Alien Rock: The Rock 'n' Roll Extraterrestrial Connection [Paperback]

Michael Luckman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 26, 2005

From Elvis to the Beatles, from Michael Jackson to Marilyn Manson, rock stars claim to have seen, communed with, been inspired by, and sometimes even descended from extraterrestrials. Alien Rock is an irreverent, illuminating, all-access pass to the stars' unearthly encounters--some friendly, some frightening, and some frankly bizarre, including:

• The birth of Elvis was marked by the appearance of a mysterious blue light over his house.

• In August 1974, John Lennon spied a UFO from the window of the penthouse he shared with then-girlfriend, May Pang.

• Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull encountered a luminous cigar-shaped mothership while camping in the English countryside in 1968.

• Jimi Hendrix told a friend, "I am a spiritual messenger, sent here from another place."

Whether you're a UFO skeptic or a true believer, Alien Rock provides a fascinating new perspective on the long, strange trip that is rock 'n' roll history, and suggests that, wherever the road takes us, we may not be traveling alone.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Luckman relays some interesting trivia linking rock and UFOs but stretches to make small points. He cites a conversation between Jimi Hendrix and Monika Dannerman about how a person's "spirit could actually leave the body for a period of time" as evidence that "Jimi frequently experienced astral travel." Ohh-kay! Well, Hendrix's extraterrestrial interests are well-known, as are those of Sun Ra and George Clinton, whom Luckman also mentions; but Luckman goes on to say that Carlos Santana, OutKast, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones share them. Heck, even Olivia Newton-John gets Luckman's nod, thanks to her sighting of a shape-shifting UFO "on a desolate road." Fortunately, references to David Bowie's, the Grateful Dead's, and Pink Floyd's extraterrestrial interests are more substantial, and is anyone surprised that Michael Jackson and Elvis each get chapter-length coverage? Another chapter on UFOs at Woodstock, Altamont, and the Isle of Wight festivals amuses, too; but with so many strained and trifling references, the book satisfies desultory reading more than genuine inquiry. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Michael C. Luckman is director of the New York Center for Extraterrestrial Research and the founder of the Cosmic Majority, an organization that seeks to represent the majority of people on earth who believe in UFOs, life on Mars, and the paranormal. Luckman taught the nation's first college course on rock music. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (July 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074346673X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743466738
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars "Pretty lame..." April 7, 2010

By Jeffrey A. Bohn

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an interesting concept, but it turns out there isn't a whole lot of "meat" here, making "Alien Rock" a pretty lame exercise.

What little "meat" here is padded with tidbits of trivia and any paranormal experience linked with the celebrity under discussion. The author seems either starstruck or overly-credulous, referring to "classic" UFO sightings, conspiracy theories, conactee reports as uncontested fact.

This book might help you impress your baby-boomer friends with your arcane knowledge of rock triva, but beyond that, not much of a reason to invest your time or money.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Close On the Truth August 4, 2005

By Path Daddy

Format:Paperback

I found the book to be very interesting from the standpoint of a connection to the paranormal of most artists, their music, and their life experiences. I did think that the belief of the rock star Jimmy Hendrix was a bit off the mark. Jimmy was on a spiritual path that was leading him to a higher consciousness. Unfortunately for him, he had a manager, at the time, that was heavily into drugs and believed himself to be a representative of a deity. Yes, Jimmy was sent to spread a message...but it was not from an alien. Extraterrestrials and rock stars or artists of any sort do seem to have some sort of connection. This book opens up the possibility that they, the artists, are being used to send a message. It is just for us to figure out what that message is. Read the book and see if you can figure the message out.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK! August 3, 2009

By David Macphee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you enjoy R&R, get this book. If you have been in the business, definatly get this book. The blue light and other unusual things were normal to you and no one else will get it. I'm a believer...