PLEASE KILL ME: Long Overdue!
Written: Dec 18 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Finally: the roots of punk from the mouths of those who were there!
Cons: At times contradictory
The Bottom Line: If you care even the slightest about punk music, this book is an essential read.
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| bernadetteg's Full Review: Andre Malraux and Gillian McCain - Man's Hope |
Founder of Punk magazine and respected punk critic Legs McNeil hits us upside the head with the long-overdue Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Compiled from a series of interviews over the course of several years with punk musicians -- e.g., Richard Hell of Television fame, who minces no words when talking about the elusive Tom Verlaine or the misogynist Johnny Thunders -- punk auteurs -- e.g., Andy Warhol, who is perhaps the strangest person that ever lived -- and even groupies -- e.g., Bebe Buell, whose recent autobiography is worth a read, even if it can't hold a candle to this book (her comment on Miss Pamela, a/k/a Pamela Des Barres, of the GTO's is hilarious . . . queen of the WHAT?!).
McNeil is nothing if not comprehensive. That, of course, makes the book all the better.
I was recommended this book by a friend, and was hesitant to read it at first, since most, if not all, histories of punk are contradictory and hyped. This book, in some parts, is no exception -- it doesn't give into THE HYPE, but it certainly contradicts itself in places. Did the Ramones influence the Sex Pistols, or vice versa?
But the bottom line is, it doesn't quite matter. The point of the book is, punk changed the lives of all who were involved in its creation -- be they on the Stateside, or the British side, of the Atlantic. In turn, they've influenced generations of musicians.
This book is highly recommended. It's a great, easy read, and lots of fun.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bernadetteg
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Location: NY, NY, USA
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
I'm a rock music critic, but I've been known to write the odd fiction piece.
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