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Don’t quit your night job
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eric Clapton’s new autobiography is just out, called Clapton: The Autobiography, and it’s one of those rock ‘n roll celebrity memoirs that’s neither particularly good nor particularly bad. He writes about growing up poor, all the bands he played in, the songs he wrote, the women he loved, the years of heroin addiction and boozing, the rehabs and recoveries.
By the time I was two-thirds through, I was skimming faster and faster and showing less and less interest. But I had agreed to review it (my review will be in the Sunday Oct. 21 Arts & Books section), so I was obligated to finish it.
Rock ‘n’ roll autobiographies make big news (some at a New York Times level, some at “Inside Edition” level) but most of the time, they’re yawners.
Why does every rocker think he/she has a book inside? You got an answer, 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Boy George? I do. It’s because we all believe, deep down, that our life story is fascinating to everyone, and would make a great book.
Only in the case of rock stars, as opposed to you and me, there is a big publishing house to come along and say, sure, Tommy Lee, your fans have bought the Motley Crue CDs and watched your famous homemade movie, but what they really want is scenes from your childhood.
As with nearly everything in life, Bob Dylan is the exception. His “Chronicles” didn’t really answer all the questions, but darned if it wasn’t a great read.
Can you think of any rock ‘n’ autobiographies, or celebrity memoirs in general. that were actually good? Or on the flip side, what’s the worst the genre has offered recently?
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By Mike Szedon
October 19, 2007 7:22 PM | Link to this
Wanna read a good rocker biography? Try “No One Gets Out of Here Alive,” the bio of Jim Morrison. Morrison didn’t write it, and was dead before it came out in the late 70’s/early 80’s, but it was quite compelling.
Also try “Pearl,” the bio of Janis Joplin.
Neither one was a narcissistic, sugar-coated pile of treacle and self-promotion.
Dylan’s autobiography may be interesting, but after he sold out to Victoria’s Secret, and others, by doing commercials, I couldn’t care less about what he has to say. True rockers, like Neil Young, won’t have anything to do with becoming some corporate shill.
And besides, Eric Clapton was always over-rated anyway.
By ron
October 20, 2007 8:43 AM | Link to this
The most interesting auto biography I ever read was titled,”There were fruit flies in the berries[but I ate them anyway],written by an absolutely ordinary man.
By Shell
October 20, 2007 10:26 AM | Link to this
Second Mike Szedon’s recommendation. The Morrison book was well done. I also recommend the Bob Marley biography Catch A Fire.
By Fred
October 20, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this
Thunder of the God’s.
It is a book about Led Zeppelin written years ago. I liked it. It is not an auto biography so it is generally well balanced.
By mac
October 20, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
Stephen King’s “On Writing” and Bruce Campbell’s “If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor” are probably the best memoirs I’ve read.
By Carbon Footprint
October 20, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this
The best celebrity autobio was written in 1897 by a cat named Geronimo. He was no Sitting Bull, but he knew all about the USA and land deals. It’s amazing that such a creature even existed, much less that he had his own website and blogged everyday, all the while pillaging wagon trains and ransacking homesteads. Must read TeePee.
By kellix
October 20, 2007 9:59 PM | Link to this
The best Biography of all Revelations from the Memphis Mafia about ELVIS This book is about the size of a bible, but when you start reading it, you can’t put it down. These 3 guys were with Elvis from the beginning to the end. Priscilla Presley even tried to get this book not published, because they said what she was a GOLD DIGGER. I have other books but this one gives you the entire life of Elvis and the way he acted. :)Its funny as hell too. Just the stories of it. Lamar Fike, Marty Lacker and Billy Smith elvis’s cousin wrote it with Alana nash. Even if you don’t like Elvis it will keep you entertained.
By scrappyjam
October 21, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this
I can think of several: Be My Baby by Ronnie Spector — more about that crazy Phil Spector than you’d ever want to know; I, Tina, the ultimate survivor story by Tina Turner; A Twist of Lennon, or John, both by Cynthia Lennon — two takes on life with John Lennon written 20 years apart (the second is far more candid and disturbing).
By Tina
October 26, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this
“The Dirt”- bio of Mötley Crüe was pretty entertaining. I heard its being developed into a movie by MTV.