A review by ames599
Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion by Bad Religion

4.0

This is the perfect read for any Bad Religion fan. Chronicling the band's 40 year career this book starts at their creation and goes up to pretty much present day. It takes an approach that is a little different from other rock memoirs I've read by dealing with only the band, and the elements of the members lives that relate directly to the band's story. An example of this is explaining Greg's commitment to his education, and how that impacted their decision on when to tour. The book also doesn't shy away from the negative facts, clashes in personality, drug and alcohol addiction, and music that didn't live up to standards, and expectations. It is all covered - the good and bad of Bad Religion. It's fascinating to see how much they have been able to accomplish through the years, as well as their connections to other punk bands, and influence. It would have been nice to have comments from Greg Hetson in addition to everyone else, but not much can be done if someone isn't interested in being part of the project. I think the author does a good job including him, and how import he was to the band through the years. The only complaint I have is that I wish it would have included some images. With 40 years of history it would have been really nice to see images of band through the years, and performance or life on the road shots to go with the storytelling. (I did receive an ARC version from NetGalley, so there is a chance there are some included in the final version.) Ultimately, Do What You Want is a fun, and enlightening read for any Bad Religion fan.

**I received a copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**