Part I of this book list can be found here.
Thanks to everyone who responded so enthusiastically to the first music-themed book list. I appreciate your interest and input. That list was a little punk-heavy, which reflected my own preoccupations over the past year or two. However, today’s list will be a little more varied in scope. I hope that you will find it interesting and maybe, just maybe, you will find something that you may wish to read yourself or else, give as a gift for someone you love. If so, please head to your local independent bookstore and help the economy of your town by shopping local. Ok, enough nitter nattering for today. Here is booklist No.2. Enjoy.
1- Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai by Matti Freidman
This is a book that works if you are a Leonard Cohen fan, a history buff and/or are interested in the geopolitics of the moment in the Middle East. The story upon which this book is built concerns the Yom Kippur War in Israel in 1973. This war began when a coalition of Arab countries launched a surprise invasion of Israel during Yom Kippur. The thinking was that Israel’s defences would be slightly more relaxed because of the holiday. This thinking proved to be correct. Although Israel was quickly able to recover and repel the invasion, the mere fact that the Jewish Holy Land was in peril sent shockwaves throughout the Jewish community scattered in other parts of the world. One of those who felt the pang of this threat deeply in his heart was Leonard Cohen. The Yom Kippur War coincided with a period in Leonard Cohen’s career when he felt adrift and at odds with the path his career seemed to be on. He had been living on the Greek Island of Hydra for many years prior and was wrestling with whether to focus on poetry, novels or on music. He had been living with a woman named Marianne, made famous in song but was family life for him or was he meant to be a solitary man by nature? In addition to it all, Cohen was struggling with Judaism and his place in the world as a Jewish man.
The fog of indecision and befuddlement lifted when Israel was invaded in 1973. Cohen took it upon himself to travel alone to Israel. Once there, he joined up with a troupe of fellow singers, poets and actors, forming a ragged minstrel company. As part of this motley crew, Cohen was shepherded to various outposts along the frontlines of the conflict where he sang songs for battle-hardened soldiers and read poetry under the desert sky. The experience of being so close to the places where Israel was being attacked changed Cohen. Performing for those defending Israel helped Cohen to reaffirm his sense of spirituality and allowed him to regard his art as having an importance for others that, in turn, made it important for him again. We all have those moments in life where we have an experience that gives our lives new meaning. For Leonard Cohen, performing on the frontlines of the Yom Kippur War was that experience for him.
2- Bruce Springsteen: Songs by Bruce Springsteen
This is a coffee table book. It would have to be a big book because it is, essentially, a museum in a book. Songs is a detailed journey through the songwriting career of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen. Every song from every Springsteen record from his debut Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. in January of 1973, all the way up to, and including The Ghost of Tom Joad in 1995 are touched upon in various ways. The albums are presented in chronological order. Each album is like a chapter in a novel. Each “chapter” begins with a short essay written by Springsteen which provides insight and context with regard to what was going on with his life, with the band and/or with America at the time that the songs for that particular album were written. There are photos of handwritten lyrics, notes that he wrote for the recording engineers, as well as photographs of the band at that time in their career.
As this book unfolded, I found it incredibly interesting to watch Bruce Springsteen pass through the phases of life that we all go through as we age and how those changes impacted the stories he cared to share in song. Additionally, for anyone with a creative bent to their personality, Songs is a book that gives the reader a sneak peek into his creative process. He is, at once, humble and yet very confident. He is a gifted storyteller and a stellar musician. Most of all Bruce Springsteen is a human being bearing witness to the world around him and interpreting it all for us via these albums of his that mean so much to so many around the world. Bruce Springsteen: Songs is highly recommended for fans of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It is also highly recommended for fans of the creative process and of excellent storytelling.
3- Music Is History by Questlove
This book is one of my own personal favourite books that I have ever read. The foundation upon which I have built my own writing career as a blogger is to tell the stories of real people, places and events by using music as a frame of reference. So imagine my delight when I found Music Is History by Questlove. It is a treasure trove of music and the stories behind them as told by one of North America’s greatest storytellers and promoters of black culture. I first came upon this book after watching Questlove’s Academy Award winning documentary Summer of Soul on an airplane trip. That documentary deserved all of the kudos it received. I was enthralled by the richness of the culture that Questlove was showcasing. I was also taken aback at how this music and the music festival it all came from had been overlooked and subsequently forgotten by mainstream…read “white”… society. So, when I came to learn that Questlove had written a book that was setting out to tell more stories of the black experience in America and was going to use some of the greatest songs ever written as his way in, I was hooked. In fact, in my own post about the song “Soul Man” by Sam and Dave *(which you can read here), it was Questlove’s detailed research that helped me to properly tell the story of that song in my own way.
For anyone who is unaware, Questlove is the drummer and leader of the band called The Roots. He has also gained fame in the mainstream spotlight by having The Roots become the house band for Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Show on NBC. But make no mistake, Questlove has a formidable career beyond being Jimmy Fallon’s musical sidekick. Music Is History is just one in a series of books that Questlove has authored. In fact, next up on my to be read list is his latest book called Hip Hop Is History. I imagine that the format will be similar to Music Is History. I am curious to see how accessible it will be for a white bread old man from Cape Breton. But I trust Questlove enough to have invested my own dollars into the experiment. I am excited to get to it. In the meantime, if you want an entry point into the world of Questlove’s storytelling, I suggest you start with the documentary Summer of Soul and then shift into the book Music Is History. There are rich, varied and important lives being lived by members of our own communities who don’t get the recognition nor the opportunity that they deserve. You will be richer for having been introduced to them by this creative and passionate storyteller.
4- Rumours of Glory by Bruce Cockburn
Rumours of Glory is a memoir written by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn. It is an exhaustive look at the life and career of a man who has penned some of the most noteworthy songs in Canadian music history. Cockburn’s career spans well over fifty years by now. Rumours of Glory takes readers through all fifty of those years. It is a book that devotes as much time to Cockburn’s personal life…his childhood in Ottawa, his university days at Berklee College in Boston, his various relationships with women along the way and his role as a father. If you enjoy getting to know the personal side of famous people then Rumours of Glory will please you to no end.
Now this won’t surprise any of you who know me but, the parts that I enjoyed the most revolved around the stories of the songs that he became famous for. Each chapter of this book ends with the story of a song, complete with song lyrics, that sum up whatever he had spent the chapter telling us about. The chapters devoted to his experiences in South America as a representative of various international charity organizations dealing with the refugee crisis there that resulted in the creation of songs such as “If I Had a Rocket Launcher” and “Lovers In a Dangerous Time” are absolutely riveting. I often tell people that I mainly read non-fiction books because I don’t require imagined scenarios when there are so many thoroughly interesting things that happen in the real world. Bruce Cockburn’s chapters on being in South America are simply outstanding! Those stories are worth the price of the entire book. Bruce Cockburn is a man who has had a full and rich life. His adventures are worth knowing. His views on world affairs have merit, in my opinion. But most of all, his music reflects the wisdom and knowledge that he has gained along the way through those fifty plus years of living and traveling and writing and performing. We can learn much from him if we care to take the time to read and listen.
5- I Am Brian Wilson by Brian Wilson and Ben Greenman.
As I am sure you know, Brian Wilson was one of the members of one of the world’s most important bands, The Beach Boys. Many people refer to Wilson as being a musical genius. He had the unique ability to manipulate sounds in ways that resemble four-dimensional chess. The music of The Beach Boys, especially the songs on the album Pet Sounds, are noted for their complex harmonies which, when analyzed, were every bit as groundbreaking as anything the Beatles were doing at the same time with the Revolver and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band albums of their own. But if you know anything about Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys at all then you are probably also aware that for many years Brian Wilson suffered from mental illness and drug addiction. He is also infamously noted for the abuse he suffered by the doctor entrusted to his care during those years.
I Am Brian Wilson is a memoir written mostly by Brian Wilson himself. I found it to be a devastating read. The book is written in the most innocent, childlike voice I have ever read from an adult narrator. The trauma that he has endured comes through in every paragraph. I wanted to cheer for him as he recounted how he was regaining control of his life and was starting to tour again. But mostly, I just wanted to give this man a big hug. I think that he needs it. I Am Brian Wilson takes us on a tour of his entire life. He spares no details when it comes to how hard it was to please his father as a young boy. Wilson discusses how the early success of the band impacted all of their lives. He spends much time talking about the respect-filled rivalry The Beach Boys had with the Beatles. In particular, he discusses how, as both bands evolved musically and ventured into more complex song arrangements, both bands became studio-centric and how that affected the rest of their careers. But mostly, Wilson pulls no punches about how he ended up breaking down mentally and what it felt like to not be in control of how he lived his life for many years. Not every book about life in the fisheye lens of celebrity turns out to be a happy and carefree romp. I Am Brian Wilson is a triumphant book in the end but there is tough slogging to get through along the way. I recommend this book, not as a pleasant book to read but I do feel it is an important tale that I am glad Wilson was able to tell in his own voice. His story deserves to be heard. Thus, I recommend his book.
6- Cruel To Be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe by Will Birch.
This book is the biography of English singer and record producer Nick Lowe. One of the things that I have come to realize the more I write about music and to research the history of it all is that there were so many short moments in time when certain styles of music and the performers who performed them got to shine. The impact of these short moments has lasted for decades and has given these musical outbursts, perhaps, more lustre than they had in reality while they were en vogue. A good example of this is the birth of punk music. Now, right out of the gate, let me tell you that Nick Lowe is not someone who would necessarily be considered a punk rocker…at least, not in the same vein as bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Clash or the Ramones. But, make no mistake, the birth of punk provided England with an opportunity to introduce a whole host of new styles of music. Lowe, along with pal Dave Edmunds had a good run with their band called Rockpile. They had several hits before that band ran its course. Nick Lowe transitioned over into the production and songwriting side of music and ended up working with people such as a young Elvis Costello and the Attractions, even writing such hit songs for him as “Allison”.
In Cruel To Be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe author Will Birch examines the life of a man who has lived and performed during interesting times and has collaborated with interesting people along the way. One of the most notable times in Nick Lowe’s professional life coincided with his time working for an upstart UK record company called Stiff Records. Stiff Records had a roster of bands and artists (including Lowe, Costello, along with the Damned, Ian Drury and the Blockheads and many more) who were on the cutting edge of the new musical landscape that emerged as punk rock exploded. The Stiff Records bands were more on the pop side than the punk world but, just the same, this book chronicles many instances of wild times while the infamous Stiff Tours were being unleashed across Europe and the UK. Like many of the people I read about via their memoirs and biographies, Nick Lowe has led a full and rich life and has many enjoyable stories to share. Even now, all these years later, he and Elvis Costello still manage to find time and energy to tour together here and there.
7- Life by Keith Richards
When it comes to rock n’ roll memoirs, Life by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is the gold standard, in my opinion. It is easily the best music-themed book that I have ever read. What a writer’s voice this man has! I always tell people that reading Life is akin to having beers with a person who is just spinning the most incredible yarns about the most interesting people, events and music of our time. As much as I Am Brian Wilson makes me want to give that man a big warm hug, Life by Keith Richards makes me want to have that guy as my backyard neighbour on the other side of the fence who comes over for a beer and a bbq and a good chat all of the time.
Life is the story of the birth of one of the world’s biggest and most successful bands, The Rolling Stones. In this book, Richards spends much time talking about the magic that the members of the band seemed to share musically. But he also talks about the prickly nature of their relationships, too. Richards walks the reader through each stage of the band’s career and discusses the albums and songs that happened along the way. But one of the things that I appreciated most about Life was how excited Richards would become when talking about the creative processes at play behind certain songs. I loved learning about the chords used, how open tuning impacted his playing, how certain songs were recorded, how song ideas were arrived at and so much more. The magician reveals his tricks and it was fascinating to read. Most of all though, it was Richard’s writer’s voice that made this book great. He is so folksy and charming and roguish that it is hard not to want to have him as a friend in real life. I don’t fanboy all that easily but this is one case where I wave the flag with great vigor. Life is terrific. End of discussion.
8- The Secret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire.
As The Tragically Hip evolved as a band over the years, one aspect of life that became increasingly important was their connection with the Indigenous Peoples of this land. This was first reflected in songs such as “Good Night, Attawapiskat”. In time it went beyond merely being exposed to Indigenous culture and writing songs about it. Soon it became intertwined with the DNA of the band itself. In particular, issues of importance to Indigenous communities became the focal point of lead singer Gord Downie’s solo career. As his life was winding down from brain cancer, Downie made it his personal mission to write about an odious chapter in Canadian history that had to do with the implementation of the residential school system by the federal government of the day. The project came to fruition after Downie had a chance to meet with families whose lives were forever altered due to residential schools and the horrifying experiences they had there. Gord Downie could have told the story in general terms but, being the gifted storyteller he is, Downie opted to give the tragedy a human face. There is always more power when a cause has a face associated with it. In this case, Gord Downie chose to tell the story of the Wenjack family and, specifically, the boy named Chanie Wenjack, who was taken away to residential school over 600 kilometres from his home.
The Secret Path describes how Chanie Wenjack came to be taken away. It shows us the many humiliations and abuses suffered at the hands of those who ran these schools. Finally, it takes us all on Chanie Wenjack’s last fateful journey as he runs away from the school and attempts to walk the 600 kilometres back to his home. Along the way, we watch as he uses up his precious supply of matches that he uses to light fires to keep himself warm on the journey. We watch as he slowly freezes to death over time, alone and frightened and far from his family who know nothing of his struggles until well after the fact. The Secret Path is a sad and depressing read. But, it has to be. The residential school system was cultural genocide in practice. As the bodies of those who died while in the custody of residential schools continue to be discovered and the numbers of the dead continue to climb, I can’t for the life of me figure out why this isn’t the biggest news story in the land. The murder of thousands of Indigenous children is a tragedy and a crime. The Secret Path does a credible job of helping to bring this story squarely into the spotlight where it belongs. This is by no means a happy read but it is definitely an important one. There is also a movie and an album that bear the same name as the book. It is a story that needs to be told whether we want to hear it or not.
9- Massey Hall by Dave McPherson
There are many forms of music-themed books. One of the subgenres that I enjoy reading about is the history of famous music venues. Massey Hall by Dave McPherson tells the story of one of Canada’s most storied venues Massey Hall in Toronto. If you have ever been there to see a show or have it on your bucket list as a destination location to see before you die then this book will be of great interest to you. Massey Hall tells the complete history of the venue, starting before it was even built by discussing how the downtown core of Toronto was developed, who the Massey family were and what it took to have such a prime plot of land dedicated to the Arts of a fast growing city like Toronto. Once that is finished, McPherson takes us through the history of the now completed Massey Hall one decade at a time. His book is filled with anecdotal stories about the various ways the venue was used (for opera, orchestra, political speeches, etc) and those who appeared on its stage. There are plenty of vintage and period photos included to help provide context for these stories.
Needless to say, as the decades roll along, the names of the artists, bands, comedians, movie stars, politicians and other famous personalities who appeared at Massey Hall grows in length and in recognizability. Everyone who was anyone played there. Some people, like Gordon Lightfoot who became synonymous with Massey Hall, were given more in depth coverage. Those who played there multiple times speak about what it was like to sing there, what the acoustical properties were like, how close the audience seemed to be and so on. Those who appeared for the first time speak about what an honour it all was and how important it felt inside to do well there on that stage in Massey Hall. The book ends with information that I was unaware of. This is the fact that there is an organizational structure in place to provide mentorship to up and coming performers. This programme lends training, booking support and recording help for these new artists. They are helped, first through skill honing experiences in smaller venues around Toronto, eventually culminating in a debut at Massey Hall in front of friends and family and anyone else who wants to buy a ticket and attend the show. The whole programme was spoken of with much love and appreciation by numerous rising music stars in Canada who have benefitted so far. All is all, Massey Hall by Dave McPherson is a lovingly created history of an important and iconic Canadian music venue. If you have an interest in Massey Hall then this book will appeal to you.
10- The Storyteller by Dave Grohl.
Dave Grohl first gained fame in the music world as the drummer for the band Nirvana when they broke big in the 1990s. After the death of lead singer Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl took some time off before deciding to return to music by forming his own band called Foo Fighters, who are still going strong to this day. As talented as Dave Grohl is behind a drum kit or playing lead guitar and fronting his own band, he is also a gifted storyteller. The man can spin a quality yarn with the best of them. The best recommendation I can give this book is to give you the links to three separate videos of Dave Grohl telling stories. If you like the following video stories then you will like this book because it is written in the same voice that you will hear live. The first harkens back to my last post when Grohl and former bandmate Taylor Hawkins gave the induction speech that helped enshrine Rush into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. That speech can be heard here. Secondly, Dave Grohl was asked to present the eulogy at the funeral of legendary rocker Lemmy of the band Motorhead. The speech he delivers is fabulous and well worth a lesson. If you are unfamiliar with Lemmy, Dave’s speech will make you feel like you know the man well by the time it is over. The link to Dave Grohl’s terrific eulogy for Lemmy is here. Finally, I will share with you one of my favourite live concert moments when Dave comes out alone on stage as the Foo Fighters were headlining the Glastonbury Music Festival in England a few years ago. He gives a speech off of the top about how he apologizes for breaking his leg the previous year (when Foo Fighters were scheduled to headline) and having to miss that gig. He then talks about his replacement, Florence and the Machine and how he was watching live when they took the stage and started off with a Foo Fighters cover as a thank you for being given the opportunity to headline in their home country. What happens next in the speech helps Dave to launch into his first song as a tribute to Florence. The audience eats it up and when the song starts, it is pure magic. The link to that speech is here.
If you watch those speeches then you will have a good idea of the storytelling style that Dave Grohl possesses. The book is filled with stories of how his childhood influenced his initial foray into the world of music. Grohl talks about playing drums in and around Washington, D.C. as a teen and how he ended up being contacted to join Nirvana. Grohl talks about what being involved with Nirvana was like, how devastated he was when Kurt died and how he found the strength to carry on. The book continues on through his experiences with the Foo Fighters, up to and including the sudden, unexpected death of friend and drummer Taylor Hawkins. All in all, Dave has the chops to tell a story well. If you enjoy listening to/reading about things that have happened in fairly recent times then The Storyteller by Dave Grohl is the book for you.
Well, there you go! Ten more books reviewed for your reading and listening pleasure. I hope that this second list contains a book or two or three that you may want to read for yourself or to purchase as a gift for someone you love. In any case, if you have any comments about the books I have listed, please feel free to share them in the comment box below. If there are music-themed books that I haven’t mentioned in either list that you have read/currently own that you feel are noteworthy then pop those recommendations into the comments below, too. In that way we can all learn and grow together. What fun, eh?! Take care.
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So many in here I would like to read! Thank you for this great list.