Fewell; Joe Pass Virtuoso Standards Book; Some I always go back to for practise are; Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine; The Real Book; Reading Studies for Guitar(both editions)by William Leavitt Pumping Nylon by Scott Tenant And any Trinity (UK) books are useful & have pieces recommended to learn via their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 "Waiting for the Sun: A Rock n' Roll History of Los Angeles" and "Hotel California", both by Barney Hoskyns are a good read..... Then of course there is "Hammer Of The Gods" by Stephen Davis.... "I Can't Be Satisfied - the Life and Times of Muddy Waters" by Robert Gordon... "Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf" by J Segrest and M Hoffman.... And many, many more..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I am currently listening to Pete Townshend reading his own Auto-Bio "Who I Am" on my Ipod. He has a lot of homo and bi issued. One thing he said was Mick Jagger was the only man he wanted to F-uCk. I felt like I need to take a shower after hearing that. Ever listen to the song "Rough Boys"? I think everyone had a clue then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 One book that I remember from my youth was Diary of a Rock & Roll Star by Ian Hunter. I don't know if it's still available, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Beneath the Underdog by Charles Mingus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 "Waiting for the Sun: A Rock n' Roll History of Los Angeles" and "Hotel California", both by Barney Hoskyns are a good read..... Then of course there is "Hammer Of The Gods" by Stephen Davis.... "I Can't Be Satisfied - the Life and Times of Muddy Waters" by Robert Gordon... "Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf" by J Segrest and M Hoffman.... And many, many more..... I read Hammer.... years ago and thought it was entertaining. I've read Gordon on Muddy and enjoyed that. I'm a really big Wolf fan and was really looking forward to Segrest and Hoffman's book when I read that it was in the works. I was really disappointed. It read more like a list of facts about Wolf's life and career; good material, but poor presentation. But, if you're a Wolf fan, I know of no other biography devoted to the guy, so it's a must-read. I almost forgot; Greil Marcus' Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession is extremely entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Jaco: The Extraordinary and the Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius, "the World's Greatest Bass Player" That's the name of the best book I ever read on understanding manic depression and thee hell it puts people through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly campbell Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I have read two biographies that I enjoyed one was mentioned before and that is Clapton the other is My Cross to Bear: Gregg Allman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Jaco: The Extraordinary and the Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius, "the World's Greatest Bass Player" That's the name of the best book I ever read on understanding manic depression and thee hell it puts people through. Thanks for bringing that book to my attention. I need to read that... interesting period in the NY music scene, amazing talent, tragic end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 "Spinning Blues Into Gold " by Nadine Cohodas is a good history of Chess records.... "In A Silent Way - A Portrait of Joe Zawinul" by Brian Glasser is the biography of that fine musician.... "All The Rage" by the late Ian Mclagan is a great read, as is "Backstage Passes and Backstabbing B*st*rds" by Al Kooper... "Jimi Hendrix: A Brother's Story" by Leon Hendrix is quite an eye-opener..... "Django Reinhardt" by Charles Delaunay is old now and translated from the French but an excellent read..... There are music biographies of almost anybody you care to name these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Two music books I recently read and enjoyed were.. Blind Owl blues - about Alan Wilson of Canned Heat and A Very Irregular Head: The Life of Syd Barrett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon S. Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 "Chronicles" by Bob Dylan is a fun read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReGuitar Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Hello, I have this one. Here's a review. Best Regards Re Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. C.O. Jones Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 No One Here Gets Out Alive by Danny Sugerman, Jerry Hopkins Dear friend of mine gave me this book one day, and I loved it. I have to read it again someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Back in the '50s and early '60s I read a few paperback novels on musicians' road lives and such... cultural behaviors... But I only have a few music-related books, excluding "songbooks" per se. As a primer for overall guitar playing I still think the "Folksinger's Guitar Guide" is a classic that does a great job of an overall playing concept for the instrument. Lomax's "Folk Songs of North America" is just about worn out, and that's a hardbound. Somewhere in a box is John Jacob Niles' ballad book. Not so much into bios to read a book on a musician; more likely to have had books with songs/chords I'd be likely to do myself. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Jaco: The Extraordinary and the Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius, "the World's Greatest Bass Player" That's the name of the best book I ever read on understanding manic depression and thee hell it puts people through. I've got to check this one out. When I would go for jazz competitions my instructor forced me to learn Jaco's lines with my left hand and then ad lib solos with my right. It did two things for me: 1) it really made me rethink how I played jazz piano, and 2) it gave a good idea of Jaco's true genius. He was out of this world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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