Customer Reviews

12 Days on the Road

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Sex Pistols were one of the fore-fathers of punk rock in the U.K. This book chronicles the chaos and anarchy that ensued on their failed 1978 tour of America. From Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious getting their first taste of America's police, to Paul Cook and Steve Jones' beautifully obscene appearence on a local radio show, this book tells it all. It even has a "Where are they now" part in the back. This book is the closest anyone will ever get to hearing of the Sex Pistols tour. I wasn't born yet, (not until 1982), and I felt as if I was right there with them, because the book engrosses you. It's a definite page turner, one that you just can't put down, because you're always wondering about something. "Is Sid going to die of withdrawl?" "Will Paul kill himself?" "Is Johnny going to blow up in everyone's face?" "Is Sid ever going to bathe?" It's all here. I recommend it highly

The Pistols' disintegration during its US tour had taken its place in the annals of rock and roll some time ago, and this book is just one examination of it. Written by an eyewitness/accessory, Noel Monk, TWELVE DAYS ON THE ROAD WITH THE SEX PISTOLS IN AMERICA, is an attempt to chronicle the mess. Whether you loved the Pistols (as I did) or loathed them, there is no overstating the band's importance in saving rock and roll from itself. But that redemption came at a price, as this book shows. Exploited by the record label, mismanaged by everyone, preyed upon by publicity hounds, and too young to defend itself, Mr. Monk makes it plain that the band was doomed from the very moment they landed in America.

But like all "Great Moments in Rock and Roll", history blurs with legend, and sometimes the book provokes skepticism. On the other hand, the book demonstrates a lot of sincerity, and the photos are well worth the price of the book. It's a quick read of a significant moment, not just in punk history, but in the history of rock.

To start, a thoroughly enjoyable read. When reading about a band like the Pistols, one must beware as there are certain caveats. The main being that most of the literature written was by authors who did not know the Pistols. They weren't there! This book was (co)written by Monk. He was there for those 12 days with Sid, Johnny and, to a lesser extent, Paul and Steve.

However, to be fair, this book has the events unfolding as Noel Monk saw them - there are facts in here that John Lydon disputes in his book 'Rotten' and there are also facts that Lydon would never have known (Monk knew far more than anyone about the whole Tom Forcade deal).

Enjoy this book, it's one mans' version of what went on. Read the other literature and make a balanced judgement.

I read this in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Great anecdotes from the road (and priceless pictures). Well written.

Since Noel Monk was actually on the tour with the Sex Pistols in the US, this book is full of first hand incidents and conversations. Not to mention the fantastic pictures included. If you are a Sid Vicious and/or a Sex Pistol fan, this is a must have!

12 Days on the Road may not be the most complete and earth-shattering account of the Sex Pistols and their famous American tour (guess how long it lasted?). But there's enough in it, and it's well-written enough, to be worth taking the time to read.

Mostly, if you would be interested in the subject matter, there is very little that you would find new. I mean, we know Malcolm was the puppet master and a jerk. We know Sid was dumb and Johnny was smart. We know they went to the south for shock value and were pelted with cans and threw up and wouldn't take baths.

That said, it's a quick book to read, so why not?

And there were some little tidbits that were interesting. That they earned only $66 for their final concert in San Francisco. That Sid wanted money to get Nancy plastic surgery. Not because she wasn't beautiful to him, but to get a birthmark off her butt so she could strip and earn more money.

There were one topic where I thought this book delved a little deeper, and where it really succeeded. The topic really is more of a conundrum: How can one be anti-establishment, anti-rock and roll, anti-everything, and go on a music tour, and sustain both the tour and the attitude?

It's really impossible.

The book described the Sex Pistols in Memphis, the birthplace of rock and roll.

"As much as Rotten and McLaren want their band to be the one that cuts rock and roll...in two, the Sex Pistols are part of the tradition, whether they like it or not."

Was it a good or bad thing for punk when early rockers like Carl Perkins say things like, "The Sex Pistols' music is almost like some of the fifties-style stuff, it's so simple. I didn't understand what they mean by sticking pins through their noses, but they never cover up that basic thing, which is the beat that makes kids tap their feet or get up on the dance floor."

Late in the tour, a middle-age couple running a truck stop tell them they love the Sex Pistols, they think they are great.

The book describes the scene and goes further:

"The compliment is Rotten's worst nightmare. They have come to destroy a country's complacency, and two complacents have just given them their support. Johnny's head spins. Do I want them to love me or hate me? Am I Rod Stewart? Why are we doing this? What's the end result? His self-doubts continue to mulitply, and there's no one on the bus with whom he can share them."

I helped Noel Monk do research for the book, and was rewarded with a "thank you" in the book. If you like to read about rock music, this is a very interesting book, giving the reader insight on what life on the road really is like

A great document about life on the raod and the dissolution of the foremost band of its' day. if you want to read more about the punk movement, then read Please Kill Me by Legs mcneil and John Savage's England's Dreaming, and you're set. From the Velvets to the Voidoids is also a good addition, and the Sid Vivious essay in Nick Kent's The Dark Stuff is also essential.

Nice snapshot of that time in music history and a good story about some really seedy characters (and I'm not talking about just the Sex Pistols!). If you like music in general you should read this book because it tells a lot about music at that time in history and also, of course, about the Sex Pistols first American tour.

I picked this up at used book store as an impulse buy. Looked interesting. Here's my one petty complaint: The first two chapters are schlocky apocryphal backstory a la Hit Parader or Guitar World. That over with, the story really takes off.

I've read/watched a whole buncha stuff about these guys over the years, most of it useless junk. The best being the film The filth & The fury. This is a close second. It was both entertaining and informative. Some of it totally tragic. Some of it gross-out. Some of it laugh-out-loud funny.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in pop culture or even just looking for a quick read. I would especially recommend it to anyone wondering what the big deal was about punk rock or why anyone cares about a band that only put out one record.