Music Writer Roy Carr Has Died Roy Carr’s illustrated records from the seventies (Stones, Beatles, and Bowie all grace my collection) were enormously inspiring to me at a young age–a bridge in many ways to the criticism which eventually took over (really) my life for several years. The Stones book in particular: I think I memorized every page of the thing, from the unbelievable photos … Continue reading Roy Carr
Jerry Hopkins, biographer of Jim Morrison, is dead at 82. Mr. Hopkins produced an eclectic range of work that was largely about rock music but that also included books and articles about exotic food, sex, travel and Hawaiian musical instruments (I never did read No One Here Gets Out Alive, but I certainly recall how big a deal both it and the Doors seemed at … Continue reading Jerry Hopkins (1935-2018)
Via Pitchfork . In a more perfect world where I could actually find time to read several books in one year (or, more precisely, to read several books without almost immediately falling asleep on the couch), there are maybe a handful of titles here that compel investigation (Albertine, Astral Weeks, and MIDI, especially). Continue reading 18 New Music Books to Read This Summer
Release date, Oct. 2, and breathlessly awaited by some (i.e., me). Table of contents is here, and is fetching (“Harmony and Discord,” “Innocence and the Second-Best Pop Album Ever,” “Summer’s Gone, the Endless Summer”). The Beach Boys matter to me enormously–more than the Beatles, more than the Velvets, more than Prince, Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello, and many others (well, at least if “mattering” is best … Continue reading Why the Beach Boys Matter (Tom Smucker)
Stephen Thomas Erlewine at Pitchfork chooses the ten best books about the Beatles, from Philip Norman’s Shout! to Rob Sheffield’s wonderful Dreaming the Beatles. M.I.A. (fully cognizant of the fact that there are probably 25-30 “best” books on the Beatles): Mark Shipper’s Paperback Writer (cf. the back and forth email chat between Richard Riegel and myself on this) Tim Riley’s Tell Me Why (listen to … Continue reading The Best Beatles Books
Two good listens re: “Louie Louie” 1 – “Louie Louie”: The Strange Journey of the Dirtiest Song Never Written (KCRW podcast/documentary) 2 – July 2002 interview w/Dave Marsh on Speaking Freely, primarily about “LL” Incidentally, I’ve finally pulled Marsh’s “Louie Louie” book off the shelf. I hope it lives up to its provocative subtitle (The History and Mythology of the World’s Most Famous Rock ‘n … Continue reading Louie’s back in town
Trailer for upcoming movie about Kael. Continue reading What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (Trailer)
