Hey man watcha’ reading?

So other than listening to, talking and writing about music, I also read a lot about music. So here are some books that I’ve read recently, am currently reading or will be reading soon.

Are you Famous? by Ken Waldman

Just finished this one. This is Ken writing about his life, how he became an Alaskan Traveling Poet, and his life on the road. If you want to know what it's like to be a travelling musician, this is the book to read. It tells you the ins and outs of the music business from an independent fiddling poet.

Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, CSNY and the Lost story of 1970 by David Browne

Also just finished this one. This is the story of 1970 and the demise of the the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. The ups and downs of CSN&Y, and the rise of James Taylor and soft rock. I've been a Beatle fan for a long time, so the part about the end of the Beatles was familiar. The parts on CSN&Y were also familiar. I had heard about their problems long before reading this book. I hadn't read too much on Simon and Garfunkel or James Taylor, so it was interesting to read about how Simon and Garfunkel had their problems and how much of a junkie James Taylor was. One of the interesting things was how incestuous the rock world was at the time, Over the space of a couple of years, Graham Nash, David Crosby and James Taylor were all involved with the same woman...read the book to find out who.

Alan Lomax: Assistant in charge: The Library of Congress Letters, 1935-1945 by Alan Lomax

Still reading this one. This is a collection of letters sent by Alan Lomax when he was out collecting songs for the LoC. It shows what life was like in the 1930s, and how "cheap" it was to live. $50 was enough to keep him on the road collecting songs for weeks.
And

Woody Guthrie, American Radical by Will Kaufman

Just borrowed this and haven’t started reading it yet. I read Woody's Bound for Glory years ago, so I think this will offer a new perspective on the man.