Customer Reviews

Hound Dog: The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller autobiography reads like one of their records... great, intoxicating, and wishing it didn't end, and if there is a fault to the book, that is it. But, who can rate a book badly for leaving you with a taste for more?

Anyone who has listen to a radio in the last 50 years has certainly heard one of L&S's compositions. Their music is legendary and has become the staple of the music world.

L&S have written an interesting and factual presentation that gives you some great insight into their personalities, creative process, and the people they have associated with during the early years of R&R.

Their recollections of writing for Elvis Presley, their first association with Phil Spector, their partnership with Atlantic Records, and even their run-in with the Mafia are all interesting but disappointingly, too briefly told.

Undoubtedly a thoroughly researched biography would have further extended the tales regarding the two, but this book does an admirable job of giving the reader a feel for the early developments in the music industry, and the people associated with it. Generally, the book is easy and fun to read, especially if you have any interest in all in the founders of rock and roll. On the other hand, it leaves you with a feeling you are seeing a half-painted picture. You know there's more there.

The music legends Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller tell their own story with help from noted music writer David Ritz. The only fault with this book is that it is not two or three times as long. This is a quick but fascinating read that I regretted having finished so quickly (two sittings, purposely so, I didn't want to finish it in one). There is also an appendix of their chart hits (some, like Stand By Me, charted multiple times). Lots of great photos too (check out the one of Big Mama Thornton, who looks like she could tear the top of your head off). Of course, they were also mentors to some of the other great songwriting teams, like Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, amongst many others. Tales of the Coasters (who they said were their favorite artists to work with), the Drifters, Elvis, Peggy Lee, and many, many more.

I was lucky enough to attend their SRO signing event at the Grove in Los Angeles (although the staff seemed clueless as to their importance, they said they weren't expecting a big crowd - much to their surprise, well over 100 people showed up, including musician/writer Billy Vera). Both Jerry and Mike told great stories (prompted a bit by Mr. Ritz) and then signed books for a long time (I was fortunate enough to get my Coasters box set booklet signed as well). I (and the rest of the audience) could have listened all night, but there were all those books to sign (I think they sold out) and let's face it, they are 76 years old (born just a few weeks apart in 1933).

If you have any interest in rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and pop music, you will want to read their story. And of course, reading about these songs will make you want to play their 45's, LP's and CD's over and over. Their music is truly the soundtrack of America.

Long Live Lieber and Stoller!

This is an entertaining and hard-to-put-down autobiography of two legends in the music industry. The book is written like a long interview with Stoller and Leiber alternating sections as they relate the story of their rise in the music industry. I knew they were important to the music I listened to in the 60s, but I was still surprised at how much great music they had created and how many great artists they worked with. I especially was interested in the description of how they actually wrote the songs (I wonder if Lennon and McCartney, in the early days, worked similarly.) And getting an insider's look at how the music industry changed from R&B to Pop was truly illuminating. An extra bonus was the wealth of information about the famous people they worked with. (That Colonel Parker seems like snake.) f you grew up listening to their music, you'll want to read this book. If you are only briefly acquainted with their work, here's a chance to learn more. It's worth it.

2 "lucky" guys, now old authors, give us a wonderful history of rock n roll from their own experienees as memebers of the Rock n Roll and Song Writer's hall of Fames - their in both!
Elvis is this book in a big way; plus the Stones, james brown, peggy lee, the Coasters, and the Beatles. This is an enertaining book and demonstrates how much infulence black music had on the birth and progress of Rock n roll.
The dual wrote 11 hits for Elvis and called him the real thing.
this book will make a great documentary some day.
Love me tender,
love me true.

I thoroughly enjoy the music of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, especially from the 1950s with the Coasters and into the 1960 with The Drifters and the girl groups. Little did they know at the time that their music would become timeless. It did take me some time to get used to the format of the book. I've never read a book that goes back and forth with each individual taking turns speaking. I had to remind myself as to who was speaking as I read through the book. The book is a quick read with the part dealing with the post 1960s not as interesting to me. This is also the story of other great songwriting teams from the 1960s such as Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil from the days of The Brill Building. Hound Dog was to be sung by Big Mama Thornton, but it was an unknown named Elvis Presley who made it a hit. Leiber and Stoller did make it big with Smokey Joe's Cafe to top off their career. Their personal lives suffered throughout their careers as such a lifestyle would suggest. I found the book interesting, but I would strongly suggest you check out a DVD set entitled The Songmakers which is sold here on Amazon. It contains two DVDs of music from their era. In part it includes "The Hitmakers-The Teens Who Stole Pop Music" and "Words and Music by Leiber & Stoller." Both will provide you with an excellent presentation of the role of Leiber and Stoller in American music. This is an outstanding set. Check it out! You can thank me later.

Leiber and Stoller were two young white guys in the early fifties and had a passionate interest in black rhythm n blues which at the time was known as "race music" and was listened to by mainly African Americans on specifically black radio stations.
With their involvement with Elvis Presley for whom they wrote several of his seminal recordings and their work with the Coasters and the Drifters they were instrumental in bringing black music to the masses of white middle class American youth.
The lyrics to many of their songs displayed a sharp awareness of what was "cool" in the mid fifties and if you listen to those lyrics,e.g in "Yakety Yak" they are just as relevant over fifty years later as they were at the time.
Particularly liked the response of Mike Stoller to Colonel Tom Parker when he was trying to exert too much control and influence over their involvement with Presley, by telling him to go "...." himself. Not too many people would have said that to the Colonel.
For those people,like myself,who were raised on American rock n roll of the mid fifties, it represents a very insightful read with interesting anecdotes about many of the others in the music scene at that time
What I would give to have a couple of pints with these two guys!!

This is an informative, interesting book about the musical lives of Leiber and Stooler. Their joy and enthusiasm for music and each other is well communicated to the reader. I found the book well written in an unusual way: Each author takes turns writing from one paragraph to a few pages followed by the other author. After 20-25 pages I adjusted to this and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great information and fun to read. I learned a lot about the music I love.

This is my favorite style bio or autobiography....specific memories presented straight from the horses mouth so to speak. I really felt like I was sitting in a room listening to these two have a conversation about their lives and the book flew by....I give Mr Ritz credit as he is a very supportive co-author and most of the projects he involves himself with are high quality.

A fast-paced, entertaining dual-biography of two of the most significant innovators in the music industry who have had an impact on everyone from Alice Cooper to ZZ Top and then some.