White Bicycles: Musik in den 60er Jahren (2006)

I thought this was ok but suffered in comparison to some other music memoirs I have read recently. I just don't think Boyd is that good a writer so as interesting as I found it, I never felt transported or like I was right there with him. And it didn't really enrich the experience of listening to the music. And where was any mention of Shirley Collins? Dude, come on.

He produced some of my very favorite records though and for that, I am grateful.

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Being the memoirs of the noted record producer who worked with a number of the great and good, mostly folk-oriented and mostly in the 1960's and '70's. It has some pretty good stories and he isn't afraid to offer informed opinion. ( )

Joe Boyd was an American who became a big figure on the late-60s London music scene. Boyd was the man behind Hannibal Records, and was one of the movers & shakers during the early days of Island Records (he produced Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band, Nick Drake, Vashti Bunyan, Maria Muldaur & more). I've only read a few dozen pages so far, but looks to be an interesting one-man's-view of the folk-rock movement on both sides of the Atlantic.

After having read only the opening chapters I am so excited to find a book that UNDERSTANDS what lay behind the so-called sixties music phenomenon: the discovery of what black music had to say about the way we felt about living in a world ruled by the pathologically normal. And why we wanted to reclaim and transform that message. ( )

Joe Boyd was a music promoter, record producer and a man at the heart of the 60s underground. He was co-founder of the UFO Club, the focal point of British psychedelia, alongside John Hopkins before getting involved with the rapidly-growing British folk scene, taking charge of acts such as the Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention and Nick Drake. This book tells his story and you get no flowery stuff, Joe just relates his amazing life and was obviously a music fan from his youngest days. Wonderful stuff! ( )