Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life: A Book by and for the Fanatics Among Us

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Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life: A Book by and for the Fanatics Among Us

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 569 ratings · 114 reviews

Drooling fanatic, n. 1. One who drools in the presence of beloved rock stars. 2. Any of a genus of rock-and-roll wannabes/geeks who walk around with songs constantly ringing in their ears, own more than 3,000 albums, and fall in love with at least one record per week.

With a life that’s spanned the phonographic era and the digital age, Steve Almond lives to Rawk. Like you,...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published April 13th 2010 by Random House (first published March 26th 2010)

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Nov 20, 2010 Neil rated it 3 of 5 stars

This started off so well...

Almond writes hilariously in defining the Drooling Fanatic, the obsessive rock music nut. He breaks down the lyrics of famous songs like Toto's Africa and Air Supply's All Out of Love, showing their stunning silliness. I loved the section where he talks about being moved by songs that you know are tripe. I loved his chronology of the different music formats and how they have affected the DF. I loved the section about music that you love one day, hate later. The early l...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Ed Wagemann rated it 2 of 5 stars

Here is a letter I recently sent to the publisher of a book called Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life:

Hi, I just finished reading your book Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life and I’d like to review it for my blog: Rockism101. Before I write my review I’d like to share some of my thoughts about your book with you and give you a chance to comment on these thoughts.

For the first 100 plus pages or so I had a hard time trying to figure out what the point of this book was. Maybe I was confused by the t...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Ken rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is a look at the author's experiences in the field of professional writing while fueling his addiction to all forms of music, popular and otherwise. He advances the thesis that there are people who are, what he calls- "DF's", ( Drooling Fanatics). These are people who are far beyond mere 'fan-hood', but individuals who put music, and all things connected to it, above every other aspect of their lives. I thought his test to determine if you might be one of these people was kind of cleve...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Benjamin rated it 2 of 5 stars

As someone that spends a disproportionate amount of time listening to and thinking about rock music, I tend to read a lot of books that can loosely be described as personal music memoirs. I always hope that these books are going to offer some insight into the listening experience and why it's so important to people like me but they usually devolve into treatises on the author's favorite musicians and extensive laments on why these artists are not more popular. "Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life"...more
As someone that spends a disproportionate amount of time listening to and thinking about rock music, I tend to read a lot of books that can loosely be described as personal music memoirs. I always hope that these books are going to offer some insight into the listening experience and why it's so important to people like me but they usually devolve into treatises on the author's favorite musicians and extensive laments on why these artists are not more popular. "Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life" is yet another book that falls into this category of expendable music memoirs.

Over the course of a quick 220 pages, Steve Almond recounts bands he has enjoyed and describes the lengths he has gone to to show his devotion to his favorites. Since he was employed as a music writer, he also is able to recount a number of awkward interviews with his favorite artists. He also makes it very clear that he's a seasoned partier and experienced with a multitude of women. The main narrative is augmented with the expected lists (e.g. "Things to say to annoy a rock critic") and semi-ironic short essays such as the exegesis of the lyrics of Toto's "(I Bless the Rains Down in) Africa" that is advertised in both the bookflap and introduction.

Almond is a good writer and his years as a reporter at a daily paper assure that his copy is clean and readable. In fact, his anecdotes from his time as a music writer at a daily newspaper make up the book's most interesting concert. His experience covering the Grammys was both funny and enlightening while his recollections of reviewing a Bob Dylan concert without knowing anything about Dylan helped explain why newspapers' concert reviews often rely on generalities. More about the experiences and frustrations of music writers would have made for a unique and interesting book that would give music geeks some actual insight into our experience as fans. As it is, we just have another book-length discussion of artists a dude digs and how much he digs them.(less)

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Nov 28, 2010 RandomAnthony rated it 2 of 5 stars

I know guys like Steve Almond. They kind of wear me out. These guys go to concerts on weeknights and read Pitchfork every morning. I do not, under any circumstances, want to engage in conversation with Steve Almond and his brethren about anything but especially not about music. I’d rather read the book he wrote about the topic and enjoy the freedom to hit the pause button whenever I want rather than pretend I have to pee when his beery breakdown of why Captain Beefheart is more important than Pe...more I know guys like Steve Almond. They kind of wear me out. These guys go to concerts on weeknights and read Pitchfork every morning. I do not, under any circumstances, want to engage in conversation with Steve Almond and his brethren about anything but especially not about music. I’d rather read the book he wrote about the topic and enjoy the freedom to hit the pause button whenever I want rather than pretend I have to pee when his beery breakdown of why Captain Beefheart is more important than Pere Ubu reaches a fever pitch and starts to scare the rest of the bar patrons, most of whom are at least ten years younger than us and feeling sorry for our pathetic asses. I’ll stay home.

Almond, the author of the far superior Candyfreak and the way worse Not That You Asked, mines the “I’m a complete music nerd” territory explored by Klosterman et al (Did I use “et al” correctly? I’m never quite sure.). He frames the “drooling fanatic” as a kind of a harmless, exuberant dog, like a St. Bernard standing in the back of the concert hall meticulously recording the set list in a notebook so he can compare tonight’s performance with the one the band did in Munich in 1992. These “Dfs” refuse to grow up and exasperate their ever-patient girlfriends and colleagues. The Dfs relentlessly attend gigs and fall in love with the records that can express what the Dfs can’t say themselves. I can respect that; God knows I needed The Smiths and Husker Du to articulate what I didn’t even know I was feeling back when I was a teenager. Much of Almond’s book is funny (e.g. his brilliant analysis of Toto’s “Africa”) but there’s a sense of desperation that’s well, kind of not funny, either. He talks about his wonderful wife when he drives to his friend’s house at two in the morning to talk about Bruce Springsteen records. Uh, buddy, you might want to think twice about those midnight excursions because I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s on the phone to her sister the second you leave about who exactly might be the best divorce lawyer in Boston and when she can get an appointment because you’re going to sleep until noon again while she’s up with the kids at six. It’s one thing for an eight year old to want a star player’s autograph, but that guy pushing forty doing the same looks like a little sad and creepy. Maybe Almond gives more power to his fanaticism for effect, but I liked his more laid-back approach to candy in part because the topic seemed less important to him than music and I didn’t feel as if he was constantly reaching to project meaning on candy. So this book is ok but if you ask me to speak intelligently about it in a year I will probably only remember that Almond visited, as part of his research, Libertyville, Illinois, where I got lost in a rainstorm on 8/8/88, a fact I can recall because I remember that was the day of the first Cubs night game ever. I might also say Almond mentions Bob Schneider, too, but that’s mostly because I remember Mr. Schneider once dated Sandra Bullock and there was a guy named Jim Schneider in my elementary school. I guess Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life is an easy, occasionally entertaining read, but were Mr. Almond to ask me to go see Drive-By Truckers with him I’d make sure I drove myself because I’m sure he’d want to go out after the show and I’d already be tired of him.
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Jun 16, 2010 Tyler Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pop-music

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life (Which, for the sake of brevity, shall be henceforth referred to here as RRWSYL) is Steve Almonds' highly personal account of being a musical "drooling fanatic" - a person to whom the soundtrack of life is so important that life itself often has to pause until the right tune is found. What makes RRWSYL so much better than merely a passionate, heartfelt examination of the power of music is that Almond examines his feelings with such exactitude and honesty that he...more Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life (Which, for the sake of brevity, shall be henceforth referred to here as RRWSYL) is Steve Almonds' highly personal account of being a musical "drooling fanatic" - a person to whom the soundtrack of life is so important that life itself often has to pause until the right tune is found. What makes RRWSYL so much better than merely a passionate, heartfelt examination of the power of music is that Almond examines his feelings with such exactitude and honesty that he reaches some rather amazing conclusions about music in general. I was impressed at the depth and originality of his thought, although he tries hard to mask his genius behind an immature fascination with naughty words and behavior. But isn't rock and roll also about naughty words and behavior?

I do realize that my personal liking of the book does not mean that everyone will enjoy it as much as I did. The fact that I am a male North American, born in the mid-sixties, who spent most of my teenage years listening to music in my room, automatically puts me close to a Steve-Almond-Point-of-View. Your chances of liking this book are best if you were born, say, between 1965 and 1980. Your chances of liking this book are also greatly increased if you can forgive the author his almost sad need to mention every girl he ever slept with and every person he wishes he could have slept with. Related to this, your chances of liking RRWSYL will be greater if you are not easily offended by crude language. Folks, this is a book about rock and roll, and if that subject is going to be dealt with honestly then a certain amount (meaning "a whole lot") of crudeness comes with the territory. What I'm saying is, "Mom, please don't read this book. Ok?"

That said, RRWSYL is infectious in it's passion. It has inspired me to reconnect with fresh, inventive music and discover some of the great artists I have ignored over the last decade or two, and I'm sure it will affect many others the same way.

As an added bonus, you can listen to many of the songs Steve raves about on his website: www.stevenalmond.com (click on "Bitchin' Soundtrack")

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to listen to "Commie Drives a Nova" ten times in a row.(less)

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May 23, 2010 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you're going to use a promise as your title, you'd better deliver. In his sixth book, " Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life: A Book by and for the Fanatics Among Us (With Bitchin' Soundtrack)," Steve Almond presents a memoir wrapped in a collection of observations about music and packaged as a source of salvation. The book is a rock fan bildungsroman in which Almond offers personal anecdotes related to his lifelong love of music. His story is interwoven with some cultural analysis of what it me...more If you're going to use a promise as your title, you'd better deliver. In his sixth book, " Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life: A Book by and for the Fanatics Among Us (With Bitchin' Soundtrack)," Steve Almond presents a memoir wrapped in a collection of observations about music and packaged as a source of salvation. The book is a rock fan bildungsroman in which Almond offers personal anecdotes related to his lifelong love of music. His story is interwoven with some cultural analysis of what it means to be a "Drooling Fanatic" in the face of "That Which We Worship With Irrational and Perhaps Head-Banging Glee." It is the fanaticism itself that is offered as a means to redemption.

As Almond comes of age, he discovers music and then how to make money from it. He describes the life of a nomadic music journalist, moving between cities such as El Paso and Miami, trying to scrape together a living. Almond's stories often revolve around the pure joy that a fan experiences when touched by a song or an artist. His book also includes clever classifications of fandom and various forms of short interjection: gratuitous lists, interludes and the occasional "reluctant exegesis."

The Drooling Fanatic, or DF, is the true audience for this book. DFs will recognize themselves in Almond's definitions and classifications with a mixture of revelation and embarrassment. Yes! I also believe "the only thing wrong with music … is that you cannot eat it." Yes! I also "spent several thousand dollars to create an ultra convenient digital library with the sound quality of a 1958 transistor radio." But seriously, did you need to bring up the ridiculous name of my DJ spot?

Almond spends a fair amount of time splitting hairs as he outlines the DF "ghettos" and what they are definitively not: Concert queens are not groupies, collectors are not music snobs. Yet after all this taxonomy, he argues that we are all DFs. Astute analysis is sacrificed to a play for a more generic readership. Sweeping generalizations about music's relationship to the culture at large also tend to fail. As early as Page 10, Almond tries to conflate American popular culture, capitalism, consumption and porn in one long, unfocused paragraph.

Almond is much more successful when he focuses on the merry exegesis of songs by the likes of Toto ("Africa") and Air Supply ("All Out of Love"). These are so entertaining that one wishes he'd sprung for rights to use more lyrics in full. The thing is, Almond can be very funny. It may be snarky to describe an MC Hammer concert as similar to "watching an ad for a delicious soda that makes people want to commit murder," but other observations are sharp: "I can't remember when cassettes displaced vinyl, but it happened quick and mean, like most everything else in the eighties."

This witty commentary is compelling until, in the last several chapters, the book hits a snag; these chapters are a series of idolatries or, as Almond would put it in one case, "man crushes." These tales suffer for two reasons: They are basically all the same story — Almond uses his journalist cred to score a disillusioning interview — and they are all too much about the writer (usually playing the fool) and not enough about the musician. This reclamation project portrays "guys who had twice the talent necessary to be stars, but who remained essentially neglected figures": Nil Lara, Gil Scott-Heron, Ike Reilly, Boris McCutcheon, Bob Schneider and, for good measure, a female, Dayna Kurtz.

Almond admits the gender bias apparent in his profiles, but he does a solid job of including women among his DFs. As he recounts his courtship of his wife and previous romantic disasters, it becomes obvious that for Almond, music and women are inextricably bound, as love objects and song subjects, but also as active partners in the joy of shared music.

Being a DF is a "spiritual condition" — early on, Almond makes a distinction between the DF and the Professional Music Critic, with the critic not focused enough on how the music makes you feel. An added bonus of this book for the DF is the steady stream of mostly unpretentious references to bands and songs from the last 30 years or so. There is a lack of snobbery in the style because, as the author points out, "There is no sin in the realm of taste.… We all have a Styx in our closet."

Perhaps rescuing unashamed pleasure from the guilt bin is how rock and roll will save our lives.

Originally reviewed for the LA Times - April 29, 2010(less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lars

Shelves: cnf, contemporary, humor, memoir, pop-culture, read-in-2012, rock-history, rock-roll

I'm stuck (again) between three and four stars: on the one hand, I'd give four stars for the writer's funny self-deprecating voice, which he employs at the same time as writing some very beautiful, literary descriptions (he's also an accomplished fiction writer); for the subject matter itself (because I, too, am the kind of Drooling Fanatic he describes in the book); and for the painfully hilarious relatability of certain specific sections (such as the Chapter 4, which details the span of musica...more I'm stuck (again) between three and four stars: on the one hand, I'd give four stars for the writer's funny self-deprecating voice, which he employs at the same time as writing some very beautiful, literary descriptions (he's also an accomplished fiction writer); for the subject matter itself (because I, too, am the kind of Drooling Fanatic he describes in the book); and for the painfully hilarious relatability of certain specific sections (such as the Chapter 4, which details the span of musical configuration of my own time, from the LP to the Mp3; the explication of the ridiculous lyrics in "I Blessed the Rains Down in Africa"; and the visit to Dave Grohl's house.)

At the same time, however, despite how deeply I relate to his intense love for music and his even-more-intense desire to be able to create or experience something as transcendent, I was a little disappointed by the fact that almost half the book is devoted to singer/songwriters I've never heard of (Ike Reilly, Boris McCutcheon, Dayna Kurtz...). This is the point, of course; Almond is fanatical about these (worthy-sounding) artists and wants you to understand, through this writing, how great they are. But I'm a bigger sucker for great writing about music that I already know. (Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky and want what's already familiar.)

Also, I have to detract a half-star, at least, for the fact that Almond mentions, in a footnote, that he once had a "brief and disastrous sexual relationship" with Lionel Richie's daughter. The fact that he was ever involved with her in the first place--and that he mentions this in a footnote, as if we are already supposed to have known about said celebutante dalliance--made me question the author's integrity for at least the next few minutes. (His mention of liking Concrete Blonde, however, redeemed him in my eyes, almost.)

Overall, I love and respect any writer who can explicate cheesy Top 40 songs from their childhood, (like Toto's "Africa,") while not too good to admit how much they loved it at the time, and might still love it, despite "knowing better," today.(less)

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May 06, 2010 paula rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, your-neighborhood-librarian-s-fetis

Apparently all my contemporaries are writing right now. I just found out, for example, that Carrie Bradshaw (and, one assumes, Candace Bushnell) is/are just about exactly my age. In her book "The Carrie Diaries," she references Jimmy Carter and the Gremlin.

But Carrie Bradshaw listens to Aztec Two-Step, and right then and there I knew she could never be my friend.

Steve Almond knows what I'm saying here. Steve Almond gave up on a woman after a weekend of bananas sex because she listened to Air Sup...more

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Aug 07, 2010 Sara Habein rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Steve Almond is a Collector and Aging Music Geek, and he is dumbfounded by critics who want to make music an intellectual exercise. “The real problem here,” he says, “is emotional. The prose, for all its technical fidelity, conveys almost nothing about what music feels like.”

Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life attempts to articulate those feelings, as well as tell the stories of Almond’s fandom along the way. There is list-making, reluctant admissions of enjoying Styx, and considering whether or n...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, music, memoirs, reviewed, essay-collections, non-fiction, 4-stars

“The only thing wrong with music, as far as I’m concerned, is that you cannot eat it.”

I fell in love with that statement. As an admitted music and concert junky, I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Steve Almond nailed it time and time again in his attempts to explain the mind of a Drooling Fanatic. I’ve always said that there isn’t a single memory I have that doesn’t have an internal soundtrack playing in my head. That usually garners a few odd looks from people that don’t *get* it. All I c...more
“The only thing wrong with music, as far as I’m concerned, is that you cannot eat it.”

I fell in love with that statement. As an admitted music and concert junky, I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Steve Almond nailed it time and time again in his attempts to explain the mind of a Drooling Fanatic. I’ve always said that there isn’t a single memory I have that doesn’t have an internal soundtrack playing in my head. That usually garners a few odd looks from people that don’t *get* it. All I could do when reading was think “yes! Yes that’s it! Me too!” Finally someone else was able to put it into words, to explain what that fascination is all about.

“It’s not just about the music. It’s about who you are when you listen to the music and who you wish to be and the way a particular song can bridge that gap, can make you feel the abrupt thrill of absolute faith.”

It’s not perfect and that’s ok. It started off better than it ended, delving a little too much into the autobiographical pool for my liking, especially in contrast to the beginning of the book. While I can appreciate the attempt to illustrate the devotion one has to a music act, especially when you feel like your favorite act never reached the fame and recognition they deserve, I don’t feel like I was given a real reason to WANT some of them to “make it” or to care that they didn’t. Whatever “make it” even means.

The interviews with his favorite musicians illustrated why I rarely read biographies or memoirs of people whose music I adore. I don’t want the reality – I don’t want to think about the depression they may experience, or the demons they’re haunted by, or the truth in every achingly sad lyric. That’s selfish, I realize this. Maybe I don’t want to admit that there are real people – flawed people – somewhere inside the image of them I’ve built up in my head.

The love of music, the way it can soothe away the pain or let you wallow in it for a bit, is not something that’s easily described or translated or explained to someone that doesn’t derive the same pleasure, the same pain, from it. Almond did about the best one can do to attempt that peek inside of the mind of a true music lover, while never taking it or himself too seriously.

The lists scattered throughout the book were a nice little break between sections, adding the right amount of humor needed (Music’s Biggest Assholes being my fave).

If you love music, or have ever thrown a cd that didn’t belong to you out a car window because it was just that bad (guilty as charged, I should apologize for that), then this is quick and easy read you’ll likely enjoy.

“And I hope they feel as I do – a bursting gratitude for those musicians brave enough to speak the first and final language of our hearts.”

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Jun 11, 2010 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, adult-books, first-half-of-2010, older-teens, realistic, my_mini_non-fiction_marathon

Steve Almond won my heart with his zany adventure through the world of candy in 2004's Candyfreak. Although, I have heard he doesn't even eat candy anymore. His fervent devotion to candy made him a reliable narrator, and his journey was hilarious and sometimes saddening (what with the BIG CORPORATE CANDY MAKERS pushing out the little guys.)
Now he's back with more of his fervent devotion, or as he calls himself, a Drooling Fanatic to music, Rock & Roll to be more precise. He offers the same...more Steve Almond won my heart with his zany adventure through the world of candy in 2004's Candyfreak. Although, I have heard he doesn't even eat candy anymore. His fervent devotion to candy made him a reliable narrator, and his journey was hilarious and sometimes saddening (what with the BIG CORPORATE CANDY MAKERS pushing out the little guys.)
Now he's back with more of his fervent devotion, or as he calls himself, a Drooling Fanatic to music, Rock & Roll to be more precise. He offers the same doofy, almost scary, passion to his subject as he did in Candyfreak. Here, however, his journey is mostly sad with bursts of hilarious moments.
His passion for his subject matter seeps through in every word, even the articles and the conjunctions. He also seems attracted to talented artists who are never destined to "blow-up." So as he relates his stories of how he came to hear about them, how they affect his life and his time spent convincing his friends that they are the next great thing, you can hear heart break when his favorite artists don't make it. Almond makes you want to Google each and every artist; although to be fair, he's made a mixtape on his website so you don't have to do that much work. He makes you believe that each time he stands behind an artist that you, the reader, should be standing right there with him. Even if you don't particularly agree, he is so invested that it's hard not to be swayed. It's also hard not to be genuinely affected when his heroes let him down, as is the case with Gil Scott-Heron, who on the one occasion Almond got to see him live turned out to be a coked-out mess. Maybe the most affecting of these moments is the point in the book where Almond had planned to rant on how bad a Metallica song is. However, his rant led his wife to reveal a story about her childhood, and being kicked out of her house, and only having Metallica to get her through it. It's about as honest a moment as you'll find in a book about Rock and Roll.
It's not all soul-bearing moments though. Almond has a gift for absurd humor, and, here, for awkward humor too. He often finds himself in strange situations with his favorite rock stars, from weaseling his way into their homes and pissing them off, or helping them find their stolen cars, or getting stoned with them, etc. He is truly a fan, and doesn't know what to say, or how to act, and often ends up embarrassing himself.
Maybe my favorite moment of the book though was when Almond drops the hammer on Kurt Cobain. I've never been a huge Nirvana fan, and Almond pulls zero punches. This also comes during a particularly raw moment with Dave Grohl. He writes, about his friends comparing Cobain to John Lennon, "Lennon wrote hundreds of songs, in a wide range of emotional and musical vernaculars, and became one of the most important political activists of his era before he was murdered. Cobain wrote in one genre, in two moods at most, and shot himself in the head while on heroin. He was instantly canonized for this act, which totally fucked over everyone in his life."
It's this kind of blatant honesty about music, that which he understands, and that which he doesn't, that make Almond an endearing figure in pop culture.
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Jun 03, 2010 Ted rated it 3 of 5 stars

The first half of this book was quite good, but Almond got bogged down in chapters that were more solipsistic than informative. Almond is clearly a bright guy (having completed an advanced degree and taught writing at the college level), but his own writing tends to bounce between low and high brow suggesting he's having trouble reconciling his younger, more rebellious self with his more mature, analytic side. Also, while I really enjoyed his reflections on the music industry, love of certain so...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Jon Longworth rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in music

I loved this book. Really loved this book. Steve Almond captures phrases and moods better than any author I have read recently. He has written this with warmth, humour and a deeply personal perspective. Its is a very direct dialog. This book started to unearth what music and rock meant to me and how it manages to punctuate my life. I can remember all of the words and music to entire Rock Opera Jesus Christ Superstar - but I can't remember what I had for lunch. Most people have varying forms of t...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Esme Pie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Knew I would like this book, but did not expect to like it as much as I did. First, Almond is a great (and extremely funny) writer who so wonderfully chronicles the Drooling Fanatics' (his term for obsessive music lover) experience, I think a Fanatic from any musical genre could indentify. Three things I loved about this book: 1) He perfectly captures the way music can touch the listener and allow one to access the deepest and remote feelings--it really is very difficult to describe how an artis...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Keri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Keri by: Jen

Steve Almond found me out. I am a Drooling Fanatic of the Concert Queen variety. While I know that my friend Jen, who loaned me the book, is of the same breed and I, it was fun to read that we are not alone and that what we think of as quirky behaviors are considered sane by some.

I especially enjoyed the exegeses, the interludes and the lists. Drooling Fanatics are ALL ABOUT the lists (best concerts, desert island discs, bands on the bucket list, etc.) And while I am analytical by nature, I can'...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you are, or were, a big music fan (i.e., you considered yourself a serious connoisseur of "better" music), this is a must read book. Steve Almond deconstructs your mating habits, explains the entire Reagan era in one paragraph, courtesy of Gil Scott-Heron and tells us why he believes that Styx's Paradise Theater is perhaps the greatest album ever (or something like that). Finally, he'll make you feel good about liking what you like, despite what the critics, your friends and society has to sa...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Tim Niland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

This was a fun and breezy book for the music geeks among us. Almond refers to himself as a "drooling fanatic" for music and describes his growing up and becoming a music journalist. He writes passionately about the transformative power of music, and the nature of the true music geek to proselytize about his or her discoveries. Almond has a great sense of humor and some of his stories (like the one where he wanders Graceland while stoned out of his mind) are laugh out loud funny. Also endearing i...more

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May 28, 2010 Tina Hamilton rated it 4 of 5 stars

By now, many of you know that one of my favorite books is "Candy Freak" by Steve Almond (he visits independent candy makers throughout the United States). A must read, especially if you like candy.

This book does not disappoint. Much of Almond's young adulthood and adulthood has revolved around candy and music. He is a self-described "Drooling Fanatic" when it comes to certain bands. He's DJ'd, written for many music mags, gone on the road with bands, and so on. Many of the bands he loves and fol...more

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Sep 18, 2010 Darrell Reimer rated it 3 of 5 stars

With this gangly collection of essays, Steve Almond officially picks up the musing-over-music slack that Chuck Klosterman left behind. Almond's mode is very much in line with Klosterman's: speak candidly of obsession, frequently disclose amusing/embarrassing moments of personal experience related (or not) to said obsession, choose one or two particularly well-known songs for a verse-by-verse deconstruction, etc. Almond's deconstruction of Toto's "Africa" is particularly funny: be careful reading...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Greg Schell rated it 2 of 5 stars

It started out strong in the first few chapters as Almond laid the groundwork for what I thought would be a very fun read. I could identify with a lot of what he expressed and he was extremely witty. Then it spiraled down to near boredom as the book became mostly about him and his love of obscure musicians/bands. Not to say that the music he likes doesn't have artistic merit, obscurity doesn't equate to irrelevance necessarily. Hell, I love plenty of obscure stuff. But I learned a long time ago...more

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May 15, 2010 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Classic Almond. Smart, witty and hilarious in some parts. However I didn't like it as much as his other books because I'm not a "DF" (Drooling Fanatic) of any type of music. Or anything for that matter. Maybe I'm super jaded. But I just don't see what the big deal is.

Furthermore, several (ok, honestly, MOST OF) the bands and people he was talking about I've never heard of. Even remotely. And he's talking about how he has 559 of this guy's songs and I'm like "I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT IS!!" And so...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Given what I do for a living, I should probably dislike this book for no reason other than Almond's early insistence that rock criticism is impossible and useless. I see his point, though I disagree -- but more importantly, the rest of the book is full of funny, touching stories about Almond's life as a so-called Drooling Fanatic, including passionate essays about some of his favorite musicians (many of whom are on my own list).

Bottom line -- if you love music, Steve Almond comes across as the k...more

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Nov 07, 2011 A.K. Benninghofen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This rating may seem sort of over-the-top for this type of book, but I can't help it - a favorite writer on a favorite subject. Loved every word of it!

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Aug 05, 2010 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, rock-roll-bookclub

Do you have that friend in your life who, depending on the day and your mood, you are either madly in love with or so annoyed by you want to shove him in front of a bus? After reading Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life, I’m pretty convinced that if Steve Almond were my friend, he’d be that friend. Why? because he’d write things like, “he called me because, well, misery loves another idiot with a jukebox where his soul should be.” And he’d also wank on endlessly about some musical genius he loved...more Do you have that friend in your life who, depending on the day and your mood, you are either madly in love with or so annoyed by you want to shove him in front of a bus? After reading Rock and Roll Will Save Your Life, I’m pretty convinced that if Steve Almond were my friend, he’d be that friend. Why? because he’d write things like, “he called me because, well, misery loves another idiot with a jukebox where his soul should be.” And he’d also wank on endlessly about some musical genius he loved that I’d never heard of. See how it could be love or murder?

First a confession: I have a weird fetish for/obsession with rock & roll memoir/essays books. I read every one that comes down the pike in hopes of finding an author that can put into words the relationship I’ve had with rock & roll better than I can. I’m pretty sure that if they let a woman write this type of a book, she could do it. So far, I have not found a woman who has written this kind of book. No, it seems these kinds of essay-memoir-rock-and-roll books are reserved for the Steve Almonds, Rob Sheffields, and Chuck Klostermans of the world.

Yes, yes I know woman have written books about rock & roll. I’ve tried them all. But not one of them, at least that I’ve found, has written the memoir/essays book about being a music fan and what the music has meant to her. No, usually the rock and roll books by women are about being in the band or the women’s revolution in rock & roll (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s– pick your revolution).

You’d be hard-pressed to find a book by a woman about her experience with music fandom (and groupie memoirs don’t count). If you know of one, a good one, let me know and I’ll be your best friend forever.

I cannot hold the fact that he’s not a woman against Steve Almond. I can, however, hold the fact that even though he calls himself a Drooling Fanatic he’s kind of more than a fan. Anyone with the ways and means to get access to their musical heroes, to interview Dave Grohl and get Spin to foot the bill is more than a fan. Right?
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Jun 21, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Very funny look at a lifetime of music obsession that's worth the price of admission, if only for the lyrical breakdowns of "I Bless the Rains Down in Africa" and "All Out of Love". Such a fun, quick read that I'm willing to not hold against him the fact that he admits to pretty much dismissing the entirety of punk music based on an early Red Hot Chili Peppers performance, which is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. (It was, in fairness to Almond, a very early performance, and pe...more

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May 27, 2010 Brent rated it 4 of 5 stars

As the subtitle says, this book is by and for music fanatics, a group of which I must confess to being a member. I loved the stories Almond tells and can identify with many of the descriptions of so-called Drooling Fanatics. If nothing else, it did wonders for my soul to hear someone else put into words the way I feel about music (including the bits about our noble efforts to help those around us with their unfortunate tastes in music or the reasons why so many songs actually suck). If you suspe...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Antonia Crane rated it 4 of 5 stars

If your soul has been tattooed by music from a young age, this book is a love letter to you. It's a funny, smart informative book about music and we fanatics who's lives and hearts have been shaped by it our whole lives. The book has some terrific music trivia (not every Heartbreak song is a Depression song) and touching personal stories (your grieving hairdresser saw Pat Benatar how many times?) and descriptions like "This was hip hop, the extraction of joy from mayhem." The book contains all o...more

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May 25, 2010 Carla Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books, readin2010

My friend Kristen recommended this book, and I'm glad she did. It's a quick read--I finished it in a day and a half, I think--and at first, I thought I would give it a three-star rating. It's amusing, but not life shattering. But a week after finishing the book, I'm still thinking about it. Almond's description of his life as a "drooling fanatic" resonates with me, from the way he listens to music to how he writes about it. I'm not sure whether I'm embarrassed by or proud of my fanaticism, but I...more

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Aug 03, 2010 Joyce rated it 5 of 5 stars

Do you suspect that you might be a Drooling Fanatic? This book will make you laugh - it's an absolute hoot. For the rock 'n roll obsessed, and especially those who are younger than me , Almond marches on through the stages of DF-dom and presents case studies, mostly using himself as Exhibit A.

I loved this book, although recognizing only a few of the bands/artists mentioned (that age thang). I don't think that matters at all. This is NOT a book for your young teen reader, imo.

Recommended for all...more

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About Steve Almond

Steve Almond is the author of two story collections, My Life in Heavy Metal and The Evil B.B. Chow, the non-fiction book Candyfreak, and the novel Which Brings Me to You, co-written with Julianna Baggott. He lives outside Boston with his wife and baby daughter Josephine.

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Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

(Not That You Asked): Rants, Exploits, and Obsessions

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“It's like this when you fall hard for a musician. It's a crush with religious overtones. You listen to the songs and you memorize the words and the notes and this is a form of prayer. You attend the shows and this is the liturgy. You're interested in relics -- guitar picks, set lists, the sweaty napkin applied to His brow. You set up shrines in your room. It's not just about the music. It's about who you are when you listen to the music and who you wish to be and the way a particular song can bridge that gap, can make you feel the abrupt thrill of absolute faith.” — 9 people liked it

“The connection being that in my head all language began in song and that the best stories inevitably reutrn to song, to a state of rapture. For years, I had assumed that throwing beautiful words at the page would make my prose feel true. But I had the process exactly backward. It was truth that lifted the language into beauty and toward song. It was a matter of doing what Joe Henry did, of pursuing characters into moments of emotional truth and slowing down. The result was a compression of sensual and psychological detail that released the rhythm and melody in language itself, what Longfellow called "the happy accidents of language.” — 5 people liked it

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