As we celebrate (?) or better, tolerate, the one year
anniversary of “15 days to flatten the curve,” and you’ve probably reached the
point in binge watching things, or re-watching things, might I suggest an
alternative? There has been a recent influx of truly entertaining rock books
and memoirs worth not only checking out, but distracting you from the latest
Fauci-isms.
Do
You Feel Like I Do: A Memoir – Peter Frampton – (Hachette)
Legendary rocker Peter Frampton delivers his memoir in
the form of Do You Feel Like I Do, in
which he details the both the high highs and low lows of his decades long
career. It is a familiar rock ’n’ roll refrain of drug and alcohol abuse, being
ripped off by slimy managers and rising from the ashes.
The rising from the ashes part is quite literal, as
Frampton recounts a running tale throughout the book of the search for his
infamous Gibson Les Paul guitar, the one he totes on the cover of his
mega-bestselling live album Frampton
Comes Alive. He dubs the guitar The
Phenix, (his twist on the spelling) as he tells the story of its alleged
destruction in a plane crash in Venezuela. Thought to be destroyed in the
flaming wreckage, the guitar was resurrected, stolen, bought and sold, spotted
and disappeared, and finally reunited with its rightful owner over the course
of many twists and turns.
Frampton could have become bitter and negative after all
of problems that have befallen him, many of his own choosing, but the book
offers insight into his thoughts on what amounts to a life full of unique
experiences and opportunities.
They
Just Seem a Little Weird – Doug Brod – (Hachette)
There is more than a little bit of fan-boyishness in
veteran rock writer, Doug Brod’s They
Just Seem a Little Weird, which recounts how the bands Kiss, Cheap Trick,
Aerosmith, and Starz, left an impact on rock and roll. Brod details the band’s
beginnings, how the regularly crossed paths and the long running competition
for supremacy led to strange alliances and long running feuds.
He delivers some insider insights into the strange and
strained relationships that the four bands engendered. Starz, a hard rocking,
New York based band seem like an odd choice for inclusion among this grouping,
when you consider the fact that they came and went so quickly and that the
other three are all members of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Brod gives his
take on why the quintet never quite lived up to their potential, ranging from
mis-management, mismatched producers, and bad relations with their record
label.
If you grew up in the 70s and these bands were an
everyday part of your life, this book makes for a fun read. Be warned there is a
bit of a ping pong ball bouncing around quality to the narrative that at times
makes it hard to track.
Right
Place, Right Time – Bob Gruen (Abrams)
Unless you are a die-hard rock fan, obsessed with liner
notes and photos of your favorite musical heroes, the name Bob Gruen is not a
household one. Gruen has enjoyed a decades-long career as not only one of the
photographers of choice for many rockers, but as a guy responsible for some of
the most legendary photographs in rock history.
While he has released a number of collections of his
legendary work, Right Place, Right Time, is
the first time that he details the stories behind so many of his greatest
photos. While the title suggests that luck played a part in his success, I
would make the case that Gruen is not only a skilled practitioner behind the
lens, but also someone that his built his career on being a trusted friend, who
relied on the relationships he formed with the subjects of his work. This book
offers unique insights into both the photographer and artists he shoots.
One
Last Song – Mike Ayers (Abrams)
The concept is simple; If you could hear one last song
before you died, what would it be and why? In One Last Song, author Mike Ayers explores that question with a
range of artists and delves into their responses and reasoning.
I think the concept is a statement about the role and
impact that music has on our lives. It can range from impacting our
interactions, to being the soundtrack to our lives and even how we relate to
one another. This book is thought provoking and surprising in how we respond to
the question. Friends who are what I would consider music junkies struggled
with the either the answer or the concept.
Music is a part of our life and this forces us to think
about it being a part of our death. My responses ranged from the cynical; The
Allman Brothers, Mountain Jam, from
the Live at Ludlow Garage, two CD set, that times out at 45 minutes plus,
to give me just a little extra time in this mortal coil. At the other extreme
were things like the raw power of Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, always a favorite, to On the Wings of Love, which played at
our wedding 30 plus years ago.
Punk,
Post Punk, New Wave – Michael Grecco – (Abrams)
When you look back fondly to the earliest days of punk
rock and its later incarnations, it becomes clear pretty quickly that the
movement was more about the attitude than it was about the music. While the
music certainly did its best capture that attitude, Punk, Post Punk, New Wave, a collection of photographs by Michael
Grecco of that era, truly captures that attitude.
There is a sneering and leering quality to many of the
photos in this collection, all captured in black and white. While Grecco is
focused on the bands, much of the story in these photos is told by the settings
and the people around the band. He does a masterful job of capturing the raw
energy of the time and the scene, which makes this an indispensable part of any
punk fans collection.
