Great Books On Music

[Saint Johnny B]

OK, here's yous chance to share any outstanding music books with the rest of us. Here are a couple I found to be valuable: 1. "The Art of Mixing" by David Gibson 2. "Hit Men" by Fredrick Dannen 3. "Exploding" by Stan Cornyn 4. "Building a Recording Studio" by Jeff Cooper 5. "All You Need Is Ears" by Geo Martin 6. "Motown" by Gerald Posner 7. "Temples of Sound, Inside the Great Recording Studios" by Cogan and Clark 8. "I Am The Blues" by Willie Dixon

[Biggus]

"Hit Men" is a great book (read it 3 or 4 times). The first chapter about Pink Floyd and the radio "lockout" in LA during The Wall tour truly illustrates the power these Independent Promoters held (or still do hold) on the industry.

[Wow]

Why do the cows keep running away from johnny?

[deanmass]

Make Music Now!: Putting Your Studio Together, Recording Songs, Making CDs, and Distributing Online by Mitch Gallagher (Editor) [url=http://www.amazon.com]www.amazon.com[/url]

[spokenward]

[quote]Originally posted by Johnny B: [b] 3. "Exploding" by Stan Cornyn [/b][/quote]thanks! I didn't know he wrote a book. Cornyn wrote an essay that was hugely influential in the 70's. It presumed a record business that was forced to exist without the support of commercial radio. Something like that actually did happen, I think. I look forward to reading this.

[Saint Johnny B]

I liked "Hitmen" because it exposes all the triumphs and games played by CBS and Columbia. You're gonna love the book "Exploding" by Stan Cornyn. Here's the subtitle: "The Highs, Hits, Hype, Heroes, and Hustlers of the Warner Music Group." Both these books provide details on contracts of the big artists and just a bunch of terrific stories and useful information. I can't say enough about them. Hope this helps. :)

[djwayne]

The most read music book I have is "The Complete Rhyming Dictionary and Poet's Craft" by Clement Wood, copyright 1936. It's a complete guide to writing poetry or verse, and gives many ideas for rhyming words. The book is 607 pages, and makes a wonderful addition to any songwriter's collection. I bought the book new decades ago, and have never regreted it.

[Saint Johnny B]

If I'm not mistaken that book descibes the meter or words. Things like trochees, Iams, anapests, dacdlys, and goes on to explain things like Iambic Pentameter. That's five Iams strung together in a line and is the metric line most often used in Rock and the Blues. There are many people who believe that meter is even more important than rhyme and that meter is the most powerful device you can use. They point out that the Greeks had no rhyme at all, but were able to recite or sing pieces that had more than 1000 lines. This is because the Greeks relyed soley on having a great meter. But both devices, rhyme and meter, are fun to play with. And a lot of famous guys use these kinds of books. Thanks for reminding us of this kind of toolkit book. :)

[djwayne]

Your welcome. It is a wonderful book for any aspiring writers out there that need a quick reference guide. Very easy to read, and understand, and yes, contains the basics every songwriter should know about timing patterns. I also found the book to be very inspirational in writing stories by coming up with a line, and to see what words would rhyme, and work out a matching timing pattern. Doing this makes songwriting or storytelling easy and sometimes it'll take you places you never imagined.

[D_dup3]

The best recent book I can recommend---that doesn't cover a narrow subject like an artist bio, style. wtc. is [b]Music, the Brain & Ecstacy[/b] by Robert Jourdain. It's a [i]revelation[/i] about how our brains actually function in regard to perception, music history, etc., & it's full of scientifically grounded info, not speculation or mistaken popular concepts like left/right brain split (which exists but not in the way popculture has mangled the idea). Trust me---find a copy, read it & it will change your way of thinking!

[boosh]

[quote]Originally posted by Johnny B: [b]If I'm not mistaken that book descibes the meter or words. Things like trochees, Iams, anapests, dacdlys, and goes on to explain things like Iambic Pentameter. That's five Iams strung together in a line and is the metric line most often used in Rock and the Blues. There are many people who believe that meter is even more important than rhyme and that meter is the most powerful device you can use. They point out that the Greeks had no rhyme at all, but were able to recite or sing pieces that had more than 1000 lines. This is because the Greeks relyed soley on having a great meter. But both devices, rhyme and meter, are fun to play with. And a lot of famous guys use these kinds of books. Thanks for reminding us of this kind of toolkit book. :) [/b][/quote]That's why I never understood why you guys use Yards ;)

[Saint Johnny B]

Yeah, that is funny and sort of stupid to keep using our old measuring system when the rest of the world uses metric. But without Yards, man, we would never have had great rock bands like the "Yardbyrds." (intersting band, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck all played in that band) And without things being a little wierd, you probably would never have had great bands like the "Kinks." I suspect there some more great books people may want to share with us. So post away. Thanks :)

[Saint Johnny B]

Speaking of music-related books, hasn't our gracious host, Craig A,, written a few? Like didn't Craig write one on building your own effects stomp boxes? I think he's written some other ones too. Help me out with this, please. :)

[Zweite Version]

Quincy Jones' autobiography is an excellent read. Highly recommendable.

[george costanza]

[b]JAZZ: history,instruments,musicians,recordings[/b] by John Fordham 1993 Though the subject is vast & no one book can provide all we might like, this volume does an unbelievable job of presenting an overview of the subject. Profusely illustrated, it covers the entire history of jazz, 1900~publication date. It includes timelines of developments in styles, recording technology,etc; chapters on different eras & social context; detailed descriptions of instruments, their playing techniques & styles of various major players; a primer ( not just descriptions but notation, etc!) on stylistic innovations in rhythm, harmony & improvisations; individual chapters on performers from Jelly Roll Morton to Charlie Parker to Keith Jarrett & a discography of over 250 major albums & compilations detailing original cover artists, players, songs listings, recording date, original cover art & appraisals of the each recording & its significance. Whether you are a neophyte or well versed in the subject, you'll find lots you didn't know here.

[DRi]

[quote]Originally posted by boosh: [b] [quote]Originally posted by Johnny B: [b]If I'm not mistaken that book descibes the meter or words. Things like trochees, Iams, anapests, dacdlys, and goes on to explain things like Iambic Pentameter. That's five Iams strung together in a line and is the metric line most often used in Rock and the Blues. There are many people who believe that meter is even more important than rhyme and that meter is the most powerful device you can use. They point out that the Greeks had no rhyme at all, but were able to recite or sing pieces that had more than 1000 lines. This is because the Greeks relyed soley on having a great meter. But both devices, rhyme and meter, are fun to play with. And a lot of famous guys use these kinds of books. Thanks for reminding us of this kind of toolkit book. :) [/b][/quote]That's why I never understood why you guys use Yards ;) [/b][/quote]where else do you grow your weed then boosh?

[Tusker]

Among the best books on music I've read is [i]The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard[/i] by Leonard Bernstein. It's chatty, readable and downright mindblowing. A [url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0674920015/qid=1063747925/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-2144538-4456113]link[/url] is here. Jerry

[Jedi]

[b]Art & Fear[/b] by David Bayle and Ted Orland is an excellent book on the process of making art. Very useful tool for me, eventhough it doesn't just involve music but all art forms. I read through it about a-zillion times.

[Jode]

The best music texts I have ever read are: 1. [i]The Real Frank Zappa Book,[/i] Frank Zappa. The story of one of the greatest American musical geniuses of the 20th century, told by the warped genius himself. 2. [i]By The Seat Of My Pants,[/i] Buddy Killen. Dirt-poor Alabama farmboy grows up to become one of the top producers in Nashville. Full of inspiring stories and useful information about how NOT to do things the hard way. 3. [i]Harmony,[/i] Walter Piston. This is simply THE music theory book. If you want to know the secret ins and outs of this art-meets-rocket-science we call music, this is the book to have. Written a half-century ago by a man who's been dead for decades, and it's still the go-to text when you want a question answered. 4. [i]The Oxford Dictionary Of Music.[/i] Can anyone spare five hundred bucks so I can finally own a copy?

[Saint Johnny B]

More books please? Thanks. :)

[Jode]

Let's not forget [i]The Guitar Handbook[/i], a must for any guitarist, but useful for any musician. It is chock full of history, bios on legendary players of both guitar and bass guitar, repair, construction, and even music theory, with several pages of chord charts and such in the back.

[alcohol]

Music, Art and Ideas by Leonard Meyer 1965 Explores how music and art work through the perspective of information theory. Predicts the musical situation we live in now from almost 40 years ago. Discusses fraud in art and music and how it affects our evaluation. Discusses the intelligiblity of 12 tone and total serial music of Boulez, etc. Great book for understanding aethetics in general and how music works in particular. Not easy reading.

[Philip OKeefe]

Several of the books already mentioned are in my library. I also recommend "MIDI for Musicians" by our moderator Craig Anderton and "Behind the Glass" by Howard Massey. I also highly recommend "Musicians In Tune" by Jenny Boyd.

[Saint Johnny B]

Thanks Phil for giving a plug for our Host. I've heard people talk about the book, "Behind the Glass," can we have a few more details on it. Thanks. :)

[Jedi]

Behind the Glass is a great book. I forgot to mention it. I refer to it often. Behing the Glass is a collection of interviews conducted by Howard Massey with several top and legendary producers. The best thing is that the interviews have some pretty consistent questions which really shows the subjectivity of this music thing. George Massenburg is in there, George Martin, Geoff Emerick, Nile Rodgers, Glen Ballard, Brian Wilson, Alan Parsons, just a bunch of great folks. The tips range from technical to philosphical and everything in between. The thing I really like is to hear the opinions of some of the folks who's work you really like and to find out that you have similar perspectives. It's a great and really useful book.

[Dasher]

[i]Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns[/i] by Nicholas Slonimsky. Every possible combo of notes in key of C, all harmonized, and annotated when some famous work used it. Learn every phrase in all keys, then play just that, you'll sound like 1962 McCoy Tyner... [i]Recording Studio Handbook[/i] by John Woram [i]How to Build a Small Budget Recording Studio[/i] F. Alton Everest and Mike Shea the other F. Alton Everest handbook on soujnd, I forget it's name, but if you wangt your room to sound good, it's a must. Dasher

[george costanza]

My memory of this one was prompted by discussion in a recent thread. It's not strivctly a music book but it's subject is music-social interconnections in the 20th century. [b]Mumbo Jumbo[/b] by Ishmael Reed. It's not a dry treatise but a quite entertaining "read". If you have any interest in blues/R&B-derived music you'll find this very thought provoking.

[Hanshananigan]

bump.