Sunday, November 05, 2017

Ten top music books

Hanif Abdurraqib’s essay collection is They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us. One of ten music books that shaped his knowledge of the songs he loves, as shared at Publishers Weekly:
Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung by Lester Bangs

I have more copies of this book of collected essays and columns than I do of any other book. Every page is bent, highlighted, or heavily annotated. Bangs did it best: making criticism a conversation and leaving the door open to his own flaws. Putting enough of himself into his criticism to make sure people knew he was touchable, flawed. A music fan above all else.
Read about another entry on the list.

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung is among Jim DeRogatis's four greatest rock ’n’ roll books.

--Marshal Zeringue