Appetite for Self-Destruction (2009)

Lately, I've been a bit of a music industry and intellectual property junky. I'm fascinated by the changes and developing trends in music promotion and distribution. Suddenly music way down the Long Tail is accessible. As a music fan it's truly amazing (and at times overwhelming) how much new music comes out each week. So it's not be surprising that I devoured Steve Knopper's Appetite for Self-Destruction: The Spectacular Crash of the Record Industry in the Digital Age.

It's a quick history of the last 40 years of big (and sometimes bad) decisions made by the colorful characters that ruled the music industry. I knew most of the broad story lines, just not many of the details, the who said what or blocked what advancement. You aren't going to walk away sorry for the bastards. It likely will just confirm your suspicions that as the major labels consolidated they became more in it for the money. My only criticism is that it almost completely ignores the indie labels and their bands, which are the labels and band I care more about. Still, it's a fascinating read.

Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture (2004)

I imagine this book was a lot of fun to make. I can see Moore going to his friends and asking them to share one of their mix tapes and maybe an anecdote with him to celebrate mix tapes. Some of the pieces are insightful and others bring a chuckle. The song lists on the mix tapes themselves are only half as interesting as what people have to say about them. I especially like the anecdotes that describes what was going on when someone made or received the mix tape. It’s a highly entertaining and quick read (or flip through) and it includes the best argument for records and analog ever (involving your ear-heart).

Never Mind the Pollacks: A Rock and Roll Novel (2004)

More rock fiction! I think as a general rule satires are hit and miss. Neal Pollack does a decent job at skewering rock critics and rock mythology, but sometimes it reminds me a little too much of Forrest Gump, as the main character (a fictional Neal Pollack) influences the careers of Elvis, Dylan, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Kurt Cobain. At its worst it reminds me of one of those Not Another (Teen/Scary/Date/Superhero) Movies where all the clichés, jokes and riffs are smashed up together in more or less a jumbled mess. But just as with Forrest Gump, sometimes it's fun to imagine the little behind-the-scenes moments surrounding historical (and musical) events.

Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life (2007)

John Sellers is just about as opinionated as Chuck Klosterman, just less convincing, likely because he's more self-deprecating and less confident. He takes us through his journey of musical (and female) obsessions, some of which are oddly similar to some of my closest friends (in particular The Smiths, Joy Division, and Guided By Voices). He's a conversational writer and includes numerous asides manifested as multiple-paged footnotes. Oh, and he loves lists, which are included in the appendices. Basically, it's the fun, witty, and ridiculous diary of an obsessed indie music snob.

Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love (2007)

I loved this book. I may read it again, soon. It's always a pleasure to read a book that incorporates cultural theory into a well-written and lively narrative on popular culture, in this case to support a discussion about aesthetics. It probably helps that Carl Wilson is not an academic, but a music critic. The book really gets going around chapter 7 when he starts discussing taste and who has bad taste and it never lets up after that. It doesn't matter if you like, dislike or don't care about Celine Dion; the book is more focused on taking a closer look at your own tastes and what shapes them.