Perry Farrell: The Saga of a Hypester (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For Perry Farrell fans who have read all the articles about him, there isn't any new ground covered in Thompson's account. There are no true confessions here: no pulling back the curtain to find out who the real wizard is. Thompson (Red Hot Chili Peppers) chronicles Farrell's life from his boyhood in Flushing, Queens, to his adolescence in Miami and onward to Los Angeles. This is where he forms his first band, Psi Com, before finding his first fame, with Jane's Addiction. It's obvious that Thompson considers Farrell a man of genius, but the evidence offered only points to a genius for self-promotion. We never get inside Farrell's head, or even close. Thompson has pieced together things that may or may not be true, because Farrell is the first to admit he's lied in interviews. Thompson can't really do any more than scratch the surface of so secretive and ambiguous a person. Even after finishing Thompson's biography, Perry Farrell remains a mystery: which, if the book is any indication, is the way Farrell wants it. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Rock'n'roll biographies are generally lightweight fare, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that. This one, however, commits the cardinal sin of taking far too seriously an artist who, taken on the evidence the book itself provides, is only a marginally talented musician with an outsized ego. Farrell came to prominence in the late 1980s as the leader of the successful, if derivative, Jane's Addiction and as the organizing force behind Lollapalooza, an itinerant and highly successful alternative-rock package show. As a publicist and an impresario, then, Farrell is clearly gifted. As a thinker and social commentator, however, he is sadly lacking?a fact that author Thompson (Depeche Mode, St. Martin's, 1994) appears to miss completely. Nowhere does the author make a serious attempt to evaluate or analyze Farrell's music, and rarely does he offer any challenge to Farrell's assertions or offer any contrasting perspective. Thompson's writing is not only painfully uncritical; it is also shot through with hysterically funny malapropisms and tortured syntax. Not recommeded. (Photos not seen.)?Rick Anderson, Contoocook, N.H.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (September 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312135858
• ISBN-13: 978-0312135850
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,889,679 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It could have been better..., September 15, 1999

By A Customer

I give Dave Thompson a thumbs up for writing a book on Perry Farrell. However, this book was hardly on Perry as a person, it was only about his life which the average Joe could have found out on the streets. There are MANY errors in this book and I only wished that he would have TALKED to Perry about the contents of the book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An overview and description of an enigmatic figure, November 30, 1998

By	K. Johnson (US/Asia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I like to numerous kinds of biographies a lot and purchased Dave Thompson's story of Perry Farrel because he always seemed unique and misterious. And I have always liked his lyrics and music when he performed with Jane's and Porno for Pyros. I like to hear the story behind the person at personal and proffesional levels. Not just the "how" but the "why." Thompson covered enough ground for me and there were interesting tid-bits about Perry and his bandmates. Thompson uses a little bit of "hypster hyperbole" but in a way he has to write in this fashion to appeal to the people that may be interested in Farrel enough to buy this book. I liked the musical, economic and personal side he wrote of. Now I see him as less enigmatic but certainly just as interesting. This is a good quick read. I hope Thompson does some coverage of some of those rock n' roll personas that present mysterious images like that of farrel. There are plenty.

2.0 out of 5 stars disappointed in book as a whole, September 19, 2001

By	nicole newman (denton, tx United States) - See all my reviews

for someone that has read the majority of magazine articles about perry ferrell and jane's addiction, watched "soul kiss" and "the gift" multiple times, owns many rare and live cds, and psi com's ep, i didn't learn anything new about one of the greatest rockers ever. the auther wrote the book in an attempt to be "tradgically hip" instead of delving into the life of his subject. though some of the knowledge he has of what bands jane's addiction were up against and/or playing with was interesting, i felt the author got off the track of what was important to the reader: the life of perry ferrell as a person, and an artist. after reading the book i immediatly came to this site to find another biography about perry that i might actually enjoy. no such luck. danny sugarman, are you interested at all?