Rock n roll autobiography books for 3rd

On their first date, he even manages to stay off heroin until right after dinner. The confessions of a natural-born poseur. He becomes an international pop sensation with Culture Club, while having a torrid affair with the drummer. He bitches himself out along with everybody else, which is why his catty recollections make this book addictive.

Did Jack Kerouac ever write a book this great? In a word, no. But according to Tommy, these songs got on the radio because he had some influential mobbed-up friends pulling the strings. And, of course, pocketing the loot. How underrated this book is. Crazy From the Heat barely got noticed because it came out in the late Nineties, when public interest in Van Halen was at an all-time low.

My specialty is ass-kicking. Does that sound unreasonable? It may well be, but I guarantee you, you will find no reasonable man on top of big mountains. Her narrative voice is warm, friendly, and surprisingly funny. As a Fifties black pop star, scoring hit records in a land full of violent racism, his story seems to touch on all the contradictions and injustices of American culture.

In the early Sixties, while bands like the Beatles , the Stones , and the Beach Boys were hero-worshipping him, Berry himself was rotting in jail, railroaded in a blatantly racist trial. But the main attraction of Moonage Daydream is the text by the man himself. Kiedis muses about his childhood, his band, his face time with the Dalai Lama, and his many, many, many ex-girlfriends, most of whom inspire him to share a kind word, a nude photo, or both.

And, yes, in case you were wondering, it totally sucked to be married to Phil Spector. But on the page, as well as in song, his voice overflows with wit and affection. And he did less to fuck up his good luck than any rock star who has ever existed, which might be why his memories make such marvelous company. The song would have been axed forever, if not for the one listener who recognized its brilliance.

We respected Gene, but he was dating Diana Ross at the time, so what else would he say?

Rock n roll autobiography books for 3rd

Choose the sword and you join me. Choose the ball and you join your mother. The first installment, The Wu-Tang Manual , is more of a beginners-guide handbook to the Shaolin mythology. He combines esoteric Buddhism, true mathematics, kung-fu flicks, chess tactics, and comic books into his own unique theosophical ruckus. Low point: Slash collapses during a hotel drug binge and gets rushed to the hospital, where the doctors restart his heart.

The whole hospital excursion really ate into my day off. Like a lot of books on this list — only more so — Life makes you marvel that the guy who lived through all this chaos could end up remembering any of it. Despite all the cranky bitching about Mick , this book exceeded any reasonable expectation for literary Keefness. An incredibly romantic portrait of two young hustlers in the big city: Patti Smith and her best friend, artist Robert Mapplethorpe, have to keep telling each other how great they are, because nobody else will believe it.

The life of a rock 'n' roll artist involves a lot of ups and downs, trials and tribulations. Many memories are naturally made along the way. Some are positive: the first record deal a band lands, the first time they scored a great opening gig or their first No. Others can be a little less rosy: complicated lineup changes, shifty managers and bandmates lost to drug addiction or other circumstances.

Journals by Kurt Cobain. Not Dead Yet by Phil Collins. Neon Angel by Cherie Currie. Hammer of the Gods by Stephen Davis. Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon. Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol. Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis. White Line Fever by Lemmy Kilmister. Autobiography by Morrissey. I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne. Elvis and Me by Priscilla Presley.

Life by Keith Richards. Crazy from the Heat by David Lee Roth. Bird Lives! The books are listed in order from best to worst. Click on the titles to read the complete full-length reviews. The portrait of Warren Zevon that results is both shocking and touching. More than anyone else on this list, Zevon lived the crazy life of a rock star, and not in a good way.

Extreme alcoholism and drug use, sex addiction, obsessive compulsive disorder, spousal abuse, child neglect, occupational backstabbing, and a general tendency toward insecurity and paranoia all rear their ugly heads in this unflinchingly frank portrait of Zevon. The testimonies provided often read like an airing of grievances, yet almost all the interviewees express an undying love, admiration, and respect for the man.

Over the course of the book, the reader simultaneously comes to hate, pity, and admire Zevon. The narrative jumps around all over the chronological map, yet he still manages to give a complete biography of his life and career, interspersed with scenes from his present life. The latter includes his two current obsessions at the time of publication, the high-def audio format Pono and LincVolt, the Lincoln Continental he transformed into an electric car.

Well done, Neil.