The World's Greatest Rock and Roll BOOK
340351
Okay, I am a huge fan of classic rock and punk music and I have a great time searching for new rock biographies, histories and memoirs to read.  The Stones are one of the three bands I consider to be the "holy trinity" of British rock music (along with the Beatles and the Clash) and, after collecting 41 different albums of their music (yeegads!) I picked up a copy of this book, simply because I had heard it was good from another Stones fan.

What an understatement that turned out to be.  "The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones" is not only the best book on rock 'n' roll I have yet read, and there have been many, it is also one of my top five books.  Ever.  As another reviewer already already stated, this book is many different things rolled into one.  It is a deeply interesting document of the Stones' 1969 American tour (which included both Altamont and the recording of 'Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!' at Madison Square Garden).  It is also a precise history of the band up to the point of its writing, a dreary and drug-soaked eulogy for the '60s and a deeply personal journal from the pen of Stanley Booth.

There isn't really anything else like this book.  Unlike many rock biographers, Booth did not base his book on sketchy interviews and the "facts" presented in other people's books.  He traveled with the Stones on the '69 tour and writes the story from his own point of view.  This creates a very interesting situation for the reader because you get to see the Stones' world from Booth's eyes: as an outsider looking in.  Each one of the Stones are captured beautifully through dialog and actions that Booth witnessed.  You get to see everything from Keith's wry sense of humor to Mick's complexities as he tries to befriend Booth and keep him at arm's length all at once.

I can't stress to you how much you need to read this book if you are a Stones fan.  As I read it, I was constantly stopping to admire the incredible writing of Stanley Booth.  When you read this book, you will get to know him just as well as you get to know the Stones.  With so many rock biographies written by hacks with no clue, "The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones" is a diamond in the rough.  Buy it.
1706558
I fell in love with this book from the very first time that i put my eyes on this page of amazon, but, on that time it had a limited edition and it was sould out. I`ve waited more than 3 months for him to arrive but then it was impossible... One day, by hazard i found it on Fnac in Portugal, it was the only one of it`s kind so i bought it imediately and must tell you that it is really music to your ears to read this amazing book. It is the best book i`ve ever seen about music and i have more than five encyclopedias about the subject so believe it when i say that this book really entertains you with the good and consistent information, the beautiful pictures about the artists, the design, the uk and us charts and much more... From Elvis to Abba, from Eminen to Norah Jones, from Sinead O`Connor to Alanis, from Celine to Mariah, from The Who to Nirvana, from Notorious BIG to Massive Attack, from The Ronnettes to Take That, from Brenda Lee and Janis Joplin to Britney Spears and Christina it really has it all !!!
3608420
This book by a dear friend is an amazing chronicle of a wild life in a rock n roll world most people never got to see and will never get to see. The list of characters and events is mind blowing to say the least. For Deadheads and fans of The Rolling Stones, it is a must read. For music lovers and people interested in sixties and seventies rock culture, it is a must read. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is simply a "Must Read". I love the book. The stories are all gems. I'm sure there will more to come!
3311970
Hands down the best book ever written about Van Halen and the best book ever written about a rock band from a perspective you never get...or if you do get it you get 1 chapter.

This is an amazing effort and the documentation is AMAZING!
4399248
Up until reading this I was heading down a journey of completing a Pink Floyd collection and absently recommending long haired guys with guitars to anyone who would listen. After reading it (as soon as it was reviewed by  Charles Shaar Murray in Q (***** since you ask)), I had to have it.  It is  a wonderful map and guide book to the greatest music ever recorded.  Like  all good music journalism after reading you are desperate to hear all of  these singles.  Like the guy above I have hunted down these songs over the  last decade, and I have learnt so much and discovered so much beauty I  cannot recommend this highly enough.  The wonderful side effect is that you  bump into other stuff along the way.  Treat yourself to some blank tapes  too, and make the comilation library to live for. Dave Marsh has flaws, but  they are not in his ability to write passionately about this music.  The  stories he tells are diverse enlightening and I guarantee that you will  have a better record collection after digesting this.
3250077
This book is a treasure for  anyone who is a rock solid Rolling Stones fan.  It groups songs by the LP that had them.  Each song has a story of how it was conceived, written, and put together for production/singing.  There are facts about the Rolling Stones members that are quite interesting.  Many of these are included in the songs' stories.

If you are one of those who wants to have information about all of the Rolling Stones' songs and albums, this is the book for you.

Amazon has the best price for this book, also.
2754946
I got my copy of this book, autographed by David Crosby, at a CSN concert in 1992.  I read it immediately and have re-read it several times since; the hardcover book is now falling apart.

It is compelling from beginning to end, in no small part because of the collaboration between Crosby, his coauthor Carl Gottlieb, and the co-participants in the amazing musical journey on which David Crosby and his many cohorts embarked.  It doesn't hide from or glamorize Crosby's descent into freebase cocaine hell and escape from it - against all odds.

But for those of us who grew up with CSN(Y) and the various combinations as an integral part of our own musical history, this is a must read.  And re-read.  I wish it were on Kindle.
1883689
The photographs and stories in this book are truly amazing. Tom Weschler's access to Bob Seger is unprecedented, and there are lots of photos here that are being published for the first time. Gary Graff's words embellish the images nicely, and the result is a great historical account of a rock and roll legend. Is this a true Bob Seger biography? No. But it definitely takes the reader on a fabulous and unique journey through Seger's wonderful career. The Foreword and Afterword, by John Mellencamp and Kid Rock respectively, are nice touches, too. Highly recommended.
4914452
This rock and roll collage is so cool, perfect for all rock music lovers. The creator of this spent 27 years making it. It's an unparalleled collection of rock's visual history from magazine clippings throughout the years. This a visual history of the artists behind some of the greatest rock legends out there. I notice something new every time I look at it, a new little detail or face I haven't noticed before. There must be a thousand different things going on here. But it all kind of works together with great tone and color to create an awesome piece that evokes feelings of really great tunes and great people. Looks way better in real life than the photo, I recommend getting the large print, guests over your house will be spending like 10 minutes or more staring at it looking for the hidden easter eggs and other rock and roll goodies.
3423555
Finally! The story of Jerry Nolan, arguably one of the finest rock and roll drummers ever. It's a great read start-to-finish. A must have for every fan of NYC's rock n' roll heyday or anyone who enjoys a well written tale of a walk on the wild side.
1886912
Great book!  A must read for any who fan.  Pete is one of the true godfathers of rock. Buy it.
2800195
Rick Clark's book is a treasure for anybody involved in the art of recording music. this book is full of rare, first-hand information by some of today's top engineers and producers. I wished the foreword (and it's a long foreword) would have gone on and on. If you've lost your belief in rock'n roll, Rick's foreword will make you a believer again. Rick Clark's knowledge about every aspect of making muic is vast, his passion for music and its makers is obvious. I've been recording, playing and producing music for a long time and learned a lot from this book. I go back to it frequently for inspiration and resources.
445
If you are interested in classic rock and roll people, especially those who burned too bright, and burned out too young, this IS the book for you ! The last chapter of the book is a reprise of another very interesting book entitled The 27s, about many fine artists, including, recently, Amy Whinehouse, who only made it the age of 27, for various reasons of all kinds. This is quite an interesting, story, even if you have read that book, but esp. if you have not. Starting with the first chapter, about the legend surrounding the success, and early death, of 20s blues great Robert Johnson. This book goes straight on ahead with many, many other interesting, never before known facts surrounding the deaths, or at least personal duress of several different rock and roll stars or groups. For example, did you know that the Beatles named their band after what Buddy Holly first named, then changed the name, of his own band, and were some of his all time biggest fans ? From here it goes right on to other rock and roll tragedies, such as the Allman Bros. Band ( two different members crashed at exactly the same intersection in Savannah, Ga., almost exactly one year apart), Brian Jones, of the Rolling Stones, and the pact with the devil allegedly made by a member of Led Zeppelin. There are also some chapters on the changes gone through by The Eagles, after going through another simiiar series of incidents, plus something on the backward masking phenomena, but this is just a bare thumbnail sketch. Reading this book is a very enthralling journey of discovery that you will not regret making.
4824339
This book is so, so fun and unique . . . a great present for anyone who loves rock and roll and all the wonderful insanity that goes with loving it. A great conversation piece, too!
2984738
I THINK IM THERE NUMBER ONE FAN BECUASE I BUY THOUSANDS OF METALLICA STUFF LIKE BOOKS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST IVE EVER READ ABOUT THEM I MEAN I THOUGHT I NEW THEM PRETTY GOOD BEFORE I READ THIS BOOK BUT I WAS WAY WRONG  THIS BOOK SHOWED ME SO MUCH MORE TO METALLICA THEN I REALLY KNEW SO IF  THERES ANY OTHER BOOK YOU BUY I SUGGEST YOU PICK THIS ONE UP INSTEAD OF ANY  OTHER BIOGRAPHY BOOKS,
3153948
I'm A longtime fan of music, and I have read My share of music biography's through the years. Everything from Kiss, Grand Funk Railroad, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Motley Crue to name A few. I have never read A biography as good as Alice Cooper's book! It is very well written and You can almost hear The Legend narrating the book Himself. It's A great read which bounces between Alice's history and His many incredible stories, to His golf tips, and back. Alice tackles pretty much everything including His Christian Faith, which may surprise some. His Fans, like Me, already know. Alice is A class act, who puts other Rockers to shame with constant caring and giving and the humble person that He really is. If You are A Cooper Fan, You should already have this. If Your A Rock Fan Who is looking for A very good read, this is Your book! I hope Alice writes another One!
30519
Historians claim the birth of Rock and Roll occurred in 1954, as Rockabilly searched for validation. The instrumentals on this massive collection gives another look into the metamorphasis of Rock and Roll some eight years later.
On a personal note, I was fourteen years old in 1962. I was too young to drive, but not too young to strap my AM radio on my bicycle, turn up the volume and enter a world of my own.  As they say, and THEY are correct, these were the best years of my life.
We soaked up this music like a sponge.
The audio on this collection is superb, and the linear notes are top notch.
As Danny and the Juniors so aptly put it, "I don't care what the people say, Rock and Roll is here to stay."
I highly recommend this purchase for the serious collector.  In fact, your collection cannot be complete without all 3 editions.