Author: brucehhackett

I pick up my guitar and play

Posted on by brucehhackett

Coming up with the “Top 20” in any given category is sometimes an exercise in the obvious.  If the subject is guitar players, we always see the same names — Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Duane Allman, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, Stephen Stills, Pete Townshend, Eddie Van Halen, Chuck Berry.

And that’s the problem:  We exalt our icons, but underneath the radar are many dozens of incredibly talented guitarists who deserve to be noticed.  This is their time.

smb_guitars_by_drdotThis will be a list of the Top 20 unfairly unrecognized guitarists.  Many of these names we’ll be exploring will be unfamiliar to most readers, I venture to say.  In some cases, they’re anonymous session musicians who prefer to simply record their delicious solos and licks and go home.  Or they may have long solo careers full of amazing albums that were largely ignored by radio and the public alike.  And there are others who have served as guitarists in hugely popular bands but their names don’t register with most listeners (except other musicians).

You may not know their names, but you might recognize their work when you hear it.  They operated mostly in the shadows, but their riffs and techniques made a big impact.  Here are four examples:  Offering that perfect guitar fill in Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne”;  laying down some tasty guitar licks to fill out “Billie Jean”; contributing letter-perfect flamenco guitar to Al Stewart’s “On the Border”; taking “Smiling Faces Sometimes” to new heights with its flat-fuzz guitar solo.

My friend Gary recently gave me a book called “Unstrung Heroes” by Pete Braidis, in which the author offers his choices for “50 guitar greats you should know.”  Granted, this kind of list is wholly subjective, reflecting the author’s tastes and time frame.  Braidis is an unabashed fan of ’70s -’80s hard rock, so there is a preponderance of fast-and-hard rock guitarists I hadn’t heard of or didn’t know much about, like Pat Travers, The Scorpions’ Uli Jon Roth, Whitesnake’s Bernie Marsden, Thin Lizzy’s Eric Bell, Triumph’s Rik Emmett and Saga’s Ian Crichton.

I tend to favor a wider range of musical styles, and consequently, my list reflects that diversity.  But by opening it up to so many different genres — blues, country rock, jazz fusion, hard rock, folk rock, R&B and more — it made my task of whittling down my list of “unsung guitar heroes” to just 20 names that much more difficult.

I sought the input of 15-20 acquaintances who are knowledgeable about music and have strong opinions about which ones deserve more notoriety.   They fired back emails citing more than 70 different guitarists!  I spent several satisfying hours on Spotify listening to selections by the ones unfamiliar to me (from Braidis’s book as well as my friends’ nominees), and was pleased to add a few of them to the list I’d already begun compiling.

With my selections, I hope to provoke a conversation that increases awareness of the many unheralded guitar players out there.  One friend put it this way:  “This list could go on for days, and the debate could last years.”

Martin-Barre-2016-e1473862806417-1100x733We could start by debating what is meant by “underrated” or “unheralded.”  I submit that there are at least a dozen guitarists who play for internationally popular bands whose individual names are not as well known and are therefore not mentioned often enough in lists of top 7ca550fbd1571d2411ec8acea4c1fa7aguitarists:  Steve Howe (from Yes);  Martin Barre (Jethro Tull);  Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers);  Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits);  Tom Scholz (Boston);  Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones, 1969-1974);  Terry Kath (Chicago, 1969-1978);  Brian May (Queen); Steve Hackett (Genesis 1970-1977);  Don Felder (The Eagles, 1974-1999);  Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane);  Andy Summers (The Police)..

glen-campbell-newAnd there are also talented musicians like John Mayer, Glen Campbell, Prince or Vince Gill who are mostly famous for their singing or songwriting, but their considerable guitar skills may not be sufficiently recognized (but should be).

I hope to coax some of you into exploring the guitar performances of any of the names mentioned here that are unfamiliar to you.  I’ll wager you’ll be pleasantly surprised, maybe even bowled over.  There’s a Spotify playlist at the bottom to give you a taste of each name on the list.

So here we go:

1129-3Larry Carlton

Played with the jazz fusion band The Crusaders in the ’70s and beyond; contributed succinct guitar solos on more than 100 rock LPs, including major albums by Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Christopher Cross and Michael Jackson; and recorded more than a dozen solo records brimming with astonishing guitar solos.  Check out:  “Room 335” and “Point It Up” from his first solo LP (1977) or Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne.”

tommy2Tommy Emmanuel

This Australian guitarist has been wowing audiences for nearly 30 years, giving eye-popping performances showcasing his command of the Chet Atkins musical style (“Travis picking”), in which he plays bass lines, chords, melodies and harmonies simultaneously.  He and Atkins collaborated on Atkins’ last album, “The Day Guitar Pickers Took Over the World.”  In 2008 and 2010, Emmanuel was named Best Acoustic Guitarist in a Guitar Player readers poll.

image-1Peter White

If you listen to the remarkable guitar passages White provided behind Al Stewart’s most popular LPs (and also in concert), you can clearly see how important a supporting role can be to quality performances.  But White continued onward with a solo career in the ’90s and beyond, winning accolades as “best smooth jazz guitarist” in several different polls.  Check out his work on “On the Border” from Stewart’s “Year of the Cat” LP.

404777c7b390f322a702c5d019958ef8Tommy Tedesco

Thanks to a recent film documentary on The Wrecking Crew, the anonymous musicians who made up this unofficial group of L.A. session players in the 1960s and ’70s aren’t as anonymous anymore.  Still, Tedesco deserves to be more widely known, since his guitar work appears on hundreds of recordings by all manner of pop artists, and on film soundtracks for Jaws, The Godfather, The Deer Hunter and more.

Elton+John+Davey+Johnstone+Elton+John+Leon+tjv1uO1Z_fylDavey Johnstone

So many of Elton John’s rockers would be found lacking if not for the biting guitar licks and power chords provided by Johnstone, who accompanied Elton on more than 80% of his albums.  His finesse on acoustic guitar and mandolin is also in evidence on tracks like “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.”  He also recorded with Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper for a spell but never strayed far from John — he recently performed his 2,000th show as part of The Elton John Band.

RR030823-e1420844580147Craig Chaquico

The soaring lead guitar parts on the mid-’70s Jefferson Starship albums (“Red Octopus,” “Spitfire,” “Earth”) and the LPs by later incarnation Starship all come from Chaquico.  He is also a Grammy winner for the work he has performed on numerous solo albums, featuring contemporary jazz, blues and New Age instrumental pieces.  His abilities are on clear display on the 1978 JS hit “Runaway” and his own “Turquoise Moon” from 1999’s “Four Corners.”

422f0743d931a9916b8d74684853321dLowell George

His friend Bonnie Raitt is universally recognized as the queen of slide guitar, but she leaned the ropes from the late George, who was one of the pioneers of the slide technique as he was founding the great ’70s band Little Feat.  Even though a self-indulgent lifestyle led to his premature death in 1980, George’s recordings, especially on the first four Feat albums, live on as ample proof that he deserves to be a legend.

7d2ca74fafe1dc2d19e5e6b4a6fd134aNils Lofgren

Initially hailed as a prodigy of sorts when he emerged in a supporting role in Neil Young’s Crazy Horse band at age 19, then as a solo artist in the mid-’70s, Lofgren crafted a compelling style all his own.  It attracted the attention of Bruce Springsteen, who brought him into the E Street Band during the “Born in the USA” tour, and he’s been a dependable mainstay there ever since.

rory-gallagher-c1977-manchester-by-steve-smith-8Rory Gallagher

Although he could summon only a cult audience in the US, Gallagher was far more successful and well-known in his native Ireland and in England, where he managed five Top 40 albums in the mid-’70s.  He offered blistering hard rock and blues guitar, and not only inspired legions of more recent axemen, but has also been mentioned by the likes of Jimmy Page and Keith Richards as among their favorites.

1denniscoffey1_courtesy_of_clarence_avant_-_interior_music_corpDennis Coffey

An important member of the loose gang of session musicians known as The Funk Brothers, Coffey played inventive, memorable guitar licks on many of the classic tracks in Motown Records history, including The Temptations’ “Cloud Nine” and “Ball of Confusion,” the Supremes’ “Someday We’ll Be Together,” Edwin Starr’s “War” and The Undisputed Truth’s “Smiling Faces Sometimes,” and also his own instrumental Top Ten hit, “Scorpio.”

david-hidalgo-3-cropDavid Hidalgo

Los Lobos may be one of most versatile bands ever — “Chicano rock,” R&B, blues, zydecko, country, soul, traditional, they could do it all, and the lion’s share of the credit goes to singer/songwriter/guitarist Hildalgo.  He is skilled at handling any genre, with perhaps blues and Americana being his strong suits.  Check out “Blue Moonlight” and their version of Cream’s “Politician.”

1200px-Image-SteveLukatherSteve Lukather

Best known as the feisty guitarist for Toto, Lukather has also made an indelible mark as a California session guitarist, playing on more than 1,500 albums over a 35-year career.  His solo albums in more recent years have leaned heavily toward jazz fusion, inspired by early greats John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola.  He and Larry Carlton also grabbed a 2001 Best Instrumental Grammy for their satisfying collaborative LP, “No Substitutions:  Live in Osaka.”

index.84Steve Cropper

The celebrated guitarist from Stax Records’ house band, Booker T. and the MG’s, played on dozens of classic recordings by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others, and often produced and arranged records as well.  He also figured prominently as lead guitarist in The Blues Brothers (“play it, Steve!”).  Cropper is often mentioned in Guitar Player magazine as one of the best of all time.

maxresdefault-24Albert Lee

Known as “the guitar player’s guitar player,” Lee’s background is in the country music arena, backing such luminaries as Emmylou Harris, The Everly Brothers and Willie Nelson.  “Mr. Telecaster” also supported Eric Clapton in the 1980s (check out the interplay on “The Shape You’re In” from his 1983 LP) and has 15 solo albums to his credit between 1979-2014.  Lee has a sweet style that at times can uncannily approximate the sound of a pedal steel guitar.

a_james-elvis_011James Burton

He was the guitarist behind Rick Nelson for the first ten years of his career, and then played in Elvis’s band from 1969-1977.  In between and concurrently, Burton recorded lead guitar parts with Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard, Judy Collins, Elvis Costello and dozens more.  Search YouTube for a 6/19/77 clip of him playing “Johnny B. Goode” behind his back as Elvis looks on.

hugh-mccracken1Hugh McCracken

One of the most in-demand session guitarists in New York throughout the ’70s and ’80s, providing just the right rhythm guitar and occasional lead solos on albums by artists like James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Donald Fagen, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack, Eric Carmen, Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel and Hall and Oates.  Widely admired by record producers and session musicians everywhere.

PK+1970Phil Keaggy

Glass Harp was a promising rock band out of Northeast Ohio in the early ’70s, thanks to Keaggy’s phenomenal guitar playing.  Just as they were building momentum, Keaggy gave up the rock and roll lifestyle for Christian music, and switched from electric to acoustic without sacrificing quality, garnering many awards for instrumental music.  Glass Harp reunited for a show in 2008; check out the recording of “Children’s Fantasy.”

arti_deanparks_03Dean Parks

One of the two or three “go to” guitarists among L.A. session musicians, Parks has recorded with nearly 50 different artists, including Bob Seger, Neil Diamond, Steely Dan, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Madonna, and has toured with Bread and Crosby & Nash.  You might take a closer listen to Jackson’s megahit “Billie Jean” to hear Parks’ creative guitar work.

JohnnyMarr-8818-2013Johnny Marr

While The Smiths were hugely popular in their native Britain, they never really caught in here in the US, so most American listeners have never heard of their lead guitarist Johnny Marr, recently named “Britain’s last great guitar stylist” in a recent BBC poll.  Marr went on from that creative peak to add his righteous riffs to the music of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse as well.

120811-313-PapadosioA newer one to watch for:  Anthony Thogmartin

This guy plays for a highly polished band called Papadosio, whose music “falls somewhere between rock, jazz and electronic mayhem” in a genre they call space rock.  While much of the band’s repertoire is keyboard driven, Thogmartin’s incredible guitar work plays a crucial role, adding melodic, cascading fills that show jaw-dropping dexterity and technique.

Honorable mention:

George Harrison;  Pat Metheny;  Ottmar Liebert;  Leo Kottke;  Michael Landau;  Michael Hedges;  Robin Trower;  Eric Johnson;  Bob Mould;  Peter Buck;  Adrian Belew;  Johnny A.;  Tom Morello;  Roy Buchanan;  Nile Rodgers;  Johnny Winter;  Toy Caldwell;  Warren Haynes;  Richard Thompson;  Bill Nelson; Paul Kosoff;  J.J. Cale;  Randy California;  David Spinozza;  Derek Trucks

Dear sir or madam, will you read my book?

Posted on by brucehhackett

Everyone has a story to tell.

For those famous enough to get a publishing deal, writing one’s memoirs seems to be more popular than ever.  In the world of popular music, especially rock music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, writing an autobiography, it seems, has become the latest rite of passage.

12523723_1642229336044092_1094993930_nReaders who know me well are aware that, when it comes to books about rock music, I inhale them.   Reference books about the Billboard charts, in-depth examinations of specific genres or regions, biographies (authorized and unauthorized) of famous artists and producers — I love ’em all, soaking up interesting factoids and arcane album information for use in some future party conversation (or this blog).

But why the spike in rock ‘n roll memoirs from survivors of rock’s earlier decades?  Call me cynical, but I’m guessing many of these aging performing artists figure they better commit their tales to paper ASAP before their memories fail them or they keel over (God knows that’s been happening way too often lately).

These memoirs typically include at least one “tell-all” bombshell that will help sell copies, but the best ones offer truly insightful information and thoughtful opinions from some of the major (and minor) players in the rock music kingdom.  And if the reader is really lucky, the book might actually be well written.

Sadly, the bookshelves are littered with recent examples of what amount to “Dear Diary” ramblings — self-indulgent, immature, lamely crafted and in dire need of major editing or a total rewrite.  But the good news is they’re outnumbered by a few dozen really captivating memoirs written in intelligent prose, with a healthy mix of humor, humility, pathos, perspective and (you can’t avoid it in this business) ego.

Let’s face it, if you’re a popular music artist, let alone a rock and roll star, it’s assumed you likely have an outsized ego, an ego big enough to tell you your life is interesting enough, and important enough, that people are going to want to read all about it, from childhood through early struggles to fame and fortune, to maybe scandal, setbacks and rehab.  How literately you tell your story, it should be noted, makes all the difference between respect and ridicule in the end.

No one can say for sure if some of these “autobiographies” were helped along by seasoned journalists serving as ghost writers, but I’m going to give the stars the benefit of the doubt and trust them if they said they wrote them themselves.  All I know is, if it’s an entertaining read, and I learn things I didn’t know before, and I’d recommend it to others, then it was worth my time and money.

Here are 20 recently published memoirs I found to be worthy of your attention.  Full confession:  I didn’t read ALL of EVERY book listed here.  In some cases, I only skimmed them in preparation for this blog, and read a summary of reviews.  But I WILL read them all someday, because it’s my passion.  But meantime:

born-to-run-9781471157790_hr“Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen, 2016

As a lyricist, Springsteen has written pungent, heartfelt lyrics both concise and wordy, capturing moments or emotions better than almost anyone.  To no one’s surprise, The Boss writes lucidly and with great precision in his memoirs about his long, slow journey from the dead-end Jersey Shore to the peaks of superstardom.  This one’s a no-brainer.

“My Cross to Bear,” Gregg Allman, 2012  gregallman-5-web

I’m not sure I should have expected anything else, but Allman’s book revealed him to be an incredibly selfish asshole for most of his life, and he admits as much.  There’s no denying his brilliance as a blues singer and keyboardist, but holy smokes, he was horrible to every woman in his life, and self-destructive as hell.  Still, he writes about all this in candid, compelling fashion.

51q7zXHMDGL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_“Boys in the Trees,” Carly Simon, 2016

Largely at arm’s length from the self-destructive lifestyle that damaged many of her contemporaries, Simon survived to tell a decidedly different story from most ’70s singer-songwriters.  She writes from a calm epicenter as a mother/daughter rather than a Grammy-winning artist, and it’s not at all boring but, in fact, invigorating.  

51RBRtjqxEL._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_“Not Dead Yet,” Phil Collins, 2016

What a treat!  The fact that Collins tells his long and winding story with such self-deprecating charm and humor lays waste to his unfair reputation as an egotistical jackass.  He even uses his book’s title to debunk the “Phil is dead” rumor that plagued him in the mid-2000s.   This might be the most entertaining book on this list.

A1MrxsO93VL“Life,” Keith Richards, 2011

Given Keef’s notoriety as rock’s drug poster boy over the years, NO ONE expected this to be even remotely as great as it turned out to be.  How could he remember much of anything, given all he’s ingested?  But recall he did, with considerable flair, and the result is the most praised autobiography of the past decade.

“Joni Mitchell:  In Her Own Words,” as told to Malka Marom, 2014

In a different twist on autobiographical literature, Mitchell teamed 512KWX-ziNLup with long-time confidante/journalist Malka Marom on three occasions (1973, 1979, 2012) to do lengthy, detailed taped interviews, which have been transcribed in Q&A format, giving readers a great deal of insight into Mitchell’s creative songwriting process and her development as a consummate musician.  If you love Joni, or songwriting, this one is a must.

51dL7EZc7UL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_“Play On:  Now, Then and Fleetwood Mac,” Mick Fleetwood, 2014

The drummer, founder and mainstay of Fleetwood Mac throughout its multi-colored history wrote an earlier memoir in 1991, and much of it is regurgitated here, but with substantial new sections covering the years since then.  If you missed the first round, by all means, check out this one.  There are plenty of great stories about rock music’s most soap-opera-ish band ever.

nash1n“Wild Tales,” Graham Nash, 2013

Always the most level-headed of the raging egos in CSN&Y, Nash writes thoughtfully and with panache, and a candor that’s almost eyebrow-raising at times.  As a guy who broke into the business with The Hollies back in 1963 and still active 54 years later, he has great anecdotes, and sad stories, to share.  Check it out.

51YLsriErbL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_“Rod:  The Autobiography,” Rod Stewart, 2012

I am no fan of Stewart, but he has played a huge role in rock music over his four-decade ride through rock’s headiest years, from obscure vocalist with the Jeff Beck Group in 1968 to interpreter of the Great American Songbook in the 2010s.  Rod’s memoirs openly admit he was a lucky SOB, but the book also spends an inordinate amount of time on the tabloid-ish blonde-women-he-took-to-bed stuff instead of his musical contributions.  Is it because the former outweighs the latter?

chrissie-hynde-book-cover-2015-billboard-510“Reckless:  My Life as a Pretender,” Chrissie Hynde, 2015

This is one badass woman, surviving as a lady rocker at a time when it was exclusively men’s terrain.  Her memoirs tell a sometimes harrowing story about growing up in hardscrabble Akron, Ohio, fleeing to London during the birth of punk and emerging as a victorious pioneer of New Wave in the early ’80s.  This woman has moxie.

51KO4-JG3bL“Delta Lady,” Rita Coolidge, 2016

My wife met Coolidge at an industry gathering recently and was captivated by her spirit, her guile and her still-impressive artistry.  Many rock fans have no clue how connected she was, professionally and personally, to so many pivotal people in the ’70s and ’80s, and consequently, her memoir makes for revealing reading.

51QF5yqiZvL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_“Who I Am,” Pete Townshend, 2012

The leader of The Who tends to take himself quite seriously, perhaps too much so, and that makes his autobiography kind of exhausting to absorb.  We’ve always known Townshend is a great writer, having contributed numerous cogent commentaries to Rolling Stone over the years, so the high quality of the narrative here comes as no surprise, as he tells us all we’ll ever need to know about his life in and out of the band.

51VbGyrxGaL“My Life With Earth Wind and Fire,” Maurice White, 2016

White, as EW&F’s founder, guiding light and chief songwriter, had everything to do with the group’s success in the 1974-1983 period, and his autobiography, published in September of last year following his death in February, pays glorious tribute to the whole band and all its contributors.  White was a very spiritual guy who seemed to be without ego, happy to give credit to everyone else.  What a breath of fresh air!

ERIC_CLAPTON_CLAPTON-+THE+AUTOBIOGRAPHY-491024“Clapton:  The Autobiography,” Eric Clapton, 2007

A rock idol and guitarist extraordinaire, Clapton led a life full of difficulties, many of them self-inflicted, and his memoir spells it all out in wrenching detail, simultaneously exposing himself as a man mostly incapable of maintaining anything close to a healthy personal relationship with anyone.  Too bad such a fine singer/songwriter and master interpreter of blues music suffered so much in his personal life…but they say that’s what makes the blues so authentic…

51BTaNj39ZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_“Kicking and Screaming:  A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock ‘n Roll,” Ann & Nancy Wilson, 2013

More so than Chrissie Hynde or any other female rocker, Ann Wilson and her sister Nancy had to cope with a ridiculous amount of sexism trying to be rock stars in a world totally dominated by men.  This duet/memoir, which offers the views of both sisters, sheds a lot of light on what it was like to cope with life in rock music, in the 1975-1990 era especially.

51HfPb3lA4L._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_“It’s a Long Story:  My Life,” Willie Nelson, 2015

His first memoirs were published in 1988, and since then his persona has only grown in stature and notoriety.  Consider the title of his 2012 book, “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die:  Musings From the Road,” which pays perhaps too much attention to his pro-weed stance at the expense of his sizable impact on country (and pop) music over the last 40+ years.  This one is well worth your time, trust me.

51SLOjQsgsL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_“Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” by Judy Collins, 2011

Folk chanteuse Judy Collins took us all off guard when she used her memoir, “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” to confess a lifelong battle with alcoholism that tormented her personal relationships as well as her recording career.  Her message:  “You don’t have to be a rock and roller to have substance problems.”  Hers is a fascinating story of a journey through the early folk years into the mid-’70s period of hedonistic pursuits that ultimately took their toll on her.

51n-SnV65OL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_“I Me Mine,” George Harrison, 1979, 2017

The “quiet Beatle” turned out to be among the first rock stars to publish memoirs, back in 1979, and that voluminous tome has been updated by his widow and children in a 2017 edition now in stores.  It’s a bit ponderous as he explores his passion for Eastern philosophies and musical stylings, but still well worth diving into.

2128NPiagEL._SX351_BO1,204,203,200_“Journals,” Kurt Cobain, 2002

This one is an exception to the rule.  It’s pretty clear Cobain never thought, nor did he intend, that his all-over-the-map journal writings would ever see the light of day, but in light of his violent, self-inflected demise in 1994, we can gain valuable insight into his fragile psyche by reviewing the things he had to say in his private moments.  It can be agonizing reading, but also amusing and thought-provoking.

14318._UY400_SS400_“Chronicles, Volume One,” Bob Dylan, 2004 

Always the mystery man, Dylan chose to jump all over the place in this memoir, skipping huge chunks of time as he focused exasperatingly on certain years while ignoring others.  As recently as 2012, he said he is still working on Volume Two, but there’s no way to guess what he’ll concentrate on in that book, if it’s ever published…

A bonus selection:

“Making It:  Music, Sex & Drugs in the Golden Age of Rock,” Ted Myers, 2017

Myers, as it turns out, lives on my block in Santa Monica, and he recently completed his own memoirs about almost making it big as a member of Lost, a regionally popular band in New England in 1964-1967.  Myers played a role, almost Forrest Gump-like, in the lives of numerous rock legends over the years before and since.  His sex tales are a bit on the “too much information” side, if you know what I mean, but the drugs and rock ‘n roll stories are compelling indeed.

Going back a few more years:

“Secrets of a Sparrow,” Diana Ross, 1993

“Cash,” Johnny Cash, 1997

“Long Time Gone:  The Autobiography of David Crosby,” David Crosby, 1988

***********

Other autobiographies you may want to explore:

“Heaven and Hell:  My Life in the Eagles,” Don Felder, 2007

“Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir,” Linda Ronstadt, 2013

“Me, the Mob, and the Music,” Tommy James with Martin Fitzptrick, 2010

“Infinite Tuesday:  An Autobiographical Riff,” Mike Nesmith, 2017

“Between a Heart and a Rock Place,” Pat Benatar, 2010

“Dancing With Myself,” Billy Idol, 2014

…Today we have young artists writing their memoirs who haven’t even turned 30 yet.  I mean, Justin Bieber?  Adele?  It’s laughable.  Best wait until you’ve had a life long enough to write about.

…I can’t conclude this essay without bashing a few titles that I found pretty much unreadable. Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler appropriately titled his excruciating memoirs “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?”  (Answer:  Damn right it does, Steve, when it consists of incoherent babblings, brash boasts and non sequiturs.)  David Lee Roth of Van Halen evidently vomited his mindless ramblings into a tape recorder, had it transcribed, and slapped a title on it:  “Crazy From the Heat.”  (You’ve got that right, Dave…)