Green Suede Shoes: An Irish-American Odyssey [Paperback]

Larry Kirwan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2005

This rock 'n' roll Angela's Ashes begins in County Wexford, Ireland, in the late 1950s, a now unrecognizable, priest-fearing backwater suffocating in superstition and strangled by sexual fevers. After an escape to the Bronx, Larry finds himself, like a musical Zelig, side by side with the Ramones and Blondie at CBGBs; the brothers McCourt, Lester Bangs, and Nick Tosches at The Bells of Hell; the Guinness soaked regulars of Paddy Reilly's; Cyndi Lauper while she ascends and burns; Joe Strummer, Rick Ocasek, Neil Young, and Shane McGowan. The shootings at the Academy and the tragic death of soundman Johnny Byrne punctuate the revels and excesses and presage the gloom cast by 9/11 and the loss of Father Mychal Judge and so many friends. Green Suede Shoes remembers three decades of a lost New York, and celebrates the music and song in which it now lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I often wonder what Lester would think of it all," Kirwan ruminates at the beginning of the 10th chapter of his rock memoir, the chapter in which music critic Lester Bangs tells Kirwan of his first seeing the Clash play live. Such unabashed longing for better days permeates Kirwan's memoir, which relates his journey from County Wexford, Ireland, to the streets of Greenwich Village. The bulk of the volume covers Kirwan's time in New York, chronicling his many years as a rock 'n' roll performer, particularly with the Major Thinkers (who last performed together in 1985) and currently with the political band Black 47. At times, the book leaps headlong into politically charged subjects, such as prisoner Bobby Sands's death at the end of a 66-day hunger strike and the differences between "brash and unfashionable" Irish-Americans and the "narrow-minded and biased" Irish Diaspora. But typically, Kirwan's tales focus on gritty New York City, touching on his experiences with heroin addiction, with getting paid to teach Cyndi Lauper how to dress, with sordid characters in low-rent districts and with nights out at the Bowery and CBGB's, where he crossed paths with the Talking Heads, Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Suicide and Television ("the best band on the Lower East Side"). Kirwan's tone occasionally becomes preachy, as when he laments the "institutionalized" and banal world of modern rock 'n' roll, and when he rails against "tawdry consumer-driven society," its short attention span and its disdain for complexity. But despite these defects, Kirwan's prose is often lively and always readable. He has wrought a refined tale of a raw existence, filled with colorful characters and vivid accounts of the sights and sounds of the New York club scene.
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Review

"Larry Kirwan is a rare being--a poet, a composer, a brilliant instrumentalist, a playwright, a lyricist, and now, a prose man. "Liverpool Fantasy is an amazing, nay, astounding, story of the Beatles had they taken other roads. The colorful language of the pubs and slums of Liverpool is captured here in this often hilarious, fast-paced, bittersweet odyssey. Don't try to put it down, you will be wasting great reading time."

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (February 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560256443
• ISBN-13: 978-1560256441
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #406,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Larry Kirwan is the leader of Black 47, the politically charged Irish-American rock band. He has written Liverpool Fantasy and Green Suede Shoes: An Irish American Odessey. His new novel, Rockin' The Bronx will be published in Feb. 2010. He has written ten plays, five of which are collected under the title, Mad Angels. He hosts Celtic Crush on SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio and writes a weekly column for the Irish Echo. For more information visit www.black47.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kirwan's Green Suede Shoes Shines!!, February 28, 2005

By 

Russ "KO Man" (Queens, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Suede Shoes: An Irish-American Odyssey (Paperback)

Larry Kirwan has been a fixture in NYC for over 20 years. He has plenty of stories to tell. He does that in his songs with his band Black '47. This book takes the songs even further along and really gets to the root of each song. This book starts off with Kirwans early days in Wexford. You will see how Kirwan was drawn into music at such an early age. Playing with showbands and his familys wide range of music has helped Kirwan to where he is at today. You also get to know how early on politics played in Kirwans life and still does to this day. This book tells the story of Bridie from Black '47's most known song "Funky Ceili". Should Kirwan have stayed and married her or was going to NYC to become a playwright the right move? Some of these songs that Kirwan have wrote have movie written all over them. Read about Gerty in "Czechoslovakia" and imagine this whole thing playing out on the big screen. There are also very touching moments throughout this book especially the relationships that Kirwan had with his family. When you are away you have so much time to think about your loved ones back home. This book tells the story of how Black '47 was formed and also some real funny stuff with co founding member of Black '47 Chris Byrne. Did you know that Black '47 once had the whole town of Hoboken closed down? This book also deals with pre and post 9/11. Kirwan goes very in deep talking about this tragedy. One of the most touching lines from this book was when Black '47 was performing a few weeks after 9/11. People would often bring pictures of loved ones that they lost and show them to Kirwan and ask them to sing that persons favorite song. Kirwan was hit with sorrow when he recognized the face and hit even harder when he did not. He felt that this person knew so much about him and the band, yet he didn't even know the face. Kirwan also touches on the late Father Mychal Judge and his trips to see the band. One of the saddest and greatest songs I have ever heard is "Mychal" and that song is really explained in this book. Tears, laughs and pure enjoyment make this book a must!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Irish-American Rock n Roll Memoir, March 15, 2005

By 

Paul J. Ditz (Shelby, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Green Suede Shoes: An Irish-American Odyssey (Paperback)

In his latest book, Larry Kirwin details the events of his life from growing up in sexually suppressed and religiously repressive Wexford, Ireland to becoming a playwright and rock musician in New York City in this moving, entertaining and informative memoir.

Filled with great and sometime hilarious stories of the many characters of his life, this book is hard to put down. In addition to slap your knees funny accounts such as when Larry and his uncle, a Catholic priest, venture into Northern Ireland with the purpose of converting the Rev. Ian Paisley, there are also very moving accounts of friends and relationships that have been lost. His accounts of witnessing the events of September 11 first hand will bring tears to the eyes of even the most jaded reader.

This book is of course a must for any Black 47 fan, as it provides deep insight into many favorite Black 47 songs. However, even for a casual fan or anyone who is interested in the music business, as it were, Green Suede Shoes provides an unique persepctive into the every day life of a rock and roll veteran, and done with much more sensitivity and lyricism than most run of the mill rock biographies you will find.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Green Suede Shoes:An Irish American Odyssey, March 12, 2005

By 

JAMES ODONNELL "Manus" (Jersey Shore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Green Suede Shoes: An Irish-American Odyssey (Paperback)

I throughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. Larry Kirwan takes us on a journey from his boyhood in Wexford ,Ireland in the late 50's and 60's,through the wild New York City of the 70's and 80's,to the formation of Black 47,which has been referred to as the "only rock band that really matters", and finally to the day that changed the lives of everyone in the United States. It's a 40 year odyssey and it has been one hell of a ride.

There are parts in this book that are laugh out loud funny and others that will bring a tear to your eye.

You don't have to be Irish or a Black 47 fan or even a rock 'n roll fan to enjoy this book.