Music-Related Readings

[jasn]

Rather than create a singular thread about a specific book I just finished I thought it better to create one that has legs. So if you happen (or happened) upon a good book, memoir or article you feel worthy to recommend (or trash) put it up here:

[jasn]

Just finished yet another book about the most important artists in my lifetime: The Beatles called John and Paul: A Love Story Told in Songs. This 2025 book was a Xmas gift from my wife and I'd not heard of it before. It takes an interesting perspective to show just how many of John and Paul's enormous, prolific catalog of songs were literally about their relationship to one another. Each chapter is named after a particular song I enjoyed listening to as I waded into the backstory. While it focuses quite exclusively J & P, it also has a fair amount of references to George and Ringo.

Recommended if you are a fan.

[jasn]

Just starting this one. After 80 pages I'm not sure how I'm going to avoid skimming. It's interesting, but the techno details aren't grabbing me as much as I'd hoped. So far, there is as much about LSD as the gear, maybe more. And TBH, I had to skip ahead and read the 12 or so pages about their 1973 Watkins Glen Show, which I attended with ~599,999 others. It was indeed a strange journey. That show used the pre-Wall of Sound sound "Alembis" system and it was a beast in its own right.

I like that the photo insert is as big as it is. The Wall of Sound is worthy...

Loud and Clear: The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection

[Denton]

I've been told that numerous bands/performers later used pieces of the wall in their PAs. Truckin'.