On the heels of reading about Rod Stewarts memoir a few days ago ("Rod: The Autobiography by Rod Stewart ... also out TODAY), add another rock musician to the seemingly never-ending list of new publications by rock musicians.

Jimmy Page's "Light and Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page" is being touted as the first publication where a member of Led Zeppelin is actually collaborating (and cooperating) with an author for a publication that appears to be based on a series of interviews that took place over the course of the last 20 years, that cover his entire career.  Previous publications about the band have been biographical in nature, with band mates refusing to cooperate in any way; Page is the first band mate to pen a memoir.   It actually looks pretty enticing from the description on Amazon.  

Is it me, or are we experiencing a bit of rocker / writer / publishing overload?   Am I simply noticing more of these memoirs and biographies, or is this publishing surge a bit unprecedented?   Is this the time of year (holiday gifts, anyone?) that publishers would wait to release literature of this ilk or ...?   

Not complaining, criticizing, or attempting to make a commentary on what I can't help but see as a noticeable trend.  Whether the writing is highfalutin and pompous, low-key or down-to-earth doesn't matter -- it's all good to me.   

 Just wondered if you've also noticed the trend -- and/or have any thoughts about it.     

I hadn't really paid attention but it does feel like there have been a number of them. Still, I've been pleased with most of the ones I read in the last few years.

 

Ray Manzerek has one about The Doors. Can't remember the title. Great read. I'll post later if I remember to check the forum once home.

Frankly, the guy's a bit of a fruit in my opinion. But whatever.

 

There was one book on Jim Morrison that was god-awful. I think my wife picked it up in a used bookstore for a couple bucks. I think I threw it under my bed (a last resort storage-place in our condo....) and forgot about it.

Perhaps I'll fish it out and post the title/author before recycling it tonight, so others can avoid it. I read a page here and there and was basically just a text version of paparazzi photos - look how much he partied. /yawn. (It was actually rather like a negative hit piece). Now all these rockers' books have some of that. It was a big part of their life often. But I don't like reading about it if it reads like the author is just gawking at the artist.

 

Keith Richard's "Life" was a great read. Felt like he's telling it to you over drinks. And I'm sure the bits about his music make it even more interesting for musicians.

Slash's was good, but I tend to not like the ones with a co-author because I like to hear it from the artist himself.

Also read Duff McKagan's "It's so easy and other lies". That's well written and I don't think he had a co-author. Interesting to get his perspective and Slash's. Gn'R is only a fraction of the book. Which was fine with me.

 

 

 

I'd be interested to know if anyone has any recommendations for autobiographies/biographies of blues greats....  

Nice.  

There's one out by Peter Townshend, too.  I've noticed at least one a week for what seems like months lately.   I've posted a few of them, but there are many others that I haven't posted.  Crazy.   This has to be an extraordinary number of rock musicians who have an enormous amount of clout because many of these books are being published by some of the finest, most reputable publishers.   

BTW, I just put in an order last week (Amazon) and should get the rocker book (pre-owned) I ordered any day now myself.    

In response to WhatDoYouWantNow's comment:

 

 

The Manzerek book was "Light My Fire, My Life With The Doors".

 

The crappy book about Morrison wasn't there, so I probably did recycle it and forget about it.