Book recommendations

The other day I came across Neil Young’s book about making the Pono in a thread about his music being removed from Tidal. I read the preview and it tickled my fancy enough to get it.

It then struck me that there is probably a great wealth of knowledge lurking on these forms and in addition to people recommending albums, speakers or dubious cables then why not audio/music related books.

Feel the music

Works as it’s both partially by a musician and appeals to the audiophile as it delves into technical details.

Ideally books would hit both marks, but only one of the two would doubtless work for many.

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I like this idea but this book hits neither mark, very good read though. It’s Bass Culture: when reggae was king by Lloyd Bradley. More history book.

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That works, about music / by a musician about music is really what I meant.

Will check it out, it’s basically an extension of enjoying liner notes. Getting more context about the music.

I find with most things in life, the more you know about them the more you can appreciate them.

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Great idea.

Just getting through this book about Blue Note Records.

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That looks great, not quite music history but still in the realm of increasing ones appreciating of music I am now reading Floyd Toole’s book, Sound reproduction. It is heavy on the science / graphs but well written enough to be enjoyable to read. I couldn’t sleep one night and thought it would do the trick to lull me to bed, but was up for a good hour and half reading before I thought putting the book down and trying to sleep might be a better avenue.

IMG_2127

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A history of Western music by Donald Jay Grout

Started reading The Rest Is Noise, enjoying it it thus far and it reminded me of the Teaching Company course I listened to years ago by Robert Greenberg, how to listen to and understand great music.

https://www.therestisnoise.com/noise/

I don’t see the point of a video, but below is the new version, I think one can find the audio only version elsewhere. I doubt there is any reason to go for the newer vs original.

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-listen-to-and-understand-great-music-3rd-edition

For anyone that feels like they don’t know enough about chamber music and always wanted to know more I can highly recommend both.

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Finished this graphic novel during our first lock down here. A brief history of electronic music.

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I am reading Pizza - Beastie Boys.
It’s as eclectic as their music. Love it so far.

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@sbr Great topic! Thank you starting this thread.

Here are two of my favorites:

From the rock music world:


Truly a classic in the field.

From the world of jazz:


Hands down the best musician biography I have ever read. Very worthwhile.

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A paltry few music themed book are sitting at the end of a shelve, not far from my usual Roon-in-den listening position. But would be lying if I claimed to have picked them up more than once, after a first read. All good though, but the bundle of interviews with Johan Cruyff (in Dutch) by Barend & Van Dorp next to them is for me the even better read while having some music on :grinning:.

But these two below I pick up more often, if only to provide a bit of context off-screen. Is that simply me being weird and outdated? Most likely at least the latter, just checked the publishing date on the rough guide and it is 1996 :astonished:. How? When did I blink? A treasured little possession regardless!

(The eagle-eyed may spot the ‘sold my soal’ coaster which came with vinyl - Cut Worms, Nobody Lives here anymore - that arrived today; a purchase on Bandcamp dating back to August last year but caught in the international post. Just to convince myself I am still current :rofl:)

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Currently reading this -

David Stubbs
Future Days - Krautrock and the building of modern Germany
ISBN 978-0-571-34663-9
Faber & Faber

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Just noted @sbr that you already posted a link to The Rest is Noise, which lingers on my desk, a few posts up :+1: clearly a classic! And :-1: for myself on originality :wink:

Sadly, am only ~100 pages in, someone else on here (different thread) pointed out that there is a book version of Robert Greenbergs’ “How to and understand great music”. And while I have listened to the course, I thought perhaps that book would have more detail and it was best t refresh on 1600-1900 before properly tackling 1900-2000.

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Another one I finished a while back.

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This is a good read, as much about the band’s antics as their music.

It’s written by a family friend but I’m not apologising for the plug. Good review in the Guardian as well.

The Perfect Sound: A Memoir in Stereo https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0375425063/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_5P7Z3TY4Q1VQNP7MCHES

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A good read for fans of Brandi Carlile, with lots of insight into her music as well as her personal journey.

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