Books That Rock : Good Reads
In the world of rock and roll, several themes seem to dominate. Artist / band has big dreams, struggles to make it, either does or does not make it big, faces adversity. But whether they are a big success or never reach stardom, every story is unique. Whether the end result is tragedy, triumph, or somewhere in between, these are our picks for some of the best rock and roll books of recent years.
Please also visit our classic and new vinyl recommendations – records that we think belong in any enthusiasts collection. At the end of the day, what is written about an artist is less important than the work they leave behind, although it is always insightful to try to understand the lives behind the music.
Books We Have Read
Also Recommended
Trouble Boys : The True Story of the Replacements
by Bob Mehr
Were the Replacements a great band? That truly depends on how you gauge greatness in a band – did they do something completely different? Not really, although they blended punk, pop and rock in a unique style that was all their own. Did they do something better than anyone else? Well they definitely took rock star excess to a high level, but this shouldn’t define them musically. Did they achieve success and fame? Only in retrospect – in their time, they struggled to fit into a music industry that didn’t know what to do with iconoclasts.
The career of the Replacements could often be seen as a careening roller-coaster filled with highs and lows, self-destruction being a key component of their story. The fact that they were able to hold it together for as long as they did, even through the tragedy of Bob Stinson’s death, was a testament to perseverance despite lack of financial or critical reward.
“We happened to … like all of the funky quirks of the classic rock bands – the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Ramones,” notes Paul Westerberg in the epilogue to the book. “We didn’t have the things that made those bands huge; we had the thing that made them infamous and decadent and, perhaps, great.”
Sad, funny and sometimes heart-breaking, this book is a must-read for those of us who loved this band for what they represented – punk pop rock at it’s sleaziest and most heartfelt.
Also Recommended
Acid for the Children : A Memoir
by Flea
Born into a conservative family in Australia, and raised as a self-described “street rat” in Los Angeles, Michael Peter Balzary, better know by his stage name Flea, has led a roller-coaster life chronicled in this fascinating book. It describes in detail an often confused upbringing that resulted in a contradictory but big-hearted soul who was destined for something greater – although he clearly didn’t have these ambitions early on.
Born in 1962, Flea’s family moved from Australia to New York, where his parent’s split up and he moved in with his mother and musician boyfriend in Los Angeles – the start of his rocky road to rock stardom. His meandering, booze and weed filled life hit a turning point when he met Anthony Kiedis in high school. This partnership led to a lifelong friendship that eventually led to the formation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The book ends at that point, as this is not a history of the band, but more an exploration of his path to redemption through music.
This is not just for fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but is an often moving story of a lost soul finding a path through life through his bond with a kindred spirit and an undying love of music. Inspiring and informative, it offers a deep dive into the backstory of a true artist and fascinating human being.
Get In The Van
by Henry Rollins
Although known mostly now as a spoken word performer and and writer, Henry Rollins has also been a front man (singer?) for the Henry Rollins Band and, more importantly, seminal punk band Black Flag. Although not the first vocalist (he was the fourth) he was definitely the most well known and controversial. While many find him insightful and illuminating, others may just find him whiny and annoying.
However, he has never been boring, and this book contains a lot of well-written documentation of an important period on punk music. Taken from journals and notes from the period 1981 through 1986 during tours with Black Flag, including a lot of “on-the-road” stories and anecdotes; some funny, some historical, and many just ugly.
The first part of the book is more interesting, written in prose form with descriptions of how it all started in the Washington, DC hardcore scene and how he ended up as the front man for Black Flag. The second part is mostly from journal entries, mostly coverage of the touring of the early 80’s from the perspective of a volatile and often depressed Rollins. Not quite a descent into madness, but a tough read anyway. Confrontations abound, whether with police (“pigs”), the audience, or other bands.
Overall, this is a sometimes difficult read, but enlightening. It ain’t easy being in a punk band, but Henry Rollins came out the other side to write about it.
Also Recommended
Stevie Ray Vaughan : Day by Day, Night After Night
by Craig Hopkins
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s life was both triumphant and tragic. Widely considered one of the best blue rock guitarists in history, he battled personal demons throughout most of his career, almost succumbing to alcohol and drug addictions. Having pulled through the darkest period of his life, he was riding high personally and artistically when his life was cut short on August 27, 1990 in a helicopter crash after a dynamic concert with Eric Clapton and others.
Almost 30 years after his death, he remains a guitar icon and hero in the blues community. This is the second book in a series, the first being “His Early Years, 1954-1982”. It describes the day by day life of the artist during his most productive years in great detail. Filled with testimonials from those who knew him best and a huge number of gallery of photographs, it is a great read for anyone, fan or not.
The genuine passion and fire of Stevie Ray Vaughan may never be equaled – he gave a rock intensity to the blues that made him fans all over the world. There is no telling how much more he could have accomplished had he survived to now. There is no doubt he would have made more great music for his millions of fans.
Also Recommended
Heavier Than Heaven : A Biography of Kurt Cobain
by Charles R. Cross
Millions of words have been written on the musical impact and life of Kurt Cobain. 25 years after his tragic death, his legacy is one of genius cut short. Often a contradictory figure, one minute kind and gentle, the next gruff and unapproachable, he suffered through physical and emotional pain that was exacerbated when he was thrust into the glare of international fame.
This book could be considered a definitive biography due to the hundreds of interviews and quotes and excepts from Cobain himself through diary entries, interviews and even suicide notes. It covers his often traumatic upbringing in the working class area of Aberdeen, Washington. Often grim and depressing, his early days formed his outlook of life that was later reflected in his music.
When Cobain and Krist Novoselic formed what would become the band Nirvana in 1987, he was only 20 years old. After a change of drummer, they released their debut album Bleach in 1989 to little fanfare. But in 1991 they signed with Geffen records and released their masterpiece Nevermind.
The book describes in detail Cobain’s tumultuous relationship with Courtney Love in detail, as well as his difficulty adjusting to the attention received after the release of Nevermind. Credited with propelling the “grunge” (or Seattle) sound into the consciousness of the musical world, he (and others) also had to deal with the inevitable backlash. The weight of all this attention became crushing and debilitating, culminating in his death in 1994.
Cobain’s career only lasted 6 years, but his impact is lasting and deep. There have been some criticisms of this book as too intrusive or colored through the lens of Courtney Love’s inputs – but it can’t be disputed that this is a life worth great detail in the telling, both as a tribute and cautionary tale.
Slash
by Slash, Anthony Bozza
Also Recommended
My Cross To Bear
by Gregg Allman
Books We Will Read
Although we have not yet managed to read these titles, we want to soon. We have attached other reviews and will compile our own when time permits. We are confident based on the subject matter and the outside reviews that these are also among the best rock and roll books you can dive into. Please leave any comments based on your own feedback of these books.
Did you know you don’t have to buy books from Amazon? Sorta thinking Jeff has enough money. Nice piece of advertising. Hope he paid you guys for it.
Well you are correct there – Bezos is already grotesquely rich.
My intent is to promote the books, not advertise Amazon, they don’t really need the help. It’s just that all these books can be found there. I am working on re-directing to another seller, maybe BetterWorld Books. I am mainly doing this site for fun and information, but wouldn’t mind a little income on the way if somebody is going to buy online anyway. I buy a lot of books for Kindle personally, but I always like to go to the used bookstore weekly as well. Thanks, Owen.
Please note that we have moved our book links to another seller. Still working on some of our other product links as we would like to get away from Amazon.
Ace Frehley’s book is a great read too.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1451613954/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_mfSuEb6TNM8J4
Excellent – will add that to the list I will get to reading! Thanks for the feedback.