Rock and Roll Book Club: Michael Bloomfield, 'Guitar King' December 11, 2019 In his new biography 'Guitar King,' David Dann makes a case for Michael Bloomfield as the first real guitar god in American blues-rock. There's a lot of competition in that race, but Bloomfield certainly belongs on any shortlist.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 50 years since Altamont December 4, 2019 The subtitle of 'Altamont' calls it 'The Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day.' That distinction is debatable; the darkness of Altamont, however, lingers. After reading Joel Selvin's book, you'll never have so much 'Sympathy for the Devil' again.
Rock and Roll Book Club: Liz Phair's 'Horror Stories' November 27, 2019 Revered singer-songwriter Liz Phair chose the right title for her memoir 'Horror Stories.' Each of the 17 chapters is in fact a horror story of some sort. It's an unconventional way to structure a memoir, particularly since the chapters aren't in chronological order, but Phair tells us it's going to be revealing - 'I am trusting you with my deepest self,' she writes in a prologue - and she's not wrong.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Janis' tells Joplin's story November 20, 2019 Holly George-Warren's new book comes billed as the 'definitive' biography of 'America's first female rock star.'
Rock and Roll Book Club: Top ten essential music reads November 13, 2019 What are the essential reads for music fans, the books that every music lover must have on their nightstand bucket list? The Current and AARP Minnesota asked you to vote, and you came through. Here, from number ten to number one, are the music must-reads according to you.
Rock and Roll Book Club: Andrew Ridgeley writes about his years in Wham! with George Michael November 13, 2019 There are no two ways about it: you know who Andrew Ridgeley is because of George Michael. By the same token, though, you might very well not know who George Michael is if not for Andrew Ridgeley.
Rock and Roll Book Club: 'Jack & the Ghost,' a picture book written by Chan Poling and illustrated by Lucy Michell November 6, 2019 'Jack & the Ghost' is a new picture book written by Poling, well-known to his fellow Minnesotans as a co-founder of the Suburbs and the New Standards. Music fans might also recognize the name of the book's illustrator Lucy Michell...but wait, isn't that last name missing an E? It would be if we were talking about Lucy Michelle of the Velvet Lapelles and Little Fevers, but in this case we're talking about Lucy Michell the visual artist. (Yes, they're the same person.)
Rock and Roll Book Club: Prince's memoir 'The Beautiful Ones' October 27, 2019 Who are 'the beautiful ones' in the title of Prince's unfinished memoir? It could be very literal, the beautiful people. It could be about his parents, or his family more generally. It could encompass creative visionaries, or the African-American community, or everyone Prince was making music for, which is to say the whole human race. The most likely answer might be: yes, all of the above.
Rock and Roll Book Club: Patti Smith's 'Year of the Monkey' October 23, 2019 2016 was a rough one. 'First Muhammad Ali died,' writes Patti Smith in her new memoir, 'then Sandy and Castro and Princess Leia and her mother.'
Rock and Roll Book Club: Elton John's 'Me' October 16, 2019 This isn't one of those music memoirs written on a mission. It's one of those that feels like you're sitting next to the author on a long airplane ride; he starts telling his story at the beginning and then continues right up to the present day, stopping at every great anecdote.