Books

I have my books and my poetry to protect me

Posted on by brucehhackett

“A reader lives a thousand lives before dying. The person who never reads lives only one.” — George R.R. Martin

I have a dear friend named Kathye, and we’ve known each other for 50 years since we were both editors on the student newspaper at Syracuse University in the mid-1970s. She is a gifted writer of books and essays, and a voracious reader of everything she can get her hands on. In an essay she wrote not long ago about the pivotal role books have played in her life, she quoted the Dutch humanist/philosopher Erasmus, who said, “If I have a little money, I buy books. If I have a little left over, I buy food and clothing.”

A humorous exaggeration, to be sure, but it succinctly expresses how people like Kathye feel about books and reading. “To this day, I always feel at home in a library, or a bookstore. I seek them out to relax. They are havens to me.”

I, too, read a lot, but not as much fiction as I once did, and I hope to resume that practice. These days, I tend to gravitate toward magazines and literary websites for both news and entertainment, and my love for music (which inspired this blog in the first place) leads me to read biographies of musicians I admire, or books about various aspects of music culture.

As practitioners of the arts, songwriters, especially lyricists, have often shown an appreciation for literature, both the books themselves and as a metaphor in song lyrics. I went looking for songs in the popular music catalog that deal with books and reading, and found maybe a couple dozen. I’ve selected 16 tunes that I think are appealing and worthy of your attention, and I’m hoping that the Spotify playlist at the end will be to your liking (and to Kathye’s too).

Read on, and rock on!

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“The Book of Love,” The Monotones, 1957

In 1957, Charles Patrick, lead singer of the New Jersey-based doo-wop group The Monotones, heard the jingle from a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial (“You’ll wonder where the yellow went”), which inspired the opening line of their only Top 40 hit (“I wonder wonder who, who wrote the book of love”). Patrick and two others in the group wrote the song, which reached #5 on US pop charts in early 1958, and it’s considered an early rock ‘n’ roll classic. The lyrics discuss what you’ll find in the various chapters of this fictitious book: “Chapter One says to love her, you love her with all your heart, /Chapter Two, you tell her you’re never never never never ever gonna part, /In Chapter Three, remember the meaning of romance, /In Chapter Four, you break up but you give her just one more chance…”

“Johnny Can’t Read,” Don Henley, 1982

During his time with The Eagles but especially as a solo artist, Henley was known for writing lyrics that were far more incisive than most rock songs. “I began to read when I was five,” he said. “My mother, a former schoolteacher, read to me almost every day, and as I grew, she made sure that there was always reading material in the house that was suited to my age and ability.” On his solo debut LP “I Can’t Stand Still,” he wrote several songs critical of societal ills, including “Johnny Can’t Read,” which bemoans the rampant illiteracy in the country. As the album’s first single, it stalled at #42 on US pop charts, but the accompanying music video was popular on the then-new MTV: “Johnny can dance and Johnny can love, Johnny can push and Johnny can shove, /Johnny can hang out, Johnny can talk tough, Johnny can get down and Johnny can throw up, /But Johnny can’t read…”

“Paperback Writer,” The Beatles, 1966

Paul McCartney recalled, “Years ago, my Auntie Lil said to me, ‘Why do you always write songs about love all the time? Can’t you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?'” He regarded that as a challenge and decided to create a character who struggles to write books in hopes of getting them published. The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” topped the charts in the US and the UK in the summer of 1966 with lyrics that took the form of a query letter from the author to a publisher: “If you really like it you can have the rights, it could make a million for you overnight, /If you must return it, you can send it here, but I need a break, and I want to be a paperback writer…”

“When I Write the Book,” Rockpile, 1980

Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe were both relatively popular solo artists in the UK in the ’70s, with hits like “I Hear You Knockin'” and “Cruel To Be Kind,” respectively. In 1980, they joined forces for a brief spell as the band Rockpile, known for strong “pub rock” and power pop influences that inspired many New Wave bands of the ’80s. They recorded enough material for several albums, but only “Seconds of Pleasure” was issued as a Rockpile LP, reaching #27 on US album charts in 1980. Edmunds’ “Teacher, Teacher” was a modest hit, and Lowe got some airplay with his track “When I Write the Book”: “And when I write the book about my love, /t will be about a man who’s torn in half about his hopes and ambitions wasted through the years, /The pain will be written on every page in tears…”

“Reader, Meet Author,” Morrissey, 1995

The British singer-songwriter known simply as Morrissey was first famous as the frontman and lyricist of The Smiths, a quirky Eighties band that was hugely popular in the UK but much less so in the US. In 1987, Morrissey went out on his own with material characterized by lyrical themes of isolation, self-loathing and dark humor. From his sixth solo album, “Southpaw Grammar” (1995), there’s a biting track called “Reader, Meet Author,” in which the writer is exposed as someone who has little knowledge or experience of what he’s writing about: “You don’t know a thing about their lives, they live where you wouldn’t dare to drive, /You shake as you think of how they sleep, but you write as if you all lie side by side, /Reader, meet author, with the hope of hearing sense…”

“Book of Love,” Fleetwood Mac, 1982

In 1980, both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham chose to branch out from Fleetwood Mac and initiate solo careers. This proved to be a distraction when the group reconvened in 1981 to record their next LP, “Mirage,” which took a while but ultimately showed a combination of the sunny pop of 1977’s “Rumours” and the hit-or-miss experimentation of 1979’s “Tusk.” Buckingham, always a producer at heart, came up with some inventive sounds, particularly for his songs. “Book of Love” (no relation to the ’50s classic) features Buckingham doing all the vocal parts in a shimmering Beach Boys-type arrangement: “Oh, tell me who wrote the book of love, was it somebody from above? /Surely he must know all the rules, knowledge not meant for mortal fools…”

“Read My Lips,” Madonna, 2026

One of the true superstars of ’80s/’90s pop with multiple #1 albums and singles, Madonna has been as controversial as she has been successful while reinventing herself over the years. Since 2020, she has mounted successful tours but her recorded work has been limited to collaborations with other artists like The Weeknd and Sabrina Carpenter. Earlier this year, she partnered with Columbian singer-songwriter Feid to write and record “Read My Lips,” a lively piece that merges Latin pop with South American party music. It was included on her “Collections II” album and the bonus edition of “The Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album”: “I don’t believe a word that you say, /I wonder if you like it this way, /I know, I know, I know, I know, /You are not my friend, never were, /Read my lips, tell it to my face…”

“Every Day I Write the Book,” Elvis Costello, 1983

From his splashy debut in 1977 with the excellent “My Aim is True” LP, Elvis Costello established himself as a pioneer of what became known as post-punk New Wave music in England. His next nine albums went Top Ten in the UK and consistently charted in the mid-30s or better in the US. “Punch the Clock,” his eighth LP, peaked at #28 here, thanks in part to his first Top 40 US single, a melodious bit of R&B called “Everyday I Write the Book.” It uses clever literary metaphors to describe the ebb and flow of a romantic relationship: “I’m a man with a mission in two or three editions, and I’m giving you a longing look, /Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book, /Chapter One we didn’t really get along, Chapter Two I think I fell in love with you, /You said you’d stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three, but you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four, Five and Six…”

“Book of Dreams,” Suzanne Vega, 1987

Along with Tracy Chapman and Aimee Mann, Suzanne Vega was among the new generation of female singer-songwriters who emerged in the late ’80s to rejuvenate the genre after years in the wilderness. “Marlene On theWall” was a minor single for Vega in 1985, while the child-abuse treatise “Luka” struck a chord that made it #3 on US pop charts in 1987. Her third LP, “Days of Open Hand,” peaked at a modest #50 in 1990, and the single “Book of Dreams” achieved a #8 position on the relatively new Modern Rock Tracks chart: “The spine is bound to last a life, tough enough to take the pounding, pages made of days of open hand, /In my book of dreams… /Number every page in silver, underline in magic marker, /Take the name of every prisoner, yours is there, my word of honor, /In my book of dreams…”

“I Could Write a Book,” Harry Connick Jr., 1989

Richard Rodgers is one of the most celebrated composers in the history of Broadway, from the mid-1920s into the 1970s, first with lyricist Lorenz Hart and then with Oscar Hammerstein. With Hart, Rodgers wrote such winning numbers as “Blue Moon,” “My Funny Valentine,” “The Lady is a Tramp” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.” For the play “Pal Joey” starring Gene Kelly, they wrote the standard “I Could Write a Book,” in which the narrator claims he can list a book’s worth of attributes about the love of his life. In 1989, Harry Connick Jr. was selected to revive the song for use on the soundtrack of “When Harry Met Sally…”: “If they asked me, I could write a book about the way you walk and whisper and look, /I could write a preface on how we met so the world will never forget, /And the simple secret of the plot is just to tell them that I love you a lot, /Then the world discovers, as my book ends, how to make two lovers of friends…”

“The Book of My Life,” Sting, 2003

After a remarkable run as lead singer, songwriter and bassist for The Police (1977-1984), Sting went out on his own and became a mainstream success with his solo work, scoring seven Top Ten albums and nine Top 20 singles. In 2003, his LP “Sacred Love” failed to yield a hit single, but his music continued to grow and mature in tracks like “The Book of My Life,” which features British-American sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the iconic maestro Ravi Shankar. The lyrics depict a man hesitant to commit his life story to the printed page: “Let me watch by the fire and remember my days, and it may be a trick of the firelight, /But the flickering pages that trouble my sight is a book I’m afraid to write, /It’s the book of my days, it’s the book of my life, and it’s cut like a fruit on the blade of a knife…”

“I Can’t Read,” David Bowie, 1997

Tin Machine was a side project David Bowie undertook in 1989 with guitarist Reeves Gabrels and brothers Tony and Hunt Sales. Bowie and Gabrels co-wrote most of the band’s songs, including the fascinating “I Can’t Read.” Bowie described it as “full of remorse and agony. It’s when jobs go wrong, and home doesn’t really feel warm any more, and you feel you don’t need anybody, and you end up in this state of despair.” In 1996, Bowie recorded a new version of the song for the soundtrack to the dark drama film “The Ice Storm,” which I’ve included here: “I can’t read and I can’t write down, I don’t know a book from countdown, /I don’t care which shadow gets me, all I’ve got is someone’s face…”

“The Book of Love,” Peter Gabriel, 2010

In 2010, Gabriel had the inspired idea of recording an album on which he recorded cover versions of other artists’ songs, simultaneously recording a dozen other artists doing versions of Gabriel’s songs. “Scratch My Back” was released in 2010 while “And I’ll Scratch Yours” was delayed until 2013. One of the best on the former was Gabriel’s rendition of “The Book of Love,” a song by Stephen Merritt and his American group The Magnetic Fields (not remotely related to either of the other two songs on this blog that share that title). Merritt said he found Gabriel’s cover intriguing because he focused on the pathos while Merritt had prioritized the lyric’s humor: “But I, I love it when you read to me, and you, you can read me anything, /The book of love is long and boring, and written very long ago, /It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes, and things we’re all too young to know…”

“Book of Dreams,” Bruce Springsteen, 1992

In the late ’80s, Springsteen found himself in a transitional period both personally and professionally, choosing to take a hiatus from The E Street Band and instead working alone and with new musicians. By 1992, he’d recorded enough material for a double album, but chose to release two single albums simultaneously. “Human Touch” was considered something of a disappointment, but “Lucky Town” had much better material, including softer, more reflective songs like “If I Should Fall Behind,” “My Beautiful Reward” and “Book of Dreams” (no relation to the 1990 Suzanne Vega tune). The lyrics to the latter find the narrator outside a wedding party, reflecting on the hope of second chances in his imagined book of dreams: “In the darkness, my fingers slip across your skin, I feel your sweet reply, /The room fades away and suddenly I’m way up high, /Just holdin’ you to me, as through the window the moonlight streams, /Oh won’t you, baby, be in my book of dreams…”

“Please Read the Letter,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, 2007

Pairing rock vocalists with bluegrass-country singers has been done before, but never as effectively as when Robert Plant and Alison Krauss partnered on the 2007 LP “Raising Sand,” which won widespread praise for “the delicious harmony vocals of this unlikely duo.” The most notable track was “Please Read the Letter,” written by Plant and Jimmy Page for their 1998 collaborative LP “Walking Into Clarksdale.” Plant and Krauss offered a much more subdued arrangement as they sang the words of confession about unfaithfulness: “Too late, too late, a fool could read the signs, /Maybe, baby, you’d better check between the lines, /Please read the letter, I wrote it in my sleep with help and consultation from the angels of the deep…”

“If You Could Read My Mind,” Gordon Lightfoot, 1970

In 1969, Lightfoot was alone and confused as he reflected on the dissolution of his first marriage. He wrote a song in which he compared the unsuccessful romance to the kind of cheap paperback novels sold in drugstores where the heartbreak of the hero’s failure is so painful that you don’t want to ever read it again. “If You Could Read My Mind” became Lightfoot’s breakthrough hit in the US, reaching #5 on pop charts here, and #1 in his native Canada. This is probably my favorite song that uses books to convey meaning in the lyrics: “If I could read your mind, love, what a tale your thoughts could tell, /Just like a paperback novel, the kind the drugstores sell, /When you reach the part where the heartaches come, the hero would be me, but heroes often fail, /And you won’t read that book again because the ending’s just too hard to take…”

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It took me years to write, will you take a look?

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 pop music, especially rock music of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, writing an autobiography, it seems, has become the latest rite of passage for many who thrived in that era.

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Readers 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.

Speaking of ridiculous, these days we have young artists writing their memoirs who have barely turned 30.  I mean, Justin Bieber?  It’s laughable.  Best to wait until you’ve had a life long enough to write about.

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 rock ‘n’ roll memoirs I found to be worthy of your attention.  These are not biographies written by others, only autobiographies. Full confession:  I didn’t read ALL of EVERY book listed here.  In a few cases, I only skimmed them in preparation for this blog, and read a summary of reviews.  But my aim is to read them all someday.

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“Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen, 2016

As a lyricist, Springsteen has written pungent, heartfelt lyrics both concise and wordy, capturing moments and 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.  Despite the fact that he’s added another ten years of achievements since this book was first published, this book is a satisfyingly comprehensive look at one of rock’s finest composers and showmen.

“My Cross to Bear,” Gregg Allman, 2012

I’m not sure I should have expected anything else, but Allman’s book revealed him to be an incredibly selfish asshole for much of his life, and he admits as much.  There’s no denying his brilliance as a blues singer, keyboardist and songwriter, 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, and got it done five years before his death in 2017 at age 69.

“Boys in the Trees: A Memoir,” 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 daughter/mother/wife more than as a Grammy-winning artist, and it’s not at all boring but, in fact, invigorating. I just read this one within the last year and don’t know why I put it off for so long. She has a fascinating story to tell.

“Not Dead Yet: The Memoir,” 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 silly “Phil is dead” rumor that plagued him in the mid-2000s. His evolution from Genesis’s replacement drummer in 1970 to their new lead singer in 1976 to ubiquitous solo artist in the 1980s and back into the band’s final years in the 2000s is quite a tale. This might be the most entertaining read on this list.

“Life,” Keith Richards, 2011

Given Keef’s notoriety as rock’s drug poster boy over the years, pretty much nobody 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 one of the most praised rock autobiographies ever. And he has lived on for another 15 years since it was published. Go figure.

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

One of the most impressive singing careers of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was cut short in heartbreaking fashion when, in 2011, Ronstadt was diagnosed with a degenerative disease which robbed her of, among other things, the ability to control her vocal cords. She turned her attention to writing “Simple Dreams,” a humbly philosophical memoir of her life, which included multiple hit albums and singles in the folk, country, rock, Big Band and Latino musical genres.

“Me,” Elton John, 2019

If you saw the “Rocketman” musical biopic released the same year, you may think you know all there is to know about the shy-boy-turned-superstar, but I assure you, you don’t. In “Me,” Elton John goes far deeper into his life and career, warts and all, offering his own candid observations on the early struggles, the fame, the conflicted sexuality, the excesses, the musical partnerships and his eventual rejuvenation as an elder statesman of rock.

“Long Train Runnin’: Our Story of The Doobie Brothers,” Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons, 2023

Here’s a novel approach to the autobiographical genre. As founders and primary songwriters, singers and guitarists of The Doobie Brothers, Johnston and Simmons collaborated on this memoir by taking turns telling their versions of the group’s compelling history in 26 chapters — before, during and after the arrival of Michael McDonald. It’s a delightful way to learn how little animosity there was between the various players as the band’s lineup shifted through the years.

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

In a different twist on autobiographical literature, Mitchell teamed up 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 process and her development as a consummate musician.  It was published before her debilitating aneurysm in 2015, withdrawal from the public eye and subsequent revival since 2022, but that’s not the focus here anyway. If you love Joni, or the art of songwriting, this one is a must.

“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 recapped here, but with substantial new sections covering the next 20 years.  There hasn’t been too much new to the band’s story since then, so this is about as complete a story as you’ll find of Fleetwood Mac’s various phases (the Peter Green blues years, the Bob Welch-led middle years, and the soap-opera-ish years with Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks).

“Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life,” Graham Nash, 2013

Always the most level-headed of the raging egos in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, 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 is still active 62 years later, he has a million great anecdotes and stories to share about his songs, his relationships and his passions.  Check it out.

“Rod:  The Autobiography,” Rod Stewart, 2012

I am not much of a fan of Stewart, but he has played a huge role in rock music over his five-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?

“Reckless:  My Life as a Pretender,” Chrissie Hynde, 2015

This is one badass woman, thriving and surviving as a lady rocker at a time when it was almost 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.  No doubt about it — Hynde has moxie.

“Delta Lady: A Memoir,” Rita Coolidge, 2016

My wife met Coolidge at an industry gathering several years ago and was captivated by her spirit, her guile and her still-impressive artistry.  Many rock fans most likely 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 illuminating reading.

“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. He reveals with brutal candor pretty much all we’ll ever need to know about The Who’s stormy journey and his life in and out of the band.

“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 who spent years mostly incapable of maintaining anything close to a healthy personal relationship.  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. Clapton has continued to record and perform in the 18 years since this memoir was published, but it will still give you a solid look at his career.

“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.  And he is STILL around adding to his legacy at age 92. This one is well worth your time, trust me.

“Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music,” 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.

“Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music,” John Fogerty, 2015

The man who wrote, produced, arranged, sang and played guitars and keyboards on virtually every song Creedence Clearwater Revival ever recorded was also naive and too trusting when it came to business, and it had a profoundly negative impact on his life and career. Fogerty clearly never got over the betrayal of former manager Saul Zaentz, resulting in memoirs that spend far more space on accusations and recriminations than on the brilliant music that is his true legacy. Still, it’s an absorbing study of the highs and lows of one of America’s top bands of the 1968-1972 period.

“Chronicles, Volume One,” Bob Dylan, 2004 

Always the mystery man, Dylan chose to focus this 300-page tome on only three disparate points in his lengthy career: 1961, as he released his debut album; 1970, around the time of “New Morning”; and 1989, the year of his “Oh Mercy” LP. Readers are left salivating for more, much more, but so far, he hasn’t followed through on his plans for Volume Two (or Three). It’s hard to criticize him for choosing to write, record and tour at age 84 instead of completing his memoirs, but I sure would love to read about the many chapters of his life he has thus far ignored.

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A few more titles you might want to explore:

“Secrets of a Sparrow,” Diana Ross, 1993

“Cash,” Johnny Cash, 1997

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

“I Me Mine,” George Harrison 1979/2017

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

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I can’t conclude this list 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 baffling 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…)