Finally a Serious Buk Bio
597269
Funny it took a British biographer to get the Charles Bukowski story right.  Sounes put a great deal of time and effort into tracking the myth and reality of this best selling poet and public madman.  This is the most  balanced account of Bukowski's life which means he comes out looking like a  very talented but wretched human being who eventually turned on most of his  friends by creating unfavorable representations in his work.  There are all  kinds of intriguing music-related tidbits: his jealousy of Pete Townshend,  his immediate recognition of U2 as a sellout band, despite dedicating a  concert to he and his wife, his turndown of a photo shoot with Madonna even  though Sean Penn was a regular drinking buddy.  Written in a fast-paced  fictionalized narrative, this one is a sure winner.
4109800
"When God decided to make a football player, He created Walter Payton."

I've been a Bear fan my entire life. I bleed blue and orange. To me, Walter Payton was a football deity. In 1986, my sister, who was in the TV business at the time, called me and told me to get to Soldier Field ASAP. She was filming a commercial with Sweetness as the star. I got there as fast as I could and met the man. Shook his hand - it truly was like grasping a rock. Saw his smile - it was as bright as the summer sun. And goofed with him - he really was like a kid, especially when he dinged me for the t-shirt I was wearing that day - a Cowboys t-shirt my knuckle head Cowboy-fan brother gave me. Forgot I had it on. Walter was gracious about it. The photo I have of him with his arm around (ugly t-shirt and all) is one of my prized possessions. Little did I know the turmoil that was his life.

 This biography was an eye-opener. Of course he was a celebrity and a super star jock, so I knew that there was probably a lot we didn't know about him. But the portrait this book painted - a balanced one - is pretty amazing. It reveals all of Walter, including some pretty huge character flaws. A self-centered, me-first athlete. A womanizer who took little interest in his marriage. Sometimes using those he was there to give his time to - sick kids, his family - as a PR move. Yet for all that, here was a guy who also was genuinely good, when he wanted to be. He really was interested in doing good things. But the goals he achieved, the expectations and image he'd created, and the public world he lived in, were too much.

This was one of the best sports bios I've ever read and I highly recommend it to all Payton and Bear fans. Yes - my image of him is very much adjusted since reading this. But it paints a very real picture.
3143762
A Perfect Portrait of the Finest, Most Influential Sports Journalist of His Time

By STEVE BISHEFF
OK, so I admit it. I'm more than a little biased on the subject of Bud Furillo. I spent the most enjoyable working years of my life on his staff at the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. I was one of a fortunate group of young writers who learned under The Steamer, in what amounted to a wild, chaotic, fun-loving post-graduate course in sports journalism. Trust me, they don't teach what we learned at Columbia or Missouri.
What is most remarkable about this book, written by his son and -- yes, I admit it -- my friend, Andy, is that it captures the essence of Furillo. Andy doesn't hold anything back, revealing a few of Bud's foibles along the way. But mostly, it is a 469-page love letter that most of us who worked for Bud wish we could have written.
Furillo was a one-of-a-kind character and sports editor. I spent 42 years in the business and never saw anyone as smart, versatile and creative as Bud. His columns were must-reads, but maybe most important, the sports section he directed is still regarded by thousands, no millions, of people in Southern California as the most entertaining they've ever read. The man was a newspaper genius, and he was always generous enough to share his knowledge and advice to those of us lucky enough to have worked for him. Name me another newspaper that produced so many good, young sports writers in such a short time. You can't. Because there isn't any.
The research, writing and interviewing Andy did for this book is reflective of the talent he obviously has inherited from his dad. I thought I knew Bud as well as anyone, but Andy produced some facts that astonished me. All of it is there, reflecting the greatest time in Los Angeles sports history. Bud was at the center of it, and in an utterly brilliant tribute to the man and the era, Andy writes it all beautifully. His dad would be very proud.
4521185
This is the most thorough Monkees biography I have ever seen.

Based on interviews with Peter Tork, it takes you through 47 years of Monkee history, complete with a discography, an annotated TV episode guide and photos by the Monkees' official photographer Henry Diltz.

This book is a great introduction to not only the Monkees, but to boybands, Hollywood and the dawn of MTV as well and it's simply a must for any Monkees fan!
2943606
As a Sooner alumnus and rabidly devoted Dallas Cowboys fan, I have seen many good and bad sides of "Uncle Barry" (as he is known  affectionately in these parts) for a couple of decades.  Granted, it was  written before he coached in Dallas.  But it is because I had already read  this book -- and as a result, felt a strong understanding of him -- that I  was able to hold Switzer largely blameless for many of the problems which  befell the Cowboys during their late-90s fade.  [Perhaps most other Cowboys  fans should read this before they mindlessly ridicule him, too.  It is  enlightening!]  Switzer is funny, smart and refreshingly devoted to his  kids, as he shows here; but as an animated and sometimes overbearingly  profane public person, he makes a much easier target for media ridicule  than he deserves.  Read this book and understand why he astutely asserts  that the NCAA is an archaic clique of aging Great White Fathers (my term,  hot his) who are clueless about the realities of today's athletes' lives.  Read and understand why Switzer can make some of the dumb mistakes he has,  but nonetheless possesses a keen intellect and sense of fairness.  And  finally, read it for its shocking tales of the wild life of this  surprisingly complex man.
3203549
This is an attractive hardcover book that is only slightly larger than a normal hardcover, so it can be displayed on a cocktail table and / or read as a normal book and placed on a shelf. It contains many photographs and synopses of all the games from the 1985 season with box scores and relevant stats at the end in an appendix. Pages are dedicated specifically to players from the 1985 team in which you see a recent photo of them with quotes about the 1985 season; the pages are offset in black. The nice thing is that there is a sort of side-by-side running commentary between Telander and Ditka with majority weight given to Ditka's wonderful anecdotes and conversational style. It reads much like Ditka talking, and Telander's input amounts to introductions (his general introduction discusses his living near the team's practice facility and his initial interest in the team and Ditka), conclusions, and footnotes. It's wonderfully organized and very attractive. In all it's more than a simple retread of the season and is really a worthy tribute to probably the best team of any single year ever. Personality, ethic, and football philosophy are given much focus too.
505935
As a huge ABB fan of the Duane era and the lineups from 1999 to present, I was looking forward to reading this book. Alan  weaves an informative and entertaining narrative (check out Big in China) and is a solid player (youtube him). He did the homework. Far exceeded my high expectations - especially revealing more current ABB lore. You have scrolled down this far, you're going get the book and enjoy this read. Money well spent.
429789
I'm in my mid-40s and have always been a loud proponent of the "Disco Sucks" movement.  A buddy bought me Mr. Meyer's "Bee Gees" biography for Christmas solely based on the front cover photo.

After the hype regarding the upcoming Barry Gibb "Mythology" arena tour, I picked up the book and couldn't put it down.  While Mr. Meyer pulls no punches, he also respects his subjects, flaws and all.  His subjective analysis livens up what could very easily have been hagiography.

To be honest, I stayed up all night two nights in a row reading this book because I couldn't put it down and found myself with a new grudging respect for the subjects.

While I was at first somewhat surprised at the lack of detail on the disco backlash, by the time I finished the book I realized that the death of disco was really incidental to the Bee Gees' story and didn't need to be harped upon.

This is just a terrific book and I am recommending it to all of my friends.  Mr. Meyer has done an exemplary job that I never would have thought possible.  Thanks for your time.
609990
Brian Kay Jones has written a long overdue, exhaustive and full-blooded portrait of one of the 20th century's most multi-faceted and compelling artistic geniuses - Jim Henson. Jones hits all the major bullet-points of Henson's life while keeping the narrative moving right along, although some of his own insights and conclusions that glue together these benchmarks seem a little bit pat or obvious. Jones traces Henson's origins through his early days in Mississippi, to the beginnings of the Muppets in Washington D.C., thoughtfully detouring on occasion to spotlight the collaborators and talent that made Henson and the Muppets the international sensations they inevitably became. Much of the later chapters are structured around Henson's tireless itinerary following the breakout success of the 'Muppet Show' in the late 70s, which can be a bit tiring to read through, leading up to Henson's sad and untimely passing. The most insightful information, however, comes from Henson's own family and those who worked with Henson and knew him best during his short, but brilliant career, including abundant quotes from Frank Oz (not one to mince words) and the late Jerry Juhl amongst other key players in Henson's remarkable menagerie of personalities and performers.

Reading this Jones' biography, and then returning to other works cited in the bibliography, including Christopher Finch's colorful 'The Works' and last year's revealing 'Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal' fluffs out the details surrounding Henson's life and work, especially his family life, personality, and inexhaustible vision and work ethic. Henson knew from the start he was destined for success, and Jones presents ample evidence to support that with hard work and perseverance, not to mention a "whim of steel", Henson eventually found the elusive "Rainbow Connection", and in doing so, cemented his place in the pantheon of legendary American entertainers. An original, through and through.

While the inclusion of personal Henson family photos (several of which have appeared in other Henson-related books) is a given for a biography of this scope, it is regrettable that they are all entirely in black-and-white. "Henson's beloved Kermit-green Lotus" car on the second insert of photos is not difficult to paint with one's imagination (also considering the color of the hardcover binding), but for a book focused on such a colorful individual, it's a bit of a letdown that the only color photograph appearing anywhere on or in the physical book stretches across the spine and back cover.

To explore the life of Jim Henson is to dissect a man of contrasts. A soft-spoken visionary whose unabashed passion and exuberance for life was translated through the power of the television medium for millions. Jones also highlights Henson's desire to grow both as an artist, an innovator and as an individual - a restless perfectionist, always seeking, questioning, and exploring, while instigating fun, mayhem and whimsy in nearly every endeavor. Henson used puppetry as a means to an end, and in doing so, elevated the art form into a universally appealing medium of entertainment and expression that spoke to our shared humanity and our innate desire for connection, mutual respect and understanding.
4214302
Very detailed and extremely well documented biography of Harry Nilsson. Occasionally it seems to read like a long list, but there are great stories of Harry and his friends along the way. I was glad to have bought this and I learned a great deal about Nilsson and his work ethic. He worked a lot harder than many give him credit for. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes his music and wishes to know more about him. A very honest book of his life and work.
1293058
His story has been told by others, but what sets this biography apart is the detailed research by the author. Also, the publisher has put the research together in a well-composed book. A visual artist such as Paul Lynde needs a lot of illustrations to fully detail his ultimate portrait, and the author delivers nicely on this requirement. For enjoyment and a well-rounded profile of the comedian, here's a biography worth chosing.
3999788
Loved the auto bio of his early years. His honest approach to the life on the road was never so deeply covered in the Showtime version of the Eagles. His point of view of the happenings balances the scales that the Gods weighted in their version of things. Loved learning of all his respect for BB  ,the Allmands, Nash, and the early influences . Read it .You owe it to yourself to see the human side of this fantastic musician.
509311
Benny Friedman should have been inducted into the inaugural Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He had much greater claim to that than a Red Grange whose name recognition and exploits in college got him in far more than his pro career.

This biography does a fantastic job of telling the life of Benny Friedman, a Jewish kid who had to buck the odds and discrimination to become the first Jewish captain of the Michigan Wolverines football team.

What struck me most about this biography is what a passing phenomenon he was in the late 1920's and 1930's when the football was  a big fat mostly roundish lump that wasn't really throw able.  And an incomplete pass was a penalty!  Yet, he used the pass effectively and if you take the era into account, and the state of the ball and the rules, an all-time great at quarterback.  And oh, he could run the ball very, very effectively too.  Of course in that era the quarterback had to be a runner too.

That it took until 2005 for him to make the Hall of Fame which is a travesty of justice.  Just as the 1925 NFL Champions were really the Pottsville Maroons not the Chicago Cardinals.  NFL never did get that one right, but at least they eventually got Benny Friedman into the Hall of Fame.
1367558
I've been a huge Kiss fan since 1976. Like most fans, the original band line-up is my favorite. This is the best book about Kiss I have ever read, and I've read several. I like that it consists mainly of interviews and quotes from the band members, producers, studio musicians, management, and others very close to the band. Extremely in-depth with the people who were there at the time, a lot of facts--but you have to check who is saying it so you get the proper perspective. The first section of the book is an extensive interview from 1979, and it is very interesting to read, especially in hindsight. The third and final section is a comprehensive album-by-album track-by-track analysis, again by the band themselves, contributing song writers and musicians, producers, and engineers. In between, the second section gives a nice overview of the period between the break up (when Ace and Peter left) in the early 1980s through the reunion in 1996. I liked this book enough to re-read section 3 twice back-to-back. It's THAT good. I found the comments throughout the book from Peter Criss particularly compelling, because I didn't know he was so arrogant and had the biggest ego in the band (yes even more than Gene Simmons if that's possible)! Highly recommended book for Kiss fans.

I purchased a used hardcover copy here on Amazon at a very low price.
4966671
To put it simply this is the definitive Cab Calloway biography.  I don't think anywhere else you will find a better researched or better documented book about the jazz legend.  The author had the arduous job or researching and writing about a larger than life character with a huge stage persona who actually lead a very private life.  Shipton has done an excellent job sourcing out every interview with the legend himself and talking with as many sidemen, friends and family as possible to give us an idea of what Cab Calloway was really like.  Easily one of the most charismatic and entertaining band leaders of all time Calloway deserves and receives excellent treatment in this book.  I had always considered myself a fan of Calloway ever since I saw him in the Blues Brothers movie as a young child and my fascination with him grew as I got older, I would search out magazine articles and excerpts in book when I could find them about the Jazz Pioneer.  But I never found a well written comprehensive telling of his life story till now.  For anyone interested in the man Cab Calloway I cannot recommend this book anymore highly, and also if you are interested in the era of Cab's existence and the racial issues of the early to mid 20th century jazz scene this book is also well worth reading, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
4817024
I was thoroughly impressed with this biography on the brilliant Cliff Burton.
My impression was that the author, like myself, truly understood the depth of Cliff's talent and it translates into a book that goes beyond the typical cut & past interviews of lesser Bio's.
Throughout the pages, we are treated to rare insights of Cliff's formitive years, with recollections from his music teacher, former bandmates in Trauma, and even Jim Martin (Faith no More), whom joined forces with Burton in the early group, Agents of Misfortune.
The insight into Cliff goes even deeper with reflections from his girlfriend & companion, as well as his parents.

The author delves deep into the music, as well.
Cliff's studio output with Metallica is thoroughly explored, along with his numerous contributions to individual tracks.
Of course, the tragic accident that took Burton's life, is examined, really giving the reader a sense of what it was like to experience such a horrible moment & it's aftermath.

Overall, this book exceeded my expectations.
I'm pleased that a man of Burton's stature in the heavy metal genre, has gotten his due!
4214676
I have seen a few episodes of "That Metal Show", and I always figured Eddie Trunk was just a kind of superfan who gets to hang out with his 80's rock idols. Turns out I am right. But he has also worked in rock radio in NYC for more than 25 years, so he comes honestly by his relationships with the rockers.

But he *is* a nerdy superfan. And this book is his love letter to the bands he adores. Each chapter covers a band or singer. Trunk gives us trivia, favorite songs, underground classics, and lots of vintage photos. He also fills his chapters with a very healthy dose of personal anecdote, a factor that is both the book's salvation and it's shame.

The Guide is by no means exhaustive, and it doesn't provide a lot of biographical and discographical info that your standard fan of the genre didn't already know. His personal stories make the book worth reading. My favorite is the night Sebastian Bach got Axl Rose to come on Eddie's radio show during the Chinese Democracy era. Axl hadn't done studio interviews in years, and he apparently hasn't done many since. Eddie talks about he was scared to death someone in the group, especially wrestler Chris Jericho, would say the wrong thing and make Axl leave. He describes it as a bomb specialist afraid of cutting the wire that sets off the explosion.

But if the personal details make the book worth reading, they also come with an obnoxious level of name-droppage. He's constantly referring to "My good friend Mike Piazza" or talking about how special Halford or Dio or this guy or that guy are in his career and life. I can get it -- he's a superfan, remember -- but it gets old.