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Music Books

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This dropped through the letter-box this morning. He seems to be a witty, articulate and politically engaged guy, so it should make interesting reading.
 
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I picked this up in Bath a couple of weeks back - gives a couple of pages each to flesh out the backgrounds and best performances of about 300 jazz standards. Quite a nice book to dip into when the feeling takes.....

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Just finished 'Scar Tissue' (Anthony Kiedis biography),its quite a fast read,I enjoyed it.

I was going to say the last book I read that wasn't fiction was Danny Sugerman's 'No one here gets out Alive' but I now think this may have been the last book I read that wasn't fiction :eek: 16 years ago!

Apols if this has already been mentioned upthread, but Mark Lanegan‘s memoirs, Sing Backwards and Weep is blooming’ brilliant. Half “music book”, half journey to the brink of everything, its really well written and brutally honest. Worth the admission fee for the chapter on Liam Gallagher alone.

Now that would interest me being a fan of Mark Lanegan, I must see if they have it or I can order it in the library.
 
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Velocity press is a good browse for all things electronic, got the following 3 books coming for my Xmas

https://velocitypress.uk/product/tape-leaders-book/

Tape Leaders is a richly illustrated A-Z compendium featuring over 100 composers active with tape and electronics in the analogue era. Containing information never previously uncovered, it shines a fresh light on many sound experimenters unacknowledged in the history of British electronic music. First published by Sound On Sound Magazine in 2016, this is the first time it’s been available outside their shop.

Tape Leaders is available as a hardback and the 224 pages are printed and bound on heavyweight 130gsm paper. The specially compiled 15 track CD of mainly unreleased early British tape and synthesizer works is exclusive to the Velocity Press shop. Please note that postage & packing is charged separately.

https://velocitypress.uk/product/synthesizer-evolution-book/

Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back) celebrates the impact of synths on music and culture by providing a comprehensive and meticulously researched directory of every major synthesizer, drum machine and sampler made between 1963 and 1995. Each featured instrument is illustrated by hand and shown alongside its vital statistics and some fascinatingly quirky facts. The 128 page book is 23cm x 17.4 cm in size and printed and bound on heavyeight 130gsm matt art paper.


https://velocitypress.uk/product/daft-punk-discovery-book/

Daft Punk’s Discovery is a homage to a fascinating, troubled beast of an album that casts a huge shadow over the 21st Century. It’s a global view of Discovery as a cultural phenomenon, placing the album at the centre of celebrity culture, fan clubs, video, the music business etc., while also examining its profound musical impact.

https://bleep.com/stream/all-books

Bleep is a brill music store with loads of books

And finally you may be lucky with an online search for this tribute to Andrew Weatherall, a brilliant book for a brilliant man, very sadly missed by all who had the pleasure of meeting him.

https://jockeyslut.ochre.store/merch/210070-andrew-weatherall-a-jockey-slut-tribute

Andrew Weatherall was the acid house generation’s most inspiring DJ and producer, renowned for his work on Primal Scream’s epoch-defining ‘Screamadelica’ and his own bands Sabres Of Paradise and Two Lone Swordsmen. As a DJ he was peerless and unpredictable, helming club nights that played techno, rockabilly or music that “never knowingly exceeded 122 bpm.”

Weatherall featured in seminal dance music and club magazine Jockey Slut many times during its lifetime, from 1993 to 2004. All his interviews from the publication are included within this tribute to The Guv’nor. Further articles cover the tenure of his professional life from the mid-80s to 2020. They include his beginnings at the influential Boy’s Own fanzine, his DJ sets at landmark nights Shoom and Sabresonic, and the plethora of ventures he still had running including the Woodleigh Research Project, A Love From Outer Space and the festival Convenanza.
 
Another good read is Tim Burgess : The Listening Party Book, I’m working my way through the 100 covered albums on Tidal and reading along with the book, found albums that I think are great that I wouldn’t normally listen to

https://timstwitterlisteningpartyshop.com/product/tims-twitter-listening-party-book/


Musicians and music fans have had a tough time during the pandemic. The sense of community and connection we all look for when we go to live gigs disappeared for many months, and it still doesn’t feel we are back where we would like to be. When the going gets tough it’s a time for the creative to get inventive. Tim Burgess, frontman of the Charlatans had first come up with the idea of bringing people together by hosting listening parties in 2011. Using Twitter as a platform, people could follow the tracks of a chosen album in real time, sharing tweets from the musicians involved. It took on a new life and energy in March 2020 as lockdown changed all our lives.

As the idea caught on, the momentum grew, and what was planned to be a once a week event snowballed. Musicians and artists were understandably keen to get involved and host listening parties. Time to listen and reflect threw up some interesting responses. Twitter saw what was happening and created a special Tim-emoji. The world joined in. The media hailed it as an ‘internet phenomenon’. Soon there were three parties a night and up to six each day at a weekend. A great idea just got better.

This book, The Listening Party, relives 100 of those parties, selected by Tim Burgess, including a foreword by Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs (Oasis) and an intro from Pete Paphides. It’s a fascinating record (no pun intended) of a very special response to a difficult time, and has to be one of the best uses of social media ever. The book keeps the party going. There are surprises and revelations from those who were there and involved in the process of making the music. You can dip in and out, enjoy the photos (so many, so young!), relive the memories and be inspired to listen to the music once more. Look out for Tim’s Thoughts too, bringing you even more insights.

Books, like music, can capture a time in a physical form. The albums in this selection range across decades and music genres. It isn’t all about nostalgia. The chosen albums come right up to date with new 2020 releases from artists as varied as Shirley Collins, Nadine Shah, Ghostpoet, Kylie and Paul McCartney. There are some legendary albums featured too of course, Closer by Joy Division, The Smiths Strangeways Here We Come, Culture Club’s Colour By Numbers, Duran Duran’s Rio, Oasis’ Definitely Maybe, David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane. I was thrilled to see Joan as Policewoman’s Real Life included and the Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas. Beginning with the Charlatans 1990 album, Some Friendly on 23 March 2020, the selection finishes with Fatboy Slim’s 1998 release You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby. There’s something for everyone, old favourites and new discoveries.
 
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I saw these guys at End of the Road festival a few years back and they played a DJ set quite unlike anything I have ever witnessed. If this book is half as wild, it will be a great read.

On pre-order at Sounds of the Universe now.

Just finished reading that, and hugely enjoyed it.
Will appeal to music nerds of most stripes.
 
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1789521610/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

I'll give this a plug as the author is an acquaintance of mine. If you have "Voices in the Dunes" and Edgar's book, there's not much in the way of revelations but a couple of interesting exclusive interviews with ex-TD'ers Steve Joliffe and Steve Schroyder. If you have neither of those books then it's a good overview of the band in their 70s heyday (and a bit cheaper).
 
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This is a frustrating book in many ways. While it's a decent overview of Johns’s career, it flies about all over the place. He's obviously reluctant to 'tell tales' on any of his famous charges and the amount of technical information is minimal. It could also do with an editor. But Johns is such an important part of the history of Rock music, it's a pretty essential read.

It was quite interesting to read his (brief) comments on the Let it Be sessions in the light of the Jackson film though.

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Stephen
 
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Admirers of top guitarists in rock/session musicians will probably love "The Gospel According to Luke" by Steve Lukather. One of my best buys in last 2 years.
 


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