1 Topic by NPB_EST.1979 (edited by NPB_EST.1979 2009-03-16 16:49:01)

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Topic: Great Books on music or guitar

I'll start.

I'm currently reading "Million Dollar Les Paul: In Search Of The Most Valuable Guitar In The World by Tony Bacon"
Here is a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Million-Dollar-Pa … amp;sr=1-1

It's great. Did you know Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Clapton, Bloomfield, and even StewMac's Dan Erlwine were instrumental in the "take-off" of the sunburst LesPaul? There's TONS of Les Paul history - who bought what and when, who traded etc. Another interesting fact is that if you took hundreds of burst Les Pauls form 1958-1959, there are many stylistic and measurement differences. From where the holes were drilled in the peghead to the amount of carve on the belly. Things were done by hand back then, and things were done with the beauty of human error. Reminds me of cooking.



It gave an excellent history of Gibson as well, very consistent with the DVD Solidbodies, the 50 yr. guitar war.
http://www.amazon.com/Solidbodies-50-Ye … amp;sr=8-1


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I'd also recommend reading "Off The Rails" by Rudy Sarzo if you like Randy Rhodes and/or Ozzy Osbourne in the early years.
http://www.amazon.com/Off-Rails-Aboard- … amp;sr=8-1

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

If you talk novels - High Fidelity for sure, even though it´s not exactly about "our" kind of music, but it´s about loving music nearly more than anything and about what it means to make a good tape / music compilation. lol

Clapton´s autobiography is a very interesting read too.

Million Dollar Les Paul also has a chapter on Joe I believe.

I might come up with more during each of the next 10 days, don´t ask me book questions .... wink

Eva

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Come on guys ... there HAVE to be more good books on music out there ...

Bill Wyman´s book on Blues is also great, it´s been some time since I read it, but it´s a good book about the history of Blues ...

Eva

P.S.: Hell yeah, how about Thomas Mann Doktor Faustus - if you don´t get Beethoven´s opus 111 afterwards, you´ll never get it ... lol

4 Reply by BluesMan (edited by BluesMan 2009-03-17 20:21:41)

  • From: Wisconsin
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

eva wrote:

Come on guys ... there HAVE to be more good books on music out there ...
Eva

OK, OK, stop your whining young one. lol Here, how about this one:


http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hal-Le … 0634047732
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.
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.
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Oh, sorry. I thought you guys said "Great Guitar Books" rather than "Great Books on music or guitar"! smile

Roy

P.S. It's what I'm trying to learn from and I bought it from my local music shop. Look who wrote it! wink

Joe is the Best!
  • From: near Nürnberg Germany
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

eva wrote:

Hell yeah, how about Thomas Mann Doktor Faustus - if you don´t get Beethoven´s opus 111 afterwards, you´ll never get it ... lol

.....or Mettalica while reading it.
A most interesting book: Charles Shaar Murray: Boogie Man - The Adventures of John Lee Hooker.
Günter

Rock On and Keep the Faith

Guenter's Website

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

I thought Skydog was a good read. Duane Allmans story.

as i sit here listening to beethovens sonata in cm opus 111 and enjoying it as well.

Rock On and Keep the Faith

Jack Loves Patty Loves Joe

7 Reply by Greenose (edited by Greenose 2009-03-18 15:25:37)

  • Registered: 2008-02-14
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Hi, thanks for raising this thread fropm the grave Eva. I am a fan of music biographies.

I Am The Blues - by Willie Dixon is a great one with some great stories about Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and other people at Chess Records. It's pretty easy to read too.

As is the book on Peter Green by Martin Clemins:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peter-Green-Fle … amp;sr=1-1

Has anyone read Gerry McAvoy's book "Riding Shotgun" about his 20 years touring with Rory Gallagher?  It's on my wish list.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Riding-Shotgun- … amp;sr=1-1

"The recently formed Edinburgh Blues Club has identified an appetite for the personal communication between musicians and audience that the blues long ago perfected." The Herald Newspaper (Scotland)
http://www.edinburgh-blues.uk
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

eva wrote:

Million Dollar Les Paul also has a chapter on Joe I believe.

Yup, I'm towards the end of the book, and I just got done reading that part!
Man - that is a great book for gear-heads and classic rock lovers!

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: near Nürnberg Germany
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

I just finished JOE BOYDs WHITE BICYCLES - MAKING MUSIC IN THE 1960s. It´s written by Joe Boyd,  tour manager, music producer, founder of London´s famous UFO Club etc.etc. The  book is full of interesting stories and informations about the music business in the sixties - including blues, jazz, folk and ""underground"". Worth reading.
Günter

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Cheese Chronicles by Tommy Womack. Not about blues but best story I've read that really shows what it's like to be in a little band going nowhere but thinking your going somewhere.

When I was a child I spoke as a child, But all I heard was how I should get ahead,
Now growing up it ain't anything but all This indecision with these debts and doubts
And worries hanging over my head. When I was a child I spoke as a child,
I wish I could remember what I said.

ReverendPaul's Website

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Philomena Lynott's biography My Boy is a facinating account of her son Phil of Thin Lizzy fame. It tells the story of how she brought up her mixed race son in Ireland in the 1950s and then of course the years that he was a star, before his tragic decline that she knew very much about at the time.

"The recently formed Edinburgh Blues Club has identified an appetite for the personal communication between musicians and audience that the blues long ago perfected." The Herald Newspaper (Scotland)
http://www.edinburgh-blues.uk
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Greenose wrote:

Philomena Lynott's biography My Boy is a facinating account of her son Phil of Thin Lizzy fame. It tells the story of how she brought up her mixed race son in Ireland in the 1950s and then of course the years that he was a star, before his tragic decline that she knew very much about at the time.

I shall second this! (Phil Lynott being my hero!) Its a great read, my copy is slightly worn now!

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

GregP wrote:
Greenose wrote:

Philomena Lynott's biography My Boy is a facinating account of her son Phil of Thin Lizzy fame. It tells the story of how she brought up her mixed race son in Ireland in the 1950s and then of course the years that he was a star, before his tragic decline that she knew very much about at the time.

I shall second this! (Phil Lynott being my hero!) Its a great read, my copy is slightly worn now!

My copy is signed smile Philomena comes over to a Thin Lizzy tribute concert in Scotland every year. Indeed she gave me her phone number and said I could call whenever I might be in Dublin.

"The recently formed Edinburgh Blues Club has identified an appetite for the personal communication between musicians and audience that the blues long ago perfected." The Herald Newspaper (Scotland)
http://www.edinburgh-blues.uk

14 Reply by Rocket (edited by Rocket 2009-05-26 15:34:01)

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Get off the internet and go to your local library.  You might find more interesting music books and/or guitar books there in 2 minutes than 2 hours on here and the internet.  Peruse a few and THEN report back to this thread.  Your homework away from home assignments...

Rock On, Keep the Faith & Keep Looking Up,
Rocket

Footnote: They usually have out of date materials that you might consider suddenly "timely" and and "best seller" to your rapt attention for 2 or 3 hours so plan accordingly wink

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Klaus Theweleit, Rainer Höltschl: Jimi Hendrix -eine Biographie

A rather ambitious attempt to explore the essence of Jimi Hendrix´music and personality. Highly recommended, BUT I don´t think there´s an English translation.
Günter

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Since Davy Knowles and I are huge Rory Gallagher fans, he suggested I read the book "Riding Shotgun" by Gerry McAvoy when I saw him this past Saturday. Gerry McAvoy of course, was Rory's bass player extraordinaire for 20 years of his career. Here is some info about the book:

http://www.ridingshotgun.co.uk/

Roy

Joe is the Best!
  • From: Belgium
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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

Well that's an interesting thread!

It has been said already but Clapton's autobiography is great.

For Fender addicts, I think Tony Bacon wrote some good stuff about these guitars too.

And for those who are fans of Rory Gallagher, I'm reading a book by Jean-Noël Coghe. He's French but the book has been translated, and it's called Rory Gallagher: A Biography. It's much more about the author's life with Rory, but still quite interesting.

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Re: Great Books on music or guitar

I wish I had some good books to read.
I do have a Jimi Hendrix book i found in my brothers room years ago but I can't get into it.
I was thinking of maybe getting this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pink-Floyd-Hist … amp;sr=8-1