Music Biographies

[CK]

I love a good read about music and there is such a wide variety out there, ranging from beautifully written and accurate (where there is information supported first hand by the artist prior or subsequent) to awful (where long discarded myths are repeated as fact, poorly written or just plain hard to read), so wondered the sorts that people can recommend or bin?

Some of the best ones I've read are:

Glenn Wheatley's "Paper Paradise": starkly honest about the financial side; has some corking stories about Little River Band, which make you wonder how on earth they produced such music among such incredible infighting, and really well written and engaging. The Farnham years are interesting.

Abba's "Bright Lights, Dark Shadows": not one to read overnight, at over 600 pages, but full of information that had the band's full endorsement and support. Blows a couple of long held myths out of the water (the often repeated one that "The Winner Takes It All" was just about a random couple, when its confirmed that it was indeed about the marriage breakups), and looks at the post-ABBA stuff very well. Fantastic reference material.

Crowded House "Something So Strong": Had the band's full support and co-operation also. The stories about Paul Hester are eerie now, in terms of seeing clearly now the demons he had. Wild mood swings and the tale of his departure is both sad and uplifting. Plenty devoted to the final album, "Together Alone", where the troubles began to open. Amazing to read just how much they smoked of certain things - sounds like there was a lot of, in their words, "imbibing and inhaling" going on. Can't recommend more highly.

"To The Limit - the untold story of The Eagles" - Marc Eliot. Eliot, firstly, had a lot of legal trouble even releasing this, after Don Henley withdrew his co-operation from it and tried many times to sue about material he had previously authorised for publication. Great accounts of the days before the band when they were right on the bones, right through to the glory days of "Hotel California" (the album). By "The Long Run", it's plainly obvious it had to end, for their own sanity, as they couldn't stand each other. Some of the accounts of the disagreements are amazing. Brilliantly written.

Some ones never to be read again:

Chrissie Amphlett's biography: Awfully written for one; needed a lot of editing along with way with sentences stretching for lines at a time with no punctuation. An intriguing tale in there, but if I read the phrase "I was a woman in rock" one more time, I was going to throw it across the room. Some stories go on too long, where ones that are pivotal to her relationship with Mark McEntee (to explain just how they produced such music amid such turmoil), are skipped over.

A Simon & Garfunkel one I read about a year ago from a library was just terrible. Keeps harking back to the old chestnut that "You Can Call Me Al" is written about Art Garfunkel, when Paul Simon has said many times, that it's about him and his relationship with Carrie Fisher. Factual errors littered it, with dates being, at times, years out in events and basic typos. Waded through it, hoping it would get better. It didn't.

"The Magic and the Madness - Michael Jackson" - J. Randy Taraborrelli: This one claims to be a definitive biography. I sincerely hope not. Factual errors galore in it and it reads like a 683 (yes, that's right) page National Enquirer. Too many problems to name in this one, to be honest, but sensationalist comes to mind. Written in 2003, but re-released a couple of months back. Avoid if you want the real story.

"Blackbird - The unauthorised biography of Paul McCartney" - Geoffrey Giuliano: The information ranges from spot on to miles off. Giuliano claims to be one of the definitive Beatles biographers but constantly contradicts his own information in other books. Recounts a startling amount of first person accounts, with quotes, from events he could not possibly have been at, blames Yoko Ono for every event that ever occurred with the Beatles and is too critical at times of the solo work of McCartney. The other thing that stands out in all of his books - he has a wildly unhealthy fascination with Jo Jo Laine, the wife of Denny Laine from Wings. The passages on her are uncomfortable for their "praise" and she is made to sound a combination of Carole King for musical talent and Angelina Jolie for seductiveness. Plainly get tired of reading about her in books that don't even involve Wings.


Over to the panel - would love to know some out there to read, and some to avoid.

[Pseudo]

Reckon something like this might have been discussed before, but cannot be @rsed searching for it.

I'll stick in a good word about "The Love You Make" by Peter Brown; an insider's look at the Beatles.

[Interceptor]

Without being much of a fan, I found Motley Crue's 'The Dirt:Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band ' a guilty pleasure.

[southee]

Chrissy Amplett from the Divinyls - Great read. Gives a good insight to the music industy of the 1980's and 1990's in Australia. Especially from a female artists perspetive. 8/10

No Certainty attached - Steve Kilbey (The Church) - Very good read. Written by a fan but he spent time with Kilbey and band members, friends, producers etc... Great read into the mind of one of the most complex characters of Aussie psychedelic rock. 7.5/10

The Dirt - Motley Crue - One of the best reads I have read. Crazy, self indulgent times to the excesses. Movie will be made at some stage. Spinal Tap but real!!!! 9.5/10

[Dogwatcher]

This thread leads me to question when Leaping Lindner is

A) Going to show up,

and

B) Write a book about the Aussie music scene (I'll be your proof reader LL!)

[blink]

Best music autobiography I have ever read is Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis.

Heavily features details his drug addiction (which incidently began at the age of 12), which inspired some of RHCP greatest songs. You get the feeling from reading it that Kiedis has left nothing from his shady past out of the book, nor glossed over anything...a great read.

[Leaping Lindner]

This thread leads me to question when Leaping Lindner is

A) Going to show up,

and

B) Write a book about the Aussie music scene (I'll be your proof reader LL!)

Hello!!

A few I've read off the top of my head....

Please Kill Me (about the formative days of the US punk scene - BRILLIANT)
England's Dreaming (about the rise of UK punk - didn't enjoy as much as please kill me but still pretty good)
Some band ones I've read are...
Radio Birdman
The Buzzcocks
The Stranglers
XTC - Chalkhills and Children
The Clash - Last Gang in Town
The Clash - Fashion is a passion
Joe Strummer - Redemption Song

Of those Fashion is a Passion and Chalkhills and Children I found the best.

Have also read Billy Thorpe's two books. Whilst a good read I found myself thinking he has a very good memory or a very good imagination. And for what it worth Billy the 60's Aztecs weren't that good!
Also read Sorry The Stevie Wright story and found myself wanting to like him but ultimately thinking he was a bit of a dickhead.

DW was/still am planning a book on the Adelaide scene from the late 70's to the early 90's but am waiting til a forthcoming doco is released to see how much that covers. You'll be #1 on the list of proof readers when I do!

[Dogwatcher]

Yeah, I enjoyed Billy Thorpe's books. However, I agree there were a few liberties taken.

Still getting through this Suzie Q yarn and am getting more annoyed with it as I go along.
I'm not overly interested in her debating over and over again about leaving her husband Len.
I want to know what it meant to be a woman in a man's world. It's covered glibly at various points.
Plus, the editors need a good kick in the butt, there are so many spelling mistakes or misused words it's not funny.

LL - thanks for having me on the list

[southee]

Other I have and read :

It is written Baby - Dave Graney...more poetry than biography. Good laugh though.
Wild Boy - Andy Taylor (guitarist from Duran Duran) ...great read. Excesses of the 80's shine though!!! Crazy times.
Gene Simmons Biography - Not that great. Does not go deep enough in too the KISS world and a bit self indulgent as only Gene can be!!!
Don Felder from the Eagles - Heaven and Hell ...really good read. Still seems very bitter about his departure from the Eagles.
Iggy Pop - have not read as yet.
Andy Summers - guitarist from the Police. Good read so far...yet to finish

Anyone out there that can recommend a bio from THE SMITHS???

[Dogwatcher]

I've got that Iggy Pop one and it's pretty good.
I enjoyed it more than the two Motley Crue ones that were published.

[SABRE]

Andy Summers - guitarist from the Police. Good read so far...yet to finish

Surprised you haven't finished this one 'southee'.
If it's anything like their songs, there'll only be one line, repeated over and over ad nauseum.

Massage in a brothel, massage in a brothel, massage in a brothel X 2 bloody million !
Still can't believe they actually got paid for all that crap. Daylight robbery.
Someone call the real Police !

[southee]

Andy Summers - guitarist from the Police. Good read so far...yet to finish

Surprised you haven't finished this one 'southee'.
If it's anything like their songs, there'll only be one line, repeated over and over ad nauseum.

Massage in a brothel, massage in a brothel, massage in a brothel X 2 bloody million !
Still can't believe they actually got paid for all that crap. Daylight robbery.
Someone call the real Police !

Sabre....De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da ....is all I want to say too you!!

[ORDoubleBlues]

Love "Divided Soul" about the life of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz.

[Dogwatcher]

I finished Suzie Quatro - Unzipped last night.

I actually wish I'd stopped reading it after Stumblin' In became a hit.
The last 150 pages are dead set boring. She provides insight into her emotions but shows no emotional depth.
She meets famous people but tells us nothing about them.

Sample of last 150 pages:

"Len and I argued. Decided I have to leave. Don't. We go on another Australian tour, I saw my mum's ghost."

"Len and I argued. Decided I have to leave. Don't. We go on another Japanese tour, I saw my mum's ghost."

"Len and I argued. Decided I have to leave. Don't. We go on another European tour, I saw my mum's ghost.Met my next husband."

Really annoying.

To top it off, she makes a big deal about developing a friendship with John Laws. Andddddd writes a song about the twat.

Where was the sex and drugs and rock n roll?

[zipzap]

Without being much of a fan, I found Motley Crue's 'The Dirt:Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band ' a guilty pleasure.

I don't like them at all but for some reason I've always wanted to get that book...can't bring myself to do it...maybe with a Christmas voucher

I think this thread's been done before but my favourite biog would be Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of The Beach Boy's Brian Wilson. An incredible read.

[Cambridge Clarrie]

Without being much of a fan, I found Motley Crue's 'The Dirt:Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band ' a guilty pleasure.

I don't like them at all but for some reason I've always wanted to get that book...can't bring myself to do it...maybe with a Christmas voucher

I think this thread's been done before but my favourite biog would be Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of The Beach Boy's Brian Wilson. An incredible read.

Never been a fan of their music. In fact, didn't know who Mick Mars and Vince Neil were until I read it. It was leant to me by a music guru friend of mine (no, not Molly) who told me it gave a brilliant insight to the world of unrestrained rock and roll egos. The book did not disappoint. Could not put it down...

[CK]

Just reading "Together Alone", the story of Neil and Tim Finn. Indepth, but not as "comfortable" as "Something So Strong", the Crowded House biography. A shade too clinical, for two men with a very intriguing relationship as brothers, in terms of how their creativity works together in conflict (this may not make sense, but fans may know what I mean).

Just finished as much as I could of a horrible Mick Hucknall biography. Despite being written mid 90's, reduces "A New Flame" and "Stars" to the space normally reserved for discussing a B-side of the fourth single from an album. Hucknall, unfortunately, comes across as a boring man with a boring life.

[Rik E Boy]

Not one for Leaping Lindy of course but if you are into Zeppelin Mick Wall's 'When Giants Walked the Earth' shades Steve Davis' 'Hammer of the Gods' although both are a good read.

But Lindy knows Punk wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for the reaction against a bloated Zeppelin (and others of course) veering crazily off course in the late 70's.

regards,

REB

[Leaping Lindner]

Not one for Leaping Lindy of course but if you are into Zeppelin Mick Wall's 'When Giants Walked the Earth' shades Steve Davis' 'Hammer of the Gods' although both are a good read.

But Lindy knows Punk wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for the reaction against a bloated Zeppelin (and others of course) veering crazily off course in the late 70's.

regards,

REB

Forever grateful Rik E Boy $40 to go to a stadium or $1 to go to your local pub.

[Leaping Lindner]

Just reading "Together Alone", the story of Neil and Tim Finn. Indepth, but not as "comfortable" as "Something So Strong", the Crowded House biography. A shade too clinical, for two men with a very intriguing relationship as brothers, in terms of how their creativity works together in conflict (this may not make sense, but fans may know what I mean).

Just finished as much as I could of a horrible Mick Hucknall biography. Despite being written mid 90's, reduces "A New Flame" and "Stars" to the space normally reserved for discussing a B-side of the fourth single from an album. Hucknall, unfortunately, comes across as a boring man with a boring life.

"God" talking to Tony Wilson (Factory Records) From "24 Hour Party People" about Mick Hucknell....

"It's a pity you didn't sign the Smiths, but you were right about Mick Hucknell. His music's rubbish, and he's a ginger."