Customer Reviews

Bumping Into Geniuses: My Life Inside the Rock and Roll Business

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a fan of learning the background and history of "classic" music and the artists that created them. The underbelly of the music industry often times combines all the elements that would be considered outlandish fiction, but with some insight into the creative process. With this in mind, I was interested in Danny Goldberg's reflections on his life in the music business.

Mr. Goldberg starts off with a quick run-through of his early life, and cataloging his musical tastes in the way most do to try to establish their bona fides with critics. Music is such a subjective thing that I tend to dismiss this tactic. But from there he documents his foray into the lower rungs of the music industry and his rise through various positions over the years. Therein lies my first criticism of this book.

Perhaps is was a fault of the writing itself, or perhaps it it trying to be humble (overly so), but I could never get a real handle on just how influential Mr. Goldberg was in these artists' careers. One almost gets the sense that he was "bumping into geniuses", but did so with no skills or abilities. With a few exceptions, he almost comes off as nothing more than a hanger-on, or - as a few reviewers have pointed out - an enabler of drug use and self-destruction (in the case of Nirvana).

My second criticism comes in Mr. Goldberg's narratives about his interactions with specific artists. He does fairly well in providing interesting details about Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon, and - to some extent - Nirvana and Bonnie Raitt. But largely the interactions feel hollow, and there is no sense that we learned anything new or unique. Again, it almost stokes the feeling of being baffled that he ever got this far.

These criticisms are unfortunate, because in radio interviews I heard during the publicity tour for this book, Mr. Goldberg seemed to have a lot of engaging and insightful stories to tell. They are actually what prompted me into purchasing "Bumping Into Geniuses". But in the end, I am disappointed that I took the time to read this, and felt that I would have been better served to skip it altogether. I would encourage readers to stay away; there have been better accounts of the music industry and musicians.

There are at least three reasons why only Danny Goldberg could have written this book about the rock music business of the last four or so decades. First, he's held a front row seat and worn more hats--reporter, publicist, manager, record company executive and political activist---during all of those years than just about anyone else around. His astute insights coming out each of these chapters of his career are in abundant evidence here. Secondly, he has by any calculation "bumped" into more than his fair share of geniuses. The details in this book reveal that more than hard work, good luck, timing, etc. were at play. He has not just a great nose and ear but a keen eye for talent. Finally, only Goldberg could have written a book like this because he's more than just another savvy businessman and promoter with a success story to tell. He's also a clearly gifted observer and writer, who retained a measure of the idealism that first attracted him to the record business and an all-too-rare ability to still distinguish between all of the hype and reality. The end result is a book that actually delivers on what the dust jacket promises--"There is more to this story than Goldberg's career. It's a revealing look at the music industry itself: a business that is neither the romantic vehicle for self-expression that its most naive fans imagine, nor the purely crass money machine depicted by its most cynical critics. It is complex and chaotic--a mixture of art and commerce, idealism and selfishness--and sometimes, rock's most gifted musicians were able to transcend it all. Despite the drugs, lies, and shallow quests for fame and money that stalked the rock industry, it managed to produce the music that Goldberg and countless fans love."

This memoir begins in the blooming 1968 era rock scene, when rock and roll was becoming "rock" and it was beginning to be taken seriously as an art form. I think Mr. Goldberg's memoir is most successful in capturing the energy of that often chronicled era, though it gets short treatment in favor of the more detailed description of his activities in the more cynical New York rock scene of the early 1970's.

Another strong part:his status as a publicist for Led Zeppelin in the mid-70's allows a fascinating inside view of them. They were most exciting and innovative musicians, and he clearly was a fan of their music; but, as he confirms, they were also savages. In fact, at times some of them were real monsters. That was interesting reading. But this is one of the few instances in the book where he even attemptd to capture the raw excitement of the music. This excitement is,after all, the real reason why it was so popular a genre, and why it affords great business opportunities that Danny Goldberg discusses at sometimes tedious length. .

Indeed, the middle section of the book almost led me to discard it. It is clear he was bored by the most of the late '70's and 1980's music, and so the book gets boring. I got through this section, but it wasn't easy. You see, in this section Danny actually has praise for the music of Kiss, who he publicized. If Mr. Goldberg is a music fan first, as he claims, then how could he miss just how utterly lacking in musical talent-as distinct from promotional talent- those folks were? (inside comment: a longtime musician friend with 5 Grammies and 11 Emmies to his credit once told me that circa 1980, Simmons would say at industry events "I can't believe they pay us to play this s..t!") And while Mr. Goldberg's apparently active role in the "revival" of Bonnie Raitt's career in 1989 is most admirable, he barely even mentions the tremendous musicianship (her ripping slide guitar) that Bonnie is so famous for.

But the later section on Kurt Cobain contains a rare inside insight into the his deep depressions and legitimate gifts for both music and promotion. Goldberg's inside status allows him to effectively dismiss as tabloid junk the "Courtney killed Kurt" consipiracy theory.

The best part of the book is the last part, and worth waiting for. His time in the early 2000's as the head of a smaller recording label which signed the (more) mature Warren Zevon offers a unique vantage point on the last years of Zevon's fine career and the poignancy of his last months. Zevon was a genius who staged a grand exit, and Mr. Goldberg effectively describes the final chronology. This part captures the rock fan in Mr. Goldberg, and is worth the price of admission.

In all, I think this book contains too much music business insight- which may be of interest to a few in his business- but not to most of us. And yet not quite enough about the interesting art form which makes the money-making possible.

I admit that I was initially only interested in this book due to the final section's retelling of Warren Zevon's last year. From a personal standpoint, Goldberg deserves credit for whatever his role was in getting "The Wind" on the shelves.

In a generally solid, if a little vanilla, writing style,the author chronicles his good fortune at arriving at various important intersections where rock and roll made a left turn. It's not always clear what the author's role was; did he direct the traffic, or was he mostly a passenger along the way. Like many people in the entertainment business, and the music business in particular, one tries to walk the line between being subservient to an artist and maintaining whatever personal integrity one can. In the end, the lure of fame (even more than the money)and friendships of convenience win out. Some of the stories are entertaining, and carefully avoid the hyperbole that inhabits many "insider" books. But, then, the author refers to "genius" without really adequately defining it, as if it can really be defined anyway.

That was my main trouble with the book. "Genius" is a devalued term, and it's actually a disservice to lead the reader in this direction. Maybe this was by design, but to me there never seemed to be a unified theme. Maybe Goldberg realizes, as do most of us, that a genius might just be someone who puts something over on us for a while. It does a grave disservice to Warren Zevon to only print 4 lines from his song "Genius", but perhaps it puts it all in perspective:

"Albert Einstein was a ladies' man
While he was working on his universal plan
He was making out like Charlie Sheen
He was a genius"

Reading this book made me miss Warren's music all the more.

I was really looking forward to the publication of this book, having read some advanced press. But as I started to read it, I started to feel like Goldberg was being exploitative of the artists about whom he wrote. Nowhere did I feel this more than in the chapter about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. I remember at the time of Kurt Cobain's death wondering where the people had been who were supposed to be looking out for him and caring about him, professionally and personally. This book helped to answer my question - Goldberg, his manager, was supplying him with $5,000 in cash to buy heroin, resolving to talk to Kurt about his problems but apparently never doing it (gee, I wonder why), allowing MTV to call Kurt in rehab to schedule an awards show performance even though he realized this wasn't a great idea (he makes excuses about the power of MTV - but come on, this was Nirvana we're talking about), attending an intervention for Cobain with a bad attitude because he was anxious to get back to his family in LA (let it be pointed out that he was commuting to NY on a regular basis, so being away from family was not uncommon), and finally giving a eulogy that made Kurt's older friends upset and showed that Goldberg perhaps didn't know or understand the singer as well as he'd thought. Goldberg writes that as a manager he did pretty well by Kurt, and as a friend he failed. Goldberg, judging by what your actions, you were never his friend, and writing this chapter about him in this new book is just further exploitation and a weak attempt by you to absolve some of your well-deserved guilt. Don't buy this book - just check it out of the library like I did.

I really enjoyed this book. I think I was expecting it to be a collection of wild and sordid tales of rock n roll debauchery, etc. Instead I found to be an insightful and oftentimes fascinating look into the business side of the music industry. Not being in the music biz myself, I've no idea what kind of reputation the author has amongst industry insiders but his accounts sound very honest and genuine to me. He tells his story from a first hand, grounded perspective, avoiding the low hanging fruit of salacity to give an objective, sober account of his dealings (both business and personal), with some of the greatest minds in rock n roll. I really appreciate that he wrote this book. I've been a fan of its subjects since my early teens in the mid-seventies and I found it highly intriguing to gain an understanding of the amount of acumen some rock-stars possess. One of thing I shouldn't leave out is that the author is a fan himself and does a wonderful job maintaining a fan's-eye-view of what, at the end of a day, is his job.

If you love Rock & Roll & are interested in the ins & outs of the business. This book is for you. Written by someone who has lived the rock & roll dream & nightmare, sharing some personal details on the musicians he's known in his life. This is a great read , one you can go back to time & time again. This is a must!!!

Bumping Into Geniuses gives a nice insight into the career path of one of the great music men of our time. The interesting thing about Goldberg is that, unlike many of his fellow music execs, Danny is a true lover of music and musicians. His passion for the artistry of the people with whom he has worked, and for the individuals themselves, is apparent throughout the book. Even the title (taken from an Ahmet Ertugen quote) shows Goldberg's reverence for the musical titans whose paths he was fortunate enough to cross. Whether it be the complex band dynamics of Led Zeppelin, the intuitive artistry of Stevie Nicks, the sense of loss for Warren Zevon or the regret over not having done more to help Kurt Cobain, Goldberg addresses these issues candidly and with a humility that books like Walter Yetnikoff's Howling At The Moon lack. Rather than a shot at shameless self-promotion, Goldberg positions himself as a wide-eyed rube, whose love of music was enough to pinball him throughout the industry, his score growing ever higher.

A great perspective of the rock music business in our generation. Danny Goldberg presents a solid foundation of the muscal landscape that clearly details the triumphs and tragedys of corporate execs and musicians. His personal memoirs of Kurt Cobain and Warren Zevon are written with a heartwarming tone of appreciation for the artists and the importance of their musical contrbutions.

An interesting view of the music business from the inside. Goldberg bounced from being a rock writer and critic to becoming a producer and executive. His main aim seems to have always been to produce and encourage real good original music -- while maintaining his integrity and being true to the artists, the audience and himself.

The book could have used some rigorous editing in parts (in my humble opinion) but it is definitely worth the time to read. If just to witness his honest battle to maintain his integrity while facing the facts of the way the music business really works.