Wondering where you can find some rock 'n' roll between the pages?

 Nine books that rock!

Disclaimer: if you make a purchase through any of the links in this blog, I may earn a commission from the sellers but that does not effect the cost to the consumer, and it does not influence the content of this blog.

And, now that that's out of the way, shall we begin?

1. This is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan

"Grohl and his groups dissected with gumption." - Mojo

Purchase this book here and be sure to look out for the new book written by the nicest guy in rock himself!

2. Heavier Than Heaven: The Biography of Kurt Cobain by Charles R. Cross

"A superbly researched and harrowing book . . . The squalor is ghastly but the sheer sadness of Cobain's brief life is conveyed here. Cross has painstakingly accumulated a wealth of telling detail." - Robert Sandall in The Sunday Times

You can purchase this book through the Waterstones link on this blog's home page!

3. Chronicles: Volume One by Bob Dylan

Chosen as a book of the year by so many different people it deserves it's very own post!

You can purchase the book here!

4. Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie

"Wild as a train whistle in the mountains, a scrumptious picture of fighting, carousing, singing, laughing, migratory America." - The New York Times

You can purchase this book here!

5. On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Not a rock 'n' roll novel itself, but one that influenced many of the musicians that would read it!

"It changed my life like it changed everyone else's." - Bob Dylan

You can purchase this book here!

6. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

"This book is undeniably hip, full of student uprisings, free love, booze and 1960s' pop, it's also genuinely emotionally engaging, and describes the highs of adolescence as well as the lows." - Independent on Sunday

You can purchase this book here!

7. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

A book that Kurt Cobain enthused over and which inspired lyrics for Nirvana's final studio album, In Utero.

You can purchase this book here!

8. Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young

"Eccentric, sprawling, absorbing. Before you know it you're at page 400 . . . and you don't want it to end. You see rock and roll history from the inside out." - Independent

You can purchase this book here!

9. Touching From a Distance: Ian Curtis & Joy Division by Deborah Curtis

"Revered by his peers and idolised by his fans, Ian Curtis left behind a legacy rich in artistic genius. Mesmerising on stage but introverted and prone to desperate mood swings in his private life, Curtis died by his own hand on 18 May 1980." - from the book's blurb

You can purchase this book here!

Well, that's it, nine rockin' books! If you found anything you like the look of here, you can buy me a coffee over on ko-fi - it keeps me reading and writing! Thank you for reading!

A Little List of Songs Book Lovers May Appreciate!

 

Disclaimer: should you make any purchases through any of the links in this blog, Monsta Reader may earn a commission from the seller but that has no impact on the cost to you as the consumer, neither does it influence the content of this blog.

This post is fairly straightforward. We are going to take a little look at a few songs that are either inspired by books or references them in the lyrics. So, shall we dive right in?

Queen - Bicycle Race

I don't believe in Peter Pan

Frankenstein or Superman

To get the message across that he'd rather be riding his bicycle than anything else, Queen singer, Freddie Mercury, runs through all the things in which he has no interest. At least when compared to enjoying a bicycle ride.

Fans of J. M. Barrie's creation, Mary Shelley's novel about a scientist's desire to create life, or the comic books about Kryptonite's most famous son, may be disappointed that Mr. Mercury has no time for these books. Though, to be fair, a little outdoor exercise is good for you!

https://youtu.be/gWJ8_B9BVxo

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mellowship Slinky in B Major

Being that I'm the Duke of my domain

My hat goes off to Mark Twain

Singing a song about what true men don't do

Killing another creature that's kind of blue

At the peak of their funk rock powers, on their 1991 album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, lead singer Anthony Kiedis uses this song as an opportunity to show reverence for some of his favourite things. Just after the first chorus, the lead singer references Mark Twain, Truman Capote, and Charles Bukowski, as well as some of their work.

https://youtu.be/RRQwn8rmZfo

Sergei Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet: The Dance of the Knights

This piece is taken from Prokofiev's ballet, Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64, which is based on William Shakespeare's famous play about the star-crossed lovers. The piece was composed in 1935 and is well known; even if you are no fan of classical music, trust me, you have heard this piece before.

https://youtu.be/Z_hOR50u7ek

Nirvana - Scentless Apprentice

Every wet nurse refused to feed him

Electrolytes smell like semen

I promise not to sell your perfumed secrets

There are countless formulas for pressing flowers

On Nirvana's last studio album, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain paid homage to Patrick Süskind's novel, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, a novel set in 18th Century France and telling the tale of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Jean-Baptiste is born with an incredible sense of smell but has no scent himself. He is also a murderer and unable to form healthy relationships with anyone.

The song is violent and dirty, just like the character in the book.

https://youtu.be/GyxoQIQaogE

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy

I've come home, I'm so cold

Let me in your window

This song is inspired by Emily Brontë's novel of the same name. In the song, Bush sings from the perspective of the book's character, Catherine Earnshaw, a ghost at Heathcliff's window. As a fun fact, Kate Bush and Emily Brontë share their birthday - 30 July.

This song was Bush's first single, released in 1978, and she wrote it when she was only eighteen.

https://youtu.be/-1pMMIe4hb4

I hope you enjoyed this little list post of rather bookish songs. If you did, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi, where I regularly post updates about this blog and other of my writerly efforts. All support is gratefully received - it keeps me writing! Thank you!