Cheese Chronicles: The True Story of a Rock N Roll Band You'Ve Never Heard of

by Tommy Womack

In 1985, three other guys and I -- in Kentucky, of all places -- formed a band, hitched our sled to the rock and roll dream, and screamed mush from the pits of our souls. We had nothing going for us save a vehement, greasy, turbo-psychotic vision of how things might turn out, and we went for it. It is good to pursue an outlandish dream. Latch on to the wild dogs. Grab that whip and yee-the-hell-hah! Eventually the sled comes out from under you, and from that point on, you either run like hell or you get your face dragged all over God's creation, scraping on rocks and bouncing off the sides of trees. There will be great incidence of contusions, highway motel dog breath and bottle-ringed cocktail napkin blitherscribble. Things move faster and faster. Everything you packed for the trip -- relationships, standards, your future -- gets tossed or bounce off somewhere, and all the while, you know you can stop and at any time, just by letting go of the dream. Under no circumstances whatsoever do you let go of the dream.

Genres: Music

270 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Curtis Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book about a band you never heard of ever.....Funny and poignant while revealing things about life on the road you never knew. Even if you arent a fan of the Cheese, even if you dont like Rock and Roll...you will like this book.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great look at a band on the road trying to make it.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend Scott recommended this book based on the fact that we both love Americana music - the underdogs, the ones that write great music, but never make it to the big time. Tommy is a musician who plays a lot with other musicians I know - in the East Nashville "alt-country" scene. It turns out I knew a couple songs by Government Cheese - in fact, I loved Tommy's song "Camping on Acid" but I had no idea who it was by originally.

I fell in love with this book. Tommy tells - in a conversational, forthright, very honest and easy-to-read style - of what life is truly like for 99.99% of the musicians in rock & roll. Rock stars yes - rich & famous, no. This is the inside story of s struggling rock band, and all the trials and tribulations they faced about life on the road, making records, what life is really like when you suddenly get a record contract.

Simply enough, this is the best memoir about the rock & roll busness ever. It's not about name dropping and wildly excessive mudshark stories - it's about reaching for your dreams, seeing them seemingly in your grasp, and not getting them. It's gritty & real and full of humanity. Any fan of rock & roll or the music business should read this book.

[Rebekkila · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great true story. The author is one of the guitar players for the now defunct band Government Cheese. It goes from the very first Jam session to the tour through the South that made them realize that they needed to break up. Where the author could have included a lot about the sex, drugs, and rock and roll, he instead focused on the band members, their dynamics and bits about the places they played. It was definitely the right decision, I read Motley Crue's Dirt years ago and I still need a few more years before I read another one like it. He made light of some situations that at the time were probably far from funny and he was respectful of the people with whom he came into contact with the exception of one.
People who have ever supported a local band or likes live music would love this book. I found it to be very funny with some laugh out loud moments. I was planning on releasing this for the food + Wine challenge, but I might keep it, I have a feeling this book is not easy to find.

[Eric Mangol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. A funny and painfully honest first-person account of life in a working rock-n-roll band. Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll yes. Money no. That seems to sum up Government Cheese's career and let's face the career of most rock bands, and Womack doesn't pull any punches or try to make it glamorous. Bad contracts, endless tours and a bunch of guys in a van - living the rock-n-roll dream! Tommy Womack is a fine writer and this is a fun read. I highly recommend it.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book about music I've ever read. Tommy Womack is a damn genius.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy Womack is a personal friend of mine (If you're in the know, you'll know!) Excellent book about the adventures of an excellent band that made my college days livable, hazy and fun!