Books I Would Recommend …Part 1

I thought I would go through my book collection (hardbacks, paperbacks, and audio) and see which ones I really like. I’m more of a non-fiction reader and I love biographies. I also like documentaries which I will do later on. There are some fiction books I’ve read that I will list later on. I thought I would do a few at a time.

Harpo Speaks

1: Harpo Marx – Harpo Speaks – This is my top autobiography of all time. I have read it at least 8-9 times. When I fly, Harpo goes with me on every flight. Harpo was born in the latter half of the 19th century and his life is one of the most incredible stories I’ve read about. This guy adopted enough kids to fill up every window in his house. He would often wake his kids up just to play if he came home late. If rock bands tell sad stories of them just starting and how hard it was…you should read what the Marx Brothers went through. This book goes to 1964 when he passed away. The link on Harpo Speaks goes to my review of it. It was the first book post I did that actually got interest.

2: Beatles – Tune In – The absolute best biography on The Beatles and it only goes to 1962 and it’s well over 1000 pages. Mark Lewisohn wrote it and is planning to write a part two and then a part three. The criticism of this book is there are too many details…” who needs to know the color of George Harrison’s first car?” Well me that’s who! No,  I have read at least 15 or more books on them and I learned a lot from this book. Lewisohn interviewed a lot of early fans who saw them in the Cavern and Hamburg. He uncovers events that no one knew before. He also backs things up so it’s the best by far on the Beatles.

Most books on the Beatles I don’t get through because all they are doing is repeating the well-known history…not this one. I’m impatiently waiting the Part II.

Keith Richards Life

3: Keith Richards – Life – This book started a trend among older rock stars. Keith is upfront about his past and doesn’t hide much if anything. He is straightforward and you learn a lot about what was going on when the Stone’s golden years were happening. You would NEVER get a book like this with Mick Jagger. I’ve ranked this 3rd…but the following 2 could have easily switched places with this one but Keith is the one that started it. The format he used was soon used again by Gregg Allman, Robbie Robertson, and Bill Kreutzmann.

Gregg Allman - My Cross To Bear

4: Gregg Allman – My Cross To Bear – It felt like Gregg was on a back porch telling you his story. I was an Allman Brothers fan but became a huge one after this book. I started to dive into their music and I saw how great they were. He goes through the Duane years, Cher, the narc incident, and up to the modern Allman Brothers. Even if you are not a huge fan…check this out.

Robbie Robertson - Testimony

5: Robbie Robertson – Testimony – Same as Keith and Gregg…a wonderful book about The Band. I had no clue what they went through before they toured with Dylan. They were as tight as any band could be musically and physically. Robbie is very even-handed about his relationship with Levon Helm…he doesn’t rip him and generally treats him with respect. You also learn more about Bob Dylan than I ever knew about his personality. Robbie is also such a cool guy and very down to earth.

Bill Kreutzmann - Deal

6: Bill Kreutzmann – Deal – OK, you want Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll? You have it here with the Grateful Dead’s drummer. It’s not a complete bio of the Dead but he tells stories that I never heard before. Of all the bands I read about…The Dead probably had more fun than any other. They did have their arguments and Garcia wasn’t always a hippie guy that went along with everything. I did learn more about the Dead’s dynamics from this book than any other.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

40 thoughts on “Books I Would Recommend …Part 1”

    1. I have read some fiction but not much. The Harpo book I can’t reccomend enough. The trials they had to go through…staying at boarding houses with bed posts in pots of acid so the bed bugs wouldn’t get up on the bed (the still did) and rotten food served….it was really rotten with bugs or whatever.

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      1. Yes, that’s a very good book. I have a couple by Groucho, but Harpo’s is better. I have quite a few music ones and a few either by or about some of my favorite actors and athletes. Fiction is what I read a lot of when I was a kid and nonfiction when I grew up. I still like nonfiction best.

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      2. I do have some sports ones….and I’ll get those also. The Boys of Summer and more. Of course I’m a huge Dodger fan so I would pick that one.

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      4. I’ve read a Koufax book by Jane Leavy…what a pitcher he was.
        I also have one about the 1981 Dodgers when they finally beat The Yankees. That was my team.

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  2. To be honest with you dude I found the Keith book a little too long. A great read but it just kept going and going and going lol. But he did tell some great stories thats for sure.

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      2. Funny, on trips out of town etc I listen to fiction, mote and more at home I sit/lie/ lolll/ounge in the sun and bios!? Why? Dunno, just habits you fall into over time, I guess.

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  4. So many books, so little time! Of them, Robbie’s might be the one I’d go to first. I’ll look forward to the next instalment of the Lewishown Beatles one, but have to admit, at 1000 pages and it only covers the beginning of their career, might be a little longer than I’d want to go at.

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    1. Bailey just got me the hardback edition of Testimony so that is cool. The Beatles one…you would probably want to skip the young childhood and get to where Paul and John get together.

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  6. Of this bunch I’ve only read Keith’s and I loved every bit of it. Def want to read the rest of these except for the Dead drummer as I’m not that into The GD (sorry, Jim!)

    Although each Marx brother had/has his charm, Harpo was *always* my favorite. His facial expressions charmed me as a child and his harp-playing delighted me (understatement.) He seemed brilliant and wise to me as a kid.

    The Beatles one would be a good one to check out from the library because from the looks of it it isn’t cheap and I couldn’t devote that much time to studying it.

    Gregg’s book would be interesting, just to learn more about the band.

    Robbie’s is one I have (thanks again!) but just haven’t made/found the time to read it. I’m geeked to hear what he says about the band and Zimmy in particular.

    In your next installment I know you will include “Miss O’Dell’s” book, yes?

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    1. You cannot go wrong with Harpo’s book. As you see…I have it over any other. I recommended it to Hanspostcard and he loved it also.
      The Beatles one….I learned SO MUCH from it. I was shocked that it had that much info.
      Yes…I thought about Chris O’Dell with this one but stuck with those 4 autobiographies. I’m going to start making the other post soon. That will be on it.

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  7. Some bios are grat, some pretty dry and tiresome, but even they have some details of interest. I tried half the Lemmie one and learned nothing, but maybe the genre isn’t of enough interest to me.

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    1. That Beatles one…is the most detailed book about someone I’ve ever read.
      Stephen King books are big on details…I’ll paraphrase… “They were walking down the street and stepped over a crack in the sidewalk”…. “in 1942 a workman named Ed dropped a quarter on wet cement that he bought at ….” on and on. I’ve read IT and it is great…but very detailed.

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      1. I think with King- at his best- he gives an air of authenticity with the details. If you just want ‘Wham Bam Action Man’ he ain’t your guy, I don’t know who the literary equivelent of ‘The Fast And The Flame-out’ is. And hey, I don’t wanna know! ‘The Stand’ is about ten million pages long but that tome and the wafer-thin ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ are the ones that resonate longest for me.

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      2. That is a book on my list to read… The Stand. I read IT and I feel like I know Derry and everyone there. Hell I fell like I was there. I’ve told people…it’s a coming of age book with an alien psychotic clown…and I love it.

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      1. You know…and this isn’t a good thing but I’m so used to kids or 20 and 30 somethings… typing pls, wth, ect…that I don’t pay attention anymore.
        I knew what you meant. I’m not just blaming them…I do it also at times. They have turned texting into writing which is sad.

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  8. I recently purchased and read the one by The Doors guitar player, and damn, it was awful. I took it back to half-price books and recouped a few dollars. I will read the Harpo Marx and Robbie Robertson book. I’ve read so many Beatles books I’m weary. I recently re-read, To Kill A Mockingbird just to reacquaint myself with a real author, Harper Lee.

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    1. I need to read more fiction Phil….and the ones I’m thinking of you will like…cause if my memory is correct you wanted to be him… I’ve never read Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. They are a must.
      I think you will like both of those….Harpo Marx’s book will take you back to the turn of the century and man did he have a fun life…and met a lot of artists, writers, and real musicians.

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      1. Yep, Huck and Tom is the perfect starting place. That’s the one that got my blood pumping and burning through No. 2 yellow pencils. He wrote a lot of comedy and was best when jabbing people over their eccentrics. Gonna order the Harpo book tomorrow on Amazon.

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  10. Sadly, and I’ve said it before, for many years, I’ve had a really hard time reading books. I know it’s embarrassing, plus, I’m obviously missing out on great stuff! My lame excuse is I have to read stuff all day long as part of my job. As such, I deliberately look for a break during downtime.

    When I was a kid growing up in Germany it was very different. I frequently books in the evening. At least I can say this included biographies about The Beatles (Hunter Davies) and Elvis (can’t remember the writer).

    Watching music documentaries is a different story.

    One thing I haven’t really tried more seriously are audio books.

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    1. That book by Harpo I really like. Yes I love Groucho also… There is a good book about Groucho in that period…in fact when I release part II this week I’m mentioning it …. it’s called Raised Eyebrows… A college kid who lived at his house and did his archiving during the last 3 years of Grouchos life. .

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