Some Light Summer Reading

I’m going to be away from Saturday to Saturday and away from the computer as well. I found what I think is a brand new book (yes, a book, not a download of a book) called “Detroit Rock City – The Uncensored History Of Rock ‘N’ Roll In America’s Loudest City” by Steve Miller (no, not THAT Steve Miller).

It’s one of those oral history books – just tons of little quotes from people who were there (I love that format). Of course, Iggy and MC5, but also Alice Cooper and even Ted Nugent, who I liked a lot before he shaved off his beard and eventually morphed into the world’s biggest asshole.

If this paragraph from the Introduction is any indication, I’m going to like it a lot:

“We all read Creem magazine in high school, learning about the real deal in a way that effete bullshit like Rolling Stone could never conceive of. Creem was Detroit; the rest were from, well, somewhere else. Creem wrote about the Stooges more than anyone else. When it came down to Mick Jagger vs. Iggy Pop in the rock-star idolatry sweepstakes, Iggy came out on top every time. He was Detroit. I would puff furiously on my Newport at the notion that anyone outside Iggy could be any more badass. Starting at age fifteen, we listened to the Stooges as we drove in cars on back roads and cradled bottles of Mad Dog 20-20.”

I loved Creem magazine. The first thing I did to my first very own brand new car (1982 Volkswagon Scirocco) was put a Creem Stars Car license plate on the front.

I also will finally write a review of the new QOTSA album when I get back. Meanwhile, enjoy the ride while 40 of pretty much “The Albums You Always Expect On A Greatest Albums Of All-Time List” pass by.

4 thoughts on “Some Light Summer Reading

  1. I loved Creem magazine too. But Steve, you are wrong. So far this has not been an “albums you always expect to find” list. There are some, as there should be. But so far, and I expect it to continue, every single album listed puts out sustaining pleasures. Rolling Stone (the mag) orthodoxy it is not.

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