A rarity--an interesting book on a rock star
344523
I assumed this book would be as uninteresting as the other rock star biographies and autobiographies that I've read; nothing could be further from the truth. While most musicians are working their careers, falling in and out of love, and meeting famous people, which might be interesting to live but not to read about, Brian Wilson was going mad as a hatter and then coming back--the man has things to write about. The book seems to be written very honestly, and it has the ring of truth throughout. As for the material on Eugene Landy, Brian Wilson still says positive things about him, and apparently still holds the view of Landy presented here. The book provides basically zero insight into Brian Wilson's ways of working--it's a book about his life, not his music. You get a detailed picture of what his decline was all about, very clear characterizations of Murry Wilson and the Beach Boys, and what seems to be an extremely honest self-portrait of Brian Wilson, hardly a weakness left unexposed. I'm not THAT huge a fan, actually, but I've always been curious about Brian Wilson's much-ballyhooed problems--I found the book fascinating, and I'd recommend the book even if just to satisfy your idle curiosity. If you are a fan, I'd suggest that this is a book you really have to read.
445
If you are interested in classic rock and roll people, especially those who burned too bright, and burned out too young, this IS the book for you ! The last chapter of the book is a reprise of another very interesting book entitled The 27s, about many fine artists, including, recently, Amy Whinehouse, who only made it the age of 27, for various reasons of all kinds. This is quite an interesting, story, even if you have read that book, but esp. if you have not. Starting with the first chapter, about the legend surrounding the success, and early death, of 20s blues great Robert Johnson. This book goes straight on ahead with many, many other interesting, never before known facts surrounding the deaths, or at least personal duress of several different rock and roll stars or groups. For example, did you know that the Beatles named their band after what Buddy Holly first named, then changed the name, of his own band, and were some of his all time biggest fans ? From here it goes right on to other rock and roll tragedies, such as the Allman Bros. Band ( two different members crashed at exactly the same intersection in Savannah, Ga., almost exactly one year apart), Brian Jones, of the Rolling Stones, and the pact with the devil allegedly made by a member of Led Zeppelin. There are also some chapters on the changes gone through by The Eagles, after going through another simiiar series of incidents, plus something on the backward masking phenomena, but this is just a bare thumbnail sketch. Reading this book is a very enthralling journey of discovery that you will not regret making.
281730
This is an interesting memoir. As expected, the book is fairly packed with tales of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll which seems to be a prerequisite for a rock memoir. Curiously (or maybe not so), a lot of this is covered in short segments with sometimes a paragraph or two and even less. The sex stuff alone makes me wonder if he and his band mates had a doctor on permanent retainer with plenty of penicillin etc. Drugs are also a big component in this story.
What floats to the top and is most interesting is his early years growing up on the streets of England. The Everly Brothers serve as inspiration to what will become the super group The Hollies. O.K., they weren't the Beetles, but they didn't need to be. Having read so many of these memoirs, the Everly brothers must have powered and inspired plenty of performers who would become quite well known and would eventually carve out names and reputations in their own right. Nash recalls this period with some fondness and nostalgia.
Moving on to CSN, CSN&Y, and his collaboration with David Crosby (who must have had a death wish long after he should have grown up), I was left in amazement that they managed to be actually productive because of all the squabbling and tantrum throwing.
While this might seem like fanciful thinking on Nash's part, based on other accounts found in like books there appears to be plenty of fact to back this up. Nash appears to be a voice of reason or a quiet observer in the ever tumultuous goings on.
Interestingly enough, decades ago Nash retreated from LA and a lot of the craziness to rural Hawaii with his now long time wife Susan and has claimed some sanity and (as evidenced by this book) insights regarding the early and very crazy years.
Nash manages to sneak in stuff about his family and his father's eventual time in prison which is undeniably interesting.
What sets this book apart from dozens of like books, is Nash's ability to tell a story much like his songs do. He is masterfully brief and concise as well. He tells a good story without overworking it and it moves quickly.
3750580
Keith Richards is a living legend and legends, almost by definition, are inaccessible as people. We know the facts of their lives and careers. We can know what Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix or Keith Richards was doing on a particular day 45 years ago, but only rarely do we see our rock `n' roll heroes as human beings, get a feel for what they were like as people. In "Life" Keith Richards isn't afraid to reveal the human being behind a rock star.

To us the Rolling Stones are a preordained conclusion. We know what happened, but there was a time when it wasn't a certainty, a time when Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Richards were desperately poor and only wanted to play the blues.  As fortuitous events aren't regularly scheduled and happen in ad-hoc ways, in "Life" we witness them go from squalid apartments to being the Rolling Stones living lives of excess in fashionable hotels.

Just about every method was used and included in writing "Life." In certain parts you can tell Richards is answering ghost writer James Fox's questions during an interview, some times it's straight narrative from Richards, and includes everything from Richards' diary entries to a recipe for bangers and mash.

The narrative certainly isn't linear following Richards' stream of consciousness thoughts. But that stream doesn't become a murky river. For all of Richards' reputation as one of the truly mad men of Rock `n' Roll, he is incredibly insightful into the experience and  relates his experiences not only with a sense of history but with a sense of humor and irony that makes the reading of Richards' "Life" fascinating. A lot of "Life" is what you would expect from Richards and a lot of it is things you wouldn't expect of Richards. Such as an anecdote about an incident in which Richards and his friends exposed a bit of rebellious humiliation to an English teacher. Richards ties up the anecdote by telling us the teacher later went on to write an important book on English poetry.

Along with the Beatles, the Stones are probably one of the core groups at the foundation of modern rock fans. Keith Richards' "Life" is an accessible, interesting and even fascinating look beyond the icon and to the person who is Keith Richards.
450790
My sister-in-law is a big Clay Aiken fan, a fact which I teased her about quite a bit due to her being in her 40's.  Through an unseemly amount of pressure and a bit of bribery, I agreed to read this book which she loaned me.

i have to admit I've found myself very curious as to Clay's incredible popularity, particularly among women in their 30's and 40's.  These "clay-maniacs" are really fanatical about Clay in an almost Beatles-like way.

But I have to say I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  It's quite refreshing to read about a celebrity who is SO down to Earth and not all ego.  Almost forgotten is that Clay finished 2nd on idol and yet has perhaps become the show's biggest star out of its three seasons.

Here's a guy who seemed to have such a hard early childhood and fought so hard to gain acceptance.  And in now finding such sudden fame its clearly NOT gone to his head as he remains so rooted in his faith in God and family.

He poigniantly tells of resisting any attempts to perhaps go for a younger audience by writing songs with more of an edge to them.  Thankfully he is sticking to his guns as there are more than enough foul-mouthed, gyrating acts in music today with a lot of flair and no substance.

I was really touched by the book and have found a new respect for the man and the star.
3237849
Honest, to the point, written in the author's true voice.  An interesting and fantastic read about a rock artist who, with some notable exceptions, chose to live above the stereotypical rock star life, focusing on his work and artistry.  A man who, influenced by his humble upbringing and the wisdom of his mother, pursued other avenues of interest and revenue to back up what he thought at one time would not be a lasting career in music.  Not only a songwriter and musician, Sammy Hagar is a beacon of light, optimism, and spirituality in a world full of rock and roll music that can often seem otherwise dark and dreary.

(Side note:  If you want the real story behind the "Van Hagar" years, this is a must read.  While this book is about Sammy and offers a chronology of his life and career, it does include, in detail, the years with Van Halen.)
861114
This book is rather tiny; you won't find too much information in it.  However, it has some really good information about his life and career as well as lesser-known facts about his childhood.  An excellent introduction  to Bruce's life and its influence on his work.  Also, there are interesting  quotes from him and others involved in his career regarding his rise to the  status of rock 'n' roll legend.  Well worth the few dollars you'll pay for  this book.  (Bruce "missionaries" trying to spread the word: keep  this on your coffee table.  Many times I have had people from my dorm come  in, flip through the book, then ask to hear a certain song...)
1352351
I checked this out of my local library and could not stop reading it. I am interested in this subject, though I haven't read many dead rockstar or musician biographies. I found this book to be a good read and very entertaining. It's not extremely comprehensive, each musician already has whole books written about them, but it is a good place to start for reading about these rockstar deaths, without getting too bogged down with information. The most interesting thing, and main drive of the book, are the striking parallels the author explores in these different musicians lives, careers and deaths. It has me looking up more musician biographies to read. Recommended!
4202008
Nancy Sinatra is a unique figure, and more important than the self-appointed rock cognoscenti such as Jann Wenner would dare give her credit for. She is-along with Sonny (Bono) and Cher and the recently-late and far underappreciated Terry Melcher-one of the links between the old line entertainment world and the rock-and-roll business which supposedly would make it irrelevant with its purportedly superior ethics and esthetics. That the rock world is no different, except being even more vicious, is a lesson the boomer generation is slowly figuring out, and as it does, Nancy Sinatra isn't such a silly girl anymore.

 She's the firstborn daughter of Francis Albert Sinatra, who doted on her. The same Francis who, of course, practically owned the entertaiment world of yore...until Starship Sinatra de-orbited and slammed into the hostile atmosphere that left him a wealthy and famous man but one very much alone in an alien world artistically. Nancy had a brief career as a pop/rock/country/MOR singer, remarried, had a couple of kids, and except for the occasional airplay of 'Boots' on oldies radio, was no longer a name on the celebrity roster of America.

 Generally derided by the world of rock, Nancy would have been completely forgotten save for the appearance of other girl singers, who not only plugged her in interviews and in their own writings but whose Nancy influence was unmistakable even to a generation that barely remembered Nancy. The success of Debbie Harry with her band Blondie-with Debbie dressed almost identically to Nancy on the cover of the most successful Blondie album-was a harbinger, but no more, as Debbie was more commonly referred to (incorrectly) as an emulator of not Nancy Sinatra but of the woman who nearly became Nancy's stepmother, and who Debbie did adore-namely, the greatest of all bleach blondes, Marilyn Monroe-and besides Blondie were not that big in the United States anyway.

 Another Debbie/Nancy/MM emulator (emulatrix?), though, was. An Italian girl from Detroit with reasonable pipes and a complete obsession with success,one Madonna L. V. Ciccone (or some such), became enormously successful, and there was no further denying the influence of Nancy Sinatra, in her own right and nothing to do with her father. The rock press weren't overly eager to convey the message, but they had little choice: Madonna was selling records-and then CD's-as no one since Elvis and the Beatles, and while Nancy was hardly Madonna's only influence, even a small part of the Madonna machine was a big boost by any standard. Her kids old enough to 'understand' and her second husband, Hugh Lambert, sadly having passed away, Nancy accepted an offer from Playboy to pose in the pretty-much-altogether and the third act of Nancy's career was off, if not exactly running.

 Which brings us back to this, those of her songs-alone and with her prime collaborator, Lee Hazelwood, who has seen a renaissance of his own in recent years among indie-rock and alt-country cognoscenti-that did get radio play at a time when radio play was actually much more an honest indicator of popular desire than it is today. To call them the greatest songs of American history would be silly, of course, but they are pleasant, often humorous, never mean-spirited, and a good example of how someone who isn't a magnificent singer can still use what she's got. (Nancy is limited but not as bad as some would have you believe; Madonna isn't much better, and Britney Spears probably worse, although it's hard to judge in a world of Pro Tools plug-ins. By contrast, what you hear of Nancy is Nancy, because the resources to bronze and buff dog doo-doo weren't there.)

 If you want to judge for yourself Nancy's merits, and her level of influence on almost 40 years of pop music, this is the place to start. You may find she is or is not to your liking, but she's worthy of the chance to find out firsthand.
2054227
If you thought you knew a lot about Tom Petty from watching one of those Behind The Music documentaries, then this book is for you, mainly because author Warren Zanes doesn't go where most of the tv docs have gone.  There is little about the album price war or the arson at his California home.  This book is about relationships--the stormy one he had with father, the distant one he had with his first wife, the cherished one he had with George Harrison.  It seems that Petty was the one who got lucky in meeting the right people at the right time, meetings that would eventually take his career and his band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Petty, his bandmates, his managers, his producers, even Stevie Nicks gave Zanes tremendous time and access to get the full story of his life and what he has made of it.  There is also a fair amount from Stan Lynch, the Heartbreakers original drummer and Petty's musical nemesis who brought the original harmonies in the early days and later reached a breaking point with the man himself.

Tom Petty is well known but his personal story is not.  This book changes that.  Pick it up!
2836083
With Sinatra Singing, his fifteenth book on big bands and popular singers, Richard Grudens has made a valuable contribution to the body of written work on Frank Sinatra. Far too many Sinatra books overly focus on his colorful personal life and attempt to analyze his complex psychological makeup. This is not the case with Sinatra Singing.

Grudens's book focuses solely on Frank Sinatra the vocalist. Numerous aspects of Sinatra's life as a singer are addressed including his arrangers, songwriters, favorite musicians, singing style, impact on fellow singers, recording history, landmark concerts, and his own personal thoughts. There is also interesting information on the technical aspects of singing and a complete reproduction of the book Sinatra wrote with the Australian opera singer John Quinlan in 1941 titled Tips on Popular Singing. In addition, numerous singers, entertainers, and show business executives share their thoughts about Sinatra. A highlight of all of Grudens's books are myriad photos form his personal collection. This publication is no exception. It is filled with many rare photos of Sinatra and related subjects.

As a dedicated Frank Sinatra enthusiast I have been waiting a long time for a book about Sinatra the singer. I do not have to wait any longer.

John Tumpak
262696
A great insight into the life of Rock & Roll! An enjoyable read.
4371632
Over half of this square-bound "collector's edition" is a compendium of seven interviews with Bruce Springsteen from the pages of "Rolling Stone", ranging chronologically from John Rockwell's chat with the 26-year-old on the cusp of fame as "Born to Run" was being released in 1975, to Jon Stewart's jokey-serious reflections with the almost-senior-citizen world-famous patriarch of Rock and Roll in 2012.  Springsteen is a good interview subject and he does provide a wealth of insight into his thoughts and creative processes, but serious fans may well have many of the original magazines or the hardcover RS publication from a few years back which collects some of these same interviews and a whole lot more.

Apart from the interviews, there's the inevitable "Greatest Songs" list - in this case 100, chosen by an "expert panel" that includes only a couple of musicians most people will know (the E Street Band's Steve Van Zandt, and Jackson Browne), actor Edward Norton, with journalists making up most of the rest.  It's a fairly predictable list; the only major surprise to me was that "Backstreets" came in above "Thunder Road" (#s 2 and 3 - any guesses as to #1?) and that "The Ghost of Tom Joad" was the highest-ranking post-1995 song.

Slightly more valuable to the more serious fan or wannabe-serious-fan is Andy Greene's picks for the "20 Essential Shows", though to this fan it's a bittersweet article, given that Bruce hasn't yet given in to the many vociferous requests to release any significant number of complete shows.  Given that Greene flat-out claims that the Jersey boy is "rock's greatest live performer", it would be nice to have more material in good quality officially available so we could test that hyperbolic statement against the collected live material of some of rock's other great live acts like the Grateful Dead.  In this listener's mind it's more-or-less a draw, but if I hadn't gotten to see both bands quite a few times I'd be hard-pressed to argue in favor of Bruce, with so much less of his performance catalog available.

Rounding the book off are a few quotes on various subjects from the Boss and a quiz that wouldn't be too hard even for a neophyte.  Plenty of nice pictures throughout.  Anyway, enough on this book, because tonight, tonight, the strip's just right.  I'm going racing in the street...
1351644
Currently only available as an ebook, I was fortunate enough to get a physical copy of this book direct from the author. Every year or so, new books regarding Nirvana or Cobain are put on the market, usually only offering a tidbit or two of new information while rehashing the same old story with slight variants. This book, focusing on Nirvana's oft-overlooked album Incesticide, takes a most unique approach by reviewing the available information with a keen analytical eye and assimilating the details into conclusions which, in some cases at least, are rather revelatory. The author is extremely well-informed regarding all aspects of the band's history, with a deep knowledge of officially released details and unofficially circulating material, such as the hundreds of live shows and remaining unreleased demos available in fan collector circles. I would NOT recommend this title to a casual fan of the band; one must be familiar with the album itself and the band's back catalog in general to take it all in. The author has also maintained a companion blog (search for Nirvana Legacy and you should find it), which is quite similar in style to this book, although the content rarely overlaps. With the exception of some emails from Sub Pop-associated individuals such as Jack Endino, there isn't much brand new information to be learned. However, if you'd like some new twists on your understanding of the subject matter, or would like some things put into contexts that you may or may not agree with, check this book out. An extremely unique and interesting take on a classic album. A true anomaly in the literature regarding the band. Heartfelt and clearly written by a knowledgeable fan, for other fans.
151710
Rock `n' roll is cool music, of that we can have no doubt. From Chuck Berry and Elvis, to the newest stars of 2006, rock n roll does, in fact, appear to be "here to stay." And cars have been a big part of rock since the early days. Whether you were revving up your Little Deuce Coupe, if you were Born to Run, or Born to Be Wild, or just roaring down the road in your Little Red Corvette, the cars have been there all along.

Paul Grushkin's book, Rockin Down the Highway celebrates this marriage of cool with photos, stories, cartoons, art and much more, bringing cars and rock together in a big, very attractive package. The book is as fun to read as it is to look at, with all varieties of entertaining anecdotes and tidbits from Mr. Grushkin and other contributors, ranging from well-known rockers and rock writers to ordinary rock fans recounting the pleasure of the open road, stereo blasting out their favorite tunes.

This is a big, lovely style book, lavishly illustrated and beautifully composed. It would go beautifully on the coffee table of any rock fan!
2761850
Waylon Jennings' autobiography stretches from his birth to 1996.
Mr. Jennings shares his childhood memories of a large family living in humble, small houses. Like a lot of country music stars of that era, he came from a poor family.
He wrote about some of his heroes of country music- Hank Williams, Sr. and Ernest Tubbs.

Most everyone that knows who Waylon Jennings was is familiar with his connection to Buddy Holly. Waylon doesn't disappoint the readers that are curious to read about life on the road with Buddy Holly. If not for Buddy Holly and his confidence in a young Waylon Jennings, he may not have the singing career later.

Another area of interest was Waylon's career as a disc jockey.

He doesn't gloss over the wide-spread use of pills in Nashville and his personal use of drugs during his career.

This book also details some of Waylon Jennings' experiences with the record labels and other management types in Nashville and on the road. He got ripped off like a lot of other music artists.

It was interesting to read Waylon's take on the difference between playing in a studio vs. playing live in a honky-tonk and his preference for playing live.

He shared his view of the "Nashville Sound" and the CMA.
On the Nashville Sound he wrote this on page 176-
"Nashville was just too insular, too caught up in itself."
The reader gets a first-hand glimpse at why Mr. Jennings became a part of "Outlaw Country".

Some of his shared experiences with his contemporaries were very humorous.
Overall, this is a good autobiography of a true country rebel who played a part in changing country music and the monumental role his wife Jessi played in his overcoming years of drug addiction.
340351
Okay, I am a huge fan of classic rock and punk music and I have a great time searching for new rock biographies, histories and memoirs to read.  The Stones are one of the three bands I consider to be the "holy trinity" of British rock music (along with the Beatles and the Clash) and, after collecting 41 different albums of their music (yeegads!) I picked up a copy of this book, simply because I had heard it was good from another Stones fan.

What an understatement that turned out to be.  "The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones" is not only the best book on rock 'n' roll I have yet read, and there have been many, it is also one of my top five books.  Ever.  As another reviewer already already stated, this book is many different things rolled into one.  It is a deeply interesting document of the Stones' 1969 American tour (which included both Altamont and the recording of 'Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!' at Madison Square Garden).  It is also a precise history of the band up to the point of its writing, a dreary and drug-soaked eulogy for the '60s and a deeply personal journal from the pen of Stanley Booth.

There isn't really anything else like this book.  Unlike many rock biographers, Booth did not base his book on sketchy interviews and the "facts" presented in other people's books.  He traveled with the Stones on the '69 tour and writes the story from his own point of view.  This creates a very interesting situation for the reader because you get to see the Stones' world from Booth's eyes: as an outsider looking in.  Each one of the Stones are captured beautifully through dialog and actions that Booth witnessed.  You get to see everything from Keith's wry sense of humor to Mick's complexities as he tries to befriend Booth and keep him at arm's length all at once.

I can't stress to you how much you need to read this book if you are a Stones fan.  As I read it, I was constantly stopping to admire the incredible writing of Stanley Booth.  When you read this book, you will get to know him just as well as you get to know the Stones.  With so many rock biographies written by hacks with no clue, "The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones" is a diamond in the rough.  Buy it.