Classic Rock Book Reviews: quick and dirty

  Escaping the Delta Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues   By Elijah Wald What did I know about Robert Johnson prior to reading the book? Like many of you, I thought of the old Cream song “Crossroads”. I was also aware of the myth of Mr. Johnson making a deal with the devil to give him his talent or something close to that. So I really knew nothing of Johnson.  This book set out to change that and in the process, it also gave me a new appreciation for the blues in general, and how they have affected rock and roll. It also attempts to put Robert Johnson in his place historically from a musical perspective.  Every time I read a biography I listen to the music that I’m going to read about. So I was thrilled to listen to the original “Crossroads Blues” by Robert Johnson. So how was it? You ask. Well, it was a little more  . . . rough than I thought it might be. To be honest, it doesn’t sound like the Cream version in the slightest. It took a few listens to...

  The Holy or The Broken Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Hallelujah story    By Alan Light The complete title is The Holy Or The Broken Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and The Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah. Now that’s a mouthful. But now that I’ve read it I like to think of being called: The Holy or the Profane How Bono Single-handedley Slaughtered, Butchered and Served Up Cold the song Hallelujah.  I was aware that Leonard Cohen had written this song and I have, of course, heard several versions of it including the one by Jeff Buckley. How could you be an adult after 94 and not have heard it? It is not a song that is high on my list of favorites but it exists and the story behind it is much more fascinating than I could have imagined. But is it enough to hold together a book? As I do with all songs or artists I read about, I listen to their music while reading the book. I have no idea how many renditions of the song I have heard but was far, far too many. Although...

  It’s So Easy and other lies  Duff McKagan The fact is that I wasn’t expecting much from this brain-dead alcoholic. I was aware of his reputation as a coke-addicted brain-dead alcoholic who won some kind of odd lottery in life. When Guns ‘n’ Roses's first album went insane on the sales charts. The first few pages are fine. We learn all about the “King of Beers” moniker and how a particular tv network asked his permission to use the name in an upcoming animated show. Still, nothing here changes my mind about the man.  Blah, blah words, words . . . and then I read the following, “My L.A. house was awash in the fetid effluvia of my derelict body.” Well, I nearly spat my Lipton’s Yellow Label Black tea across the room into the eye of Rod Stwart. Ok well, it was his eye on his biography.  This was both disturbing and hilarious. It was disturbing to read that sentence in context but the words themselves are hilarious. So when you smack those words together they become eve...

  Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original  By Robin D.G. Kelley Kelley is correct - Thelonious Monk was indeed an American original but that’s not all he is. Monk is also one of the greats of the music world. Fans of rock and roll tend to ignore jazz and while they might be familiar with the name Thelonious Monk they certainly wouldn’t be familiar with his music. I knew a little about the music of Mr. Monk but certainly nothing of the man himself. Now I am more familiar with both, and I am richer for it. If you know and love jazz then you know Thelonious Monk, this masterpiece of a book is for you. I am not a jazz expert by any means but I found this book simply amazing. Mr. Robin  Kelley has written a masterpiece of a book that any jazz fan would enjoy. However, if you are a fan of Monks and have not read this book ask yourself one question: What are you doing with your life? It’s abundantly clear that Mr. Kelley loves both jazz generally and Monk in p...

  Peter Criss: Makeup to Breakup  With Larry “RATSO” Sloman I was so sick of that Peter Criss story. You know the one where he swallowed the barrel of a gun. I was so tired of that story that by the time I read the book “Makeup to Breakup My Life in and out of KISS” it had affected my enjoyment of the book. Criss leads off with that very story. It ’s the one he was using to sell the book after all. I really wish he had used another story, any other story to start the book. I wonder who actually thought up the great name for this book. Was it Kiss drummer Peter Criss who dreamt up this great title for his book or was that Mr.Sloman?  Regardless, Makeup to Breakup tells the Peter Criss story.  I remember hearing the story of how Mr. Criscuola sucked down a .357 magnum and came close to pulling the trigger. Criss was doing a raft of interviews and I listened to this story over and over again. It’s as though it was the single most crucial moment in his life. It might wel...

  The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal    Essi Berelian What in the name of Ozzy Osbourne is this piece of trash?  This is a guide to heavy metal? This is a waste of space. The book got off to a great start by having a picture of Ozzy on the cover. Ozzy is the epitome of heavy metal. In fact, Ozzy invented it so it’s great to have him on the front cover all sweaty and evil-looking. Great start. Bruce Dickinson, heavy metal vocalist extraordinaire, wrote a foreword for this book. Ok, good. Dickinson sings in Iron Maiden. Maiden is an extraordinary heavy metal band. So this looked promising.   It was there that my hopes for this book were dashed. I do hope that the man got paid well for this writing gig but you won’t learn anything about Dickinson or, Iron Maiden, or heavy metal. Nope.  In fact, Dickinson actually says very little about anything at all. Nothing of substance whatsoever. Chances are that he composed this nonsense while on the toilet. But I hope he go...

  ROD the Autobiography Blondes may have more fun but, as you’ll see if you read the book, brunettes make more money. Or at least that’s what Rod’s buddy Elton John once said.  So why would I start off with a quote from Elton John? Well, it’s all about fun. John is a great buddy of Rods’ and they have engaged in “wars” to just have a good laugh. That’s what this book is. A good laugh. Each chapter has a short paragraph very briefly describing the follies of Rod. They are all written something like the following ” Chapter three in which our hero . . .”.  Again it’s a bit of fun. I love this book. There is a nice look back at the Faces. If you happen to not know the Faces go look them up. They made fabulous music, they always seemed to have fun and were good players. The Faces always seemed to have a bit of fun all the time. Check out the video from their 1971 appearance to perform the hit Maggie May. It’s pure fun and mayhem with friend and radio DJ John Peel on mandolin....

  I AM OZZY by Ozzy Osbourne All aboard the Ozzy Train! What a crazy ride it’s been. Ozzy's life has been defined by Black Sabbath. Sure he has plenty of solo albums that sold well but Ozzy is Black Sabbath.  Here we have yet another rocker who lived in a storm of cocaine and alcohol for decades claiming to remember details of his life while he was snorting more cocaine than the yearly GDP of Columbia.  Do the combination of cocaine and alcohol actually help with memory? If I knew I could have used the help in college. Actually, I could use the help remembering what I had for breakfast yesterday. I'm imagining Ozzy stumbling around his house with a tape recorder in hand, mumbling stuff into the recorder for his co-author to figure out. It must be like decoding a foreign language. Well, I just love this book! Ozzy has a fun story and while the writing isn’t great it is fun to read. Sadly, however. within these pages lies a secret and no one, it seems, has called the man on...

  Between a Heart and a Rock Place: A Memoir Pat Benatar and Patsi Bale Cox   This is a wonderful title: Between a Heart and a Rock Place. That is a wonderful play on words but sadly that is the only thing great about this book. I truly hope that Pat Benatar herself came up with that jaunty little play on words. Mrs. Geraldo had the chance to hit us with her best shot but she fired away and missed the mark.    I was both thrilled and concerned when I found this Pat Benatar book. I was thrilled to finally have an opportunity read about Ms. Benatar yet I was concerned about the size of the book or rather the lack of size. This volume was just a little too slim, I thought. I began wondering how much “stuff” she left out.   My concerns were justified. It was great to read anything about Mrs. Spyder but this book wasn’t fulfilling. So you know how one day you might have skipped lunch and by dinner you are famished? Then at dinner, you are given 3 saltine cracke...