Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 781.660922
EAN num: 9780312148539
ISBN number: 0312148534
Label: St. Martin's Press
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 320
Printing Date: 1996-10
Publishing house: St. Martin's Press
Sale Popularity Level: 373477
Studio: St. Martin's Press
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
An author investigates the deaths of and tragedies affecting many rock stars--including Jan Berry, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Cochran, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Dennis Wilson--interviewing people close to them and visiting gravesites, deathsites, and the scenes of crimes. Tour.
Amazon.com Review:
The best selling author of I'm With the Band, the classic groupie memoir, now writes from the relatively upright perspective of a magazine journalist. Pamela Des Barres recounts the classic tales of rock star overindulgence, and the book's own press material honestly bills it as a compendium of 'horror stories.' Rock Bottom contains something to offend just about anyone, but, strange to say, the book is actually quite readable as an appropriately skewed history of rock. Des Barres seems to have diligently done her research, talking to the principles of the mayhem, or, in many cases, to their survivors, and does deliver a series of pieces documenting some very dark corners of pop culture.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Pamela Des Barres is apparently torn between writing a "respectable" rock book, and another collection of groupie memories. Because "Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon" is merely another tepid recounting of rock'n'roll's worst moments, and it isn't elevated by Des Barres' own recollections.
The theme is addiction, jail time and death -- most world-famous rockers have encountered at least one of the above. Des Barres explores the lives (and often deaths) of famed rockers like the doomed Jim Morrison, Queen's Freddie Mercury, the cruel Rick James, wild man John Bonham, equally wild Keith Moon, and many others. Her tales stretch from the early days of rock'n'roll to the early 1990s, but few things actually change.
Sadly, Des Barres doesn't add anything to the telling of rock'n'roll's tale. Her recountings are mostly compressed biographies, with no new revelations or insights. Okay, we know Morrison could be a boor. We know Sid Vicious descended into heroin addiction. Yada yada -- it reads like a collection of magazine tributes.
She also tries to inject herself into the book, which only unbalances it. It's a bit weird to hear distant third-person accounts, then hear detailed "I" accounts. Her accounts aren't terribly interesting either -- somehow hearing about her peeping-tammy antics, watching Brian Jones with two girls, is creepy rather than enlightening.
Des Barres' writing does not make up for the lack of new information. At best, it's ordinary. At worst, it includes lines like "I could feel my own swelling love-pump pressing against my rib cage." Too many chapters are filled with unwarranted hero-worship, no matter how deteriorated, depraved or deranged the stars were. Apparently it's in line with Des Barres' idea that a REAL rock star must be arrested, addicted and cause headlines with weird antics.
A lack of new info and a tepid writing style bog down "Rock Bottom: Dark Moments In Music Babylon," a failed endeavor at a serious rock'n'roll book. Definitely to be missed.
Rated by buyers -
Pamela Des Barres is apparently torn between writing a "respectable" rock book, and another collection of groupie memories. Because "Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon" is merely another tepid recounting of rock'n'roll's worst moments, and it isn't elevated by Des Barres' own recollections.
The theme is addiction, jail time and death -- most world-famous rockers have encountered at least one of the above. Des Barres explores the lives (and often deaths) of famed rockers like the doomed Jim Morrison, Queen's Freddie Mercury, the cruel Rick James, wild man John Bonham, equally wild Keith Moon, and many others. Her tales stretch from the early days of rock'n'roll to the early 1990s, but few things actually change.
Sadly, Des Barres doesn't add anything to the telling of rock'n'roll's tale. Her recountings are mostly compressed biographies, with no new revelations or insights. Okay, we know Morrison could be a boor. We know Sid Vicious descended into heroin addiction. Yada yada -- it reads like a collection of magazine tributes.
She also tries to inject herself into the book, which only unbalances it. It's a bit weird to hear distant third-person accounts, then hear detailed "I" accounts. Her accounts aren't terribly interesting either -- somehow hearing about her peeping-tammy antics, watching Brian Jones with two girls, is creepy rather than enlightening.
Des Barres' writing does not make up for the lack of new information. At best, it's ordinary. At worst, it includes lines like "I could feel my own swelling love-pump pressing against my rib cage." Too many chapters are filled with unwarranted hero-worship, no matter how deteriorated, depraved or deranged the stars were. Apparently it's in line with Des Barres' idea that a REAL rock star must be arrested, addicted and cause headlines with weird antics.
A lack of new info and a tepid writing style bog down "Rock Bottom: Dark Moments In Music Babylon," a failed endeavor at a serious rock'n'roll book. Definitely to be missed.
Rated by buyers 
-
I enjoyed her other 2 Books so this one was subsequent on the List!
A great collection of different Rockstar's & Group's tales and escapades in the Great world of Sex, Drugs, & Rock'n'Roll. Pamela writes in a very Friendly insider's style that is neither preachy nor snobbish. She has Plenty of Firsthand experiences, but it doesn't hinder the scope. I Do Not like Led Zeppelin's Music but that chapter had my Mouth Open, Chin on the Floor! WOW!
I also liked the Johnny Thunders' one a whole lot, It was handled as the tragic Mystery that it is.
Have some Fun, Stay in school, and [pop] open the books!
Rated by buyers 
-
I really enjoyed this well written book. Even though I'm not a fan of half the rockers Pamela wrote about, the book drew me in. The chapter on Chuck Berry was the best. This is definitely the sort of stuff Chuck left out in his own autobiography! The stuff on Gram Parsons brought tears to my eyes. I'm looking forward to any future books by Miss Des Barres, but for now I'll have to be content reading her column for E! entertainment online.
Rated by buyers -
(resubmitted; my name was deleted)
March 24, 1999
A huge chunk of history of the 1960s would have been lost if Pamela des Barres hadn't written about her exploits in her two previous books. "Rock Bottom : Dark Moments in Music Babylon" isn't a sequel to her autobiographies, however; it's a series of mini-biographies of some of our dearly departed musicians. Pamela manages to bring a personal aspect to the interviews -- while maintaining her true image as a friendly face and not a hanger-on. The book is well-written and witty at times, even though the deaths are heartbreaking. It's incredibly apropos that I received the book as a gift from a dear friend who owns a record store! My only slightly negative comment is that Pamela des Barres has never written about the Grateful Dead in her books. Her love of music isn't confined to any one genre, and she was in the same area of the country at the same time... I believe that Jerry's death was well before publication of this book. I'm looking forward to another history by Pamela des Barres. She brings history to life, and makes it more fun than any of my high school teachers ever did (no offense!) even when the stories are sad. Thanks for writing the book :) Cordially, Rebekah Sue Harris
Find other books like this one:
