Our Band Could Be Your Life is a well-reported and decently written account of a turn of the gyre in the American independent rock scene, this particu...moreOur Band Could Be Your Life is a well-reported and decently written account of a turn of the gyre in the American independent rock scene, this particular era ending with Nirvana's explosion.
The chapters could all function as stand-alones, but given the overlapping nature of the scene at that point, Azerrad's book deserves to be read as a whole. The personalities (particularly of the 'Mats and the B.H. Surfers) come through so strongly and with so much wit, that the best chapters would have me audibly laughing.
The Big Black chapter kind of paled in comparison with the preceding one, which is a waste of one of indie rock's most articulate, cutting and interesting subjects, Mr. Steve Albini.
Also, and I can't stress this enough: Don't read the epilogue. In the eyes of this reader, the author takes that opportunity to change from an enthusiastic historian to a nostalgic Gen Xer. Trust me, man: Nostalgia looked bad on the Boomers and it looks pathetic on you. (less)
Kind of a Lewis Carroll for Southern Gothic newspaper comics. Sort of an amalgamation of fables, folk songs, and absurdism. Kind of like The Band but...moreKind of a Lewis Carroll for Southern Gothic newspaper comics. Sort of an amalgamation of fables, folk songs, and absurdism. Kind of like The Band but a comic. Also sort of dated.(less)
As you might imagine it is sort of dated, but it's kind of interesting to see into a different era of America's past. A time when the country was stil...moreAs you might imagine it is sort of dated, but it's kind of interesting to see into a different era of America's past. A time when the country was still on the upswing, and when we had a rival to overcome and compare ourselves to... Also Vidal gets away with references to Petrarch and Petronius, which makes me wonder if a gap is growing between readers of The Nation and readers from Gawker. (less)
While it's hard for me to speculate on McCullough's goals in writing this book (the best collection of "Americans in Paris from the 1830s to the turn...moreWhile it's hard for me to speculate on McCullough's goals in writing this book (the best collection of "Americans in Paris from the 1830s to the turn of the century" anecdotes?), I certainly enjoyed reading it. Big take-aways include (but are not limited to): Samuel Morse's Herculean effort to establish himself as a portrait painter, only to later realize that he was an inventor. Mary Cassatt was a homebody. John Singer Sargent considered himself an American long before he ever set foot in America.
Far and away my favorite section was the story of the American ambassador during the Prussian siege, because it was using the lens of "Americans in Paris" to further illuminate a big historical event.
Hey, the scenery was phenomenal, and it inspired me to travel for work more. (less)
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