Rock Bio: Sound Man by Record Engineer/Producer Glyn Johns

Amazon link here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0399163875/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=7002847395&hvqmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4vw8f703tg_b

If you are in this thread, I will assume you know who Glyn Johns is. Involved deeply with the creation of foundational works by the Beatles, Stones, Zep and everyone freakin’ else.

The book is good - a superfast read because he just moves through each AMAZING, Mount Rushmore of rock moment rather quickly. He doesn’t dwell long enough to get a rich sense of the players. He is not coy and is complimentary, critical and has his own ego, but at the end of the book, I couldn’t recall exactly who he liked and disliked.

I would put this on the second tier. For a better producer’s-eye-view of history, I would recommend Geoff Emerick’s Here, There and Everywhere as a better book, and the documentary Tom Dowd: The Language of Music as best example of this sub-category, bar none.

I agree with your assessment of Glyn Johns’ book. Not so much with Geoff Emerick’s book; he spent way too much time putting down the other three Beatles in comparison to McCartney.

Joe Boyd’s book was much better, IMO. I was pretty impressed with Tony Visconti’s book, too.

Fair point about Emerick - he is not fond of George’s playing until George shares Something with him in early form. But he gives a great “you are there behind the scenes” feel with The Beatles, richer than Glyn Johns’ stories.

I enjoyed Boyd’s. Haven’t read Visconti’s but will check it out. I will also offer Al Kooper’s Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards as another very worthy read.

Thanks for the tip, will have a look for that.

ETA: I have Nile Rodgers’ book queued up on my Kindle, I expect that’ll be a fun read and include many cool recording studio stories.

I really enjoyed his book Le Freak - plenty of stories, told well. Nile’s lived a helluva life.