5 comments about Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor.

1. I did not want this book to end. I have been a fan of Al's since the Blood,Sweat,and Tears days and this book filled in so many unanswered questions I had. I recommend that anyone who likes him in any capacity read this book and see him live.



2. One of the great rock musicians of all-time. This guy should definitely be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in fact he should have his own wing. Great writing throughout, this is the most entertaing rock and roll book that I've ever read. One of the finest memoirs I've ever read for that matter. I wish he would write more.



3. I recommend this book for everybody interested in the rock scene
   of the 60`s and up !
   Al Kooper has a lot to tell of the early days in rock music and is
   a great writer .
   A lot of good reading and dont forget:
   Mr Kooper is still making really good music, listen to the newest
   album Black Coffee and see what I mean...



4. Great book - I couldn't put it down. Here's some insight into some of the greatest acts in rock - Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, Hendrix - it's all there. Al Kooper is a funny guy and I enjoyed the book tremendously!



5. What a remarkable story of a near miss star. Al Kooper was some of the glue that held early rock together. While never a star in his own right he added so much to what he did play on, that is, more ground breaking hits than anyone I know of. Just being the first organ in Rock is enough plus the horn band idea with BS&T, wow! His work with Leonard Skinered was a career in itself. Too bad he let his ego take him away from the limelight he deserves. He seems bitter in the end. Truly a story of Rock and Roll itself with Al as a matrix. He doesn't seem to know just how lucky he was. Can't say he let any moss grow on him though.

5 comments about I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon.

1. The book was written in an interview clip format. All the contributors offered their perceptions of Warren's character and his unusal behavior patterns. I read one review from a person who knew Warren personally and felt like the book contained some distorted information, particularly since it was authored by an ex-wife. Having never met the man I have no way ascertaining fact from fiction (which is usually the case in any biography). I did find the book intriguing and entertaining. After reading the book my perception of Warren was of a person who never found happiness or contentment for any real period of time. To quote Ecclesiastes, he was continually "chasing after the wind". He was a great songwriter who touched a lot of people's lives, some positively some negatively. But then again, don't we all.



2. Zevon had a lot of time left to get his story down before he died, so this oral history cum bio is unusually rich with comments from most of those who knew him best. A wife beater, alcoholic, drug addict and sufferer from several mental illnesses, including OCD, Zevon's wacked out, excessive life is nonetheless fascinating, at least in this account by his ex-wife. I've never looked into his music beyond "Werewolves," but this very long tome made me want to, which is always the point of these musical life chronicles. Zevon knew that death would make his work a lot more valuable. He was right. But at least he certainly got the most out of things while he was here on the planet. Makes you kind of envious, in a darkly bizarre way. Well worth reading for fans of rock bios and, of course, those few Zevon fanatics.



3. As Billy Bob Thornton says at the close of this book, it's astounding to me when someone says they aren't familiar with Warren Zevon's music. I was 18 when I became a fan. I had never heard lyrics so challenging and one of the wonderful things about this book is that it sheds some light as to how Warren came up with some of those lyrics. Crystal Zevon has emerged from the task of writing this book as a wonderful writer - this couldn't have been an easy book to write. Popular music is laden with artists of little or no substance - we simply don't have enough music from people as talented as Zevon was. I had the pleasure of seeing Zevon live twice and this book made me go back and look at more of his music. It's a tough read at times -Warren could be hard to like, yet this book is an incredibly written, interesting look at an artist I'll always admire and appreciate the work of. On a closing note, I find myself wishing there was some live concert videos of Warren's tours available - he was incredible the two times I saw him.



4. Very sad tale about a guy who's talent ne'er waned, even when he was drinking, drugging or sexing himself to death. Took a lot of people with him, most of whom are quoted here, and you really find out what it was like to be close to him.
   
   Reason I gave it 4 stars: The one thing missing that the writer could never have known was what Zevon's rising and falling star looked like from the outside, and how it affected the rockin' culture as a whole. A lot of that perspective gets covered as a matter of course, but some of it is missing simply because almost everyone interviewed was very close to ground zero.
   
   That's also what makes this book so riveting, and I think it had to be written this way. Best stories: When Waddy Wachtel first meets Zevon when trying out for the Everly Brothers band, and when Zevon wants to play a Spice Girls tune when subbing for Paul Schaefer on Letterman.
   
   Lastly, one previous reviewer notes, very accurately, that it's repetitive and grim. Well, that's exactly what active addiction ultimately becomes, and that's what we're being let in on here.



5. Fascinating! Great insights from the people who knew him - interesting to hear from so many different types of people - writers, singers, actors and just plain old characters. Especially interesting for long-time Warren Zevon fans, but an interesting read for anyone. Couldn't put it down!

No comments about Jonas Brothers Unauthorized (Star Scene).

5 comments about Roadshow: Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle.

1. Every Neil Peart book is better than the last. Don't get me wrong, I like them all, but he is making incredible strides as a storyteller with each book. His writing is so good now that you really care what he's going to have for breakfast in Denver, or if he'll change his bike's oil in Dallas or Oklahoma City. Simple everday things, for sure. But the prose are so riveting, he makes you want to know.
   
   I admit I'm a huge Rush fan, and I know that influences my enjoyment of his books. But I am also a published author, and I can recognize the work of a talented writer. His musical talents aside, Peart can write, and it seems that he's found a perfect niche in these travel memoirs.
   
   Even if you're not into Rush, give this book (or one of his other books) a chance. His books are hidden gems in the literary world that I fear may not be fully appreciated.



2. I found this book very interesting as I am intrested in my favorite performers lives. The only reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is because of the constant Christian bashing. It's obvious Neil is very bitter about Christianity for whatever reason. He never really tells us why. He did mention that after the tradgedies happened in his life that the Bible was no help. He quotes all the church signs he comes across in his journeys through the US. I agree that some of them were over the top but others had a good message. As a Christian myself I am praying for Neil. I pray God will change his heart and turn his face toward Christ.



3. Full disclosure here; I've been a loyal Rush fan since I first heard them back in 1979. With that said, being a fan only adds to the enjoyment of reading the smooth and vividly descriptive writing of Neil Peart.
   
   He did a fantastic job of giving the reader a candid look at the band, their history, backstage antics and the more indecorous side of the music business. He does an equally impressive job of describing the freedom, beauty, aroma, and adventure of touring our beautiful country on a motorcycle. As a "Beemer" rider myself, I share his love for the open road. I can relate to the sights, sounds and exhilarating thrill each mile brings; I often found myself "riding with him".
   
   Throughout the book you will find many examples of his quest for perfection in his music, practice, and performance. (To those of us who've had the pleasure of attending a Rush concert, that discipline is readily apparent) At times he appears a bit fussy when things do not go according to his plans (but then, don't we all?). He reviews his performances probably more harshly than the most anal music critic, often not giving himself the credit due for such great performances; all while enduring the trials and tribulations of living on the road. The book describes in detail what it's like to tour with the band all that it brings, and at the same time portrays his private struggle of carrying on while overcoming insurmountable loss; pleasing everyone but himself. He describes the delicate balance of work and home life in living color.
   
   I came to admire his methodical, exacting approach toward his music, writing, and riding. In addition to the portrayal of one who is fun-loving and self effacing, you will also find by reading this book that he is an intensely private person with a close circle of steadfast friends, which I'm sure is a luxury at his status.
   
   In summary, Roadshow is a fantastic book for Rush fans and motorcycle travelers, and more so to those of us who are lucky enough to be both.



4. Neil Peart's books encompass a lot of things which makes them hard to categorize, but if you had to pick one genre, he specializes in Travel Writing -- what he sees, thinks and experiences while traveling around the world via car, bike, or most frequently motorcycles. Most of his books rarely mention his career with Rush. This one chronicles his motorcycle travels during their 2004 30th Anniversary Tour, and its his most straight forward and best to date. Peart writes with a vivid, conversational style that makes it easy to imagine his journey (He travels separately from the tour entourage and keeps a low profile), and he peppers his books with opinions and observations - which are enjoyable whether you are a Rush fan or not. Most of this book is about riding the open highways and enjoying the winding scenic roads of America, Canada and Europe, so this is not the definitive Rush memoir. But if you're open to something intelligent that defies catagorization, this is a very enjoyable read.



5. I wish everyone could appreciate the lonliness of fame. Everyone knows your name and what you do but no one really knows you. Neil Peart is a man of many levels and the fame is only the top level that the world knows and although appreciated for its brilliance, left the rest of him unknown and unappreciated. I am so glad he has chosen to write his mind, as it is+ honest- love it or hateit. It is accepted by those of us who will never be able to get to know him on a personal level to have a random cup of coffee. Written for those of us who just might in an unusual way understand or don't and want to. Hats off!!!

4 comments about Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam.

1. You don't have to be a fan of heavy metal music to find interest in this book, I know its certainly not my scene. What I like about this book is that Mark Levine isn't relying on interviews alone to tell the stories of how musician's struggle in countries that try to censor them, he puts himself in the middle of it. He spends time with these musicians, he performs with them and he sees the heart and the pain behind the music these artists are creating. The book also goes into the internal conflict some of these musicians face in weighing out religion vs music and how they balance the two.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about some of the things western and eastern cultures have in common and the differences related to that commonality.



2. American and Western rockers like to pretend they're revolutionaries who are sticking it to the man and changing the world. But in Muslim nations, metalheads and rappers fight the sting of real political, cultural, religious, and military harassment. LeVine is both a working musician and an academic expert who has travelled extensively through the Middle East and North Africa, and he delivers a fun and readbale odyssey through several poorly understood nations, highlighting groundbreaking artists and the political/cultural developments that inspire, and are inspired by, the metal and rap underground. In addition to showcasing a great many intriguing artists who are using the power of forbidden music to comment on the struggles faced by their peoples, LeVine also illustrates the great diversity of Middle Eastern societies, presenting complex and varied cultures that are a far cry from the simplistic religious militancy displayed in the Western press since 9/11.
   
   Underground musicians of the region really are sticking it to the man (that is, the religious and/or military big brothers of their countries) and have had a real impact on social movements and cultural awakenings. While you'll need some tolerance for LeVine's lapses into turgid professor-ese (like an ongoing anemic application of public sphere theory and occasional lapses into big pseudo-thoughts like "the complex politics of cultural production"), he more than makes up for it with stirring descriptions of the sounds created by esoteric musicians and the worldviews of the region's progressives and nonconformists. LeVine also presents a plausible (though probably monochromatic) young person's view of the state of the Muslim world and its sociological near-futures, mostly dispensing with unrealistic idealism.
   
   In addition to being a plausible political/cultural study and an even better work of globe-trotting musicology, this book ultimately brings well-deserved attention to musicians who have literally risked their lives or livelihoods to be heard. Count on me to pick up the forthcoming CD from LeVine's growing Heavy Metal Islam artist development project. [~doomsdayer520~]



3. This is a grad student's wet dream--a combination of half-understood Interwar social theory, and "cool" manifestations of counter-culture in the Muslim world. In reality, it all has precious little to do with Islam--it's almost exclusively the work of an educated westernized wealthy elite. LeVine is either dishonest or very very foolish. I'm guessing both.



4. This is apretty good example of what's wrong with academic studies of the Islamic world. LeVine is so impressed with his own theory (which is, in brief, "wouldn't it be, like, totally cool if music, like, liberated the people, man?!?) that he fails to see how utterly irrelevant this music is in the Islamic world. Pretty poorly written too--which is, in any event, standard for these sorts of polemics. A silly book.

2 comments about Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development (6th Edition).

1. This book is predictable, boring, and prejudiced. What did I expect from a textbook? More, I guess. I've been listening to a lot of rock and roll from a lot of different time periods in the past two years and have been trying to understand the history of the music, influences on bands, where different trends came from, flashes of originality ... I don't mind an academic perspective, I hoped for some music theory, but this book is just plain stupid. What a waste of money.



2. I used an earlier edition of this fine book some years ago in teaching a college-level history of rock and roll, and the only reason I give it four rather than five stars is the obscene price. Stuessy's aim in writing the book was not just to introduce the history of rock and roll, but to introduce students to the various elements of music (melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre) and of musical formal structures: these items are covered in detail, relating to the music of the appropriate chapter, in end-of-chapter supplements. In other words, Stuessy is trying in part to promote musical literacy among people who do not take a more traditional class in "music appreciation." I would not expect that many people without some formal musical training could make complete sense of the supplements, but it is a textbook, not a self-help manual, and I had great success with the book in class. The main text, however, is independent of the more technical supplements, and can be read as an excellent and insightful history of rock and roll.

5 comments about 2008 Songwriter's Market.

1. I finally discovered my talent (we all have at least one buried inside): writer. Yeah, right! Me too at first I thought the same. Where do I start, what do I write? Well, just write and let it come to you. That's how it worked for me. I came up with a music concept album years ago (I was not even trying, it just came to me in front of a Starbucks), and for the past months my inspiration has exploded. Suddenly I felt that I could actually do something about my writing. But I did not know what I could do with the songs. A friend of mine pointed me in the direction of Writer's Digest Writers Market series. He was well inspired. Soon I discovered that every writing form and creative field has its own "market" reference book. I found this Songwriter's Market online and did not hesitate. I am glad I bought it. It is the best way to quickly enter the world of music business and songwriting. The book has many excellent articles, reference materials, and lists of publishers, producers, agents, and music labels, arranged by genre, geographic area and style of music. It's going to be a long journey, but an exciting one. It has transformed my life. I treasure this book as a source of possibilities. That's the word. Wherever you are in life, look for possibilities, not just opportunities. It will take you farther. Rock on!



2. Now in a substantially revised and completed updated thirty-first edition, the Writer's Digest Press edition of the "2008 Songwriter's Market: Where & How To Market Your Songs" continues to be the premier resource for aspiring and practicing songwriters and musicians to have their music recorded and published. This compilation of information and instruction is enhanced with hundreds of listings for music publishers, record companies, record and music producers, booking agents, interviews with successful professional in the industry, and so much more. Cover market place resources for all genres of music from hip-hop to rock, from classical to country, from pop to kids, the "2008 Songwriter's Market" will prove to be an invaluable, information packed, and thoroughly 'user friendly' resource. Enhanced with listings for songwriter support organizations, conferences, thematically appropriate websites and online communities, "2008 Songwriter's Market" should be considered an essential, core addition to personal, professional, music school, and community library reference collections.



3. Two virtues make me go 'gaga' over that book:
   -The tons of useful information that one needs in the music industry, especially for aspiring lyricists like me
   - That it's published annually.
   I rest my case.



4. Excellent resource for any songwriter, performing or not. Contains useful advice on how to prepare demos, copyright, etc, plus a comprehensive list of agents, music publishers, record companies and other useful contacts.



5. The greatest amount of info in one easy place. It is catagorically written for just the answeres you need.

5 comments about Heavier than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain.

1. Heavier Than Heaven
   
   Kurt Cobain was a small town boy gone big. After living a hell of a childhood he finally found what he wanted. Kurt and two friends started a band. They took the name nirvana which a new state of mind. They took off on American tour. They fired their drummer Chad Channing. They recruited new drummer Dave Grohl. They got famous. Kurt killed himself by overdosing on heroin and shooting himself in the head.
   
   I can say this is one of the best books I have ever read. This book gives you every thing you need in a book. I don't care if this review is not long enough this is all I have to say.
   
   The characters are Kurt Cobain.



2. This is a great buy. The book reads smooth although the timelines are not always constant. There is only one outcome according this book and it tries to cover most sides of Kurt's life, including the bad sides. Fortunately it is not 'don't use drugs propaganda' which I see to often these days.
   
   Still there is some room for discussion because the author does some personal interpretation of facts and stories.



3. This book is a wonderful tribute to Kurt's life. Charles Cross' writing style makes you feel as though you were watching a movie. His descriptions reach points where you'd think they were best friends and the amount of detail leaves you wondering how he could know so much about someone who isn't even alive to ask anymore. Cross uses many quotes from the people in Kurt's life and fills you in from day one, starting with Kurt's parents before he was even born. I dislike the amount of names mentioned in the book however. Many characters are only name drops, which becomes confusing at times because you're not sure who is being spoken about. Other than the obsessive amount of names, the stories are fairly easy to follow. The author added some pictures about 200 pages in, from mostly Kurt's family that were very touching to look at. I thoroughly enjoy it, and do not regret buying it. I'd say it's definitely worth the money.



4. By: ANETA BASALAJ
   
   By writing this book, Charles Cross is letting the world know everything about Kurt Cobain, including details even Kurt probably didn't realize about himself. He starts from Kurt's childhood and describes his entire life all the way up to his death.
   
   Cross is a veteran music journalist, which makes him the perfect person to write about one of music's most incredible people. He used to be the editor of The Rocket, the Northwest's highly regarded entertainment and music magazine, which was also the first publication to do a cover story on Nirvana. It is obvious that Cross really knows what he is talking about in this book.
   
   Cross went through over four hundred interviews and an extensive four years of research in order to write Heavier Than Heaven. He goes into great detail, providing not only the facts, but analysis as well, which makes the reader more interested in reading and has him or her thinking throughout the book. Cross did not leave a single important event of Kurt's life out. Not only does the reader have a massive amount of knowledge about Kurt after finishing the book, he or she also gains respect for him.
   
   The obvious strength of the book is the enormous amount of information provided by Cross. This is also a weakness in the sense that readers might find themselves getting restless reading fact after fact, which is not necessarily the author's fault. Another strength of Heavier Than Heaven is the fact that the book is very chronologically accurate. The author does a very good job of not skipping around dates, especially when starting a new chapter. All in all, Heavier Than Heaven is a very well written book that any Nirvana fan should add to his or her bookshelf.



5. I think this book is a very captivating read. It gives alot of detail about Cobain's childhood, rocky adolescence, the forming of Nirvana, all the way through to his death. By the end of the book, it's pretty easy to understand why he killed himself. Alot of people are going to say that it's not true, that it's the "Courtney sanctioned" version of what happened, that Cross is making it up to cover up a murder, but this is nonsense. Overall, Courtney Love is not portrayed in an overly-flattering way, neither is Cobain portrayed in a bad light. People who say that Cross makes Love look great and Cobain look bad either have not read the book or are reading that interpretation into the book.
   
   Alot of people complain about the end, when Cross fictionalizes Cobain's last hours, but he never says that it's fact - to the contrary, Cross points out that that chapter is a fictionalization of what it might have been like. Does fiction have a place in a biography? In "Heaver Than Heaven," I say yes. It would have been a huge letdown if his death had been muddied over - even though we don't know what happened for sure.
   
   I give the book four stars because it's a very engrossing read. My understanding of Kurt Cobain increased greatly after reading this book, and I think my appreciation for Nirvana's music also deepened. It's a haunting, sometimes disturbing portrait of one of rock music's most mythical legends.

No comments about Patti Smith: Dream of Life.

5 comments about Step on a Crack.

1. I've read some of the real Alex Cross books on long plane trips and liked them. They weren't Tolstoy, but were a good read. This shallow attempt at a book makes me want to get into writing. The formula seems to be: find a famous author who doesn't want to write anymore, write a lousy book, pay the famous author to puts his name in front and then, voilà: a best seller. I don't know what Micheal Ledwidge's (the real author) percentage is, but James Patterson must be making a killing on this sausage factory approach to literature. The book is not completely unreadable: I did manage to finish it. However, I had to skip over large portions in order to survive to the end. It had it all: two-dimensional characters, stifling political correctness, unbelievable plot twists, sadistic violence for no reason, etc.
   
   Stay away from any book that has James Patterson's name along with another author.



2. I'm a newbie to the james patterson theme. this is the second book i've read by him ad they do seem to follow a pattern but what writer doesn't have a pattern. i enjoyed this book because one i love adventure and i love heists and a good ole hostage situation. this hostage takeover was unique simply because it was like no other. who would've thunk it to kill a first lady and hijack a historical church full of political figues and celebrities in NY city of all places?
   
   now where my problem comes in at is the neat man although clues were dropped along the way but nothing indicating who he was. i knew the hijackers had to be law enforcement because they went beyond measure to keep their identity a secret. but the revealing of the neat man wasn't well thought out it could've been better.
   
   the plot giving the man 10 kids and a ailing wife was touching how he needed them and vice versa. how he did his job and still went on to still be there for his wife's last breath but i feel it could've been more there. i loved the bantering between him and the grandfather that was a bright spot in the book.
   
   i enjoyed step on a crack but just felt it could've been wrapped up better and dropped more concise clues on the neat man. i look forward to more of mr patterson's books. so far i'm a fan



3. Getting through those highway miles only means one thing... buy a thriller, put it in the CD player and don't pull over until the book's done. That's pretty much what I did with this one.
   I understand that some reviewers don't agree with Patterson's 'ghostwriting' here. Well, he's not actually a ghostwriter because his name is on the cover, right? He simply co-wrote with someone he seems to believe in. I don't think that an author of Patterson's caliber would put his name on something he doesn't believe in.
   
   Anyway; over the years I've read many Patterson books and always enjoyed them. The characters grew on me, especially Alex Cross and the gals from the Murder Club. I think that Michael Bennett has a future as a protagonist in a Patterson Series. He's a kick a$$ cop with a soft heart, loves his ten (adopted) children and survived losing his wife when she didn't.
   The plot was suspenseful and intriguing, maybe a little 'out there'. The side characters developed depth quickly and even the bad boyzz had a 'likeable' side to them. I like it when I have access to their warped minds.
   I'm not sure if I would have been as entertained reading the book as I was listening to it. The narrators, no doubt, were outstanding and gave me the feeling I was listening to an old AM radio station mystery story, I used to love so much when I was a kid.
   
   I laughed out loud and I shed a tear.
   Was the story Patterson's best? Naah. Was it a believable plot I'd like to see in a movie? Naah. Was I entertained to the point that I didn't want to stop and fuel the truck? Absolutely; and therefore I give it 4 stars.
   
   Rebecca Lerwill, author of Relocating Mia



4. I never thought I would enjoy a character as much as Alex Cross, but Michael Bennett was great. Imagine being a police detective with 10 adopted kids. The twists in this book were great. I can't wait for the next book! Great job, Mr Patterson. S.L. Chessor author of Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers and My Tongue Fell Out.Poodlums, Boogeymen and Booglers: A Poetry Collection



5. I am frankly astonished at the number of reviewers here who have found a relatively minor character trait of the book's hero to be a reason to trash what is otherwise a pretty good piece of work. Detective Mike Bennett being the father of 10 children probably *is* a bit contrived, but the point isn't the number of children, it's his role as a struggling father of a large brood. Would it have been easier to take if he'd had four or five kids? Perhaps, but the dramatic point Patterson's making about the difficulty of balancing life on two edges would have been diminished.
   
   Anyone who comes to a James Patterson novel expecting literary brilliance will be disappointed. He's a wonderful storyteller to whom the plot is all, characterization is a second thought, and suspension of disbelief is essential to enjoyment. Several reviewers here have compared this work to a movie script and that analogy is apt. More and more pop fiction these days reads like it's a first draft of a movie script. With the tie-ins between movie production houses and publishers at the conglomerate level, that's not only unsurprising, it's inevitable. I didn't think that fact detracts an iota from the enjoyability of the plot.
   
   In fact, the plot is ingenious. The notion of using a large state funeral as a means of capturing a few dozen excruciatingly wealthy people to hold for ransom is a slick idea. Is it believable? Probably not. But in today's world, nothing is completely unbelievable, either. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction these days.
   
   If I have a criticism of this book, it's not the fact that the hero has a wife dying of cancer and 10 kids to take care of (facts that humanize what might otherwise be a pretty 2D kind of character). The bone I'd pick is with the way Patterson apparently thinks he's hiding the fact that this whole thing is an inside job within his own agency. I picked that up about 50 or 60 pages into the story and even had focused in on the likely (and correct) villain fairly early. I doubt I'm alone. So the story suffered a bit for me because a lot of suspense goes out of the plot when you have a pretty good idea how the mystery resolves.
   
   As a potboiling quick read, "Step on a Crack" is a solid recommendation.