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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Insight into Musical History, February 5, 2005
This book may not be of much interest to you unless you're into the metal or hard rock scene, or have been in the past. But that is not a foregone conclusion, you may end up liking it whatever your musical orientation. I enjoyed it for reasons I didn't originally expect. I am indeed a big Motorhead fan and have seen them in their various configurations over the years at assorted venues. I never fail to be amazed at the larger-than-life visage which Lemmy presents. He is kind of a thinking man's pirate, a decent and likable degenerate, a man's man, a rock star's rock star...he presents all kinds of sinister appeal and playful intrigue. You definitely get the sense they don't make people like this anymore. Simply stated: he is one cool bad-ass. Reading this book is like sitting down over beers and whisky with Lem as he tells you the story of his life. It has a comfortable, informal style which will keep you fully engaged.
But he also has interesting insight into the entire origin of the early sixties music scene in England and subsequent British Invasion. This is truly valuable stuff if you have the slightest interest in any type of rock music. Lemmy was there as they all emerged: the Beatles, the Stones, Clapton, Beck, Deep Purple, Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Led Zep, and a variety of somewhat obscure psychedelic bands, on and on it goes. Lem gives very amusing anecdotes about these folks and one gets the sense he is very fair in his judgments, and his views often provide somewhat unexpected insights (example: the Beatles were actually street-savvy tough guys from Liverpool; the Stones were in fact the more gentrified momma's boys from the 'burbs of London). But Lemmy is generally very nice to all that he reports on, with the major exception of the Sony label and Tommy Mottola who ran that label at the time.
What ultimately emerges is a picture of a bona fide rock legend who has truly lived the life. He is the real deal, as genuine as it gets. This man's life has been one relentless, merciless cycle of TOURS. He has genetically adapted to being in two places more than anywhere else: the bus and the stage.
Lemmy expresses a few weird and unconvincing views of Sept. 11 and other assorted political issues, which kind of surprised me as I know he has a real interest in history (military history in particular), but you definitely get the sense he is trying to be constructive in his interpretations and views rather than gratuitously provocative. His ideas are worth considering even if you don't ultimately agree with him.
All in all, I came away from this book respecting this man even more. Do yourself a favor: go see Motorhead in concert. You'll never regret it (the ringing in your ears will go away in a day or two). Then read this book. Lemmy is about as unboring as a person can be and you'll be amused from page one to the very end. I do wish he would have given us some insight as to the two big warts on his face--he could have at least reassured his fans that they aren't malignant or painful!!
I forget the name of the woman who collaborated with Lemmy on this book. She needs to be complimented as well: first on the excellent and coherent presentation which this book gives, as it is structurally one of the most readable biographies I've ever read; and secondly, for putting up with Lem who I'm sure was a real pain in many ways and probably hit on her incessantly.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect travel companion for the 30 and- 40-somethings, January 18, 2005
Transatlantic flight looming on the horizon? Here's your play. Before getting to your departure lounge, stop by a store and purloin yourself a copy of White Line Fever, then having boarded, strap yourself in, order as many as drinks as human consumption will allow before going into coma, read this. I guarantee that anyone who's ever had anything to do with rock, either as a listener, or critic, or whatever, will find this a hugely entertaining read. As the fourth round of drinks begin to kick in, you'll be positively reveling in Lemmy's no-nonsense prose and furious pace. Fans of Proust, for instance, may be disappointed, but then again this is no monumental trawl through the quagmire of childhood, this is Lemmy's life and career congested in one neat little package (about 5 hours worth of quality reading here, speed-readers might want to buy 2 copies). If, by some cruel twist, Lemmy's main choice of stimulant been alcohol rather than speed, this might have been a fatter volume with more insight. At times the surface of events are skipped perhaps a little thinly, some are brushed aside in one sentence. That's about my only reservation.
As you might expect, band members, managers and rock stars are the key players here (parents in the bit at the beginning and groupies in the bit at the end), and amusing anecdotes abound. Understandably, the meat of the book is mostly taken up with the Motörhead years and the reader is bounced crisply through the succession of albums from the debut Motörhead in 1978 when Lemmy's career verticalled, through Ace of Spades, Bomber, No Sleep, and on through the Wurzel, Phil Campbell and Brian Robertson years, complete with stories about the Letterman, Jay Leno appearances and ending up in the not-too-distant past, Lemmy still going strong). Fans of Hawkwind will enjoy stories from that pre-Motörhead period, with drugs being the key players here, and the whole Silver Machine episode, from which Lemmy emerges with flying colors and lead vocal duly etched into rock history. Lemmy's music taste should interest lovers of 50s rock n roll, as Lemmy was very much in the thick of it when rock n roll took off in Britain, Seeing Bill Haley and the Comets live definitely strengthens his credentials.
Lemmy's humor really shines through in the deadpan way he describes the most hair-raising situations, and the disarmingly frank way in which he tackles certain issues of sex or gender roles, for example, will be sure to raise a cackle in some communities and venom in others. As might also be assumed, Lemmy's prose is short and clipped, which doesn't make for marathon reads like Mr. Proust, but Lemmy will see you comfortably through the flight. And with flying now more a painful necessity than a sexy travel experience, you might want to give your copy to the poor sod waiting to board at the other end.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Motorheadbanger, June 1, 2004
Lemmy Kilmister, lead singer of Motorhead, tells his story as if you were sitting right there next to him enjoying a cold one together. He's comes off as witty, natural and loose in describing his troubles with record labels, his women, and the journeys all over the world his band has taken him. One complaint; other than Megadeth & Slayer, Lemmy never really goes in depth on his relationships or feuds with other rock stars. I wanted to hear more about his friendship with Doro Pesch (from Warlock), his feud with Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P., and others. You'd think that after influencing countless bands like Metallica that there would be more backstage stories. But he mainly sticks with the craziness within his own group. Very readable and funny.
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