Post by gremashlo on Sept 14, 2008 17:33:33 GMT -5
admin said:
Excellent post topic, Ken!Some of the ones from my collection:
Beatles:
The Beatles Forever - Nicholas Schaffner: This was the first Beatles-related book I owned, and is still one of my favorites.
The Love You Make - Peter Brown/Steven Gaines: This is a bit dishy, but an excellent read.
Lennon - Ray Coleman: One of the best books on John I've come across. I first checked it out of the library around 1990, and then got a copy for Christmas a few years later.
Blackbird - The Life and Times of Paul McCartney - Geoffrey Giuliano: The first McCartney biography I owned, also a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, this is probably the worst rock bio I've ever read. Guiliano's research is sketchy, and half the book is spent talking about Denny and Jo-Jo Laine. I was very disappointed with it.
A Twist of Lennon - Cynthia Lennon: Very good read, with some nice drawings by Cynthia as well. I haven't read her latest book, but have heard it is quite good.
Beach Boys:
The Beach Boys and the California Myth - David Leaf: My favorite of the books available on them. I have a paperback copy of the 1978 edition, and the 1985 hardcover updated version. Lots of great rare pictures.
Dennis Wilson - The Real Beach Boy - Jon Stebbins: Another very well-written book. Jon has written a book on David Marks that's supposed to be released in the US in the summer.
Catch A Wave - Peter Ames Carlin: This is a biography of Brian, released this past summer. I definitely recommend it. Peter did a signing at a bookstore in West Hollywood, and Mark and I got to chat with him a bit and he signed a copy of the book for us with a personalized message.
The Carpenters - Ray Coleman: Very well-written look at the lives of Karen and Richard. This was also a Christmas gift, but I first checked out a copy from the library.
Papa John - John Phillips: I bought this for Mark for Christmas 1987, but ended up enjoying it quite a bit as well. Unfortunately the center picture section is falling apart in our copy, so we need to find another one.
Get to the Heart - Barbara Mandrell: I'm a big Barbara fan, so I had to have this (and also The Mandrell Family Album, written by sister Louise). Very inspirational and an enjoyable read.
The Ultimate Biography of the Bee Gees: I asked for this as a birthday gift after someone here on the Click - I think it was Pete - recommended it. Very thick book, but it has lots of great insights about the group and Andy I haven't come across anywhere else.
Rock Wives - I forget the author's name, but I checked it out from the library about 2 years ago. It's a collection of profiles of the wives of rock stars. I got it primarily because there was a section with Marilyn Wilson, Brian's former wife, but there were other very interesting parts, especially Myra Lewis' story (Jerry Lee's ex.)
Dreamgirls/Supreme Faith - Mary Wilson: Dreamgirls is the better of the two, as it deals more with their '60s heyday, but both are enjoyable.
I still haven't read the Badfinger and the Chuck Negron titles, but definitely want to get copies of both, as I've heard really good things about them.
Hi Dawn!
I have two of Geoffrey Giuliano's coffee table books " The Beatles - A Celebration" and "The Beatles Album." Both contain fantastic pictures of the memorabilia that he's collected over the years.They are great books!
The problem I have with him, is I've seen several of his tv interviews and he seems " full of himself" like he's THE Beatles expert and no one knows more about them than he does. LOL
This weekend, I found "Lennon In America" as a discount book in a Pamida store, and found it a fascinating read...it is also written by Giuliano, and features several photos of him with Yoko, Sean, Harry Nilsson, Mary Pang and Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird, as if he had some secret lust to put himself into THEIR story, so your comments on his arrogance seem well-founded.
The book itself is a "warts and all" tome regarding Lennon's drug use (lots of it), acting on his sexual desires (even more of that), unchecked selfish and childish behavior (did ANYONE ever say "no" to him?) and paints a portrait of Lennon that is respectful, but openly challenges fans to find him likeable as a human being.
It is NOT a Goldman-like hatchet job, but it is maddeningly inconsistent--it dwells for many pages on the wretched "Rock and Roll"/Phil Spector mess, but only uses two total pages to describe "Double Fantasy" and his comeback attempt. Plus, the author's inability to spell "Be-Bop-a-Lula" made me cringe a bit. And, to link to other posts, it makes a pointless reference to JoJo Laine, whom the author must have a SERIOUS fixation on!
Despite the author's cozy photo with Yoko, he paints a NASTY portrait of her as a domineering hag who bulled Lennon through various business decisions (the book states that Yoko helped break up an attempt to reunite the Beatles, as it would lessen her power over John), and as an opportunist who married John to promote her own "career", little realizing that she would inevitably become "Mrs. Lennon".
Mostly it give the image of a talented artist who spent priceless years battling his own demons, and was poised to a return to inspiration and productivity before his murder.
Anyone else catch this? I believe it was also the base for a TV documentary...