Customer Reviews

Somebody to Love?: A Rock-and-Roll Memoir

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I read the book in two days and while it contained a few items of interest, I was disappointed in the lack of detail in many areas. I would have been really interested to hear Grace Slick talk about the Haight Ashbury days, how the Airplane dealt with the record company business, or the sessions and live appearances that led to some of their great songs. One would think that a woman whose songs were inspired by the likes of Lewis Carroll and James Joyce would have a deeper perspective than this book shows, but maybe not. I think a lot of the blame has to go to Andrea Cagan who most likely told her to make sure to tell her sexual experiences with famous rock stars if nothing else. In any case the editing should have been a lot better; the book is kind of a rambling mess. But for fans of Grace and the Airplane and '60s rock music in general, it's still an interesting read for all its faults.

Grace Slick was always one of the more quotable rock stars. Even well past the point where Rolling Stone would even consider giving one of her records (solo or with Jefferson Whatever...) anything remotely like a positive review, they'd still run little blurbs on her from time to time, usually with one or two "outrageous" quotes.

She could be counted on for that. Funny, sarcastic, but also endearingly self-deprecating, her take on the world in general and the absurdities of rock stardom in particular were always worth a look. Once when asked about all the attention she received as the sole female member of a six-"man" band, she pooh-poohed it all by saying, "Well, if you had five cows and a pig, you'd look at the pig, right?" Well, yeah, although Grace was scarcely a pig, and I don't know about how her bandmates may have felt about being called cows, but you get the idea.

Often described by people as an "ice queen"--at least by people who had never heard of Nico--Grace was actually pretty down to earth and anything but self-serious. On the other hand, her penchant for wisecracking and sheer outrageousness often detracted from her more reflective, artsy side. Her own compositions, with their often elliptical lyrics and exotic arrangements, hinted at an artistic ambition that was very real--if never fully realized. Still "rejoyce," "Two Heads" and "Hyperdrive" remain real dazzlers, suggesting that if Grace had been less given to epataying the old bourgeoisie (and ribbing the counter-culture too, much to her credit) she might have pulled off something even more remarkable than what she (with and without her various bands) actually did achieve.

The book is, for the most part, a fun breezy read, the funny, quotable, outrageous Grace. No, it's not all it might have been, but it was pretty much what I expected. This is one of those odd books, where you suspect that the narrator's apparent "frankness" actually serves as a kind of defense. Don't let's dig too deep, God forbid. One can read between the lines a bit, especially in the brief early chapters that describe her childhood and adolescence, and maybe conclude that there are some conflicts there above and beyond what she's willing to reveal. And well, that's OK. Really, most of us are not THAT nosey. But the tone is an odd juxtaposition of self-disclosure and self-protectiveness. "Odd"--but not really all that surprising. Honesty--or as we said in the 60s, "righteousness"--was a counter-cultural value, but you couldn't get too "corny" about the whole thing either.

I could have done without another re-hashing of the "plot to dose Nixon" co-starring Abbie Hoffman. Despite Grace's protestations to the contrary, I don't believe she ever intended to get any further than the White House gate--you don't bring Hoffman as your escort if you really want to get in and wreak a little psychedelic havoc on the President of the United States. It's a wild tale, but it was more theater and self-mythologizing than anything else.

Nor do I particularly care about the Jim Morrison episode (the strawberry jam session). It seemed like a pretty meaningless encounter for both participants, but someone (co-writer Andrea Cagan, perhaps?) must have thought it merited a chapter of its own. It's disappointing that this kind of tale-telling is given more focus than on the music itself. In one revealing passage, Slick talks about her compulsion to be as well rehearsed as possible. That kind of professionalism may seem antithetical to "hippie" ideals of spontaneity and improvisation. But that was one of the little contradictions that made Slick a compelling figure to begin with. Too bad that same level of care didn't really make it into the autobiography.

Now that it's available as a paperback (or as a remaindered cloth-bound edition), the book is well worth picking up--for curiousity seekers as well as fans. Enough of the quotable Grace is there. The mysterioso, orphic Grace is missing in action though. Too bad in a way.

I have loved Grace Slick for such a long time that when this memoir first came out, I immediately bought it and read it with much glee. It is just what I expected from her and I am not disappointed at all. In fact, I am a little surprised, but not really shocked, that many did not give it better ratings. I wanted to learn more about Grace and her viewpoints and she was more than generous with her humour, wit and outlook. Honest too. What I love about Grace is the way she followed her own outlook on things. She side-stepped being defined by others and really didn't care too much about what others thought of her. In this.... she will have my love and admiration forever. True...... she didn't go deep into the personalities of the 60's icons much. She didn't give much insight into her songs and what they meant. What true artist does? But, she IS a hoot - and I bought the book because she is such a character. In fact..... I was so enamoured with this book that I wrote her publisher to say how much I enjoyed it. A few months later, I received an 8X10 signed glossy in the mail from her - postage due of course. I laughed. "That's my Grace" I thought.
If you people out there can put your egos and expectations on the shelf and read this expose from a true 60's San Francisco survivor, I think you will find many things to like. Leave your morality, your preconceived notions and your judgemental placards at the door. After all, this is Grace's world - not yours. And, thank-you Grace for all those great tunes. I still listen. And thanks for just being yourself.

Bad review title aside, I really had a lot of misconceptions about the former female vocalist of Jefferson Airplane/Starship until deciding to read this book. I know that some autobiographies can be very disappointing, or you know far more than you ever wanted to know ad nauseum about some entertainers. Grace tells you exactly what you'd expect, and then some without overdoing it. It's a fun read all about her wild, free-spirited past, and her ability to move on with her life without having any regrets about it. She reveals a strong person who is funny, tells it like it is, and is bluntly honest if often self-deprecating. If she wasn't readers would probably come to dispise her attitude as so many who read Bebe Buell's book did.

Written in a conversational style as if she is sitting down in the same room talking to you, it is a comfy and candid read that never ceases to entertain and, quite honestly, is very surprising in that she can remember so much about her younger days! I guess she had her act more together than the press ever gave her credit for, plus she has gotten past all that to being a bright, funny, mature woman who has her act tightly together, so look who's having the last laugh. Right on, Grace!

I'm glad Grace wrote this autobiography; she truly is a unique woman and her book attests to it. "Somebody to Love?" is an easy and fast read filled with humor, wit, and honesty. Even though Grace is best known as a rock diva of the 1960's I like that she writes in equal portion about the 70's and 80's as well as the 60's. (Her entire life isn't centered around Jefferson Airplane and the 60's.) Reading this book, it's as if she has written it to you personally; it's like she's just come over to your house and plops down on the sofa, kicks up her heels on the coffee table, and tells you her life story. Grace is not only outrageous, but intelligent as well. She's nobody's fool and she'll let you know it. She has attitude and chutzpah, and that's what I love about her. What's more, Grace is candid in her autobiography with everything, good and bad.

I learned a few things about her that I never knew, such as her fling with Jim Morrison (what heterosexual woman in her right mind wouldn't have wanted a fling with Morrison?), her bout with alcoholism, and her childhood (it was surprisingly normal).

Grace has had her share of ups and downs, and through it all she remains true to herself and others. Although she knocks her age and body, I think she looks fantastic! And her smile still says it all. She is a testament of perseverance. Grace, you go girl!!

As an avid reader of all things dealing with the music industry, both artistic and business oriented, I have seen many different ways of describing the turbulent lifestyles of the stars. While I know some people criticize this book for not going into enough depth regarding the recording process, or the business relationships the band was involved in, I think these people are being a little unfair to Grace. Let's face it, people intimately involved in situations are usually the least likely to give you an in-depth analysis of that situation. Consider the following: Parent: What did you do in school today? Child: Nothing.

An outside observer could likely make a huge list of all of the child's accomplishments, and talk about the development of social skills, intelligence, and creativity. But to the child, it was just another day spent trying not to get picked on by the bully.

What does strike me about this book is how unfazed by her success Grace has managed to be. While too many stars from that era still pretend they are still IN that era (see also, her bandmates!) she is much more in tough with reality. This book seems to focus, in its own way, on how that came to be. I loved it.

And it is a really quick read too.

Grace Slick has been renowned as the acid queen, and the original rock beauty. This book is straight from the recollections of Grace herself, and it is probably not what the fans exactly expected. More of an oral biography, which jumps from one time period of her life to a completely different time within each chapter, Grace reminisces on her thoughts and feelings about her childhood, the tumultuous 60s, and her faults of the 70s. I enjoyed this book because Grace told no lies, and really has forgotten most of her past, or was too high at the time to recall. This goes back to what Grace has always claimed, that in the 60s, if you can remember it, then you probably weren't there. It is a reminder that the 60s are not really a time that we really would like to relive, which shoots down a lot of false preconceptions that the world was undergoing a wave of love, and all times were high and happy. Overall, if you are a die-hard Slick fan, this book is not a complete chronological story like other books that have been written about characters like the deceased: Morrison, Hendrix, and Joplin, but is a book worth the time.

Grace Slick is a great musical figure who came out the convergence of San Francisco rock and roll of the 60's. The Airplane led the peak, for a spell, of the Haight-Ashbury sound tidal wave that included the Greatful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Country Joe and the Fish. Acid Heads attending concerts at Avalon or Fillmore would time their trips to be peaking just as the Airplane took the stage. That is the Grace Slick many of us remember. In the book we hear about Slick's various sexual encounters with other Rock Stars and members of the Airplane and accounts of who is the best endowed. Her account of her almost first and only Lesbian encounter was especially revealing. Slick is candid at times about a lot of things and a little confusing at the same time. We also read about her life-long opulent life style and her elegant homes in St. Francis Woods -SF, Seacliff -SF, Marin County, and in Southern Cal. The account of the loss to fire of the Marin house was especially tragic and moving. Slick's account at Woodstock was well done but the Airplane did not play like they could have to be included in the Woodstock movie - they did not have a dynamic set as did Santana, Hendrix, The Who, Crosby, Stills, and Nash and others. Especially interesting is Slick's decision to retire as a rock and roll champ as age has set in - she did not like the feel of being a middle aged rock star. Fortunately she could afford to do it. If anything Slick's book will be added to the category on San Francisco History and will be of some value to scholars researching life in San Francisco in the 60's - they may find some of the things Slick talks about very interesting indeed.

The incomparable Grace Slick lets loose with an in-your-face frank, raunchy, intelligent, extremely funny, and riveting account of life as THE psychedelic rock goddess and queen of the San Francisco hippie movement. Gargantuan doses of sex, drugs, rock, and cop clashes mix well with Slick's wonderful flair for putting the reader right there - front row center...and that's some mighty interesting/intense places to be. Great anecdotes and portraits of Woodstock, Altamont, Abbie Hoffman (and THAT plan to drop Pres. Nixon acid at a White House tea party!!!) Morrison, Hendrix, Janis, The Grateful Dead, and even Jill St. John! In addition to presenting the music and ideals of an era, it's also a fascinating account of a VERY strong woman coming into her own, adapting her priorities, and shifting focus as she ages. Treat yourself to an incredible slice of life!!!

Fantastic, fun, and witty. This book is a fast read, full of short and enjoyable stories and anecdotes. Even the "lessons of life" were comical yet educational. You do not have to be a fan of Jefferson Airplane or to even have lived through the 60s to appreciate the contents of this book or the strong woman who lived and later compiled the stories covered in this book.