I was a long time reader of The Word. It always seemd to me to be about the most literary of the music magazines, and was disappointed when it closed. Reading Mark Ellen’s “Rock Stars ‘Stole My L
ife‘” some of the reasons become apparent. Magazine publishing is clearly as harsh a world as music, and equally fascinating from the outside. This is a post I should have done ages ago, suggesting some books about music, musicians and all related matters that might appeal to you. And the first recommendation is Ellen’s book, particularly the audio version which he narrates himself.
A Word In Your Ear is the podcast that has Ellen and his co-creator of The Word magazine David Hepworth interviewing authors about their books on music. During the current unpleasantness they have been conducting it from their attics and cupboards and the format has become looser. There is a huge archive of old shows which you should certainly sample.
Second recommendation is for anything writen by David Hepworth. His books are always thought provoking. His quiz book is fiendishly difficult, but worth persevering with. The last chapters or epilogues of many of his books are where he sums up his views on his subject, and would make a great book on their own. His next one about the British invasion is out in September. The only one I haven’t read is the one that suggests 1971 as the best year in Rock. Well I was only 6 so I’m not sure I was taking much notice. Find Hepworth’s books
here.
Just about everyone is publishing their memoirs these days. My favourite is still Thomas Dolby’s
“Speed Of Sound”. A fascinaiting insght into a life you would never have guessed. Chris Difford of Squeeze has written “
Some Fantastic Place” which is a bit self serving in places, a frend who worked with his Squeeze partner Glenn Tillbrook paints a rather different picture, but it is another good portrait of “my” era in the early 80s. I’m looking forward to reading Will Birch’s
biography of Nick Lowe for the same reason. “
Let the Good Times Roll” by Kenney Jones, of (Small) Faces, and Who fame is one to approach with caution. He spends as much time talking about his new life in Polo as he does on music, and seems typical of that generation of musicians who “made it” and have little clue about the real world.
Many of these and others are also on audiobooks, and that is my chosen way of consuming them. Much of the, “and then we went on tour, made an album, got divorced, got sober, and found enlightenment” type bio come alive when read by the protagonist.
And a last point. After reading and listening to many books about Miles Davis I can’t find anything that truly sums up the man. Anything by Ashley Kahn on Jazz is usually great but even he fails to
capture what it was that made Miles unique. Good reason to read some more then.
One of the reasons for the lengthy gap in posts, apart from work picking up and the need to earn a living, is that Blogger has modernised itself and become nearly impossible to use. Fear not I have mastered it and will be back soon.
