Rock biographies: A look at some of my favorites

If you like books about music and musicians, here are some good ones to check out

Reading was always encouraged in my home growing up and I was never a tough sell.

I’ve had periods during which I read more than others, but now that you can read books on your phone, too, I’m always reading something. As I’ve become more obsessed with music, so have my reading tastes.

Here are some of my recent favorites, along with some rock books I read in the past that are (mostly) great reads:

Life — Keith Richards (with James Fox)

Probably my favorite rock biography of all time. I found it in a pile of my mom’s stuff about a year-and-a-half ago and figured it would be entertaining, but it exceeded all expectations. There are lots of things Richards has done in his life I’d never do in mine, but it’s easy to see why people are drawn to him. This is a long book, but I was sad to see the pages disappearing because I just wanted to keep hanging out with Keith. If it feels like Richards is gloating because he made it to old age despite living a debauched life, he is, and it’s awesome — tip of the cap. As crazy as the stories are, Keith’s ability to explain in layman terms the technical aspects of how he plays the guitar and also his songwriting process is unmatched in the music books I’ve read.

The Beatles: All These Years, Vol. 1 (Tune In) — Mark Lewisohn

Loaned to me by co-worker and author (and subscriber!) Tim Cain, Lewisohn’s book covers the lives of all the Beatles from birth until they hit it big in 1962. When I started it, it seemed daunting and I put it down, picking it up here and there to read a page or two. It nearly became part of our furniture. But one day, out of sheer embarrassment that I’d kept Tim’s book so long, I dedicated myself to reading it. The attention to detail in this book is unmatched. And while the Beatles were still very young when they hit it big, it’s striking how much dues they had to pay. The highlights of the book are the descriptions of the Beatles’ time in Hamburg, Germany, and also Liverpool’s Cavern Club — the places the group went from just another group of young kids tooling around on instruments to becoming the Beatles. I thought I knew a lot about the Beatles before I read this. That’s hilarious to think about now. There are supposed to be two more volumes (“Turn On” and “Drop Out”), but it’s been more than 10 years since the first one.

The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon & Yoko Ono — David Sheff

There’s a lot of ego and rewriting history in these interviews — honestly, much of it is a bore. And Lennon is clearly pissed at George Harrison for leaving him out of his biography, and says so, but then proceeds to shit all over George throughout the interview out of spite, which makes me understand why George decided to leave him out his biography … . But the information gleaned when Sheff and Lennon go through each Beatles song and Lennon describes his thoughts make it as important as any Beatles interview ever done. I wish every great songwriter would sit down and give details about all the songs they’ve written and what they meant.

Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of The Black Crowes — Steve Gorman (with Steven Hyden)

For someone who loves the Black Crowes, this book was hard to read, but also a must-read — I’ve read it twice. Gorman was the Black Crowes’ longtime drummer, and clearly loved his time as a rock star. He’s likeable, and the stories are incredible, though sometimes sad and frustrating. But Gorman also has a major love-hate relationship with the creative force behind the band, brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, that at this point is hate. That said, the book doesn’t come across as bitter, but rather an honest account of a great band that shot itself in the foot too often to be remembered as one of the all-timers.

One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band; AND Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the 70s — Alan Paul

Paul is a longtime magazine and newspaper reporter who began covering the Allman Brothers in the ‘90s, now has two books about the band and is considered the band’s biographer. He has a clear love and appreciation of the Allmans and the band’s members, and an encyclopedic knowledge. But he also a dogged determination to get the story right and not let rumor or myth stand to make the story better. I consider the two Allman Brothers books to be companions, but they’re quite a bit different. Paul is clearly growing as an author, and “Brothers and Sisters” is the better book. Both are as thoroughly reported — if they’ve been alive in the last two decades and had something to do with the Allmans, they’re in these books. Paul also has a Substack I highly recommended.

My Cross to Bear — Gregg Allman (with Alan Light)

It’s sad it took so long for Allman to get his life together, and though it’s great that he did, it sucks he died shortly after the writing of this brutally honest book. He really seemed like a sweet man — he just spent too much of what should’ve been a fantastic life under cripping drug and alcohol addiction. Most of the books I’ve read the last few years have been about people who are either alive or been dead for awhile. With Allman’s death in 2016 (four years after the book was released), this one made me think a lot about mortality. There’s a fair share of that in the book as well. Beautiful but sad describes Allman, his story, and this book.

Nightfly: The Life of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen — Peter Jones

Jones has a bone to pick with Fagen at times, but he clearly loves his music. This dives into the often-mysterious writing partnership between Fagen and Walter Becker — Becker gets plenty of credit for his contribution, but it’s acknowledged Fagen is the real genius behind Steely Dan. While at times there’s an agenda — Jones feels longtime producer Gary Katz was screwed over by Fagen — this book is extremely well-informed, and gives lots of insight into Steely Dan’s and Fagen’s music.

Willie Nelson: An Epic Life — Joe Nick Patoski

Recommended by fellow State of Amorica patreon David Hall, this book is a thorough and loving portrait of Nelson’s life. The most striking part of Nelson’s story is how late in his career it was before he finally became a household name. I kept thinking: OK, this is his big break … . But it wasn’t until he grew his hair out and embraced a more hippy look and lifestyle that he finally made it, then lost it, then made it all back again. Most Nelson fans know about the Fourth of July picnic concerts, but I had no idea they got as wild as they did.

Waylon: Tales of my Outlaw Dad — Terry Jennings (with David Thomas)

Written by Waylon’s oldest son Terry, who was as much employee and buddy (Terry described it more like brothers) as he was son, the book doesn’t shy away from Waylon’s darker side, but Terry also clearly revered his old man. Waylon, wildly enough, wasn’t a drinker. In fact, he hated drinking. But cocaine … that’s another story. The story covers all the highlights, including all the great musicians Waylon played with, but more on Waylon’s songwriting and musicianship would’ve been welcomed.

Rod: The Autobiography — Rod Stewart

You can’t say this book isn’t honest. There were times I wish Rod could’ve left out maybe ONE time he cheated on his wives — it’s a real blow-by-blow there. But this biography did open my eyes to some of his music that I had previously under-appreciated. The Faces, in particular, were a stunning discovery. I knew of them, but have since more fully dived in. Also, Rod’s solo material of the early to mid 70s — before he went disco — is outstanding. And, hell, if I’m going to listen to disco, give me Rod!

Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd — Nick Mason

Mason got a little too technical about every lighting production detail from their stage shows, but otherwise, he was fascinating. The least interesting music from this band (to me) was the Syd Barrett era, and the further they got from him, the better their music got. But so much of their classic material was haunted by Barrett (Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and The Wall all borrowed from Barrett’s deteriorating mental state), a point Mason doesn’t avoid but instead confronts in a sensitive and apologetic way. The most surprising thing about this book is how tame the lives of the members of Pink Floyd (other than Barrett) were. “Dark Side of the Moon” was not produced by people using acid and copious amounts of pot — that’s just who listened to it.

Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles — Don Felder (with Wendy Holder)

Don Felder is the Forrest Gump of rock. He was in a band as a teen with Stephen Stills, shook hands with BB King at age 14, taught Tom Petty guitar, learned slide guitar from Duane Allman, and became friends with Bernie Leadon … which eventually led him to joining the Eagles. And, he happened to be a pretty damned good guitar player who came up with what is still one of the most brilliant guitar parts of all time — the beginning of Hotel California. Oh, and if you’re looking for all the famous drama between the members of the Eagles, it’s here.

Me, the Mob and the Music — Tommy James (with Martin Fitzpatrick)

You know Hesh from “The Sopranos?” The real Hesh, named Morris Levy, owned Roulette Records in the 1960s and scared the other record companies away in a bidding war for young Tommy James (real name Tommy Jackson) after the success in Pittsburgh of the song “Hanky Panky.” James would go on to meet many major members of the New York organized crime families (including the man Tony Soprano was based on) and even had to go on the lam during a gang war, all the while putting out hit after hit in the 60s and 70s.

True Adventures of Stones — Stanley Booth

Keith Richards considers Booth the best Stones biographer, but … this was way too much about Stanley Booth and not the Rolling Stones. There is some really interesting insights into Brian Jones’ death, and also what it was like to be around the greatest rock band in the world in 1969. I love some gonzo journalism, and maybe if I’d found Booth compelling in the slightest, I’d have loved this book. But I didn’t.

Coming soon

More book reviews! Currently reading Alan Paul and Andy Aledort’s Stevie Ray Vaughan book, “Texas Flood,” and also Bill Wyman’s impressive (and extremely heavy) book, “Rolling With the Stones.”

Please leave any suggestions on books I should check out in the comments.