So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful Of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life [Hardcover]

Jacob Slichter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2004

A hilarious inside look at the real business of popular music by the drummer of Semisonic that does for rock and roll what Jim Bouton's Ball Four did for baseball.

After years of working day jobs and making music in his basement, Jacob Slichter wondered if his dreams of rock stardom were a vain illusion. Then he was recruited by two of his successful musician friends to form a band that became Semisonic. Who could forget the smash single “Closing Time,” a runaway hit in 1998 that thrust Jake and his bandmates into the international spotlight and helped them sell over two million albums worldwide? But along the road to fame and success came bewilderment and personal chaos: How will we ever get a record deal? Which record company is the best? The worst? Do I really have to wear these ridiculous boots? Why isn’t radio playing our song? What if I have a panic attack right here on stage? What should I write on this fan’s CD? Am I famous? Why isn’t the video director getting more shots of me? Did I say the wrong thing during that interview? Help!

So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star is a telling and witty look at what happens just before and during one's time in the spotlight. Jake takes readers on a step-by-step journey of his evolution from fledgling drummer to globetrotting performer and proves to be the perfect guide—feisty and humbled—to the inner workings of the music industry and instant celebrity. So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star speaks to all of us who dream again and again of rock superstardom and shows how one kid can go from picking up a pair of drumsticks to picking up a platinum record.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Slichter's bittersweet recollections of Semisonic's rise from unassuming Minnesota trio to international rock stars navigates through the strange and uncomfortable worlds of the music business, fame and constant worry. Taken from his tour journals as the band's drummer, Slichter's insights alternate between funny and poignant as they peel back the curtain on a lifestyle that most people consider luxurious and carefree, but that is actually mentally and physically taxing. Slichter quickly learns that all the bills, from dinner to the cost of making a record, go to the artist while most of the profits go to the record label. He also finds out that the existence of profits depends on the suits at the record company picking the right song to release, a fickle radio station program director deciding to play it and MTV deeming the video cool enough to air. All this pressure to simultaneously create music and make business decisions takes such a toll on Slichter that he becomes more focused on album sales than on the fun of playing drums. Even when the band does hit it big with "Closing Time" and their 15 minutes of fame start ticking away, Slichter and his band mates Dan Wilson and John Munson never seem at home in the spotlight. But Slichter's uneasiness makes for interesting tales, like being starstruck at the Grammys or his lacking the ability to rein in his celebrity personality, which causes him to talk in sound bites. Thanks to Slichter's good-natured presentation, these stories and Slichter's work as a whole, despite their rock star origins, are surprisingly easy to relate to.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“If I was nineteen again and lusted after the game of music, this book would be my guide and charm.”
—Andrew Loog Oldham, former manager of the Rolling Stones

“Still wondering what your college band coulda been? This giddy, can-you-believe-my-luck book is for you.” —Time Out New York

“Slichter’s most impressive attribute is his unfailing enthusiasm for his craft and for music in general.” —James McMurtry, The New York Times Book Review

“[Jacob Slichter] is a self-effacing, good-humored, and intelligent guide through the musical maze…. Few first-person memoirs of the rock biz are as smart, honest, and entertaining as this tart, incisive work.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1st ed edition (June 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767914708
• ISBN-13: 978-0767914703
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,007,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't want to get to "closing time", July 18, 2004

By 

R. Banfield "Becky Banfield" (Downers Grove, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful Of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life (Hardcover)

Like most music fans, I knew "Closing Time" but not any other Semisonic songs. Having read this book, I now understand why. Slichter's clear explanations of the machinations of the music industry (percentage points, independent promoters, Soundscan A&R guys) gave me great insight into what actually goes on behind the scenes of our favorite songs. He chronicles the signing process, the video making process, and what it's like to go on tour (even down to a detailed explanation of the tour bus) and why some songs "hit" and some miss. The book is neither gossipy (he meets Prince but doesn't give lots of details) or boring - Slichter is a Harvard graduate and writes very well. I wish he had given us an epilogue, telling what he and his bandmates are doing now, and what happened to Coco. It also would have been fun to see a "money count" detailing just how much was spent on the band and how much they actually made back. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in going into the music business.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading Before Starting In The Music Biz, August 22, 2004

By 

D. Sean Brickell (gorgeous Virginia Beach, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful Of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life (Hardcover)

Let me testify about the truth, humor, and saddness. Having worked promotions for a two well-known international record labels, Mr. Slichter's brilliant book is no fantasy but a realistic explanation of the music biz. His observations are spot-on about radio, recording, promotions, merchandising, retail, concert promoters, and fans.

The book should be required reading for any band hoping to get a record deal. Chances are they won't make a lot of money, but they sure-as-hell will spend a lot. And the expenses aren't even for the supposedly fun things like 5-star hotels, private Gulfstream jets, vintage Cristel and parties with supermodels. Oh no, the cash flows out to independent promotions, recording costs, and dozens of other "necessities."

The book shows how a band can "ship" millions of "units" (as opposed to selling records) and still wind up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mr. Slichter also proves something about the wisdom of everyone in the recording process. If they actually knew how to score a hit, every song would be one. Truth: there is no real formula for a hit record, and even less of one to determine which songs really sell at retail once they do manage to get on radio, MTV or VH1.

Touring for a starting band can be a grisly existence. What we have here is a handbook for survival -- or at least an outline of how to cope with life on the road during a band's early days. Every band that gets a record contract probably imagines it'll be the next Led Zeppelin once the tour dates and cash start adding up. Surprize!

Mr. Slichter ought to be remembered far longer for his book than for any of his notable accomplishments in Semisonic. He's witty. He's accurate. He's definitely been there.

Most of all, Mr. Slichter's highly readable. Stylistically imagine a kinder and gentler Hunter S. Thompson, one who can write about life's wicked twists and ugly personalities without the vengence and vitriol.

Long live rock! Long live Jacob Slichter!!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, Amusing, December 13, 2004

By 

Michael P Mccullough "moik" (Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star: How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful Of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life (Hardcover)

I had heard the author speaking on NPR and was glad when my brother gave me this book.

Jake Slichter is erudite (how many rock drummers are Harvard graduates?) and has a real knack for telling interesting stories. He is a true writer: a shy, sensitive individual who might not have said the right thing at the party but can go home afterwards and write well about the situation.

The story of Semisonic's semi-rise and semi-decline is a compelling story, and the behind the scenes look into the mainstream music industry is amazing. And not only that it has actually made me appreciate music more - ever since I've read this book I pay a lot more attention to the drumming while listening to rock music!