Following up on his book about the legendary L.A. hit makers The Wrecking Crew, Hartman takes a different tack in this book about LA Rock in the 1970s. He weaves the story around producer Keith Olsen, his studio Sound City, and session guitar [...]
Periodically we hear about wealthy multi-millionaires and billionaires establishing foundations in order to give away substantial chunks of their wealth during their lifetime, or after they pass on. Callahan points out that there is nothing new [...]
John Doe has put together a history of L.A.Punk Music in the 1970s. The contributors include his band-mate Exene Cervenka, Charlotte Caffey, and Jane Weidlin of the Au Go-Go’s, and a half dozen other musicians, music critics, and record [...]
Rhodes has concocted an unusual format for this memoir, which is also in development as a feature film. The chapters are titled as “Tracks,” as one would find on a record album. Each track includes an introductory page that references a specific [...]
Although this is a slim 95-page book, it is essential reading for anyone who cares to explore the roots of the DIY (do it yourself) movement in music. The author sketches the odyssey of the town, which he describes as a rust belt remnant with [...]
Brian Wilson’s memoir is a frank and revealing portrait of a troubled and popular music pioneer. It details his life with an abusive but musically encouraging father, a musical career that starts out with Brian becoming deaf in one ear, and [...]
Author Steven Hyden sets up a series of rivalries between sixteen bands or artists. Some of the rivalries are direct antipathies between such artists as Roger Waters and the other band members of Pink Floyd, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, [...]
Wick’s short novella is the story of Zenny, an aging drummer, who becomes entangled in the contemporary world of rock and roll. The book centers around a charismatic lead singer named Stella, who inspires love on the part of all of her male band [...]
Tracy Farr has written a complex and lyrical novel about the life of an Australian musician who becomes an early exponent of the theremin. Starting out as a pianist and violinist, Lena Gaunt is introduced to the theremin, and becomes an early [...]
Bob Boilen is the long-time host of the NPR Tiny Desk concert series. In this book he introduces us to a variety of musicians whose work he enjoys, and who have appeared on the show. The musicians span a variety of genres, but most typically are [...]
There are a number of books that have been written for do-it-yourselfers who want to utilize the Internet to publicize their projects. Penny Sansevieri’s book offers many detailed options for using platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to stir [...]
Author Ray Robertson is a passionate music fan, and this book contains biographical portraits of thirteen outsider artists who changed modern music. Robertson has listened carefully to most or all of the music by these artists. Some of them are [...]
Despite the title, Hoskyn’s book is centered not on the people listed in the title, but on the legendary Al Grossman. Grossman was an enigmatic manager, who varied between being a benevolent father figure, and a despicable money-grubbing [...]
There are some parallels between Morris’ book, The World We Left Behindand Cheryl Strayed’s bestseller, Wild. Morris is fed up with working for six years as the graveyard shift at a nuclear holding facility. He spends his off-hours drinking and [...]
Violence at rock-and-roll and hip-hop concerts is not entirely unknown, but D. Randall Blythe’s memoir is one of a kind. Blythe is the lead singer in the heavy metal band Lamb of God. This memoir is primarily the story of the aftermath of a show [...]
Like many rock and roll memoirs, Medley’s book details the exciting rise of The Righteous Brothers, followed by a lengthy series of conflicts between Medley and his singing partner Bobby Hatfield. In this recitation, Hatfield is frankly critical [...]
J.A. Friedland is a Franco-American novelist who has taught at a number of American colleges. The author describes his novel as being “loosely autobiographical.” At times the book is engaging and amusing, and at other times it becomes bogged [...]
This is the first book of a lengthy two part memoir that details three years in the lives of a mid-to-late 60s cover band. The author has a nice breezy style of writing, but the amount of detail included is overwhelming. Even the average music [...]
Our Souls at Night is a touching final book by the late novelist Kent Haruf. An elderly couple find new life in forging a relationship that overcomes the small town prejudices of assorted gossips and naysayers. As the book develops, we discover [...]
Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and the recently deceased B. B. King represent the last generation of troubadours, touring relentlessly on their buses. These days, Willie is the senior member of the fraternity, and this book recounts his long and [...]
