The Rock and Roll Reader’s Guide: A Comprehensive Guide to Books by & About Musicians and their Music

Here’s a music reference book I don’t look at all that often, but which I’m grateful to own. I picked it up on a trip to New York several years ago, at which time I was not even aware that it existed (if I hadn’t found it during that trip, I’m pretty sure I’d still be unaware of its presence). Published by Billboard Books ten years ago, it is, as per its title, a reference guide to books on popular music. In a way it’s like the Christgau’s Record Guide of rock reads. Now, I admit that it’s thus far the only book about music books I’ve even heard of, but if there are others out there, I’d be hard pressed to believe that they’re anywhere near this extensive or well-organized. I don’t see a head count anywhere of how many books are actually reviewed, but the thing is 411 pages long, so I’ll take a stab and say there are probably around 4,000 reviews, and hundreds of other titles listed. The range of books covered is also commendably broad. I’ve yet to come across any serious omissions (in terms of the artists covered), and if one of the parameters of a useful “guide” type of book is the number of one-shots and weirdos and obscurities covered, Krebs catalog doesn’t disappoint: Pantera, Wolfman Jack, La Toya Jackson, Kansas, Deacon Blue, and Debby Boone all warrant their own sub-sections.

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