Becoming Almost Famous: My Back Pages in Music, Writing and Life (Book) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I joined Rolling Stone as an editor and writer in May 1969, in time to contribute to its thirty-third issue..." (more)
Key Phrases: San Francisco, Rolling Stone, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This collection of favorite articles from Ben Fong-Torres features a slew of entertaining and informative music and pop-culture pieces on topics including Paul McCartney, groupies of the '80s, Al Green, the Summer of Love, the Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Cheech and Chong, Lou Reed, and Steve Martin. The book also features personal essays about what it was like for Fong-Torres to grow up Asian-American and his interest in radio broadcasting. Through insightful introductions for every article, Fong-Torres offers a backstage view of the writing and editing process, from getting an assignment and developing an idea to an article’s completion in printed form.

Product Details

• Paperback: 249 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087930880X
• ISBN-13: 978-0879308803
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #632,852 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Almost" Perfect -- BF-T Is A True Rock God (Writer's Division), July 5, 2006

By	BossRadioDJ (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

I've been a fan of Ben Fong-Torres' work in "Rolling Stone" since I was a teenager (meaning virtually since he started at RS), and his bi-weekly "Radio Waves" column in the San Francisco Chronicle's Sunday Datebook is the gold standard by which all other media columns are judged. "Becoming Almost Famous" is the latest edition of Ben's Greatest Hits, including his verbal duets with stars running a diverse gamut from Michael Nesmith to Cheech & Chong, and from Joe Cocker to Larry Ching, with the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, Frank Sinatra and even Olivia Newton-John sitting in for extra measure. "Becoming" includes sterling period pieces: "Janis: The Scene In Larkspur" is a gracious look at Joplin's neighborhood in the days after her death, while "Why Linda Ronstadt Spent Valentine's Day Alone" is a sentimental self interview that reminded me why, even at my advanced age, I still want to be Ben Fong-Torres when I grow up. "Becoming" also gives glimpses of Ben as Disc Jockey, Ben as Brother, Ben as Record Producer, and Ben as The Prototypical Rock Reporter, showing his maturation during the long, strange trip from the 1960s to the 21st Century. I enjoyed every word, and I'm looking forward to the next volume.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than the Summer of Love, June 7, 2006

By	A Reader - See all my reviews

I bought this book for a vicarious glimpse into the lives of rock stars of the 60s and 70s. I got just that (McCartney, Dylan, the Stones, CSN&Y), but was surprised at other unexpected gems. Like a hysterical review of the very worst lyrics of the era, including:

"He was saying things that weren't true about her
So I let him have it, in the cafeteria" -- Bobby Vee, `Stayin' In"

And a cross-cultural story as Fong-Torres recounts a visit to his family's ancestral village in China, where inquisitive teens want to know "Who was John Lennon?" and a young woman, when asked what she does for a living, replies "Work".

And Grace Slick's unique rationale for motherhood:

"... it's just a small person, and they expand more than animals do... I like animals, but I thought I'd try a human being because they have more happening... you get an old man you dig... and you want to see what the combination will turn out like."

Rock fan or not, you'll enjoy a diverse collection of tales written with wit, warmth, and humor by a veteran of music journalism.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent research/entertainment resource!!! Highly Recommend!!, August 8, 2006

By	Heather D. E. Weston "Betty Nation" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For any amount that I've read in pop-music/pop-cultural theory books and 1960s/70s cultural history books, I haven't found anything else yet that even comes close to providing both the breadth of knowledge and first-hand/upcloseandpersonal experience that Becoming Almost Famous offers. As an historical researcher and music fan, Ben Fong-Torres's books (both Becoming Almost Famous and his earlier publication Not Fade Away) are invaluable sources of knowledge and entertainment. For someone who wasn't "there" in the 1960s/1970s, reading these stories is an incredibly enriching and exciting experience. I highly recommend this book; whether you're just starting to read about 1960s/70s music history, or you've been there/done that - it's an insightful, exciting read from start to finish