Customer Reviews

Stoned

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

 

 

I rented this book from my local library after taking notice of the photo on the cover. I love reading biographies and reading about history (and learning how it shapes todays world), and this book seemed to promise both. The format of the book is in a sort of diary/interview format, with paragraphs from other people interjected into Andrew's story. I thought this would disrupt the flow of the book, but it really turned out to work great and it was a smooth, interesting read. It takes until the last fourth or so of the book before he discovers the Rolling Stones, but his life leading up to that point is really the main focus, and what a life. He shows us England when rock and roll started to take shape, he talks about the stars that just started out that are huge now, and he gives us a behind-the-scenes look of the work it took to make it big there, which he did all by the time he was 20 years old. There are some black and white photos through out the book, and it does end pretty abruptly(once it gets to the point that the stones make it big), so I imagine there's another book out there that picks up where this one left off. Other than that, if you're a fan of 60's culture, early rock 'n' roll, and rebelious youth, this is a book for you.

First person account of the career of one who everyone agrees thrived at making a shocking impression. . . . And he was an expert at that well before he found people like Mick and Keith who were only too willing and able to help him act out on a global scale (while pocketing wads and wads of hard earned cash.) Oldham also slyly interweaves brief narratives from intimates, accomplices, and fellow travelers to make the book an easy and enjoyable read. If you are a fan of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, you probably would value Andrew's slant of how those groups changed the music industry with the help of hustlers like the protagonist.

He's cleaned up from drugs and alcohol, but other than that he's still an irrepressible promoter/scene stealer who recently wrangled a deal to make a mini-series out of this book and it's companion volume. This book only takes him up to the Rolling Stones' at the brink of superstardom.

(I had to read this book after I spent the summer listening to his morning DJ gig in Little Steven's Underground Radio on Sirius/XM.)

To Say Andrew Loog Oldham is "one of a kind" is far too little praise for a man who help create the image and market the world's greatest rock n roll band (of which I have been a fan for 45 years years).ALO was brash, bold and truly original, making it up as he went along to incredible success at age 19 (no it's not a typo). He created the school of "fake it til you make it" and was wildly successful in doing so. His writing is fun, hip and I especially liked the way he weaves in varied music titles or song refrains in his sentences as well as his sartorial references. Seems he as much as anyone made London gound zero for the swingin' British music scene. If you are a music lover of the mid-60's and fan of the British invasion, you'll be entertained. I can still see his name on the burgundy record labels of the Stones' London records that I spun and spun so long ago.

Oldham's writing style is unbearable, unreadable and unfollowable. I'm sure he has fascinating stories to tell but I thought I was reading a "J. Petterman" catalog. His sense of narrative truly creates drivel.

What was the editor thinking here? This is waaaaay too pretentious of a writing style.

How can you be manager of the Rolling Stones during their heyday and write a book about it and still have it be boring?!?! Easy, include lengthy descriptions on each page about what trousers you were wearing that day and talk more about French movies that you attended while you were 14 instead of focusing on the only topic that anyone wants to hear about... the ROLLING STONES. Honestly, I made it through both volumes of this drivel and you could put most of the interesting parts in a long magazine article. Makes Bill Wyman's monotone snoozefest seem like a riveting John Grisham novel. I can't wait 'til Keith's book comes out!!