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sofiabeex's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
reading for thesis studying so this took me years to get through but while reading it it moved nicely
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
This is dense, slightly problematic (in that there are some dated words and concepts), but overall it's genius. The emotional aspects of the essays are out of this world. The essay/article on the Clash alone is worth the price of the book. Highly recommended to anyone who likes music writing.
terroreesa's review against another edition
5.0
i don't believe that a critic as astute, relevant, and sharp as Lester Bangs could exist today. it saddens me that no one can write about music with the insight that Bangs could, but it makes this collection all the more precious. the man was a genius.
stuporfly's review against another edition
5.0
It's a terrible cliche, but so am I. Bangs is still my all-time favorite music writer. Despite his personal flaws and a tendency to run on a bit, I love every fucking word. His NME feature about the Clash is especially good.
ericfheiman's review against another edition
4.0
When so much music criticism these days has been relegated to barely 100-word reviews in aging rags like Rolling Stone and Spin, or, conversely, revels in insular purple prose on blogs like Pitchfork, the writing of Lester Bangs comes off today as the rarest of revelations. I don't think I've ever read any kind of criticism (let alone of the pop music variety) that possesses such a halcyon mix of anecdote and honest insight. Overblown, excessive, brilliant, and more fun than mixing alcohol and marijuana at a Stooges show.
jeffgreen's review against another edition
5.0
Great collection from one of my idols. Also, the funniest book about rock-and-roll ever, and a big inspiration for my Greenspeak column. One of my columns, in fact, was a direct homage (theft)--an entire column written as a series of exclamatory statements. (I credited him at the end of the column). Even if you're not a music fan, per se, his writing was godlike: prescient, biting, introspective, angry, hilarious. And most of it was done in his 20s.
Also: This is the character that Philip Seymour Hoffman plays in "Almost Famous."
READ THIS BOOK.
Also: This is the character that Philip Seymour Hoffman plays in "Almost Famous."
READ THIS BOOK.
davygibbs's review against another edition
4.0
One of the most influential music books I've read...almost like an [b:On the Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21E8H3D1JSL._SL75_.jpg|3355573] for rock 'n' roll in the 70s. Most importantly, it introduced me to Astral Weeks.
dllh's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot to like in this book, though there's plenty to skim too. I especially liked the pieces he wrote about touring with The Clash.