Once, the Blood Orphans had it all: a million-dollar recording contract from Warner Brothers, killer hooks, and cheekbones that could cut glass. Fo...
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Jan 28, 2009
Greg
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In rock and roll mythology, there are two linked stories that seem to be told over and over again: Pride, and The Fall. We admire a band’s success, marvel at its excess — and then, like motorists passing a grisly accident, we rubberneck at its self-immolation. VH1’s Behind the Music series has made an industry out of telling and retelling this story — adding, for the sake of narrative, a Part Three (call it Aftermath, or Redemption) and bending over backwards to force every band into their up-do
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Mar 08, 2009
Jessi
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Full disclosure: I almost stopped reading this book in the first chapter. See, the first few pages are narrated by the bassist (the one with eczema) and the first chapter is an obscenity-laden quest for him to find some relief from his itching hands. It's really gross, and I immediately disliked the guy. Luckily for me, the narrative shifts several times in this novel (all the guys in the band get a turn to tell their side of the story, as does Joey, the manager), so I didn't have to deal with h
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Sep 24, 2011
Rafi
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This book is a fiction about a band named Blood Orpheus and chronicles the last 24 hours of their last tour and last time together as a band set in Amsterdam. I enjoyed this book because it is very well written. The prose is very poetic, and the characters are three dimensional. I like that the point of view is third person omniscient, where you get five different points of view. There is Joey Fredericks, the band manager who is tough as nails, a cocaine addict, and begins to lose her touch
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Feb 15, 2009
Colleen
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This was an intriguing read about the last day of glory of a failed rock band. I was drawn into the story of these few desperate boys trying to hold onto their fleeting moments of fame and fortune. Shilling is a good writer with a strong grasp of the voice of his characters; although he used a lot of obscenities, they never came across as gratuitous because it was so clearly the appropriate language for Blood Orphans.
It was interesting to note that the band was on the verge of implo More...
It was interesting to note that the band was on the verge of implo More...
Jan 19, 2009
Anne
rated it:
A delicious, sad romp 'n retrospective; band members of the once-next-big-thing Blood Orphans are on their final tour, about to play their last show, each wondering what exactly went so very wrong. If there's any justice in this world, _Rock Bottom_ should be adapted into the next big thing on HBO, Entourage-style. Read an interview with the author on
Fiction Writers Review: http://fictionwritersreview.com/intervie...
Fiction Writers Review: http://fictionwritersreview.com/intervie...
Feb 11, 2009
Michele
rated it: 
entertaining, but I guess that I am becoming a prude in my old age...
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Aug 28, 2011
John
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I have realized that I prefer my rock books to be of the non-fiction variely. Most of the fictionalized accounts that I read about rock music tend to fall short of the many great real stories that are out there. Having said that, Rock Bottom ended up being an enjoyable read. There was some concern, at about 2/3 of the way through the book, when I realized that I was not interested in learning more about these characters. At exactly that point, however, the book and the characters began to ch
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Feb 08, 2010
Noel
rated it:
i picked up this book for two primary reasons-
i like rock n' roll stories, and one of the main characters has eczema, which i also have. you don't see too many fictional characters with this condition, despite the fact that it's pretty common.
it was entertaining, if a little far-fetched. and in case you're wondering, the book's portrayal of life with eczema is pretty damn realistic- i appreciated that the author got it right. (but really, c'mon now- even though the other band mem More...
i like rock n' roll stories, and one of the main characters has eczema, which i also have. you don't see too many fictional characters with this condition, despite the fact that it's pretty common.
it was entertaining, if a little far-fetched. and in case you're wondering, the book's portrayal of life with eczema is pretty damn realistic- i appreciated that the author got it right. (but really, c'mon now- even though the other band mem More...
Feb 10, 2009
Susan
rated it:
My review of this is now up at Breeni Books, but I was limited by space there. The thing that impresses me most about Rock Bottom is that it continues to resonate with me. I keep thinking about it as I work on my own fiction, and I continue to understand new facets of this book the farther removed I am from it.
When I finished reading it, I wasn't going to keep it. Yet because it's pulled a Fine Wine on me and improved with age, in just one week after closing the cover, it's become a More...
When I finished reading it, I wasn't going to keep it. Yet because it's pulled a Fine Wine on me and improved with age, in just one week after closing the cover, it's become a More...
Jan 07, 2011
M—
rated it:
I snagged this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviews Program, but my copy never did arrive in the mail. I borrowed it from my local library to review instead, and it was worth the extra effort.
Shilling is a snarky, black-humored sort of author. While I love that style of writing, I found it awfully hard to become involved in this book. I think my biggest hurdle was the narrative structure. I wasn't exactly unhappy to be reading this structure – Shilling's five different points of More...
Shilling is a snarky, black-humored sort of author. While I love that style of writing, I found it awfully hard to become involved in this book. I think my biggest hurdle was the narrative structure. I wasn't exactly unhappy to be reading this structure – Shilling's five different points of More...
Feb 02, 2009
Marta
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This is the story of the Blood Orphans The Blood Orphans are a rock band in serious decline. At one time they had it all and were on the road to rock and roll stardom. Then they had one horrible review and everything went south from there.
The book highlights their very last day on their last tour as they are getting ready to perform at a small venue in Amsterdam. We get introduced to Christian turned Buddhist lead singer Shane who can't stop preaching from the stage, drummer Darlo the son More...
The book highlights their very last day on their last tour as they are getting ready to perform at a small venue in Amsterdam. We get introduced to Christian turned Buddhist lead singer Shane who can't stop preaching from the stage, drummer Darlo the son More...
Mar 11, 2009
Tina
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This is a book that is potentially enjoyable, potentially disastrous--depending on the reader. You have to know exactly what you're getting into before reading. I wish there were labels for books (I actually don't--that would be terrible), but in cases such as this, a label would be tremendously helpful. There are gratuitous graphic references to subjects that could be disagreeable with more conservative readers.
I wrote this on my blog the day I started/finished Rock Bottom:
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I wrote this on my blog the day I started/finished Rock Bottom:
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Jan 12, 2009
D'Anne
rated it:
Considering I was super excited when I found out there was a book called Mom, Have You Seen My Leather Pants?, a memoir about a guy's experience in a hair metal band, it's probably no surprise that I was looking forward to reading this book, too. That didn't mean, of course, that I was bound to like it. But like it I did. :)
My wife opened this book up, read a few pages and declared that it wasn't for her. "I don't tend to like books that are written to be funny," she said. More...
My wife opened this book up, read a few pages and declared that it wasn't for her. "I don't tend to like books that are written to be funny," she said. More...
Sep 24, 2009
Manda
rated it:
This is a rock novel done right, managing to be both hilariously funny at times while never losing sympathy for the flaws of its characters. Rather than following the trope of rock'n'roll stardom, this book follows the very funny last day and night of a band on the verge of implosion and being dropped by their label.
Feb 01, 2009
Christine
rated it: 
This book was an insult to men and women alike. The moral of the story being that the ritual, and sometimes criminal, abuse of young girls is just the process a young man may go through towards their personal enlightenment. And somehow these young women, even those somewhat in power (like the manager) know that this is their place and their calling.
I can't say enough how irresponsible, cliche and demoralizing, to both genders, this novel is. Bleck!
I can't say enough how irresponsible, cliche and demoralizing, to both genders, this novel is. Bleck!
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Mar 10, 2011
Becky
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I originally gave this book four stars, because I really liked the different voices and the plot was well-crafted. As time has passed, I expected my first vivid reactions to fade a bit. But these characters have stuck with me for so long, and I find myself thinking of them and their relationships so often, and so much of the crazy and wonderfully-fated plot has remained in my mind long after plots usually haze away from my memory, that I realized I needed to bump this review up to five stars.
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Apr 03, 2010
Meg
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Michael Shilling tends a bit too far toward excess in this novel of a band's dying days, populating it with eminently unlikable characters but provides an interesting narrative structure by successfully evoking each band member and their manager.
Jul 13, 2009
Alex
rated it:
The only reason this only gets 3 stars is BC i'm only 3 chapters in, although i feel this could be a 5 star read very easily.
Full review when i finish the book!
Full review when i finish the book!
Jan 09, 2009
Kristin
rated it:
Rock Bottom makes a fascinating read for the music-lover—and it should be required reading for any aspiring rock star.
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/article...
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/article...
Feb 06, 2009
Eva
rated it:
There was a new rock band, Blood Orphans, in town and they that had it all. As time went by and they were touring everything started falling apart--a little at a time and a little more until they were just one big mess. The story is about the last hurrah--their last day of touring and last concert. The novel was all over the place just like the characters who were so very sad and pathetic. This book is supposed to be black comedy but there is nothing funny about it black or otherwise.
Aug 04, 2011
Annie
rated it:
Rock Bottom is about the final day of a band's collapse. The Blood Orphans are formerly ironic former rock gods turned Ugly Americans in a washed up band. None of the characters are particularly likable in the beginning, but by the end of the novel I found myself rooting for all of them. Rock Bottom is fast paced, mostly funny, and occasionally touching. It's not the next Great American Novel, but it's a strong first showing from Michael Shilling. Highly recommended.
May 11, 2009
Brit
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are developed well, and the timescale of the story (everything taking place over a 24 hour period) was an interesting twist.
My only regret is that I read it whilst 'Espedair Street' by Iain Banks, was still too fresh in my mind .. NOT because the storylines are in anyway similar, but because both are fictional band biopics, and both include some pretty dark humour.
My only regret is that I read it whilst 'Espedair Street' by Iain Banks, was still too fresh in my mind .. NOT because the storylines are in anyway similar, but because both are fictional band biopics, and both include some pretty dark humour.
Jun 05, 2011
Erin
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I was very hopeful when starting this book about a dying rock band's last days of glory. That hope was sorely misplaced. Adding "-itude" to make an adjective a noun just sounds stupid. The plot and characters were very uninteresting and one dimensional. I wanted to throw it away 50 pages in but kept reading because I thought it would get better. That was a real waste of time.
Nov 08, 2008
Ayesha
rated it:
A hilarious, dark, gorgeously written black comedy about four members of a rock band who are in Amsterdam to play the last gig on their last tour. Everything has gone wrong, and the results are devastating, but Shilling's gorgeous prose and keen, insightful descriptions are so completely engaging that it's impossible not to keep reading until the very last page.
Sep 09, 2009
Amy
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I am not a fan of this book. It was very monotonous. As a former music industry employee, I typically adore light, frothy music biz tales, such as Mark Haskell Smith's 'Salty' or 'Dedication' by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, but 'Rock Bottom' was just not my cup of tea.
Feb 18, 2009
elizabeth
rated it:
Shilling is a powerhouse. This book had me by the throat and left me completely reeling. Raw!
