Pop-music books: Rock legends tell it in their own words

Think you know Bono?

Even the most devoted U2 fan will learn a lot from "U2byU2" by Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. ($39.95; HarperCollins), a hefty autobiography that's full of inside information, all of it from the mouths of the guys themselves. The text is based on some 150 hours of interviews, with each band member telling his own story. The love-hate relationship that is revealed between these four very different people is shown to be a powerful dynamic that has shaped U2 over its 30-year history.

Not surprisingly, Bono is the most fascinating of the four. "There is a rage in me," he confesses. "I have developed good manners to disguise it." The others are in awe of him but also confused by his perplexities and contradictions. There are stories of arguments, fistfights, breakdowns and breakups. But mostly it's a story of passion and triumphs, and of making lasting contributions to music and society.

Although not dominated by photos, like most coffee-table rock books, the illustrations tell almost as much as the text. The four look so young starting out as teenagers. Their hairstyles mark the changing times. And you can trace when Bono began his sunglasses fixation (about the time he turned 30). There are even shots of the four in drag.

"U2byU2" is the big rock book of the season, with a print run of over 500,000 in 10 languages.

But you'll find many more impressive, enticing rock-music books on the shelves now, just in time for Christmas giving. Here are some of the most notable:

"Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis" by Alfred Wertheimer ($65; Insight Editions). The other rock blockbuster of the season is this huge (11" x 14") volume of 300 black-and-white photos taken by noted photographer Alfred Wertheimer in 1956, the year Elvis Presley became a star. Some of the images have become iconic, like the famous French-kiss shot taken in a backstage stairwell (the identity of the girl is still unknown) and Elvis atop his first Harley-Davidson. But most of the pictures have never before been published.

Wertheimer, working for Presley's recording label, RCA, had unprecedented access and his subject was totally uninhibited. We see Elvis, shirtless, combing his hair in a hotel bathroom, frolicking in a swimming pool, eating a cheese sandwich (cost: 20 cents) in a café, riding in trains and the New York subway, performing on TV shows and in concert, and kissing girls. Presley's finest biographer, Peter Guralnick, supplies an outstanding, informative preface. Wertheimer's recollections are detailed and even eloquent. Fans will spend hours loving this book. A limited edition with 200 additional photos is also available, at $395.

"Patti Smith: American Artist" by Frank Stefanko ($39.95; Insight Editions). A classy, beautiful book of black-and-white photos, printed on quality paper, with limited text, including a forward by Smith and an introduction by her longtime friend and band member, Lenny Kaye. You can almost feel Smith's fierce artistry and intelligence just by looking at her strong, determined gaze and confident stance. The shots of her with her band seem to show how much they love and respect her. She's a serious poet and truly an artist, which these photographs capture, but she's never dull. The one thing this book can't show is the power of her performances. But it comes close.

"Bruce Springsteen On Tour: 1968-2005" by Dave Marsh ($39.95; Bloomsbury). You have to see him live. That's the only way you can understand the Bruce Springsteen phenomenon. And that experience is captured amazingly well in words and pictures in this 325-page keeper. Dave Marsh, Springsteen's longtime biographer, has an insider's perspective, is a big fan and also a stickler for little-known facts that fanatics devour. He goes overboard with the praise sometimes but also duly reports negative criticism of Springsteen, albeit with disdain. Springsteen's sex appeal is not ignored, with playful references to it in the text and a noticeable number of photos that seem focused on his tight jeans.

"Born to Run: The Unseen Photos" by Eric Meola ($39.95; Insight Editions). The 100 black-and-white photographs that make up this oversize book were all taken over two hours one day in 1975 at a photo shoot for the cover of the album that made Springsteen a superstar, "Born to Run." There's plenty more Springsteen beefcake here, but mostly the shots capture the life of a working musician. You'd probably have to be a mega-fan to really value this book, because the photos soon become repetitious. The text includes the lyrics for all the songs on the album.

"The Doors" by The Doors and Ben Fong-Torres ($45; Hyperion). Like The Beatles' and The Rolling Stones' recent autobiographies, this is made up of new interviews with the surviving band members, along with quotes from all the band members' families, friends and contemporaries, plus a great many photos, many of which have never before been published. The late Jim Morrison is frequently quoted but, just as with John Lennon in The Beatles' book, his participation is drawn from interviews. Co-author Fong-Torres, who wrote the Morrison obituary for Rolling Stone in 1971, compiled every known Morrison interview in preparation for this book. The surviving members talk about Morrison's still-mysterious death (the official cause was heart failure); the infamous "flashing incident" in Miami; Oliver Stone's biopic, "The Doors" (they hated it but loved Val Kilmer as Morrison); what Morrison was really like (smart, funny, rebellious) and what previous books about The Doors got wrong. Little new is revealed but the pictures are great. Released in conjunction with "Perception," a six-CD, six-DVD Doors box set issued by Rhino/Elektra.

"Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love" researched and edited by Ava Stander ($35; Faber & Faber). Nobody is more obsessed with Courtney Love than Love herself, as this messy, jumbled collection of notes, lyrics, letters, drawings, photos and assorted ephemera attests. You'd have to be a psychiatrist to even begin to understand it all but, love her or hate her, much of this stuff is fascinating. The pictures of her late husband, Kurt Cobain, are worth lingering over, as is a photo of the actual heart-shaped box that inspired a song of his love for her.

"Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music in America" edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash ($40; DK Publishing). If you can't get to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, this big book is the next best thing. Published in partnership with the museum, and making full use of its unparalleled resources, it's crammed with fascinating photos and illustrations and detailed information. There have been many country-music-themed books in recent years, including a number of histories, but this one tops them all, due to its scope and the quality of the information and the writing. Even if you know the subject well, you'll learn a lot about one of America's few indigenous art forms. A great gift for the deeply dedicated country fan.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312