5 comments about My So-Called Punk: Green Day, Fall Out Boy, The Distillers, Bad Religion---How Neo-Punk Stage-Dived into the Mainstream.

1. As others have readily pointed out, the writing is quite mediocre. Somewhat repetitive in places. And often, just when a discussion about a band is getting interesting, and you are looking forward to more details, Diehl switches topics, and we are on another band. Very frustrating. Some hard core fans will decry what will seem (perhaps accurately) as superficial descriptions and accounts.
   
   I simply could not finish reading the book. Too tedious. But I also noticed the sheer lack of photos. The book could have been enhanced with a few well chosen photos of several of the bands. Possibly at concerts. The omission of these suggests a hastily prepared and very low budget text. Granted, it often costs more to get photos. But in the case of bands, often the bands or their agents might be willing to offer good shots, already taken, for no or nominal fee.
   
   Especially ironic considering his apparent infatuation with a female singer mentioned frequently in the text. She's very pretty, and a picture of her would have brightened the story for many readers.



2. Maybe he should of called the book "I love Brody". I pretty much skimmed over the whole suicide girls part. I mean let's get real, the Distillers have made some good music but that does not make them the idea of punk.
   There was no mention of some really good punk bands like Against Me or Misled citizen. The only reason I finished the book was because I can't stop reading a book in the middle no matter how bad it is. I have read some pretty terrible books and this one is in the top 5 of the worst books I have ever read. The tittle is definitely misleading. Also, I just want to point out that he got the Blink 182 video wrong, It was "All the Small Things" that made fun of boy bands, not "What's My Age Again". If you really love the Distillers then maybe you will like this book otherwise don't waste your money.



3. My So-Called Punk was a pretty sorry attempt at a subject I am quite interested in. Having grown up in the neo-punk scene and an avid reader of the late 1970's punk scene I found most of this book to be a waste.
   
   The first problem is of course the editing, spelling mistakes, grammar errors and even a glaring date error really distracted me. The fact that each person had to be reintroduced every time they were mentioned took me right out of the book as well. Tre Cool was introduced as "who later went on to play drums for Green Day" 3 times in the same short chapter!
   
   I didn't like that the book was written in present tense, things move quickly and many things in the book were no longer relavent. The obsession with The Distillers and particularly Brode Dalle is grating and unnecessary. She is not the influence the book makes her out to be which puts the entire point of the book itself at risk, in my opinion. Creative and unique, perhaps, but to focus on her as the epitome of new-punk seems to be a complete miss.
   
   The only part of the book I really found interesting was the details on what its like to run an independent, DIY label and the roots of Epitaph and Lookout! Records. Otherwise, I would pass on this book.



4. This book started off promising but then disintegrated into an entire book about how great the Disitllers, Brody Dalle, Suicide girls and Green Day are. This was one of the most one sided pieces of "jounralism" I've ever read. His view of punk rock is so small minded it's just sad. I wouldn't even recommend this book for kindling.



5. It's an interesting read, but by the end of it you realize that Diehl does a bad job of including a variety of punk bands into the mix that are influential. Unlike with Andy Greenwald's "Nothing Feels Good", Diehl offers one chapter to explaining a band's history (The Distillers), while Greenwald dedicated multiple chapters and parts of chapters to explaining the histories of many influential bands in the emo scene. The fact that Diehl only looks at The Distillers, who are NOT, in anyway, as influential as some of the other bands out there, is an eyebrow-raiser for sure.
   
   Also, the editing. Oh. My. God. I can let a few mistakes slide, but it got to the point where I couldn't believe all of these typos were published. It's embarrassing.
   
   
   Diehl constantly repeating himself I can understand. Maybe he was just assuming some people would pick up the book and only read parts of it. And it worked for me too anyway because if he hadn't kept repeating, I probably would have forgotten anyway. But those typos and the fact that this book is just basically giving Brody Dalle a rimjob really detract from what he was trying to do, and it's unfortunate because it would have been five stars if not for those issues.

No comments about Bass Anthology Series (Bass Anthology).

5 comments about A Riot of Our Own: Night and Day with the Clash.

1. If there are 3 Clash items that are essential then it's this book, the "Westway to the World" dvd and Bob Gruen's photo book.
   
   Johnny Green's book tells it like it was. It doesn't dress up the rather US originated "stylised" view of the Clash from 1980-83 as almost the new wave successors to the Stones which may have resulted in gaining them many fans world wide but lost much of their original UK fan base. Instead it covers the essential 1977 to 1979 period and paints the band as human beings - Mick with his rock star aspirations and pretensions, Paul and Topper as jack the lads chasing women and wanting a laugh and Joe as the humanist who cares about the fans and who wants to know about what's going on in the world.
   
   RIP Joe - you died way too young.
   
   Johnny Green - you wrote a terrific book, thank you
   
   Martin...



2. Really, if you liked The Clash and their attitude towards music you can't help but like this book. The book tells real storys about actual guys; they're not super heros they're rockers; come on that's what made them so great. With the recent loss of Joe Strummer this one'e worth reading. Don't forget to spin your records while you read.



3. Now this is good. So many rock biographies spend too many pages describing the youth of the subject - like Lost in the Wood, a book about Syd Barrett that is painfully boring until after 150 pages.

   No such prevarication here. Now it may be important for making a detailed psychological profile, but I want to read stories about the band, and get a bit of insight into the meaning of lyrics, or some description of how a song was written/ recorded. So on that level, 'A Riot of Our Own' delivers. Covering just the period that Johnny Green worked with the band, it's basically full of anecdotes and stories of day to day life with The Clash.

   And that's it. It may not be as completely Clash-focussed as some fans might like, but that's just cos it's a personal account of one of the road-crew, and as such is more authentic that so many other biographies. So it's worthwhile.




4. OK, ok, I've heard it a million times...being on the road with a band is only exciting for that one or two hours a night they're playing. BOY, does Green's book drive that point home! But, where a better story teller might have turned an account like this into a character study of some doubtlessly fascinatinating individuals (the band and its hangers-on), Green provides a series of dull anecdotes that don't seem to go anywhere or offer any real insight into the main characters. A big yawn by any standards, and a big disappointment for anyone looking for some insight into the Clash myth and legend.



5. Good read! I loved the way Johnny Green wrote this book, from his own perspective and his own experiences, it really lets you in. Information wise I wouldn't reccomend it,if you want THE FACTS presented in THE FACTUAL way then you'd be better off reading some other Clash biography-but this is great-- BIASED AND PASSIONATE just like it should be!
   
   (You know, I'd love to read it on a train).

2 comments about Green Day Dookie: Guitar Version (Authentic Guitar-Tab).

1. This book provides excellent information on the band Green Day and their awesome album Dookie. It was absolutely wonderful and I would totally recommend it to anyone and their family!



2. Alrighty, this is a great book, FOR GUITAR PLAYERS!!! I play guitar, and this has all the chords/solos on 1 of the best albumz ever (besides INTERNATIONAL SUPERHITS), Dookie. But I mainly wrote this review to aware you people, that this book has NOTHING about green day's stories, interviews, etc. All it has is the songs TAB, not a documentary. Hope i helped some of u confuzed people.

No comments about Green Day- Favorites To Strum And Sing (Guitar Lyric/Guitar Songbook).

5 comments about Green Day: Nimrod - Sheet Music (Authentic Guitar-Tab).

1. i love green day and i think that they are the best bend in the world. i relly liked the book and i loved reading it. i recomend it to everybody how love green day.



2. i love green day and i think that they are the best bend in the world. i relly liked the book and i loved reading it. i recomend it to everybody how love green day.



3. Good book every



4. This book show you how to play all the green day songs in the Nimrod album in tablature and tabs and it's great! after all Green Day is the best band in the world.



5. Another product that teaches wrongly that this is the real deal. You want real Punk, try the Sex Pistols, not this worthless stuff!

1 comments about Green Day Book & Play Along CD (Guitar Edition) (Ultimate Play-Along Guitar).

1. The product said that it was like new and that it didn't look used at all. It came with quite a bit of damage, including torn cover and some water damage. It also came a lot longer than expected. They said it would arrive in 10-14 days and took almost a month to get here. I also emailed them to ask about the arrival date and they never emailed me back and it has been weeks. I definitely won't be ordering anything from this bookstore again.

5 comments about Green Day - American Idiot.

1. Green Day is the band that inspired me to learn guitar. This is a great, easy to use book for any talent level to play the music you love ! Includes tab notations, cord notations and fingering.



2. Ths is a very good thieng and i am to and mommy helped me wite this



3. I just started playing guitar a few months ago,and this is awesome it is an easy to read book of some of the best Green Day songs.It is a great buy.



4. i am in a band named ROAD KILL and it was a big help to guitar practices. my favorite one is Homecoming. buy it!



5. OMFG...this Book is just the perfect gift for someone who play guitar and love green day, Perfect.

3 comments about Green Day International Superhits!: Authentic Guitar-Tab Edition : Includes Complete Solos.

1. Green Day International Superhits Is Tight.Has 21 Great Songs That Has Chords,The Tabs,And Complete Solos.Definitely Worth 22 Bucks.Includes These Cool Songs:

   Basket Case
   Brainstew
   Geek Stink Breath
   Good Riddance(Time Of Your Life)
   Hitchin' A Ride
   J.A.R. (jason andrew relva)
   Jaded
   Longview
   Macy's Day Parade
   Maria (unreleased)
   Minority
   Nice Guys Finish Last
   Poprocks & Coke (unreleased)
   Redundant
   She
   Stuck With Me
   Waiting
   Walking Contadiction
   Warning
   Welcome To Paradise
   When I Come Around

   A Really Great Book.So If You're Thinking About Buying This Book.BUY IT! It's Worth Your Money.




2. I am a beginning guitar player and had downloaded most of the free guitar tabs for the Green Day songs in this book. I could have saved a lot of time and frustration had I just bought the book first. The 'real' chords and sheet music are definitely the way to go. Most of these songs are surprisingly easy to play and book helps you play the songs as they sound on the Green Day CD's. If you like Green Day and want to play the songs from the CD, buy this book, its worth it.



3. What's the point of buying guitar tabs when you can just search the net for free ones? I think I will give this book a two just because the riffs on some of Green Day's songs are pretty good, the only problem is that it is a Green Day product, and if I endorsed it by giving it any higher of a review, I would be supporting Wussie Rock, it's a new subgenre that I put Green Day into, judging from the fact that the main singer is a little fairy princess.

2 comments about Green Day Book & Play Along CD (Drums) (Ultimate Drums Play-Along).

1. I'm not a huge Green Day fan, but there isn't much sheet music for learning the drums and this is a pretty fun way to pick up some punk drumming. The transcriptions are easy to read and accurate to my ear. All the songs are fun to play although beginners should be warned that some have very fast tempos that can be challenging. My only complaint is the CD that comes with the book has a VERY loud click track that can be extremely distracting. I prefer the way the Hal Leonard play along series have the click drop way back in the mix for silent portions and go away all together when the band is playing on the music minus one portions.



2. Wow wonderful book in great condition once it arrived expected it a bit earlier but boy it was worth the wait, very good cd and informative book great to actually have the proper words for the songs.
   Thanks
   Mary