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The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music
 
 
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The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music (Paperback)

by Nick Kent (Author), Iggy Pop (Author) "It was another spectacular LA early evening in late '74 with the sun still high in the sky and well, it just had to be..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc; 2nd edition (10 Feb 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0306811820
  • ISBN-13: 978-0306811821
  • Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 710,045 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

Nineteen riotous pieces on the seamy side of rock 'n' roll from a legendary rock writer. A smart, scathing look at the most hell-bent performers of our time: Here are profiles of everyone you'd expect (and a few you wouldn't)-Brian Wilson, Miles Davis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Sid Vicious, and Kurt Cobain. "Kent matters because he wrote about rock better than anyone before or since." -Tony Parsons, The Daily Telegraph
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It was another spectacular LA early evening in late '74 with the sun still high in the sky and well, it just had to be said. Read the first page
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars the Dark Stuff, 21 Dec 2002
By A Customer
Nick Kent's articles give the reader a glimpse into the worlds of some of the most talented - and often the most tortured - rock performers from the early years of rock and roll (The Stones, Brian Wilson..) to the likes of Shaun Ryder and the Stone Roses.
As the title suggests, we get to hear about some of the eccentricities which seem to go hand in hand with musical genius. If, for example, you thought the Beach Boys spent their time either surfing or singing high-pitched pop tunes to fans of their California sound, you'll be scratching your head at Brian Wilson's bizarre descent into reclusivity - complete with manipulative advisers, Wilson's obsession with the achievements of the Beatles and sticking his piano in a big sand pit to aid the song-writing process.
Each chapter offers enough to tempt the reader into wanting to know more about Kent's subject matter.
An amusing (and I suppose cautionary) tale of the madness, badness and sheer indestructibility of some of the greats.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Silver Linings, 4 May 2006
By Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music: 1972-1995 (Paperback)

It is indeed the music that counts here, of the text as well as of the artists. It kicks off with Iggy Pop's fascinating foreword, followed by the equally absorbing preface dealing with Nick Kent's history as a music journalist. The value of each chapter is directly proportional to the communication skills of the interviewed: that is why the Guns 'N'Roses piece is a complete waste of time and paper and shouldn't even have been included in the book, whilst I loved the Roy Orbison interview although I've never really been into his music.

I found the Brian Wilson piece too long and do not agree with the author's assessment of the Rolling Stones after the 60s. His view of Kurt Cobain is a bit harsh and the non-interview with Roky Erickson a bit pointless, but I loved Jerry Lee Lewis, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Miles Davis and I think the book's crowning glory is the chapter titled "Neil Young and the haphazard highway that leads to Unconditional Love."

What amazes me is how some of these artists managed to so consistently produce such sublime music while they were abusing themselves physically and mentally to such a gruesome degree. I suppose that is one of the intertextual messages of this book: no matter how low down you are, you can always pull yourself together again. It once again demonstrates the ability of the soul and the body to restore themselves. This is great rock writing!
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