Customer Reviews

Shang-A-Lang: Life as an International Pop Idol

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

 

 

OK, he wasn't my favorite Roller...but even I had to admit there was something about the devilish glint in Leslie McKeown's eye. His ego sometimes seemed bigger than the whole of Europe, so it's appropriate that he would be the Roller to come out with a book like this. I didn't know just how humble his beginnings were, and I have a lot more respect for him now. Leslie has a very natural, humorous style of writing and is a born storyteller. This kept me reading until I finished it in only 2 days. Even if you weren't a BCR fan, Leslie's book gives a good look into the realities of being a pop star in the 70s.

What an entertaining read! Les McKeown has been through a lot and shares it all in this book, which is at once hilarious, tragic, and eye-opening. He gives the inside scoop on his life as the frontman of the hysteria-inducing Bay City Rollers and beyond. Les shares the whole story with us - from his upbringing in Edinburgh, to his first forays into music, to teen idolatry in the Rollers, to the aftermath. His sense of humor remains intact and his take on life and his experiences is refreshing. He pulls no punches and seems like a pretty cool guy. Thanks for telling your story, Les!

If you're into pop bands, this is a must. Les knows what the reader wants: his life an adventures with the Bay City Rollers. And this is what you're going to get, tons of memories of fans, concerts and anecdotes of one of the more popular bands of the 70's. He got a big ego, but most of his rants are well argumented and I agree with him in a lot of his observations. Highly entertaining and recommended.

I was feeling nostalgic recently so I ordered this since the BCR were one of my favorite bands as a kid. Leslie was my favorite, although I was too young for real love, just puppy love. Still, I was wondering what he would have to say, and overall I was pleased with the book. It's an interesting, funny read for BCR fans and fans of 70s music. He had some really funny anecdotes and it was very enlightening to learn what went on behind the scenes. He describes how it was both exciting and scary to be chased by so many screaming girls. I think he downplays how Tam treated them; he has implied in other interviews being fearful of Tam and how big and scary he was. There were two things that bothered me about the book. One was the way he continually dumped on Eric. Les must have really, really disliked Eric at the time he wrote the book because Eric comes off pretty bad. He does give Eric some credit for some of the songs he wrote and also for apparently urging the other band members to pay more attention to the business side of music (advice which they all ignored). The other thing I didn't like was that, given his admission of what Tam did to him and his subsequent sexual behavior, Les comes off as anti-gay. It's rather hypocritical given he has admitted to being bisexual, whatever the circumstances. I understand he wasn't ready to admit to it at the time he wrote the book, but it just doesn't seem right that he implies things about the other guys while not stating what he knew about himself. But it must have been a hard thing to admit, so can't knock him too much. Oh, and I wish he had included more pics from their heyday, but other than that, it was entertaining to read the behind the scenes action. He can definately come across as arrogant and a brat, but still manages to be surprisingly sympathetic. You can feel the genuine love for his parents, and anyone who loves his folks that much can't be that bad.

Les takes you back to the 70's where you can re-live the Rollermania! days. This is a must read book!

I was broken up by the initial writings in the book regarding Les's childhood and that of his siblings. It makes me happy I live in the USA. Les was my favorite roller and learning about his ups and downs with Rollermania and Tam Paton was eye opening. I had no idea because after they split up I lost touch with him and the band. I am happy Les is putting his life back together and my heart bleeds for those young boys now men for what they went through in the name of success and the fight over their fortunes so rightfully deserved. They were and always will be my favorite band. I still listen to their cd's in the car and remember the happy times and the way they made me feel 35 years ago! This is a must read for any of Les's fans and I am looking forward to his new book release in 2011. Thank you Les for bringing the light back into my life.

It was wonderful perspective of what happened during those years from one of my favorite groups

I was a BIG BCR fan in the 70's. They were my first love. I was interested in reading about Les's life. I purchased this book to find out what it was like. However, after reading this. I will agree with others, it is basically a book indicating that the Rollers are owed monies. It does have great pictures in it. I will add this to my book collection, however, I most likely will not be re-reading this. I would love to purchase a book that Les could write regarding life as a Superstar. Even after all these years, they still are fascinating to me. Memories....

I thought the content was good but the language that was used was a little hard to get used to.