Book Recommendations from Musician in Residence Dave Bidini
The canon of rock books has thickened over the last decade. One of the reasons why I wrote my first book, On a Cold Road: Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock was because there were so few true books about the noisy trade, especially in Canada, where there were only thin and ill-advised How-to-Get-Ahead-in-the-Music-Business texts. It’s gotten a lot better, especially as noted, or notorious, Canadians have inked their stories, from Alan Doyle to Jan Arden to Ron Sexsmith. Here’s an incomplete guide to some of the finer books about the life in music, both domestic and otherwise.
The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
It’s fiction, but more naked and wild than most books by musicians about music. The story follows an upstart Irish band in their struggles around the Dublin bar scene. It’s hilarious and profane, sentimental and rugged.
A Drink with Shane MacGowan, by Shane MacGowan
No wonder two books come from a place known for fine writing. McGowan is Anglo-Irish, but his story is the stuff of fiction: a rambunctious and unchaperoned childhood in rural Ireland followed by a punk rock education in the heart of late-1970s London.
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine
Raucous and smart, and honest, this book tells the story of a young woman growing up in the DIY era of the UK punk scene, and maturing as an artist against patriarchal odds. It’s lively and fast, like the songs of her band, The Slits.
The Never-ending Present by Michael Barclay
I’ve known Michael for awhile – so full disclosure here – but this book, coming on the heels of singer Gord Downie’s passing, is a reverential but integral study of the comedy and tragedy of the band’s rise to fame. Exhaustively researched and with dozens of interviews with his peers.
Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star by Ian Hunter
It’s a little glib and navel-gazing, but this was the first book to strip the glamour away from the trade and describe the art of making music for what it truly is: work, like so much else.
Musician and author Dave Bidini was Musician in Residence at Toronto Public Library this fall. He hosted events and offered expert guidance on songwriting, performing and navigating the music industry. Learn more about him and the Musician in Residence program.
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