# Rock and Roll band biographies, any recommendations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987 "2003-07-30T21:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/21 "2003-07-31T18:37:13Z")
Funny you should ask this but I’m currently rereading [Before I get old](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0859650839/qid=1059676753/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3452526-3147002?v=glance&s=books), the story of The Who by Dave Marsh. I haven’t read it in 15 years or so but it was a pretty good read if I remember correctly. I also have read [Papa John](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385231202/qid=1059676926/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3452526-3147002?v=glance&s=books) and [California Dreamin’](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0446513083/ref=pd_sim_books_1/103-3452526-3147002?v=glance&s=books) by John and Michelle Phillips respectively. They should be read together to get both sides of the story. H. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/22 "2003-07-31T19:11:46Z")
I would have liked Dave Marsh’s book a lot better if he hadn’t given us his critical opinion of _each and every song The Who ever recorded_. Hey, Dave, _I don’t care_! ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/23 "2003-07-31T20:07:10Z")
Thanks for all the tips, much appreciated. I’m intrigued by the punk era, comparing the US and UK scenes should be a bit of fun. English culture surrouding the rise of The Sex Pistols and The Clash is something I’ve always been curious about. ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/24 "2003-07-31T23:19:57Z")
Check out “England’s Dreaming” by Jon Savage–it’s a detailed, informative book on that era, with lots of great stories. ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/25 "2003-08-01T00:03:16Z")
The best book (I think) on Jimi Hendrix was John McDermott and Eddie Kramer’s “Setting the Record Straight”. Excellent book. I enjoyed a book called “The Beatles; Lennon and Me” which was written by a boyhood friend of John’s named Pete Shotton (with Nicholas Schaffner). There are LOTS of Rolling Stones bios out there. I have about 20 I guess. My favorite is one called “The First Twenty Years” by David Dalton which of course was written 20 years ago! Great Sunday afternoon rainy book. ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/26 "2003-08-01T05:10:50Z")
Though _technically_ he’s not a band\*, Jimmy Buffett’s autobiography “A Pirate Looks at 50” was very good. Unless you count the Coral Reefer Band who he peforms with occasionally. But they’re not a big part of the book. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987/27 "2003-08-02T08:12:41Z")
Picked up “England’s Dreaming” tonight, **yawndave** (new and improved “Revised Edition”!). The nasty cover shot of a snotty Sid Vicious and the cool intro about the UK atmosphere forced open my wallet. Thanks for the heads up! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-and-roll-band-biographies-any-recommendations/191987.md?page=1)