Stale Book Review #49: Nine Inch Nails

Bobcat books presents the story of Nine Inch Nails by Tommy Udo

Cost: $0.75US

Page Count: 256

Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails deserved a much better book than the short unauthorized biography cobbled together by Tommy Udo.

Without question, Nine Inch Nails changed the musical landscape when they (he) released the album Pretty Hate Machine in 1989. Sure, bands like Skinny Puppy and Ministry were creating albums in the same vein around the same time.  However, Pretty Hate Machine took the gristle of those bands, polished them up, and made "industrial music" safe and palatable to the masses.

Over the years, Reznor has continued to churn out classic albums his own way and with a certain amount of musical integrity.  Basically, Trent Reznor has created a beast that is held in the highest regard of rock and roll.

The Story Of Nine Inch Nails fails to build up to this level.  Very little of the book is new or revelatory. If anyone has read articles (or even fucking Wikipedia) about the band, they would have a pretty firm grasp of what the band's history is or what they are all about.

It's no wonder this book is Unauthorized.  There's no way in hell that Reznor would sign on for this...basically a book version of Behind the Music.

One striking thing about this book:  Udo spends sooooo much time during the period of The Fragile. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why.  Maybe it's the author's favorite NIN album?  Maybe he wrote the book during the time of release of the album?  Fuck...I just don't know.  Couldn't figure it out during reading and still cannot now.

Anyway, in a nutshell:  If you are not aware of Nine Inch Nails AT ALL, then maybe this book will be good for you.  Because if you aren't familiar with the band then I'm sure it would be a fun read under the rock you currently live under.  However, if you are at least vaguely familiar with the band then it would be best to skip it.

Stale Book Review #48: Petty

Petty by Warren Zanes

Cost: $6.00US

Page Count: 337

I pretty much never hide the fact that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been the soundtrack to my life.  Therefore, I do believe that they are one of America's greatest rock and roll bands.  Hall of famers, millions of records sold, millions of dollars made, and brilliant musicians on every single instrument. Doesn't hurt that all members are mostly from my home state of Florida.

Whenever something new is released about Tom Petty, I tried to read or view it.  At this point, I am not sure why.  There has been such a breadth of reporting on this man and his band that anything new written rarely reveals anything new.  That is really the reason I wanted to include this book in the Stale Reviews blog.  Warren Zanes, the author, has actually gotten Petty to open up about some things that I have not read before.  So, I have got to give the writer credit here.

ONE:  Zanes, somehow, got Tom Petty to open up about the period where he lived in a little shack and shut himself up from the world.  During this time, Tom was fighting with drug use...something in which I had not read about before.  Sure, Tom Petty has consistently talked about marijuana use throughout his career.  He's even discussed his dalliances with cocaine.  But, to my memory, Petty has never discussed his use of the harder stuff.  It was interesting and I am glad he was able to open up about it.

TWO:  Bugs.  Tom Petty's longtime roadie and confidant, Bugs, was finally given his credit and he also opened up in Petty.  Bugs has famously been against taking part in any interviews.  It was refreshing to read what a major player in Heartbreaker history had to say.

In all, I would say that Warren Zanes's Petty is a worthwhile read.  Of course, I am biased.

Pick it up...Tom Petty rocks.

Stale Book Review #47: The Paths We Choose

The Paths We Choose by Sully Erna

Cost: $0.75US

Page Count: 273

I really didn't have much in the way of expectations when digging into The Paths We Choose.  Sully Erna is the frontman in the rock band Godsmack.  Since I am not really a fan of the band, and really have only heard maybe three of their songs, this book wasn't high on my list to read.  But, I love a good rock biography and had a few hours to kill…so, I picked it up.  I am going to do this one in list form, as it just feels right.

Here are some things I learned:

1.  I had no idea that Sully was a drummer.  Just thought he was a singer.

2.  I had thought that Godsmack had just arrived on the rock scene out of nowhere.  Not so, my friend.  Sully and his boy did the whole grind…working shit jobs, kept on going, built a following…respect for the grind, dude.

3.  For some reason I thought these guys were from Jersey.  Nope, Boston, yo.

4.  Sully grew up poor and had to fight for everything.  It shows in the band.  Hardscrabble, hard-fought music…it's always been a struggle for Sully.

5.  The name Godsmack is NOT about heroin.  Look it up.  It's actually a funny story.

The Paths We Choose is a breezy, late afternoon, kind-of read.  If you dig a good music biography and decent coming up story, check this out.  Sully writes a book just a little bit differently than, say, Billy Idol.  There is no glamorization about the spoils of a hard fought fight…this book is all about the fight.  

Stale Single #4: Joe Black

Song:  Joe Black
Artist:  Paul Sanchez
Album:  Wasted Lives and Bluegrass
Year:  1994

Paul Sanchez is a very nice guy.  He's also got the city of New Orleans crawling through his blood.  Both times I got to meet and speak with Paul, he was always gracious and really wanted to talk about the city he holds so dear.  Seriously…VERY nice person.

Paul was the longtime rhythm guitarist for New Orleans-born rock band, Cowboy Mouth.  In my humble opinion, that band has not been the same since Paul Sanchez left.  No disrespect to the fellas left in the band (John Thomas Griffith is a fantastic guy, too).

Anyway, Joe Black is a funky little number on the Wasted Lives and Bluegrass album.  I'm not sure why I picked this one to highlight on Stale Reviews…maybe it's the sweet little run that Paul plays on this track.  Maybe because it's just a fun song that clocks in at a little over of two minutes.

Maybe it's because I just like it!  It's my blog…I can do what I want.

Joe Black's lyrics don't really jibe with the upbeat rhythm of the guitar playing.  The lyrics are melancholy and a little bit fucked up.  But, I am  the kind of person that likes the juxtaposition of happy-feeling music with downer lyrics.

Paul did well on this one.

It also struck me that this album is also over twenty years old.  Damn!

Stale Book Review #46: Running With Monsters

Running With Monsters by Bob Forrest

Cost: $0.25US

Page Count: 230

I probably passed by Running With Monsters at least 20 times before picking it up and looking at the cover.  Bob Forrest isn't really a household name.  His former band, Thelonious Monster, was barely a household name back in their heyday…even though the band was pretty good.  Hell, I though this was just another memoir of another wannabe, former drug addict, etc…

Turns out, I was sorta right.

Here's the deal:  Forrest is a substance abuse counselor these days.  That is awesome and admirable.  I did work in the same field and it is both challenging and fucking difficult.  So, kudos Bob.

But, back in his drug using days, Bob was a hell-raisin' hang-on.  He was friends with the Chili Peppers, Gibby Haynes, Jonny Depp, River Phoenix, and on-and-on.  But, you know what?  Nobody gives a fuck who you hung out with, Bob.  I figure if they had crack or smack,  you would've hung out with them.  However, I felt that Forrest's relationships with a few of these characters was far more interesting than his actual story.  Sadly, the stories of the rich and famous WERE Bob's story.

The most interesting relationship Bob had with someone you would know would be that with John Frusciante.  Frusciante, if you were born under a rock, is the former virtuoso guitarist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Not only does John have a prodigious ability with a guitar…he also has a prodigious appetite for drugs.  His life got real weird and real bad and Bob Forrest may have had a hand in saving his life.  That is very cool.

In fact, I think that Bob Forrest has had his fingerprints on the saving of many of lives..both famous and not.  I have the feeling that Bob would deny this fact, or at least downplay his role.

Anyway, I read this book in half a day.  You should, too.  There is just something about the story that hooked me…can't quite put my finger on it.  But, Running With Monsters has a quality that makes you want to read on.

In a lot of respects, Running With Monsters is a very typical Hollywood, musician, rags to riches to rags story.  But, in a lot of ways it's not.  Bob Forrest is a unique individual:  a little fucked up, a lot introspective, and, apparently, cares deeply about people.

Stale Single #3: Blind

Song:  Blind
Artist:  Korn
Album:  MTV Unplugged
Year:  2007

Blame Korn all you want for that nu-metal eruption that happened early in the 2000's.  It's not Korn's fault that we had to deal with Limp Bizkit and their kind.  No, if you want to place blame…well, blame Rage Against the Machine.  It's their fault.

Korn emerged from that sludge back in the day and turned out to be the best of the lot.  Sure, Jonathan Davis is a little bit into himself, or maybe he's such an introvert that he comes off irritating.  Whatever.  The band turned out some really good albums (and a few duds…thank you drugs).

Anyway, Korn got the invite in 2007 to record unplugged for MTV.  Remember when MTV used to play music?  Yeah.  MTV Unplugged is where we found out that Pearl Jam was legit and Nirvana was not just noise…talented fuckers.  This unplugged album recorded by Korn did kind of the same thing for me.  I guess I realized they were more than just rockers…they really can play their instruments.  The whole album is great.

Blind is the first song on the album.  The band rips it to shreds, it's so great.  There is just something about rock guitarists picking up acoustic guitars and shredding…it's just so pleasant.  Munky, Fieldy, and Head take a fairly brutal song (from the self-titled album), flip it around, and make it a wonderful listen.

Jonathan's vocals are spot on, too.

That opening line is probably one of the best known in metal:  "Aaarrreee you READY!".

Stale Book Review #45: Scavenger

Scavenger by David Morrell

Cost: $0.75US

Page Count: 324

Fucking time capsules.  By the time I got through reading Scavenger, I had heard enough about time capsules.  The antagonist in this book was obsessed with them.  Which is nerdy, I suppose.  Anyway, let's look at the book, shall we?

Scavenger starts off strange.  Well, not really "strange".  But, it's as if we are thrown right into the middle of something without having been given much background knowledge.  Just struck me as a little strange but I guess Morrell used it as a literary device.  It's not that I didn't like it…

We start with out two main characters:  Frank and Amanda.  After the two attend a lecture about time capsules, Frank passes out and awakens to Amanda being gone.  Turns out, she's been kidnapped and thrown into a twisted scavenger hunt game and, with a small team of others, must solve the riddle in 40 hours.  The game master deftly points out that it takes the average gamer (video games, folks) about 40 hours to finish a well-done game.  (Fuck that, I can do it in 26…amateurs).

So, Amanda and her small group of partners are out in the western wilderness looking for clues, following breadcrumbs, and trying to look for the all important Crypt of Civilization.  There is infighting, adventure, exploration, and death.

Meanwhile, Frank is following his own set of breadcrumbs trying to track down Amanda and bring her to safety.  I actually thought that the Frank plot line (before it converges with Amanda's) was actually really boring.  It's blasphemy, I know.  Frank is the protagonist, right?  We always root for the protagonist, right?

Nah.  Frank's kind of a bitch.

There is a happy ending.  But, before the reuniting of the two lovers there is the reveal of who is the shadowy figure of the Game Master.  Page after page, the Game Master is always behind the scenes, pulling strings, like a sadistic puppet master.  But, when Frank "takes care of him" we see just how sad and pathetic the fucker really is.

That was cool, Morrell.  I dug that Game Master reveal.

Overall, Scavenger was pretty good. I have certainly spent more time and money on lesser books.

Check out David Morrell's site at davidmorrell.net