Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top [Hardcover]

Joey Kramer (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 30, 2009

In 1997, amid Aerosmith's sold-out world tour and number one album release, word about Joey's troubles was reported in the press.Despite the advice he had received to play it down, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey—who has been the drummer in Aerosmith since it was founded in 1970 and is the first member of the band to release his own book—now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity.

This is not just another rock 'n' roll memoir. In addition to the never-before-told Aerosmith war stories that abound in the book, Hit Hard unpacks the history of a rock star who was both fragile and tough, who after years of insane wildness became willing to accept help and finally kick a serious alcohol and drug addiction, only to find that the real terrors and hard work were still ahead. It's the story of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. It's about years of depression and the nervous breakdown at the height of the band's comeback success. Ultimately, Hit Hard is about how Joey recognized his confusion between love and abuse, awakening to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that make relationships possible in the "real world" as a member of the biggest band in American history.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Being a rock star in the music business oftentimes is not all it's cracked up to be, as Aerosmith drummer Kramer aptly shares in his memoir. Much of the story centers on his drug and alcohol abuse, and his love/hate relationship with his father, his wife and bandmember Steven Tyler. He delves sporadically into the discovery of his own musicianship and creation of his sound, but the main theme is recovery—as an addict and again as a sober but emotionally unhealed man who suffers a nervous breakdown: I felt like someone was peeling back my skin, ripping off scar tissue. Having been with Aerosmith since its inception and naming the band himself, Kramer recounts climbing to the top of the musical ladder, the fall from grace and virtual disappearance of the band to the climb back up, but this is not an autobiography of the band. It's a sideman taking front and center. If sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll' is what you want, it's what you'll get in these photo-laden pages. Although the tale is a predictable one, Kramer's style is honest, straightforward and pulls no punches. (July)
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Review

“If ‘sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll’ is what you want, it’s what you’ll get in these photo-laden pages. Kramer’s style is honest, straightforward and pulls no punches.” (Publishers Weekly)

“I love this book; this is an important book, because it’s not bullshit. Joey had the balls to see what underneath the hood, and to fix it. Being a rock star was easy compared to that.” (—From the Foreword by NIKKI SIXX, author of The Heroin Diaries) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; Fourth Edition edition (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061566608
• ISBN-13: 978-0061566608
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joey Kramer is the legendary drummer with the most successful band in American history: Aerosmith. Since 1970 he and his partners have sold over 150 million albums, and today their multigenerational, global audience is bigger than ever. In addition to the Grammys and the twenty-one multiplatinum albums, Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and they are the subject of several documentaries, including a film dedicated to Joey and his lasting influence, called It's About Time. Joey lives south of Boston, Massachusetts.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most honest, painful memoirs I have ever read. June 30, 2009

By Laura VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I don't know exactly what I expected when I began to read "Hit Hard," Joey Kramer's "Story of Hitting Rock Bottom from the Top." As an avid Aerosmith fan, I assumed there would be a fair dose of fascinating Aerosmith history, including various tales of overindulgence in sex, drugs and whatever else comes with being a huge rock star. While the book does not disappoint in that respect, it is so much more. No question Joey is an interesting guy who seemed to have had a great life, but you would have no idea how truly difficult his life was, or how real and honest he is, until you read this book.

I never knew very much about Joey Kramer personally, as other band members tend to take center stage and news about the band is often news about them. He is obviously an incredibly talented drummer, who carries the band forward in a hard rocking style that is pretty much unmatched by any other band I have ever heard. In live performances by Aerosmith, you can't fail to notice how central Joey's role is: every band member at one time or another gravitates over to stand by Joey, as if to more closely connect to the center of the band's power. But other than knowing that Joey, as all the other "bad boys" of Aerosmith, had abused drugs and alcohol, that he was responsible for the band's name, and seemed to have been married forever to his lovely wife April, I knew virtually nothing about his backgound or his life.

The book begins with a stunning foreward by Nikki Sixx (whose own recent memoir, "Heroin Diaries," was as raw and painful as it gets), which helps to prepare one emotionally for what is to follow.... What you learn from the outset is that Joey Kramer's life has been plagued by demons -- primarily the abuse he suffered at his father's hands -- which has tainted the most important relationships in his life, and caused him to avoid rather than deal with important emotions like anger and hurt. While Joey focused on and hid in his music, and numbed himself with drugs and alcohol, these feelings -- of inadequacy and resentment -- were continuously "stuffed down" until they finally exploded and Joey experienced a crippling "nervous breakdown." Joey talks openly and honestly about his journey back from this abyss, and how incredibly difficult it was for him to fully accept and feel good about himself again.

It is impossible not to be affected by Joey's story. I cried when I read Joey's account of finally losing the father who he clearly loved so dearly, but who had done so much emotional damage to him, and how he ultimately dealt with that loss. The road back for Joey has been long and not without potholes. I cried again when I realized that the story was not going to end with Joey and April Kramer walking off into the sunset as a healed and emotionally healthy couple. While I am sad for that loss, I am happy that Joey has found a new relationship in which he feels more grounded and complete.

The most touching aspect of this story, for me, is the courage it took for Joey to face his demons, to deal with them, and to emerge a stronger, healthier person. If that were not enough, he has told his story with honesty and grace, and I believe he really did this to try to help others who may feel that, once you are as far down as he was, there is no coming back. Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "It`s a dark place when you`re thinking, This f***ing sucks. I can`t stand it anymore. I`m done. "-Joey Kramer July 25, 2010

By Tommy Sixx Morais

Format:Hardcover

Before I read "Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top" I always thought of Joey Kramer as the drummer of the band Aerosmith and I didn`t think much more of him, his bandmates Steven Tyler and Joe Perry always got the attention so Kramer was never really in the spotlight. He was pretty much just there and we rarely heard anything about him. When Kramer`s biography came out in 2009 I read it out of curiosity, wanting to learn more about Joey and read what his life was like. I was shocked at how hard and painful his life must have been, I just assumed he was happy because he looked happy, it wasn`t necessarily the case. Kramer has been emotionally troubled since he was a child and for a long time lived a life of addiction and lies. He`s a rockstar today but underneath the success, recognition and fame was a sad and miserable clown still affected by the emotional and physical damage his family and more specifically his father did to him as a child and a teenager. Kramer will be the first to admit that he didn`t know how to deal with his problems so he hid them in drugs and alcohol for most of his life. Hit Hard is an interesting story and Joey had a lot of courage just writing this book, as Motley Crue`s Nikki Sixx said "Joey had the balls to see what`s underneath the hood and fix it. Being a rockstar was easy compared to that".

Kramer goes into important events of his life and how they affected him. He talks about his childhood and the abuse he suffered at the hands of his dad, his teenage years when he discovered music, girls, alcohol and drugs and drumming. Then he goes into the relationships he had with various people and how he left home as a teenager, went to College in Boston became the drummer for Aerosmith and made it big.... There`s also the rehabs and what I`d call "emotional rehabs" because he was so troubled later on in his life he couldn`t do much but cry. There`s also happier moments like when he had success with Aerosmith and albums like "Toys In The Attic", "Rocks" and "Get A Grip" or when he met his future wife April. Yet mostly the story reads like one terrible event after another, for example Joe Perry quit Aerosmith and it wasn`t the same, Joey`s house burned down, he suffered from depression, his father died... But in the end it`s a happy ending, Kramer`s life experiences have made him a better and stronger person today which he acknowledges in the book.

Hit Hard is more about Joey Krammer the man and less about Joey Kramer the guy from Aerosmith, there are parts where he writes about the band and the music but it`s mostly about one man`s goal; accepting himself and not always having to please others in order to feel good. Because of the physical abuse he suffered from his father, Mickey Kramer, Joey led a troubled life and was never an entirely secure person. It`s almost as if his relationship with his father blocked some aspects of his life, it plays a big role in the book. Joey tells us all what he`s been trough and how he finally came to accept himself and forgave his father for all the harm he did. It`s fantastic to see that Kramer saw the light after going through terrible things. He also tells us about his sometimes difficult relationship with Steven Tallarico (Tyler) and how he often saw him as his father in certain ways. One thing I appreciated of Joey was that he never blamed anyone for anything and never said "he did this, he`s that, I hate him...." in the book and it made for a much better reading experience.

Hit Hard is an excellent rock`n`roll biography, it tells a great and captivating story that`s worth reading. Kramer`s book didn`t change my life but it certainly changed some of my perspectives on life and gave me something to talk about. If you`re an Aerosmith fan it`s definitely a book you`ll want to read, for others it`s still a great book. If you`re looking for more Aerosmith content you will be deceived, buy Walk This Way instead, however if you`re curious like I was buy this one you won`t be deceived. No pain, no gain, that`s the story of Aerosmith`s Joey Kramer. 4 and a half stars. Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Joey Kramer January 26, 2011

By Garyzeppelin2003

Format:Paperback

I listened to this on audio book that I checked out of my local library. One thing I learned is, Joey Kramer and Aerosmith deserve every bit of success that they have.

Somewhere on the first CD he says something like "The difference between me and every other guy that wanted to do this is, I was committed to doing whatever it takes." (to become a successful musician) By the way, the audio book has a narrator. It's not Joey Kramer's voice.

The other thing I learned is, Aerosmith did what they did for the 'right reasons'. Their primary focus was on the music they love to play and sharing that with other people. It wasn't on fortune and fame or money.

Most of this book isn't about Aerosmith; it's about Joey Kramer and his dealing with his family and bandmates, his depression and his drug use, and learning to deal with himself. I learned a lot about myself from listening to this book and looking at key issues in my own life.

You don't have to be an Aerosmith or even a music fan to get something out of this book. You could be dealing with depression, abusive behavior, codependency or drug addiction.

It's the type of thing that needs to be shared because countless human beings are facing the same issues and I'm glad Joey Kramer put this forth for everyone to read.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hit Hard.....Hit home July 26, 2009

By Steve A

Format:Hardcover

This book really made me see things about myself that I didn't realize until I read it. I think Joey did a great justice to himself and others by writing it. I must admit that had he not been a member of Aerosmith I most likely would not have read it. Aerosmith has always been my favorite group and I enjoy learning things about them. Well, I did learn a lot about Joey and them and myself. Joey and I have some things in common and the way he explained them was so insightful that it prevented me from putting the book down at times.
I think a lot of people will be able to relate to his story, except for the fame and money, of course. Growing up in the 50's and 60's was a LOT tougher than it is today and Joey was a good example of that. Actions spoke louder than words when it came to discipline. His father's treatment of him had a huge impact on his life. Some parents don't realize the effects their actions have on their kids. Tough love hurts. Parents should read this as a 'how not to raise your kids' kind of book.
I'm glad Joey lived to tell his story. The drugs and alcohol were out of control and could have taken his life. Not many people-especially rock stars- live to say they've been to the edge and returned with a mission. I sincerely commend Joey for expressing all of his emotions and sharing his rocky life with us. Fame and money are nothing compared to happiness and sanity. Joey seems to have found his and if not, he's definitely on his way. Maybe he'll have a follow up book to tell us.
Don't expect a lot about the band itself. This is Joey's story and how his life affected the band and vice versa. If you want to know about the band itself, read 'Walk This Way'. Another good read.