I too highly recommend anything by Nick Tosches, but Greil Marcus is a little too academic and intentionally intellectualizing for me. Ben Campbell mentioned Paul Williams, who was the editor at the great Crawdaddy magazine, the first "adult" Rock ’n’ Roll periodical (preceding Rolling Stone). I too have reservations about him, but his reporting on the Smile album recording sessions, written at the time of their occurrence, is the best thing ever written on that legendary album. Two chapters in his book "Outlaw Blues" is a reprint of that reporting. Fantastic!
Rodney Crowell wrote a book entitled "Chinaberry Sidewalks" that I very much enjoyed. Now I have to get "Are You Ready For The Country", as I am a fan of both Alt-Country and Peter Doggett.