Elijah Wald, How The Beatles Destroyed Rock ?N? Roll: An Alternative History Of American Popular Music. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
 
A very interesting and fresh take on the development of American music from ~1899 to now. I liked it so much that I just started his Escaping The Delta: Robert Johnson And The Invention Of The Blues - promises to be worth the read as well.
 
Peter

Thanks Peter,
both sound very interesting. A few years back I read the book 'Blues fell this morning' by Paul Oliver that was pretty good.

Thanks for the review Peter; I'm reading through the reviews now.  It sounds like the kind of thing I would be very interested in; though I may wait awhile for the paperback and for the price to come down.

Order it from your public library Dave. Even cheaper ;-)
 
Graeme

Good idea Graeme!

Good Idea. I just reserved the book at my local public library. It must be good, there are 32 people in front of me on the list.  
 
While we are on the subject of good books. I highly recommend the book. The music lesson : a spiritual search for growth through music / Victor L. Wooten.
 
It may be too touchy feely for the less feeling members of our community. This is a very Buddhist approach to music. But, I have never heard a discussion about the notes you don't play, space in phrasing, or feeling the music with your entire body not just you ears. Victor's approach is so radical he had to put in the form of  a fiction novel.

I'll second the Music Lesson. A fine read that gave me several areas to think about.
 
Graeme

The Horn Player, by John Chellon Holmes.
 
It was Jerry's favorite book.
 
Colin

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. All volumes.

I just finished Shakey, Neil Young's biography.  Excellent read.
 
Bill, tgo

How many volumes are there now, Ben?  I've got the first 7, but haven't looked for more in a loooong time.  And I'm 4 chapters into Escaping The Delta and will now go ahead & recommend it as well.
Bill - who's the author?  Or is it auto?
 
Peter

Shakey was written by Jimmy McDonough who apparently spent several years in Young's inner circle.  Young contributed quite a bit to the book which includes a running dialog between Young and the author.
 
Bill, tgo

Shakey was one of my birthday books and is sitting on the shelf waiting for me to finish Clapton's autobiography. I also got The Beatles: the authorised biography by Hunter Davies and matt Rendell's The death of Marco Pantani so I have an interesting month or so ahead.
 
Graeme

Miles Davis' autobiography is awsome too....
 
Home before Daylight- Steve Parish's (roadie and personal manager for Jerry Garcia)autobiography is really good too.

Colin,
I just read the Steve Parish book (among others) on a cross-country drive filled with hours of GD Radio on XM...a nice combo.  I was left feeling very sad...it's been tough to shake it given the time of year, etc.
I have McNally's book and the Slash autobiography queued up and ready to go...the Van Halen biog was great too.