10 Must Have Rock N Roll Books
In no particular order…
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The Penguin Book of Rock & Roll Writing – Clinton Heylin (editor)
Out of print, but a phenomenal collection of essays and “you are there” epics about everyone from Dylan to Lou Reed to Richard Hell.
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Chronicles Volume 1- Bob Dylan
Maddening, haphazard and utterly human.
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Hammer Of The Gods – Stephen Davis
Written with much help from Led Zep’s chief roadie. Totally scandalous and a look into just how decadent the superstars were.
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Please Kill Me – Legs McNell and Gillian McCain
Part one of the Punk Rock bible (1967-1980)
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Our Band Could Be Your Life – Michael Azerrad
Part two of the Punk Rock bible (1981-1988)
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American Hardcore – Steven Blush
Part three of the Punk Rock bible (1980-1988)
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We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut – Eric Davidson
Part four of the Punk Rock bible (1988-2001)
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Get In The Van – Henry Rollins
Punk rock from the inside. It ain’t glamorous.
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The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll
Mandatory reading featuring articles about all the major forces in rock from the early blues days through the turn of the century.
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Not quite as “dirty” as some other books, but a treasure trove of information from the Beatles themselves.
