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Girl in a Band: A Memoir Paperback – December 1, 2015

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Kim Gordon (Author)
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4.1 out of 5 stars 224 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Dey Street Books; Reprint edition (December 1, 2015)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 006229590X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0062295903
  • Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (224 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3.0 out of 5 starsI wanted so badly to LOVE "Girl in a Band
By 4eyesguy on March 1, 2015
Format: Hardcover
I wanted so badly to LOVE "Girl in a Band." A lot had been written on the internet regarding this book; a scathing excerpt here concerning Courtney Love, another about Thurston Moore, etc. By the time the book came out, I bought into the hype. I couldn't wait for equal parts Sonic Youth history from the source, '80s NYC life, behind-the-scenes '90s alternative s*** talking, and scenes from a failed marriage.

In reality, "Girl in a Band" manages to offer all of that, just never fully. We get an interesting background about her upbringing, her childhood, moving around the world at a young age. From there, Kim Gordon focuses on growing up in the '60s, her budding love of the art, and her travels around the country, offering up interesting, albeit brief tidbits and interesting namedropping along the way.

Upon explaining her arrival in New York, Gordon tackles the Sonic Youth sections by focusing on each album. At first, I was excited when she presented the history so concisely. However, Kim Gordon speeds through each album so quickly, it's sometimes disappointing. She tends to focus on certain sections of lyrics rather than the dynamics of the band at the time, or their travels, recording, etc.(for a easily enjoyable book on the history of Sonic Youth, check out "Goodbye 20th Century" by David Browne). While many sections offera fresh perspective, I can't help but wish she would have expanded on certain areas.

The book is a quick read, at times very well constructed, and page turning. However, certain section are written as if it managed to dodge an editor, suddenly taking on a sloppy casual tone following a well crafted previous chapter. All in all, Kim Gordon's memoir is a welcomed addition from a strong female voice and true artist.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsa subtle personal memoir
By Brent C. Airey on March 6, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This isn't a rock'n'roll memoir, nor is it a play by play on sonic youth through the years. Instead it's a subtle memoir about a thoughtful artist who was in a highly influential band as well as other artistic endevours. There are insights into the band but very little if that's what your specifically after.

I'm only a cursory fan of the band. I respect them completely and to me they have been incredibly important to modern music, especially what's often called 'alternate'. So I thoroughly enjoyed this book for what it is and highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in an artist that has more time for creating art than overthinking it.

The insights into feminism were something I greatly appreciated (as a guy). Her approach to finding a truth to this while also performing in a highly sexualized arena were-like most things she seems to do-subtle, informed, clever and progressively inclusive.

Kim Gordon is a mysterious icon. This memoir offers an insight into the voyage of her life and the love of art that has driven her to create. It lessens the mystery and makes her a greater inspiration.
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4.0 out of 5 starsIncredible. I don't know much about Sonic Youth, ...
By George DeMark on February 24, 2015
Format: Hardcover
Incredible. I don't know much about Sonic Youth, but I have always been aware of Kim Gordon, partly because my daughter who is 17 has always thought Gordon is the coolest person ever, not that i am really sure what that means. My daughter wanted the book so I got it and six hours later I had read it and gotten my socks blown off. Kim Gordon can WRITE with a capital W, and her scenes of growing up in LA and new york in the 1970s and the early 1980s are just incredible and I even found myself looking for Sonic Youth videos on YouTube (not my kind of music but it doesn't matter). Read this one you won't regret it.
1 Comment 35 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
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3.0 out of 5 starsSome enjoyable trips down memory lane but mostly an emotional and slightly disjointed journey
By Michael Walsh on May 27, 2015
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
Really wanted to love this book as I love Kim Gordon and all her music dearly. But the emotional thread about the breakup with Thurston was not enjoyable (or imo necessary), and took away from the experience. As some others have noted there are some nice insights about her childhood.. and I liked the who's who of NY and 1980s alternative music culture. The details on Sonic Youth projects in the middle was my favorite part. But as a book it felt unfinished, emotional, raw, and disjointed in parts. Still love you, Kim. But didn't love the book like I hoped.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWhat would Sonic Youth have sounded like if they did sell out their style to ride ...
By Hollywood Hawk on February 27, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Sonic youth has always been one of those abstract bands, where you feel you can touch the meanings behind the songs, but they are always just out of reach. This book helps reveal a lot of the meanings, ideas, and inspirations behind the songs. A lot of understated exchanges happen in the book, which had a big impact. In the 80's family members say, "You're going to be a millionaire" and Kim Gordon demurs and says there is pressure from the labels to have the guys grow their hair long and wear glitter pants. In contrast, Kim describes how her mother would hand make her clothes, which begun her addiction to thrift stores. So while glam rock emerged, Sonic Youth paved the road to experimental grunge, 10 years before its time. The styles that Kurt Cobain wore in the 90's, thank Sonic Youth.

What would Sonic Youth have sounded like if they did sell out their style to ride the mainstream glam wave in the 80's?

Another interesting item is how Kim Gordon's mother never talked about her family history. She found out from her aunt decades later that her grandparents owned a pepper farm and huge swaths of land in LA, and that's Swall Drive is named after her family. So next time you listen to "Sweet Shine" from Experimental Jet Set, Trash & No Star and Kim belts out, "I'm coming home to Swall Drive."...now you know what she is talking about, but she didn't even know that was her home, she doesn't even know what that home looked like. She has no history, no lineage that her mother spoke of, which explains a lot of the temporal themes in Sonic Youth's music. Things come and go, indifferent to who you are.

I could go on and on. The book is very thought provoking for anyone who was/is into Sonic Youth. As a teenager, I always wanted to read a close up biography of the band to help decipher their music and this dream came true.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant read. Living through that time it confirmed perceptions ...

Brilliant read. Living through that time it confirmed perceptions and memories From music and the visual arts I was glad to find are confirmed and shared beyond personal nostalgia. Read more

Published 19 days ago by J. Johnson
3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

She stops short of telling any kind of compelling stories that provide insight into her character.

Published 29 days ago by Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

awesome read!

Published 1 month ago by Chrissie Z
4.0 out of 5 starsEnjoyed this very much

I didn't know much about Sonic Youth before reading this, so I took a tour through their catalog & found I really liked it. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Weaslgrl
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat book!

Really enjoyed this book. I was a teen in the early nineties and Sonic Youth has always been a favorite of mine. Read more

Published 2 months ago by emerson
1.0 out of 5 starsdifficult to finish

I'm a big Sonic Youth fan and I love rock and roll books (even trashy, poorly written ones). But I had a very hard time getting through this one. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Dirty Dutch
2.0 out of 5 starsTwo Stars

Pretty boring. Get Just Kids by Patti Smith instead.

Published 3 months ago by Ste_ben
5.0 out of 5 starsInspiring and essential reading

I found this inspiring and essential reading as an exploration of what it means to be an artist in a mercurial culture. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Maureen O'Leary Wanket
5.0 out of 5 stars"Does this sound simple to you?"

Kim Gordon is, hands-down, one of the most iconic American musicians of our time. A band of left-field experimentalists, her group Sonic Youth somehow crashed the mainstream... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Jeffrey Rubard
5.0 out of 5 starsand was super excited to read Kim's book

I've been a fan of Kim Gordon and Sonic Youth for decades, and was super excited to read Kim's book. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Laurie Hassold-Gillette

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