Some Books:
Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Chuck Klosterman.
Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman.
Something that fascinates me about creativity in general is that it usually burns out people pretty fast. I am fascinated by the "death of young rock geniuses" such as Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Jim Morrison (all at 27). I too, often spend too much time in my head debating if these people really were geniuses only because they didn't live long enough to prove to the public that they weren't. In this book Klosterman travels cross country to visit the sites and graves of some of rock's greatest tragedies, and debates that last sentiment also. Perfection.
Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N Roses by Stephen Davis
If you don't know by now how much I love this (ORIGINAL LINEUP) band, then I really don't know what else to say except: I LOVE THIS BAND. If you do know that, well then, I don't really need to tell you why I love this book.
Love Is A Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield
This book made me cry. Besides that, I loved the fact that every chapter was started with a mix tape from the time period he was writing about. I wish I had thought of this.
Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman
Klosterman spends a whole chapter following tribute bands, a Guns N Roses one in particular. I had the pleasure of seeing Chuck read this exact chapter live at Highline Ballroom. As pathetic as it is, that is one of the highlights of my life.
SLASH by Slash with Anthony Bozza
Does this really need an explanation? If it does: the subtitle alone should make anyone want to read this book- "Just because its excessive doesn't mean it didn't happen." Bravo. Marketing at its finest.
Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life by John Sellers
Though I don't think the author ever really explained what in fact, indie rock did that saved his life, I thought this book was tolerable. Mostly because I hope to one day publish a book in the same vein, and least of all because Chuck Klosterman was quoted on the back as saying that he, "completely disagrees with everything the author says." So, naturally, I had to read it. Let it also be said that the author makes a list in the back of the book of all the "indie" bands he didn't actually talk about in the book, but felt worth mentioning. I had absolutely no real issues with the book until I came across Panic! at the Disco on that list. At this point I officially decide that I hate that writer, and subsequently I render his opinions crap.*
Rock On: An Office Power Ballad by Dan Kennedy
I see a lot of my own daily thoughts in his. His writing is witty, and its interesting to see a outsider's view of his life on the inside of the music biz. Only downfall: this is book in which every other page has something to say about Phil Collins. I've gotten over it, for now.
A must for any GNR fan, this book is filled with early (read: Steven Adler era) Guns pics. I was born too late.
*I know someone out there (most likely the two people who actually know this, though I doubt they, or anyone, read this) would love to out me as a hypocrite after that statement. Therefore, I will out myself. I own a Panic! at the Disco shirt. I still love it, I think it is one of the coolest designed band shirts that I have. I was an extreme Panic advocate in mid to late 2005 (pre Nintendo Fusion Tour with FOB, pre blow out, and pre subsequent living joke), so much in fact that when lead singer Brandon Urie (I'm not sure if that's right and I don't want to look it up) was done with his 5 song set at said Nintendo Fusion Tour, he made his way to the back of the venue where NOT A SINGLE PERSON said anything to him. 3 people, maybe, sang their songs while they were on stage, and I'm pretty sure they were booed off by kids who would later overtly embrace them. I also hate Panic now because I, for once in my life, decided to approach a favorite artist of mine and let them know how great they are... and I embarrassed myself royally.
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