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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
I didn’t think I gave a shit about Dave Grohl, but turns out I do! Loved this.
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Inspiring, witty, funny and insightful this book of memories and anecdotes may not share everything but gives a glimpse into the life of a self aware modern classic rock star.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
Basically Dave Grohl fangirling at different musicians and gushing about his family.. and while at times it felt over the top I felt the love.. at all times. It was a pleasure to listen to this book. Dave Grohl, you're a top notch man!
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Dave Grohl is an unstoppable force of music. His résumé as an artist might be one of the most impressive (and possibly more impactful) in the modern rock era. I’ve always had a soft spot for the guy, even though I prefer most of his “side” projects to much of the Foo Fighters catalog. Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Probot, Dream Widow…the dude’s range in the rock genre is impressive.
So why couldn’t I give this that elusive 5th star? A few reasons…
The first (and least significant) one is on me: my expectations. I thought this was an autobiography. It did follow loosely through Dave’s life as it progressed but it also jumped around a lot, trying to tie events of his youth to raising his own kids. This is a collection of stories that roughly follow the timeline of his life, not a straight biography. Don’t know what I expected from a book called “The Storyteller”.
Second, I felt like there were a few places he applied significance to an event at the time it occurred that he may have actually gained in hindsight. There were a notable number of instances of things along the lines of “it was at that moment I knew my whole world changed” that felt unbelievable. Did he know it at that moment or does he have the benefit of hindsight? Well, when you’re Dave Grohl, of course there were some “holy sh*t!” moments in your life.
Third, and finally, as the book progressed and we ventured deeper into his life and fame, there was a whole lot of name dropping and while I appreciate his gratitude for the situations he finds himself in, it’s a lot easier to say “just enjoy the ride” when you’re hanging out with Paul McCartney, AC/DC, and Joan Jett. I believe he is truly grateful for everything he has and everything he’s done but it’s difficult to be “just another guy” when you’re quite literally one of the world’s biggest rock stars. It’s cool but some chapters felt dedicated only to saying “I met so-and-so”.
All that being said, I truly enjoyed this book, being a big Dave Grohl fan. This is more of a 4.5 or 4.75 star review but I’m stuck with whole numbers. Read it. It’s fun, occasionally funny, insightful, heartfelt, and goddamn has that guy led an incredible life in the world of rock n roll.
(RIP Taylor Hawkins)
So why couldn’t I give this that elusive 5th star? A few reasons…
The first (and least significant) one is on me: my expectations. I thought this was an autobiography. It did follow loosely through Dave’s life as it progressed but it also jumped around a lot, trying to tie events of his youth to raising his own kids. This is a collection of stories that roughly follow the timeline of his life, not a straight biography. Don’t know what I expected from a book called “The Storyteller”.
Second, I felt like there were a few places he applied significance to an event at the time it occurred that he may have actually gained in hindsight. There were a notable number of instances of things along the lines of “it was at that moment I knew my whole world changed” that felt unbelievable. Did he know it at that moment or does he have the benefit of hindsight? Well, when you’re Dave Grohl, of course there were some “holy sh*t!” moments in your life.
Third, and finally, as the book progressed and we ventured deeper into his life and fame, there was a whole lot of name dropping and while I appreciate his gratitude for the situations he finds himself in, it’s a lot easier to say “just enjoy the ride” when you’re hanging out with Paul McCartney, AC/DC, and Joan Jett. I believe he is truly grateful for everything he has and everything he’s done but it’s difficult to be “just another guy” when you’re quite literally one of the world’s biggest rock stars. It’s cool but some chapters felt dedicated only to saying “I met so-and-so”.
All that being said, I truly enjoyed this book, being a big Dave Grohl fan. This is more of a 4.5 or 4.75 star review but I’m stuck with whole numbers. Read it. It’s fun, occasionally funny, insightful, heartfelt, and goddamn has that guy led an incredible life in the world of rock n roll.
(RIP Taylor Hawkins)
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced