it comes off very much like somebody else telling al’s stories. it seems like he’s doing an awful lot of bragging about shitting blood, he mentions this a ton. i read the whole release, (I can’t get anything different when I click “surprise me”) and it seems like the rockstar sitting in the back wearing sunglasses doing his best to pretend like he’s trying not to be noticed all the while hoping somebody notices him.
I’ll certainly get this though and maybe read an album/chapter at a time. I will definitely start with the darkside chapter.
Connelly’s book versus what I’ve read from al’s release so far has me thinking Connelly’s book is going to be a much better book because Connelly doesn’t brag or at least he doesn’t come off like that. Connelly’s is more of a “this is the shit that happened” type story teller where al is certainly bragging.
Late,
grmpysmrf
No kidding. The first 10 pages or so is all about his ulcer. I wish I could get the “on tape” version as we could make a really wicked drinking game. Take a shot every time he says “blood”. You’ll be dead 2 pages in.
I think I’d like this more if it was just written in the third person. Then I wouldn’t have this weird turmoil in my head about the voice being wrong and it seeming so forced.
Hmm…I just read a ton of the book by logging into Amazon. I was really into it. I can tell this is going to be a wealth of information.
As for not reading like Al’s voice…hmm I can see that, but clearly Al gave this guy a FUCK TON of information and it contains constant references to all sorts of other bands, etc.
Also, what I found really interesting was that it has some stuff from his step-dad which is actually quite critical of Al’s addiction, including current alcohol dependency, and very candid that he feels Al is talented and never needed that stuff but instead used as part of a “persona” because he felt like he was supposed to be this rebellious reject when in fact was very popular in school.
That kind of insight, which directly contradicts Al, is NOT something I was expecting in this.
What I did find that I WAS expecting is that there is literally no mention of Barker so far in anything I read (though to be fair much of it was from the periods before and after the heyday).
Either way this book is going to be an enormous wealth of knowledge far surpassing what I think anyone on this board dared hope. However, if you’re a huge rock autobiography fan, I can see how maybe this lack of it feeling like the real Al will be annoying. I myself never idolized Al as I do Marilyn Manson as a personality so it doesn’t necessarily bother me…from what I’ve read.
the best autobiography was Miles Davis’s, hands down. you KNOW it was him. Every other word is motherfucker, and it’s just hilarious. “there’s alot of great feelings in the world, but man let me tell you, the greatest feeling of all is busting a nut inside a girl for the first time”
all the type of talk aside, it’s one of the most intelligent books about music I’ve read (that’s if you’re into jazz or fusion)
needless to say, I was…surprised, by how much I liked the previews of this book. I’ll be ordering it (at a discounted price when it’s used) for sure. actually stirred my interest back up in music books and just ordered the Nirvana autobiography last night.
Perused a few pages …and with regards to the pronger comments that it’s written like someone telling Al’s stories, you’re assumption is likely correct.
In the book I’m referred to as ‘Robert’. Al has never once called me Robert in all the time I’ve known him.
Also…“O’Banion’s” is misspelled repeatedly.
I was surprised by the fact that he said I’d left to form my own band “One Love Lost”. That band played one show at Metro in spring of '85 and that was it. Such an obscure fact that even I’d forgotten about it. So while “One Love Lost” was, in fact, a band…it barely existed and I certainly didn’t leave Ministry to start it.
So what was that band like, Wemp? You have any newer stuff we can check out? Forgive me if you’ve mentioned other stuff of yours before, I don’t recall it in my time here though. Love to give anything you got a listen. Or put some on my podcast if you’re down.
Al’s telling 30 year old stories to another guy who’s then turning them into a first person narrative, so there’s going to be some telephone game style inaccuracies like the one Wemp mentions above.
Best to keep that in mind while reading.
Why not keep everything alone until the book comes out, why ruin it…
Uhhhh, because it’s Prongs and this is what we do.
If it’s ruining it for you, don’t read the posts because we’ve only yet scratched the surface of picking everything apart. I’m probably going to hold off reading much more (I’m not a fan of reading on a PC for one thing) of the samples but the discussion is fun regardless.
To Wempathy: I think the longer someone knew Al and they closer they were to Ministry ground zero and all the surrounding action, the harder it will be to “hear” this book as if it is really Al. We know how he talks. We know his lingo and expressions, and we know the sound of a journalist trying to write in character as a badass. It’s a hard swallow. Given that you worked directly with him, spent time closely with him, etc., I suspect it will be even more difficult to really allow yourself the illusion that is needed for the most positive experience.
[reply]So what was that band like, Wemp? You have any newer stuff we can check out? [reply]
I’d been recording some material, even while I was still in Ministry, with an old friend of mine that I’d known since high school. It was a challenge for me because he and I didn’t exactly see eye to eye musically…but we were old friends and we generally got along well socially. With the addition of another old HS friend it developed into One Love Lost.
The best way to describe it was 3 multi-instrumentalist who could sing, but none of us had strong frontman skills. Beats were either sequenced or recorded, we didn’t have a drummer. I think we were trying to be a little like Talk Talk, a little like Cheap Trick and a little like Tears for Fears. It didn’t work.
We played one show at Metro…and the owner vowed that we’d never play there again because one of the others threw a tantrum when someone on the house stage crew moved his equipment and my friend couldn’t believe anyone should touch his gear. Funny, all those Ministry gigs…never had a problem. One gig with two old friends and we get banned from Metro.
We were offered more gigs but the other two wouldn’t commit to taking the time to travel…they weren’t ready to be in a real band.
Some audio might exist. I’d have to do some digging. We recorded a couple of demos with Iain Burgess at Chicago Recording. That was probably the highlight of the band.
“oh no! my career is over, Al Jourgenson says i play like a muppet. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. XXXX”
That’s funny. I honestly think that’s the ultimate compliment for a drummer. EVERY drummer should try to emulate ANIMAL. I love drummers that flail wildly and have a crazy big style. They could be really good, but if they just sit there like robots I feel cheated.
I was surprised by the fact that he said I’d left to form my own band “One Love Lost”. That band played one show at Metro in spring of '85 and that was it. Such an obscure fact that even I’d forgotten about it. So while “One Love Lost” was, in fact, a band…it barely existed and I certainly didn’t leave Ministry to start it.
Just reread part of the interview I did on this site for prongs and I mentioned OLL in the interview. So I can only assume that Al and his ghostwriter referenced that because I have no idea where else it could they could have heard it.
[reply]
Either way this book is going to be an enormous wealth of knowledge far surpassing what I think anyone on this board dared hope.
Wealth of knowledge? You make it sound like you want to read a tech manual on Al. LOL.[/reply]
Well, I would like some detailed schematics of how exactly that whole having-sex-with-an-ostrich deal works . . .
I just realized this whole time I’d thought (probably misread someone else’s post) Neil Strauss wrote the book, but it’s Jon Wiederhorn. Who is this putz anyway? And do they have editors and proofreaders where he works? Ahhh, whatever. I’m gonna go listen to some Skinny PUPY.
I just realized this whole time I’d thought (probably misread someone else’s post) Neil Strauss wrote the book, but it’s Jon Wiederhorn. Who is this putz anyway? And do they have editors and proofreaders where he works?
Ok that explains your earlier confusion. I was like “why is he referencing ‘The Long Hard Road Out of Hell’…”
Wiederhorn seems keen to have done a ton of online research and tie in all kinds of underground bands and shit that Al didn’t actually recall as a context to Al’s story, hence the Wempathy thing.
Also I noticed in the forward to the book he praised ‘Dark Side of the Spoon’ which was a little personal fanboy moment for me there…I’m betting it was his idea to have Al discuss each Ministry album so we should thank him for that.
And yes I did notice some typos and stuff. T’aint the end of the world.
No, it ain’t the end of the world. It’s just a little pet peeve of mine. I couldn’t give a crap about grammar and spelling on a board or in daily life, but when I pay $26 for a book I like to have it be properly corrected.
“Rick Razor of The Pissing Razors” was the first major red flag that popped up for me. It should be RICK VALLES of PISSING RAZORS. Rick Razor sounds like some WWE wrestler and the name of the band is not The Pissing Razors. Razors don’t piss. The band is Pissing Razors . . . like you’re pissing razors out of your peehole when you pee. Completely different.
Screw it. Back to some Skinny Poopies and The Ministries and The Ninth Inch Nailers so I can mellow out . . .