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    imp Any chance you can post a photo of a TOC? I can't find that on the publisher's site or Amazon or Good Reads. I'd be curious to know which labels are discussed. This is what Omnibus shares: **Features extensive, original interviews with the likes of Analog Africa, Light in the Attic, Thrill Jockey, International Anthem, Dust-to-Digital, Pressure Sounds, Heavenly, Touch, Mississippi, Sublime Frequencies and more!**

    Kind of taps into some of the conversations various folks have had about writing books. In some cases a TOC really doesn't matter and a summary of chapters could be helpful, but for a book like this one listing a TOC would seem to be a good hook.

    Comment


      Here you go:

      Introduction vii
      Dedication xvi

      Part One: West Coast
      1: Mississippi 2
      2: Sahel Sounds 23
      3: Constellation Tatsu 38
      4: Gnome Life 48
      5: Superior Viaduct 60
      6: Recital 79
      7 & 8: Vin du Select Qualitite & Black Editions 93
      9: Light in the Attic 114
      10: Scissor Tail Editions 141
      11: Eremite 154

      Part Two: UK 167
      12 & 13: Heavenly Recordings & Rivertones 168
      14: Second Language Music 190
      15: Clay Pipe 215
      16: Pressure Sounds 231
      17: Touch 268
      18: Injazero 307
      19: Zube 318

      Part Three: Midwest/the South/East Coast 339
      20: International Anthem 340
      21: Students of Decay 364
      22: Dust-to-Digital 379
      23: Paradise of Bachelors 419
      24: Unseen Worlds 445
      25: Temporary Residence Ltd 464
      26: Important 495
      27: Thrill Jockey 519

      Part Four: Music is the Most Beautiful Language in the World 549
      28: sonic pieces 550
      29: Root Strata 564
      30: Analog Africa 578
      31: Sublime Frequencies 608
      32: Ostinato 632
      33: Arc Light Editions 651
      331∕3: Japan Blues 673

      Acknowledgements 699
      Epilogue 701

      Comment


        Thanks. I appreciate it. Will add this to my "to be ordered" list once the current stack sitting next to me shrinks by a few.

        Comment


          Nice book that. He lives near me in Leytonstone.

          Comment


            Originally posted by imp View Post
            Here you go:

            Introduction vii
            Dedication xvi

            Part One: West Coast
            1: Mississippi 2
            2: Sahel Sounds 23
            3: Constellation Tatsu 38
            4: Gnome Life 48
            5: Superior Viaduct 60
            6: Recital 79
            7 & 8: Vin du Select Qualitite & Black Editions 93
            9: Light in the Attic 114
            10: Scissor Tail Editions 141
            11: Eremite 154

            Part Two: UK 167
            12 & 13: Heavenly Recordings & Rivertones 168
            14: Second Language Music 190
            15: Clay Pipe 215
            16: Pressure Sounds 231
            17: Touch 268
            18: Injazero 307
            19: Zube 318

            Part Three: Midwest/the South/East Coast 339
            20: International Anthem 340
            21: Students of Decay 364
            22: Dust-to-Digital 379
            23: Paradise of Bachelors 419
            24: Unseen Worlds 445
            25: Temporary Residence Ltd 464
            26: Important 495
            27: Thrill Jockey 519

            Part Four: Music is the Most Beautiful Language in the World 549
            28: sonic pieces 550
            29: Root Strata 564
            30: Analog Africa 578
            31: Sublime Frequencies 608
            32: Ostinato 632
            33: Arc Light Editions 651
            331∕3: Japan Blues 673

            Acknowledgements 699
            Epilogue 701
            I hadn't noticed this before. Owing to extended airtime on an episode of Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone a couple of months ago I bought some Clay Pipe label recordings and enjoy them a lot - both the music and the artwork. It's a lovely concept.

            Concerning books I am, as I speak, listening to Gideon Coe interviewing Graeme Thomson on his recent book about John Martyn. I'm pretty sure the main thrust of the biography will centre around the wild tales and erratic behaviour of the 'tortured genius'. So while it may offer no huge surprises I'd like to read it anyway. Because he was a genius.

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              Those following Spearmint Rhino's twitter feed will probably have noticed that he's been contracted to write a Cure biography for flourishing music book publisher White Rabbit.

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                Uncomfortably apt name for a publisher in these times

                Well done Simon

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                  I have started Stuart Cosgrove's soul trilogy with Detroit '67. Nobody emerges from it with much praise so far except maybe Gordy's female business employees, suggesting there was a progressive black female middle class in Detroit. Black capitalism with a strong female input. The police and FBI are bastards, as you'd expect, the car industry is starting to decline, and Motown had to learn to thrive in that environment.

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                    Has anybody read the Brian Eno biography 'On A Far Away Beach' by David Sheppard and if so would you recommend it?

                    Comment


                      Not a new publication, but I'm currently reading Karl Hyde's part memoir/part diary/part notebook I Am Dogboy. Having always just associated Underworld as being one of those 90s bands whose members were broadly in the region of 10 years older than (teenage at the time) me, give or take 5 years, I was quite shocked to discover he's actually getting on into his mid-60s these days. An interesting man from an unlikely background (rural Black Country).

                      Comment


                        Just coming to the end of Will Carruthers's book on his time working in factories whilst playing bass for Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. The opening chapter is awful and I gave up on it for quite some time after that. But I picked it up again the other day and haven't been able to put it down.

                        The style of writing reminds me a lot of Danny Baker's in "Going to sea in a Sieve" and as a comedy novel, rather than an accurate account of the time, it is very good. After every chapter I think "that would make a great sitcom episode", it's essentially about being broke, being from a small town, trying to be on drugs and trying hard to avoid work by being in the band, but getting totally ripped off in the process. Sonic Boom is a great comic character, a privelidged Rugby school boy without Carruthers's financial limitations. His motorway speech on the way to the Brentford Arts Centre, then the subsequent gig description rate as the funniest chapter I've read in a music bio, culminating in a fantastic punchline.

                        Great book, probably helps if you have an interest in the music, but a very humourous account of indie band lifestyle if you don't.

                        Comment


                          Colossal Youth by Michael Blair/Joe Bucciero

                          This is part of the single album Bloomsbury series, a book I mentioned in the Xmas Haul thread, focusing on the only album ever released by the Young Marble Giants. They're irresistible, beautifully presented mini-books that doubtless appeal those of us of a certain age prone to fetishising the album as a concept, and many individual albums too as milestones in our lives. But are they any good?

                          I read 'Unknown Pleasures' from the same series and was quite underwhelmed. The idea, obviously, is to listen to the album while you're reading the compact book. In the case of Colossal Youth, this was no sacrifice. It's still a wonderful record because it sounds like nothing that came before it or after. It's quirky, sparse pop perfection, based around bass hooks that form the core of each short song, balanced with bitty guitar licks, a really primitive drum-box, and vocals that are vague, young, poetic, unstable and pre-lovely. I don't think that it was a massive influence, or that it was 'before its time', as such cult albums are habitually lionised. Although it sold well for an indie album, it was ignored from a musical history point of view - there were no imitators, because no one could aspire to something this unusual and out of context in terms of musical trends. Sure, post-punk, but that's just a coincidence of time, not any kind of perceived style.

                          I got fed up with the book half way through and turned to Simon Reynolds' sleeve notes in the 2007 CD re-issue. It turned out that the Bloomsbury book (2017) used the same historical quotes as the sleeve notes and padded them out with a lot of verbose bluster. "The harsh gasps of silences embedded in YMG's music also undeniably mirror the desolation and terror of their crumbling city [Cardiff]," maintain the authors. Does it really? I don't know, I wasn't around in Cardiff in 1979, but does Colossal Youth "undeniably" mirror that city's dereliction four decades ago? For those of us listening from afar, it's a thesis, but not one that relates to our experience of the record. It was stuff like that made me turn towards the sleeve-notes. I like a bit of sociological context, Ken, but that's... ridiculous. Let me know about the band, their background, how it much it cost to record, who was interested, how did it sell, why did they split. Posit the connection to "desolation and terror" if you must, but don't ram it down my throat with its undeniability.

                          Hope the book devoted to the first Raincoats album is better than this. Otherwise, I'll be relying on the sleeve-notes from now on.

                          Comment


                            I had completely forgotten about this series of books and was surprised to learn that there are now almost 150 of them. I had missed that there was one for 69 Love Songs but recently ordered it, sadly having been alerted to it by the death of the author, LG Beghtol. He actually performed on the album and designed the sleeve and this is much more than a cuttings job. The two biggest sections are an explanatory lexicon for Stephin Merritt's lyrics and a song by song commentary from a wide range of contributors. There are also further interviews, fan polls and a crossword puzzle among other things. It's a fitting companion to the album.

                            I've also ordered the accompanying volume for The Geto Boys' self titled third album on Def American, mainly out of curiosity that one was published. Purists may balk on the grounds that the album is really a compilation of their two previous independent releases.

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                              In other old book news, I'm reading Gruff Rhys's American Interior from 2014. I bought the album and saw the live show but missed the book at the time, finally picking a copy up for a couple of quid last year. It is a winning combination of history, travelogue and musical memoir and he has an easy, dryly humorous authorial voice. His new one, Resist Phony Encores!, arrived for Christmas but I'll hold that back for now.

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                                That 33 1/3 series is hit and miss. I think I've read 5 or 6 of them: Exile on Main Street (itself hit and miss, which is a shame since the author is the singer for Buffalo Tom--a band I like quite a bit and was hoping an album I love and a band I like would align in the universe in some way), Meat is Murder (book is a fictional story and not so hot), James Brown Live at the Apollo (this one was good), a Fugazi record (this one was mostly good as well). I can't remember the others. There are a bunch that I keep in the Amazon cart but never seem to follow through: Afghan Whigs, AC/DC, Bob Dylan, Some Girls from the Stones. I was close on the book about Jawbreaker but heard it's horrible, so dumped that one from the car.

                                I talked with the original editor about pitching a book about X's Los Angeles and he seemed into. Then I got busy with other things, the series seemed to change a bit and I never came back to the idea. Jon Doe did his own book that is an oral history of LA Punk and the gist of what I wanted to do was locate that album in Los Angele's punk scene as well as changes in the city as a whole. There has been a lot written about LA punk since I had that idea so no real need for more of the same.

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                                  I'd been looking for a book like Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll for some time. I cut my pop teeth on the girl groups of the early sixties, and black female artists pre- and post- that period have forever been among my favourites. So Maureen Mahon's book appeared to hit my sweet spot. The feeling was reinforced when I scanned the chapter titles: Big Mama Thornton, LaVern Baker and The Shirelles were the first three. I couldn't have chosen better myself. I understood exactly why Mahon had selected them, Big Mama was the first black female artist to move from R&B to R&R, LaVern was the first female R&R star, and The Shirelles were the first girl group to hit it big consistently. So far so good. Now to start reading.

                                  Mahon isn't a bad writer, but she is, very much, an academic writer. She's an associate prof at NYU, and her publishers Duke U Press, so it's understandable, but somewhat problematic. The biggest issue is that Black Diamond Queens' research is almost entirely from secondary sources, mainly previously printed ones. Trouble is stripped of context, a quotation can mean almost anything the author wants it to. This isn't necessarily intentional but it implies authorial interpretation, which distances the reader. Ironically one of the only interviews Mahon did herself is with the mysterious and notoriously reclusive Betty Davis. Unfortunately Davis proves to be as reluctant to speak as she does to perform, and confines herself almost entirely to "yes," "no" answers, mainly the latter. For me hers is one of the more interesting chapters though as I really like her stuff, and back when she did perform she generated a lot of buzz. The book also includes chapters on LaBelle and Tina Turner, which added little I didn't already know. Also a chapter 'Call and Response' which is on background singers, and leans heavily on the film 20 Feet from Stardom.

                                  Finally, 'Negotiating Brown Sugar' deals with black womens' place as Rock & Roll consorts, mainly through the experiences of Marsha Hunt, Claudia Lennear and Devon Wilson. Each of whom had occasional and/or longstanding relationships with Mick Jagger, amongst others. This could have been a really interesting chapter but, once again, it requires a first person connection, not just regurgitated interviews. To do her justice Mahon is very concerned about not including anything that isn't directly about her subjects' experience and role in music. However it must be said she sometimes emasculates her project in doing so. I mean, it's honourable to omit the difficulties Tina Turner had with her husband, but is it really possible if you're considering her post-Ike success comprehensively? Anyway in sum, Black Diamond Queens is a worthy read, but not an unmissable one. Much more could be done on what is a really important part of popular music

                                  Comment


                                    This Easter, I will mostly be reading about The Fall.

                                    Comment


                                      Originally posted by Benjm View Post
                                      This Easter, I will mostly be reading about The Fall.

                                      The Slang King book basically rips off original research on The Fall Online gigography:

                                      https://thefall.org/gigography/live.html

                                      which subsequently myself and others developed into this (needs considerable editing):

                                      https://thefallliveblog.wordpress.co.../in-the-1980s/

                                      Earlier version here:

                                      https://sites.google.com/site/reform...thy-smithyisms
                                      Last edited by Sporting; 01-04-2021, 18:38.

                                      Comment


                                        That must be annoying for you and the others who did the legwork, Sporting.

                                        Comment


                                          I'm not bitter!

                                          Comment


                                            Robin D. G. Kelley (2009), Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original. Tremendous depth and range of research (historical, musicological, medical, sociological).

                                            Comment


                                              Took a carrier bag of books to our local oxfam book shop determined to leave empty handed. Came away with an almost new signed copy of Barney Joy Div-New Orders auto biog and Cosgraves Detroit soul book. If the Cosgrave ones as good as the other two I’ll not be disappointed. Is Barneys any good?
                                              Last edited by Sunderporinostesta; 12-06-2021, 21:28.

                                              Comment


                                                I got The Double Life of Bob Dylan by Clinton Heylin for my birthday! Result!

                                                Heylin's a prick and a half (he spends the entire introduction badmouthing every other poor sod who's ever deigned to write anything about Dylan in the past.) But I have to say he certainly delivers the goods.

                                                Comment


                                                  Originally posted by Sunderporinostesta View Post
                                                  Is Barneys any good?
                                                  I enjoyed Barney's book. It's not as exhaustive as Hook's tomes and he is quite a reserved character but you do get a sense of what makes him tick. It is stronger on his childhood and early years than as a chronology of New Order. His general attitude is similar to that of Electronic partner Johnny Marr. Different refreshment strategies aside, both their memoirs show a strong commitment to self improvement through hard work and curiosity to try new things.

                                                  Stephen Morris' New Order book might be the pick of the three accounts by members of the band. Sumner's and Hook's are both skewed somewhat by their latter day loathing of each other.

                                                  Comment


                                                    I could swear there was a thread about the ins and outs of book publishing but couldn't find it. One of the points that I raised and I think imp discussed as well is that no matter the publisher, they tend to do nothing to help promote a book. On Tuesday night I attended a Zoom session for the book launch of John Doe (X) and Tom DeSavia's new book called More Fun in the New World. This is the second and last part of two dedicated to early LA punk. The first was called Under the Big Black Sun. Anyway, the zoom session consisted of about 15 people total, which included one of the bookstore owners, DeSavia, Doe, the woman who acted as discussion moderator, the book store owner's mom, one of John Doe's friends, and some other guy that seemed to be friends with the moderator and the two authors. This is John Doe, one of the coolest guys in rock music and that's it for a zoom session? Anyway, I had remembered and forgotten about Under the Big Black Sun about 10 times so ordered that and the new one to support the shop. I'm hoping the books arrive by next week so I've got some airplane reading for a trip to LA.

                                                    BTW, the audio book for Under the Big Black Sun won a grammy for spoken word and both books are supposedly really interesting as audio books because the people who contributed read their own parts. I doubt I will ever get around to listening. Even 1 hour podcasts are hard for me to finish these days, but I mention this for the audio book fans.

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