The reviewer that tagged Al Kooper as the rock 'n roll version of Forrest Gump hit the nail on the head. It's the exact thought I had as I finished the book. He had an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. Al Kooper was there whenever something monumental was happening in rock music - whether it was Bob Dylan, Monterey Pop, the Rolling Stones, the Tubes, Lynyrd Skynryd and so on. His discography is STUNNING! He has played on records by and/or produced a tremendous number of musicians - and not "nobodys", people like Dylan, the Rolling Stones, BB King, Skynyrd, Rick Nelson, Gene Pitney, Judy Collins, The Who, Taj Mahal, George Harrison, Tom Petty etc... I can't think of ANYONE who has this kind of discography! This book is entertaining, informative and well-written. It has to be in the all time top 5 of books written about Rock 'n Roll. It's also inspirational. Al Kooper makes no bones about not being the most talented player on the block - he had to "fake it till he could make it."
This book was fetching upwards of $300 when it was out of print, so I was thrilled to see it revised and back in print. It's all here - inter and intra band conflicts, stories of the road - both the "glamour" (not much) and the boredom (plenty), drugs, women, the music industry, club owners etc... It's clear to me that Al Kooper must have a strong personality - he has some good musical vision (e.g. the horn band Blood Sweat and Tears was his concept). He also clearly rubs a lot of people the wrong way, and had numerous falling outs with bandmates, women and business people. This probably cost him a lot - both in reputation and money/success. I would love to see a book detailing other people's opinions of Al - I have read articles/interviews in Goldmine Magazine and Al was definitely controversial. In his autobiography Al comes across as honest and a good guy, but it's clear to me that he, like many rock 'n rollers was very self-absorbed and probably couldn't see himself objectively in many situations. Either way - get this book, it's a must read!
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One the best Rock and Roll autobiographies I've ever read.
This book is hilarious at times, shocking and sad at others and extremely well written. Usually when I read a musician's book I think I would not do that in my book. I've had a wild ride in RnR myself. This book is right up there with Keith Richard's Life. I found it inspiring.
Top reviews from other countries
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Thorsten HollmannReviewed in Germany on February 12, 2017
Sehr gute Autobiographie von Al Kooper , dem US Westcoast Ausnahmemusiker und -Produzenten
- TedmiamiReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2012
The Music Business Inside and Out
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