Rock bio's you like

[Andy Taylor]

My fave's probably Crazy from the heat, only read it last year. Made quite an impression on me, especially the bit about avoiding large groups of people. Really insightful given that he was a kid at the time.

Another one I like is one that I recently finished and it's Engelbert Humperdinck's bio. I'm not even a fan of the guy I picked it up out of curiosity. But it's surprisingly entertaining; he's a good story teller and he's also hilarious! Most amusing parts was where he was repeatedly chased (literally) by gay music industry people. He locked the door on one at night and was threatened to open up. I'd recommend it to anyone.


At the other end you have Sting who's great with words and I thought he'd have something intelligent to say but he tried turning the most mundane things into long wordy tripe. Including the time "I first ejaculated into my hand". Good if you like Sting but it's a struggle...

[Panamark]

Although its accuracy is questionable, "The Dirt" by Motley
Crue was an entertaining read. (cue to sesh !)
Even if half of it was BS, still had a good laugh..

[chefcraig]

Out of all of them, by far the best ones have to be One Train Later by Andy Summers and Slash's autobiography. Both are intelligently written, and are fairly honest (OK, they appear to be honest) books that admit mistakes were made. And this points to the basic problem with this genre: By and large, rock stars are fucking idiots. For the most part, they are perpetual teenagers in a state of arrested development, that apparently cruise through life with little regard for the consequences of their actions, suffering major defeats that most of us would find trifling, while skating over mind-numbingly awful events as if they were mere hiccups or bumps in the highway.

Three of the worst I've read lately were the "stories" of Eric Clapton, Ron Wood and Mick Fleetwood. These dolts come nowhere near the concept of embracing the truth of what has happened to them, and seem to live in very strange, vacuous bubbles devoid of any experience the average person can relate to. Aside from some narcissism that is downright difficult to read, their remembrances are hazy (drugs and alcohol will warp a memory) and at times laughably full of bullshit. I've mentioned this in the past, yet it bears repeating: Wood remembers sitting in an office with Peter Grant, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham, wherein he was being offered the guitarist's position for Led Zeppelin. And he says this with a straight face.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Although its accuracy is questionable, "The Dirt" by Motley
Crue was an entertaining read. (cue to sesh !)
Even if half of it was BS, still had a good laugh..

Beat me to it, some crazy shit in there..

Tommyland is quite similar....

[binnie]

Slash's autobiography is a good read.

I recently finished a bio of Iggy Pop ('Open Up And Bleed') which is the best I've read - very well researched and clearly written.

'The Dirt' was good for a laugh....

[Coyote]

The new Hanoi Rocks book (titled "All Those Wasted Years") is an outstanding read.

Got it a few days ago and I'm already halfway through the almost 450 pages...

[Mr. Vengeance]

I'm partway through reading Ronnie by ro Wood and it's pretty good. I also had to question the part where he describes the meeting with Led Zeppelin, though....

[Jack68]

The Johnny Cash auto Cash from 97 is a great read.Keith Moons book Dear boy is great also.

[Seshmeister]

"Hungry for the Cock" the Duran Duran story.

[twonabomber]

I'm partway through reading Ronnie by ro Wood and it's pretty good. I also had to question the part where he describes the meeting with Led Zeppelin, though....

i've had the book about a year and have barely looked at it.

i like the Keith Richards bio by Victor Bockris. Keith is supposedly working on his own book. Wyman's Stone Alone is good.

[Andy Taylor]

Out of all of them, by far the best ones have to be One Train Later by Andy Summers

Cool, a bio by another Policeman. I'll read this if it's in the library since it probably lacks Sting's pompous take on things.

[chefcraig]

Cool, a bio by another Policeman. I'll read this if it's in the library since it probably lacks Sting's pompous take on things.

Technically, all three have published bios, if you include Stewart Copeland's "Everyone Stares", his video journal of the band. Whereas Sting's book was a labor to read, the Summers book is laugh out loud funny in places, and strikingly poignant in others. Highly recommended.

[Andy Taylor]

It's on my list. Maybe I should look up the Copeland vid on torrent shares.

[chefcraig]

It's on my list. Maybe I should look up the Copeland vid on torrent shares.

Do an online search of the libraries in your area. For instance, in this region they are all connected, and if one branch has a copy of a disc or book you request, they will ship it to your local branch in a couple of days. As some of these things are 25 bucks or more new, it truly is worth spending a few minutes to see if you can borrow it for free.

[Andy Taylor]

Yep, I think they do have such a provision.

I actually had a plan of asking if I could donate my copy of Van Halen 101 to them since they have no VH, but then I decided it would be pointless.