As comedian Martin Mull once famously said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” But hell, haven’t you ever come across a particularly inspired structure that moved you to shake a tailfeather or two? For the most part, Mull was quite correct – capturing the essence of music with the written word can be as daunting a prospect as painting a mural in the dark with a flashlight. But when it’s done well, great music writing simply stands out all the more. And besides, as someone who has spent most of his life mixing musical pursuits with the workings of the written word, there’s little that gets my own boat afloat more than those areas where the two combine.

With all of that in mind, here’s a batch of the best odes to music and the people who create it. They range all across the stylistic spectrum, so whether you get your kicks analyzing the inner workings of jazz, reveling in rock & roll esoterica, or kicking into a country mode, you’re sure to find something here to tickle your eardrums and bedazzle your brain cells.

The Mayor of MacDougal Street: A Memoir – Dave Van Ronk w/Elijah Wald

Dave Van Ronk was the king of Greenwich Village folk even before Bob Dylan hit the scene, and he was a mainstay of folk festivals around the world for decades after Dylan moved on. In this memoir, you get not only an account of Van Ronk’s historic life and times, but also a taste of classic New York counterculture history.

 

 

Listen To The Stories – Nat Hentoff

Nat Hentoff was one of the most respected writers at the Village Voice for decades, writing about everything from art to politics, but music has always been close to his heart. This collection features Hentoff’s insightful, funny, often opinionated essays on some of the greatest jazz and country artists ever to walk the planet, from Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington to Merle Haggard and Ralph Stanley.

 

 

The Velvet Underground: An Illustrated History of a Walk on the Wild Side – Jim DeRogatis

Edited by renowned rock critic Jim DeRogatis, this is the ultimate Velvet Underground experience, offering not only a series of informed, illuminating essays, but a bounty of rare photos, memorabilia images, and more detailed VU info than you ever expected to find between two covers.

 

 

The House That George Built – Wilfrid Sheed

If you think you know it all about the classic Tin Pan Alley composers who crafted the standards that make up the Great American Songbook, think again. Acclaimed writer Wilfrid Sheed offers new insights into the lives, motivations, and pioneering work of George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and other stellar songwriters.

 

 

The Beatles Anthology – The Beatles

Coming in at a hefty 6.6lbs, The Beatles Anthology is the ultimate tomb of Beatles pictures and quotes. Simultaneously a fantastic coffee table book and fascinating bedside reading, there is no denying that this book is for all generations of Beatles’ fans.

 

 

 

Decoded – Jay-Z

To call Decoded a “lyric book” would be like saying Jay-Z is just a rapper. Instead, Decoded is more a memoir told through lyrics. Filled with blunt, poetic descriptions of growing up in Brooklyn, Decoded chronicles a beginning of rough neighborhoods and vivid characters. Jay-Z proves that eloquent rap can flow into intelligent prose.