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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
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
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Most books written by musicians are usually “eh”-I usually realize I like their music, but not their book. This was a very unexpected surprise, heard him talking about it on Howard Stern recently and it sparked my interest. Dave Grohl seems like a really down to earth guy and his stories were just that-entertaining without annoying name-dropping or bragging. You can really see how grateful he is for his life and the people in it, all while having fun. I wasn’t even a huge Foo Fighters fan, but I may become one now.
Just a great book. Grohl knows how to tell stories. Funny and touching.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Grohl's humble, metaphor-riddled prose meanders through charmingly mundane childhood stories woven between moments of fatherhood. He frequently name-checks rockstars within anecdotes begun with descriptions of residential neighborhoods and ending with something ironic or unexpected. For instance, one of my favorite stories was when on tour he lost his wallet at a gas station 300 miles away. 20 years later he met a fan who returned it.
I also liked the story about his indecisive kids buying Barbies. He only gave them an hour, but they still couldn't decide and so in the end Dave randomly picked one which happened to be a model of rocket Joan Jett. His kids didn't know who that was, so he introduced them to her and then they recorded a song together.
I also liked the story about his indecisive kids buying Barbies. He only gave them an hour, but they still couldn't decide and so in the end Dave randomly picked one which happened to be a model of rocket Joan Jett. His kids didn't know who that was, so he introduced them to her and then they recorded a song together.
[audiobook EN] Świetna historia (bo nie wiem czy na pewno biografia), bo skupia się w pierwszej kolejności nie na faktach, ale na emocjach. Książka to około 20 wyjątkowo pamiętnych momentów, ciekawych ludzi, pełnych empatii. Zero skandali, dość pobieżna faktografia, ale mocny ładunek emocjonalny.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Dave Grohl is an amazing storyteller and man, what a life he's lived. I love how down to earth he was and how he spent a lot of time praising other artists. Awesome read/listen.