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Posted on 01.13.08 by hardrockchick @ 9:32 pm
Whenever I read something by Miss Pamela, I can’t help but turn green with envy. But my jealousy in not for the nights she spent in the beds of famous rock stars– I know that musicians don’t make good boyfriends. No, it would be more about living her timeline: catching the end of Elvis’ heyday, Beatlemania, The Stones, and Zeppelin, and all of the good stuff in between, not to mention her writing career. Alas, I was born in the wrong decade. I got the freakin’ boy bands. While Miss Pamela’s story kicks off the book, each chapter is dedicated to a famous groupie, or band aid, or back stage slut, or sludgette, whatever you want to call them. The chapters move chronologically- from Miss Pamela’s gang, on to her younger competition, gals who ruled other regions, and the contemporaries. The stories, while all interesting on their own merits, range from the appropriately descriptive, to the vague and/or questionable, to the downright dishy. Most of the girls kiss and tell. It’s amazing how you could divide the book into three parts: the Jimmy Page age, the Taime Downe era, and the Marilyn Manson years. Those guys show up everywhere. And there are some guys in there that you wouldn’t have guessed- Kurt Cobain, Neil Diamond… even Willie Nelson is mentioned in passing. I have to admit, some of the chapters made me cringe. Not only is it sometimes explicit, describing details I would prefer to leave to the depths of my own fantasies, but some of these girls and the rock stars are living cliches. Ick. Stylistically, this book is a bit of a mixed bag. Some chapters are detailed accounts that draw you into the story, while others stick to the interview format, making it a bit hard to get into. And- I have to throw this in since I am a former Austinite- the hotel in the Texas Blondes’ chapter is spelled Driskill. All in all, warm up your winter with this one. Buy it on Amazon: Let’s Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies
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Posted on 11.13.07 by hardrockchick @ 11:06 pm
I finally finished this monster of a book. I lugged it around everywhere, digesting 10 pages or so here and there, taking in funny looks on the bus when someone got a glimpse of the cover. The History of Heavy Metal. It was almost too much, but it put my better than average knowledge to shame. The book works in several ways- it discusses influences through the originators of sub genres of metal rather than functioning in an absolute timeline. It provides ‘top ten’ style lists for important sub genres and trends. It also uses Metallica as an anchor throughout, thus going in to the most history and depth with them, and always tying the story back to Metallica. The important thing that the book achieves beyond imbuing readers with a slew of sometimes too much to digest info, is the importance of metal to its fans. The tape trader circuit, the band shirts, the inspiration to form their own bands- it’s all pretty moving. I don’t think pop music tends to affect its fans in the same way. I got the same feeling from watching Headbanger’s Journey- I’m not alone. It’s OK to go to work and tell people that I am listening to Slayer. Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal Bookmark to:
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Posted on 08.30.07 by hardrockchick @ 7:41 am
Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel The story follows Jude Coyne, a fifty-something, semi retired singer/guitarist, who has played in a metal band and then had a successful solo career after his bandmates died off in true rocker style. He’s had a rough life: abusive family, messy divorce, the usual. He collects goth girlfriends and dark memorabilia- such a a snuff film. He gets a letter offering him a suit to purchase for his collection- that comes with a ghost. From there, all hell breaks lose. This book really sucked me in- I loved the music references subtly hidden throughout. His dogs are named Bon and Angus (the original AC/DC members). I also loved the overt references- hey, any book that mentions Trent Reznor/NIN in the first chapter is golden with me. The book also creeped me out. There’s some pretty sick stuff in there. I think it’d be great material for a movie (apparently the rights have already been bought). Bookmark to:
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is written by Joe Hill, the pen name for none other than Stephen King’s son. Having been a huge Nirvana fan back in the day, I’ll have to admit I was immediately intrigued. A horror novel about a rock star? I’m in.|
Posted on 03.19.07 by admin @ 6:36 pm
Miss Pamela. What a life. For many years, I have thought I was born in the wrong decade, that I should have come of age in the ’60s. Now I know that what I really want is to have grown up in the ’60s in LA as Miss Pamela. I’m With the Band will have you ending each chapter saying “wow”. At the same time, Pamela is easy to relate to, from describing teenage crushes to painful heartache. She describes her encounters with music icons and actors who were on the road to superstardom: Frank Zappa, Mick Jagger, Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Page, Waylon Jennings, and Don Johnson. Really. I really can’t say enough about this book. It’s a must read for any girl who loves rock music. Bookmark to:
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