Guitarist Autobiographies

XWulfhere

The Billy Idol one is great. A much more learned and eloquent man than I thought.

TonyR

Not guitarists but I've read Morrissey's and, more recently, John Lydon's. 

I found the Morrissey one started off alright but it did jump about a bit. It got very boring around the Mick Joyce trial and never recovered from there. In the end I was struggling to finish it. I was most disappointed.

John Lydon's was entertaining - he has a certain way with words (it's written pretty much how he speaks). The book wasn't hugely insightful, it's clear he wasn't a huge fan of Malcolm Maclaren, but seems to pretty much love everybody else - ever!

I've got Paul Weller's to read but the writing is tiny and my eyesight isn't that good these days even with my glasses on. As Mr Weller doesn't appear to have much of a sense of humour I'm not sure how good it will be anyway.

The next one that I've got to read is by Mark Burgess of The Chameleons (who were (and still are) one of my favourite bands) Again not a guitarist but he was bassist and singer.

RocknRollDave

There are two John Lydon autobiographies, in fact...but both are worth reading.

Skipped

mart said:

Grunfeld said:

Okay, not cheap any more but you can get it second hand:

17 Watts?:  The First 20 Years of Rock Guitar, the Musicians and their Stories

by Mo Foster, who played bass on just about everything and was there as Clapton, Page, Beck, May, Van Morrison, Hank Marvin, everyone was emerging.  It's a great book, a unique book, and even though that's not "my" era of music it explained so much of the vibe and feel of the early days that it was like an education.  Great book.

There's also a follow-up/expanded version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Rock-Guitar-Musicians-Stories/dp/0857160001/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_cp_1_GRYC?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GRSH3TRPK9FECQGK2W8

That is a good way to put it mart. An expanded version.
I have both and there is a lot of the first book in the second.
I love the original book.
It has the feel of reading a 1960s Bell Music Catalogue. Fabulous stuff.

Skipped

57Deluxe said:

Apparently Rod Stewarts is supposed to be a god read though... but guitar-less of course...

Ah - That's now on the list then. I know someone that has that.

andyoz

Rod Stewart's must have some great Faces stories.... Ronnie in the mix again..

Skipped

tone1 said:

I love autobiographies! I find Fiction boring which to me is reading someone else's imagination... Blimey I've even read Russell Brand's booky wook

I thought it was just me.

Shortly after 9/11 sales of fiction dried up in New York......dried up in the USA. People were saying......After that? I am going to read Fiction?.
And I get that. My life is horribly complicated and I pick up a novel and think.....Yes? So fucking what?

I want to overcome this  and will probably widen my search to find some......gravitas. Thomas Hardy? Dickens? I don't know.

TonyR

RocknRollDave said:

There are two John Lydon autobiographies, in fact...but both are worth reading.

It was his latest one "Anger Is An Energy" that I read

andyoz

Ok, ordered the Andy Summers and Beatles books.

57Deluxe

then there is the Fender story - 50s shades of grey...

Phil_aka_Pip

If you decide you "don't like" someone (eg Uncle Eric) as a result of what they have to say about themselves, or because of how the ghost writer portrays them, that's your prerogative.

It's not the same as saying the book is not well-written, neither is it the same as saying that their life-story isn't as exciting or as spectacular as you think it should have been.

I found that I wasn't in complete sympathy with the way Eric viewed life, which I think was summed up in the words of Wonderful Tonight: a beautiful wife/girlfriend is a trophy for the 'owner' to be congratulated over in similar manner as the less cool of us might expect street-cred or respect for owning a prize Gibson, as opposed to the way we might play a guitar.

andyoz

Have ordered 5 books so far based on recommendations here so that'll keep me busy.  Managed to get all hardcovers which is good.

Looking forward to the Beatles and Danny Sugarman ones in particular as they've gone under my radar so far.

Skipped

Yep. Like this thread a lot.

andyoz

This is an excellent book (not about guitars though).  I bought it from a shop in Denmark Street in 1998.  It was alot cheaper then but you can pick it up for less than a tenner on 'abebooks'

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Vibrations-History-Production-Sanctuary/dp/1860742424

Danny1969

All these years - Tune in Vol one by Mark Lewisohn is an epic book detailing the early Beatles years from childhood to being on the brink of success ..... can't wait for volume 2 ..... plenty of info on their gear in that book

The Rod Stewart book is good, he's a funny guy but it's a bit tame 

RocknRollDave

Phil_aka_Pip said:

If you decide you "don't like" someone (eg Uncle Eric) as a result of what they have to say about themselves, or because of how the ghost writer portrays them, that's your prerogative.

It's not the same as saying the book is not well-written, neither is it the same as saying that their life-story isn't as exciting or as spectacular as you think it should have been.

I found that I wasn't in complete sympathy with the way Eric viewed life, which I think was summed up in the words of Wonderful Tonight: a beautiful wife/girlfriend is a trophy for the 'owner' to be congratulated over in similar manner as the less cool of us might expect street-cred or respect for owning a prize Gibson, as opposed to the way we might play a guitar.

This is the problem, though. Clapton's story IS an interesting one, so why is the book a bit dull? Can only be down to the writing.

andyoz

Pete Townshend hardcover arrived today. I bought it through Amazon used books and it's basically 'as new'. Not bad for £4 delivered.

lloyd

Not read the whole thread but my thoughts are:

Slash (not a GNR fan or even Salsh but...):

Ok not the best for me, loved the early days of GNR stories though.

Keef (huge Stones fan):

Cherry picked it to be honest, some of the tales seemed too tall but a good read.

The Dirt (not a Motley Cru Faan at all):

The best of them all, fantastic book.

Lemmy: 

Dull

Flanging_Fred

I tried reading the Slash autobiography while I was in hospital last year with pneumonia. I didn't get very far because I was hallucinating and seeing all these scarey faces in the curtain around my bed.

I'm sort of reluctant to start reading it again because I don't want to get any flashbacks. Was it good then?

lloyd

It's like a lot of autobiographies, good in parts, less so in others. I like reading about the drugging, drinking, womanising (I'm not sure what this says about me....) and the start of bands-the shit gigs, the rehearsals, no cash to live on, the great breakthrough gig etc and also the touring aspect and the recording of albums.

I have to say that these bits were great but the other stuff is a bit boring for me-I'm not a Salsh or GNR fan, I've probably never listened to a full album in one sitting to be fair....

My girlfriend read it on holiday and enjoyed it-she is a dance music fan, doesn't listen to any guitar music so it had something in there for her too.

I'd read it if I hadn't before, but wouldn't re-read it (like I have with the Dirt many times) if that makes sense?