Books
Books about rock music are a lively genre in the publishing industry. Our reviewers report on the latest artist biographies and autobiographies as well as books about the music and its history, and other reads of interest to classic rock fans
‘The Band’s With Me’: A Former Groupie Lays It All Down
The memoir is a vivid, raucous, hilarious snapshot of a side of the rock world once ubiquitous. Romano makes no excuses for any of it, nor should she
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Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll? A Vote For Sam Phillips
Esteemed music scribe Peter Guralnick delivers a biography of the Sun Records/Studio proprietor that’s major history and a great read
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Bob Dylan’s ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’ Book: Like a Complete Unknown
Whether he’s on a tangent or not, Dylan is virtually always colorful. He wonders if one song was recorded through a “tomato can telephone.”
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Billy Idol Recounts Dancing With Danger: 2015 Review
Idol recalls his punk-rock past, wild years on booze and drugs plus English family background to give an honest look at the star and the man behind the sneer
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Beatles’ ‘Get Back’ Book Shows a Surprising Bond: It’s Fab
The companion book to Peter Jackson’s film and the expanded editions of the Let It Be album documents the band working and laughing together in the studio
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‘1971’ Book Makes a Strong Case for Best Rock Year
Was 1971 a peak year in rock? Maybe the peak year in rock? A book makes the case for that thesis quite vigorously and well
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‘Ready Steady Go!’—Britain’s Groundbreaking Rock TV Series Celebrated in New Book
A new book chronicles the show that featured the Dave Clark Five, the Beatles, the Hollies, Manfred Mann, the Kinks, Rod Stewart and many others.
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Dean Torrence Book Reveals Wild Ride of Surf City Duo
For a while they were second only to the Beach Boys among ’60s surf bands. The surviving half of Jan and Dean tells their story
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Glyn Johns, Prolific Rock Producer: Book Review
The famed producer/engineer behind some of rock music’s most memorable albums pens a “sensible and down-to-earth” book about his life among the stars
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Janis Joplin Celebrated in ‘Blisteringly Honest’ New Bio: Review
Janis: Her Life and Music details how Joplin’s stubborn refusal to compromise produced some of the most exciting music around and made her a cultural icon.
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