Rock Stars Do The Dumbest Things [Paperback]

Margaret Moser (Author), Bill Crawford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1998

Aerosmith. Elvis Presley. Michael Jackson. Nine Inch Nails. Ozzy Osbourne. U2. What do all of these artists have in common? They're rich and rowdy rock 'n' roll renegades whose wild stunts, dumb quotes, and out-of-control lifestyles are featured in Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things.

--Where else will you find an explanation (goodness knows, we need one) of the Spice Girls' fourteen and one-half minutes of fame straight from the mouths of babes--Baby Spice, that is? "We're like a religious cult."
--Or where will you learn Izzy Stradlin's (of Guns N' Roses) deep thoughts on the virtues of vomiting out of a bus going sixty-five miles an hour?
--And how live octopuses end up in a bathtub with Led Zepplin's female playmates?

Whether you're a Metallica or Madonna fan, you'll get plenty of jaw-dropping facts and anecdotes, along with biographical and career highlights of over eighty-eight raunchy rock 'n' rollers.

From current starts like Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love, to classic rockers like the Rolling Stones and the Eagles, Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things is proof that rock music is still crazy after all these years.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Margaret Moser is the senior editor of the Austin Chronicle and director if the Austin Music Awards. Bill Crawford, a pop-culture journalist, is the co-author of Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire. Both reside in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Renaissance Books (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580630235
• ISBN-13: 978-1580630238
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #581,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life mirrors Spinal Tap, September 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Rock Stars Do The Dumbest Things (Paperback)

This is a very funny book...Get two copies! I couldn't put it down, and when I did, someone else picked it up and walked away with it. Whether you love rock stars, or think they're dumb, you'll like this book and laugh alot. What *did* Ted Nugent do with that bowl of guacamole, or was it whipped cream?

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rock entertainment, lite, December 2, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rock Stars Do The Dumbest Things (Paperback)

With a title like "Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things," you'd expect it to be hundreds of pages long. But Moser and Crawford focus mainly on the dumbest of the dumb, the most bizarre antics of any celebs out there. It's a dopey bathroom book, but at least it delivers the goods.

In this book, the various "dumbest things" of various rock stars and groups are included, ranging from the "aging rock geezers" like Mick Jagger (who disappointed a pair of very imaginative groupies), the weird but lovable Ozzy Osbourne before his hit TV show (he is sick of being asked about the bat thing) and Aerosmith (Steven Tyler used to shoot nuns' livestock). There are guys who never were old enough to be aging rock geezers like Jim Morrison (who got attacked by a furious old lady who thought he had yelled "look at those t*ts" at her) and Keith Moon (who once danced naked on the Jaggers' table). There are the weirdos of yesterday who are still around (like Michael Jackson -- nuff zed). There are three out of the four Beatles. And there are bands and singers of today, such as Courtney Love (who punched her husband on first acquaintance), Oasis (they like to hit each other too), and Bjork (once destroyed a nightclub).

For each band or singer, there's not merely a listing of their idiotic stunts. Oh no. Their listings of greatest hits and/or movie roles are included, as well as stupid quotes ("If God wants me to become a woman, then a woman I will become" -- very deep, Mick; "I like Beethoven, especially the poems"). The tone is wry and witty.

There are some problems with this book. For one thing, some of the material is definitely of the urban legend variety. For another, they have a few weird choices, where you wonder why certain groups were excluded. And did Linda McCartney really do more dumb things than her famed hubby? I don't think so. And really, I'd classify the Spice Girls (anyone remember them?) as being pop rather than rock, although George Harrison's witty remark about them is immensely funny. (And their dumb quotes are even funnier. "Who's Hillary?").

Though far from perfect, "Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things" will make you glad to be... well, not a rock star. Amusing in a chicken-brained way, occasionally uproariously funny, and a good light read for fans of rock.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed, I cried!, October 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Rock Stars Do The Dumbest Things (Paperback)

Incredible collection of must-have information about the rock stars we all love and thought we knew. Awesome book to have at parties! And I thought The Monkees were a real band! I'm crushed!