Customer Reviews

Anvil: The Story of Anvil

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I admit that I saw the movie and that turned me on to them. I grew up a fan of hard rock and metal, and I didn't know Anvil. I bought the new Album, (This Is Thirteen) and one of the "classic" albums (Metal on Metal). I liked them both and was happy to put some money in Lips and Robb's pockets.

When I saw that they were also the authors of this book I decided would buy it. Again, I thought it would be great to support these guys and send some money their way. If you've seen their movie, they seem like really great guys who were part of the birth of modern metal music, but somehow when the time came to get to the next level it didn't happen. They stuck together because they loved making music, and they loved each other as brothers. They seem like such good guys that when you watch the movie you want it for them too. They see the good in the people who let them down, because their hearts are in it for the right reason. Lips even says something to that effect when they return from a disastrous tour of Europe.

This is what leads to my big disappointment with this book. What happened to those great guys from the movie? The two guys in this book are arrogant blowhards. They bad mouth every musician they worked with on the way up (except original lead singer Ashley). They go out of their way to let the reader know that former members Dave Allison and Ian Dickson couldn't really keep up musically, didn't appreciate the genius of Lips and Robb, and didn't really contribute to what made Anvil what it was. One of the few compliments they give to former bass player Dickson was that he had long hair. Considering how often they "remember" blowing another band off the stage, you'd think that Allison and Dickson would deserve some of the credit for that, so at the very least maybe they should get credit for putting on great live shows, and maybe making Anvil a great live band... but no.

They talk about record companies, managers, and promoters not knowing what to do with a band that was changing music. This is really unfair. You can't know that you are changing music until it happens. Also Metallica was already playing on the West Coast and both bands were aware of each other. I'm not trying to take anything away from Anvil here, but the change was happening with or without them, and history has shown us that it did in fact happen without them. Don't get me wrong, I do think they were handled badly, and that they deserved more recognition and more of a push from their management and record companies. What bothers me is that the book is written as if these people all knew how important Anvil was, but just wouldn't do the right thing. Does anyone really believe that if these people "knew" that Anvil was going to change the world of music and be one of the most important bands of all time they wouldn't have done more? Think about it. If they "knew" Anvil was so special they would have recognized that there was money to be made and done everything they could to promote the band and make that money.

By the way, does this sound like the guys from the movie? Do you see why I was so stunned?

A band that has a similar story if you think about it is The Ramones. They were the first Punk Rock Band. The guys who would go on to become bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash were at a Ramones show and then decided be Punks. Both bands went on to be bigger than the Ramones, and kicked off the Punk movement. Almost every band that formed after 1977 claims the Ramones as an influence, but went on to be bigger than the Ramones. When you read books about or by The Ramones, they take responsibility for their lack of mainstream success. They pointed at choices they made, and they didn't bad mouth former members.

In addition, this book is poorly written. It's set up to look like interviews with Robb and Lips compiled into this book, but it's not written the way these guys speak. Keep in mind there is a movie where we hear them talking, and telling stories. This book was obviously "written" so why not just "write" it? Why make it look like they were talking?

Overall, I think it's worth reading, but if you wanted more from the two awesome guys you saw in the movie you are going to be shocked and a little disappointed.

If you enjoyed the movie, you need to get the book! I saw the movie, which, for lack of a better description, was amazing! I listened to Anvil growing up in my teens. I had no idea that they were still playing after all of these years. After seeing the movie, I was really looking forward to reading the book. It begins by describing the life and times, from practically day one, of both Robb and Lips and takes you all the way up to the present. Their story is told in conversational style (i.e., Lips and Robb take turns describing important events in their lives -- the ups and downs of Anvil and their personal lives). It is an easy read. But more importantly, beause the story is told in the first person in conversational style, it is all the more a very personal one. I really appreciate their candor throughout -- especially with regard to all they've endured for last 30 or so years following their dreams. The telling of Anvil's story is hilarious, heartwarming and also heartbreaking at times. Query: I wonder whether they still have the ninety-five pound anvil that Lips threw during a show which bounced off the stage? (That's one of my favorite passages in the book as told by Robb. It reminds me of the crazy stuff that would happen at shows that one just can't make up.) There are some parts of the book that I enjoy reading repeatedly. For those who want to know what really happens on tour, Anvil's story won't disappoint (e.g., antics involving groupies, partying with Motorhead, etc.). After seeing the movie, I can hear Robb's and Lip's voices telling their story as I read. Their story inspires me and I hope others to not give up on dreams (or what is otherwise important in one's life), and to be resourceful and to do whatever it takes to make them come true! The book is just as good if not better than the movie in that, among other things, it is so very candid and personal. It takes courage to write with such candor. I hope Anvil enjoys success in the long-term because they are not only so very dedicated, talented, and deserving, but because they truly are great people. Long Live Anvil -- Forged in Fire!!!

Put quite simply, this is one of the best rock autobiographies that I have ever read. Full of emotion and soul, it covers the heartbreaking and often hilarious story of Anvil, one of the more influential yet obscure heavy metal bands of the early 80's. And make no mistake about it, Anvil WAS an influence and inspiration for a lot of artists, as testimonials from Slayer's Tom Araya and Anthrax's Scott Ian will attest to.

But where those bands made the leap to commercial and critical success and went on to sell millions of records, Anvil didn't. Stardom slipped away from them and they fell off of the ledge. But where most bands would have called it a day, Anvil didn't. In fact, they've spent the last 25 years trying to recapture the glory days, financing their own recordings and tours, putting truth to the old axiom, `rock and roll will never die'.

`Anvil, The Story of Anvil', tells their tale in all of it's gory glory. Anvil's core is made up of drummer Robb Reiner, and guitarist/ vocalist Steve `Lips' Kudlow, childhood friends who are brought together by a love of hard rock's transformative power. Their friendship is sorely tested in this story, as Anvil catches the early wave of thrash metal only to see itself fall off of the board and get drowned by the very bands that it helped to inspire.

This is a deeply personal story, and it's just downright inspiring to anyone who feels like dreams are worth chasing, even when it seems like all is lost and you're playing to an audience of one. It's all here, the tales of road excess, the broken relationships, the bad decisions and the good ones, all told with forthright honesty and heartfelt conviction. These two guys made a vow to rock together until the end, and they absolutely meant it.

Lips and Robb, don't ever stop rocking, guys. You've already won the battle and everything else is just gravy. As a 40-something metalhead myself, this book just made me want to throw up the Devil Horns and say `YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!'

Highly recommended!

First things first--ANVIL (if your not familiar with the band) ROCKS! This book is the PERFECT companion to the dvd of the same name, but brings us much more detail that the doc lacked. The crazy stories from the road are worth the price of admission alone! ANVIL is finally getting some recognition--and a big bow of respect goes out to AC/DC for allowing ANVIL to come back out onstage when the stadiums were packed up and letting them play some more music--kudos to Angus& co. Before I continue...the first ANVIL album I ever heard was the groundbreaking 'Metal On Metal'--widely considered the bands best effort. The truth however, is this band has NEVER released a bad album--nor have they deviated from the sound that we ANVIL-HEADS have grown to love! The words 'sell-out' just aren't in these guys vocabulary! After the 3rd ANVIL album (the fantastic 'Forged In Fire'), the band seemingly dropped from the 'metal radar' (if you will)...trying to capitalize on the bands newer and more major deal, Attic Records released the sub-par 'Backwaxed' album--a mish-mash of 1 (killer) new track and four 'demoes' that the band FELT should remain unheard by the public. You gotta respect when a band wants that. Lips is still pissed to this day over 'Backwaxed'--and discourages ANVIL fans from even buying it--this ANVIL fan has to this day STILL not succumbed out of respect for Mr. Kudrow. I have all 13 of the other albums though! And every single one KILLS! This band pioneered the term 'Speed Metal'--they were doing it BEFORE 'METALLICA'--and in my book, doing it BETTER. Imagine the frustration of KNOWING that bands like METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH,and ANTHRAX all borrowed from your sound and acknowledged it--yet your band still hasn't hit 'the big time'--seeing these bands rise to the top of the pile really had an effect on Lips and Robbo's lives--and this book gives you every detail. The stories connecting certain songs to their true stories are HYSTERICAL! At times you'll think Lip's missed his calling and should have been a comedian--and if you've ever seen the video for the song 'Mad Dog' off of 'Strength Of Steel', you'll know what I mean--his 'Nice Jewish Pet Shop Owner' is belly-bursting funny! It's all here...the ups, the downs, the drugs, the fights, the mishaps, the SEX--and ANVIL albums were never complete without sexually oriented gems like 'Jackhammer', 'Butter-Bust Jerky', 'Hair Pie', 'Bush Pig', 'Rubber Neck', and 'Safe Sex' (to name just a few over the years)--I know this sounds cliche, but I could NOT put this book down. Not since Marilyn Manson's 'Long Hard Road Out Of Hell' has a rock bands story enthralled me this way. After being an ANVIL fan for over 24 years, it's a great feeling to see them FINALLY getting their due. And the point that I'd like to make is there are quite a few 'ANVIL'S' out there--bands that have stuck to their guns and remained HEAVY, dirty, and fast--another personal favorite of mine that comes to mind (and also from ANVIL's homeland of Canada) is EXCITER--another band that pioneered the 'speed metal' sound. It takes above all self respect and LOVE of what you do to keep going no matter how tough the terrain gets along the way. Being in an 'ANVIL' (lol)of my own for over 20 years, I can attest to the fact that it is LOVE for what we do that keeps bands like ours going--NOT the money...because for bands like ours--there is very little to be had!!!

When I first started reading the book, I felt sorry for the members of the band, especially Lips. It seemed that Lips was out of his mind. He wrote about making it, throughout the entire book, even after he turned 50. He came up with the most bizarre reasons for why their records didn't sell: using the image of a bulldozer instead of a tank, wearing red instead of black, on album covers. It's so clear to the reader that they aren't going to make it. When you read Lip's description of a self funded American tour, where they slept in a hotel every other night and shared the two beds, when they played sometimes to one audience member, and this happened when they were in their 40's, how can you not come to that conclusion? But Lips never loses faith. Towards the end of the book, I envied Lips. He did exactly what he wanted to do. He experienced so much and I'll bet he feels more fulfilled than the majority of men his age. The thing about Anvil is, they aren't some untalented Idol contestant. They are very talented musicians. Listen to School Love on You Tube and you'll agree. God Bless Lips. Long live Anvil!

Loved this book - read almost like a diary of the people in a heavy metal band spaning 30+ years- I have met and had a long conversation with this band almost 10 years ago and there is a great connection that two of the band members have that tested there frindship. Not fake or has-been rock stars but real men never giving up!

It's story's like this that makes life worth living! An amazing metal band finally gets it's break and it ROCKS!

Anvil are a true balls to the wall Metal band that are there for one reason:
The MUSIC!