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Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums
Travis Barker’s soul-baring memoir chronicles the highlights and lowlights of the renowned drummer’s art and his life, including the harrowing plane crash that nearly killed him and his traumatic road to recovery—a fascinating never-before-told-in-full story of personal reinvention grounded in musical salvation and fatherhood.
After breaking out as the acclaimed drummer of the multiplatinum punk band Blink-182, everything changed for Travis Barker. But the dark side of rock stardom took its his marriage, chronicled for an MTV reality show, fell apart. Constant touring concealed a serious drug addiction. A reckoning did not truly come until he was forced to face His life nearly ended in a horrifying plane crash, and then his close friend, collaborator, and fellow crash survivor DJ AM died of an overdose.
In this blunt, driving memoir, Barker ruminates on rock stardom, fatherhood, death, loss, and redemption, sharing stories shaped by decades’ worth of hard-earned insights. His pulsating memoir is as energetic as his acclaimed beats. It brings to a close the first chapters of a well-lived life, inspiring readers to follow the rhythms of their own hearts and find meaning in their lives.
After breaking out as the acclaimed drummer of the multiplatinum punk band Blink-182, everything changed for Travis Barker. But the dark side of rock stardom took its his marriage, chronicled for an MTV reality show, fell apart. Constant touring concealed a serious drug addiction. A reckoning did not truly come until he was forced to face His life nearly ended in a horrifying plane crash, and then his close friend, collaborator, and fellow crash survivor DJ AM died of an overdose.
In this blunt, driving memoir, Barker ruminates on rock stardom, fatherhood, death, loss, and redemption, sharing stories shaped by decades’ worth of hard-earned insights. His pulsating memoir is as energetic as his acclaimed beats. It brings to a close the first chapters of a well-lived life, inspiring readers to follow the rhythms of their own hearts and find meaning in their lives.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2014
568 people are currently reading
5288 people want to read
About the author
Travis Barker
8 books77 followersTravis Landon Barker is an American musician, songwriter, producer and drummer for the rock bank Blink-182.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews
August 13, 2017
I must admit that while it was nice reading about one of my favourite bands as a teen, I felt like this was just a teeny tiny bit of a letdown. I did enjoy this book for the most part but some bits actually made me cringe.
The parts that made me cringe bothered me enough for me to dock a whole star from this book. What was it that bothered me so you ask? Well, I was thoroughly appalled at how women were spoken about and treated in this book. It's like they were just objects to be used until something shinier and prettier came along... Normally I'd deduct more than one star for something that bothered me so much but I do understand that there are two sides to the story.
Obviously Travis is good looking, famous and has lots of money so that naturally attracts women that throw themselves at him and his entourage. And obviously he'd be crazy not to take advantage of it, I just don't think it was necessary to go about it in such a degrading way and making it such a prominent part of the book.
But other than that, I did quite enjoy this book. It was incredibly interesting to get a behind the scenes look at how one of the bands that shaped my youth came into existence and evolved to where they are today!
The parts that made me cringe bothered me enough for me to dock a whole star from this book. What was it that bothered me so you ask? Well, I was thoroughly appalled at how women were spoken about and treated in this book. It's like they were just objects to be used until something shinier and prettier came along... Normally I'd deduct more than one star for something that bothered me so much but I do understand that there are two sides to the story.
Obviously Travis is good looking, famous and has lots of money so that naturally attracts women that throw themselves at him and his entourage. And obviously he'd be crazy not to take advantage of it, I just don't think it was necessary to go about it in such a degrading way and making it such a prominent part of the book.
But other than that, I did quite enjoy this book. It was incredibly interesting to get a behind the scenes look at how one of the bands that shaped my youth came into existence and evolved to where they are today!
August 15, 2016
Sort of a bummer. This book was a gift from my siblings and, while I didn't expect this to be some deeply insightful tome, I did expect minimal substance given the quantity of positive reviews. The book is 400 some pages worth of bedpost notches. Barker opens with an apology, going so far as to say some of his actions and the way he treated women makes him sick, but then immediately proceeds to share every vapid detail. In case that's not enough, he invites friends and colleagues to corroborate his escapades in a series of two paragraph testimonials.
This book neglects "behind the scenes" for "under the covers." Totally uninteresting.
This book neglects "behind the scenes" for "under the covers." Totally uninteresting.
November 7, 2023
The epitome of rockstar life 🤯 It’s everything you’d think he’s done, drugs sex drugs party guns sex… 🙃 His life after the crash was interesting- the 180.. 👍
June 19, 2016
This has to be the most honest autobiography I have read. Travis left nothing out, and I'm kind of amazed he's around today with all the shit he did. I fell in love with Blink 182 when I was 14 years old. This girl moved onto my street, gave me her Blink cds to check out and then moved away within a month. It was like some cosmic destiny shit. I don't remember her name, but she holds a special place in my heart (I'm so terrible with names, you guys). I promptly bought the three cds they had out at the time and hid them from my mom (parental advisory labels = I was gonna end up a drugged out teen mom). Things weren't great at home when I was a teenager, and Blink got me through some shit. Plus, I loved how horrified/grossed out my mom was over the Blink posters that covered my walls. I actually had to censor Travis in one with post-its when my grandfather came to visit and got my room (all the crotch grabbing).
My bffs and I went to every show. When I moved to California, they flew or drove out to see the shows with me in San Diego, and I would drive back to Arizona to see shows with them. We were at the reunion show in Tempe in 2009 shortly after AM's death and on the one year anniversary of the plane crash. Travis never talked at shows, and we didn't hear his voice until they put out a dvd and he said a little about his new clothing line. We screamed because that was the first time we had heard his voice. Later on I watched his reality show on MTV. I could tell he was a great father, but I had no idea all the turmoil behind the scenes with the drugs, fights, gangs... shit was cray.
Travis opens up a lot about the plane crash, the loss of his friends and the pain caused by the burns he sustained and the nearly 30 surgeries that followed. He talks about the depression, survivor's guilt and wanting to die. He had to fight to recover, get sober and get back to living and playing drums again. I got a lot more insight into the internal struggles that caused Blink break up each time. I loved hearing from Mark, and I'm excited by what was mentioned about what Blink is currently working on. I was surprised to see Tom contribute to this book based on what happened last year, but this book is full of commentary from the people in his life and not all of it reflects positively on Travis. It's just so real. I really enjoyed this, even though some of it was tough to read. The pics were great, but they also include the dark stuff like his burned and bloody body immediately following the crash.
Here's a little throwback to my 17th birthday. I don't know if you can see it, but no one in my family wanted to eat the section of the cake with Travis on it... all the tattoos I guess. My mom cut up my Rolling Stone magazine for this (I'm still kind of annoyed about that).
***I read this as part of the LOP 2016 Summer Challenge. The places I have visited that were settings in this book were:
San Diego, CA
Tijuana, Mexico
Laguna Beach, CA
Riverside, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Irvine, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Carlsbad, CA
Australia
Hollywood, CA
Bel Air, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Coachella, CA
San Jose, CA***
My bffs and I went to every show. When I moved to California, they flew or drove out to see the shows with me in San Diego, and I would drive back to Arizona to see shows with them. We were at the reunion show in Tempe in 2009 shortly after AM's death and on the one year anniversary of the plane crash. Travis never talked at shows, and we didn't hear his voice until they put out a dvd and he said a little about his new clothing line. We screamed because that was the first time we had heard his voice. Later on I watched his reality show on MTV. I could tell he was a great father, but I had no idea all the turmoil behind the scenes with the drugs, fights, gangs... shit was cray.
Travis opens up a lot about the plane crash, the loss of his friends and the pain caused by the burns he sustained and the nearly 30 surgeries that followed. He talks about the depression, survivor's guilt and wanting to die. He had to fight to recover, get sober and get back to living and playing drums again. I got a lot more insight into the internal struggles that caused Blink break up each time. I loved hearing from Mark, and I'm excited by what was mentioned about what Blink is currently working on. I was surprised to see Tom contribute to this book based on what happened last year, but this book is full of commentary from the people in his life and not all of it reflects positively on Travis. It's just so real. I really enjoyed this, even though some of it was tough to read. The pics were great, but they also include the dark stuff like his burned and bloody body immediately following the crash.
Here's a little throwback to my 17th birthday. I don't know if you can see it, but no one in my family wanted to eat the section of the cake with Travis on it... all the tattoos I guess. My mom cut up my Rolling Stone magazine for this (I'm still kind of annoyed about that).
***I read this as part of the LOP 2016 Summer Challenge. The places I have visited that were settings in this book were:
San Diego, CA
Tijuana, Mexico
Laguna Beach, CA
Riverside, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Irvine, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Carlsbad, CA
Australia
Hollywood, CA
Bel Air, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Coachella, CA
San Jose, CA***
July 4, 2016
This was just ok. It was all just a little too obvious what his life was probably like. Tons of drinking... tons of drugs... lots of women... demons... family loss....reckless behavior.. oh and a random plane crash that almost killed him. I wanted to love it but he wrote like a 5th grader. Very short choppy sentences. Almost a stream of conscious type of writing that throws you off while reading. The footnote stories, within the book, in the middle of the chapters was a little off-putting too. It's a quick read. Just not 100% worth the money.
October 26, 2023
1.5 stars
i kept waiting for it to get deep but the closest to "deep" i got was travis providing astoundingly vivid and profuse details on how deep he was inside of a majority of the female population. anyway.
in other words: this might be the first time i've finished a memoir and actually disliked the person it was about because of it. i love blink-182 and have since middle school. i was fully prepared for this to be about sex, drugs, and rock & roll (i mean, have you ever heard a blink song? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A BLINK CONCERT??? nothing matches the joy of these idiots making a bunch of dick jokes right before playing adam's song. it's part of the appeal!). but like..........you're supposed to expect sex, drugs, and rock & roll in any book like this. so the whole point of writing a rock memoir, at least in my opinion, is to prove you're more than the coked up piece of shit that the media probably portrays you as.
i'm far from a prude when it comes to divulging one's personal details to the world, but this book needed some serious editing. the writing was not great, which i was expecting, but the main problem was the content. we get just a smidge of introspection and dare i say *gasp* emotion at the very end when travis discusses the plane crash he experienced, but everything else was so surface level that it took me a month to get through the book. clearly, with what travis has gone through, there was a lot he could have explored in his memoir, but instead 90% of the book was about the hundreds of girls he's had sex with (not sure i needed to hear such descriptive details of his sex life at age 13 especially?), constantly being high, and what a god he is at playing the drums. believe it or not, recounting every single place your penis has been does not equate to vulnerability. there was a serious lack of self-awareness paired with an overwhelming ego.
i also read some reviews beforehand about the way travis talks about women. yes, it's alarming at first, so i thought, surely there's going to be some comment later about how he talks about / treats women. umm, when i tell you it just gets worse???? what i got out of this memoir is that travis barker just views women as walking holes lmao. literally not a single woman was spared from sexual, degrading, rude, insensitive, or creepy comments. not his fans, not the mother of his children, not even his daughter. HIS INFANT DAUGHTER. in what world did all the people involved in the publication of this memoir think it would be a good idea to keep the line where travis describes his daughter as having "a crazy bubble butt". if you haven't read the book, you might say maaaaaybe there's a chance i'm misinterpreting it and he just phrased an innocent comment weirdly. here's the full line though: "When we got home, I couldn't believe I had a little girl. And even when she was a baby, she had a crazy bubble butt. After all the shit that I had done to girls through my life, I knew I was cursed." am i insane or does it sound like he's comparing his baby's ass to the asses of all the women he's fucked...
maybe i shouldn't do this, but i'm going compare Can I Say to a punk memoir that deals with some similar themes, but tastefully. Laura Jane Grace's Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout is one of my favorite memoirs ever, and it is, inevitably, a lot of sex, a lot of drugs, and a lot of rock & roll. and Laura Jane Grace absolutely comes off as an asshole for a large part of the memoir! but she's able to circle back and reflect on her choices and attitude; even though the book doesn't end on the most positive note, it feels down-to-earth, genuine, and humbling. i truly wish someone encouraged travis to do something similar because those insights are definitely somewhere in him, as shown by his reflections on the plane crash and his children, but instead, i was left feeling like travis is actually just a creep who i wouldn't really want to be alone around.
i truly think this would have been better as a personal diary, rather than a FOUR HUNDRED PAGE MEMOIR. in fact, i'm sure travis would have benefitted more if this was just his own little diary that he kept under his mattress. i honestly think that travis just wasn't ready to write a memoir; he was still clearly processing some thing when writing this. there were some funny moments, some dramatic moments, some insightful moments, but i think they would have been better executed if he attempted to write the same memoir now.
tldr: a disappointment to me, but surely enjoyable to other people (aka people i would like to stay far, far away from)
i kept waiting for it to get deep but the closest to "deep" i got was travis providing astoundingly vivid and profuse details on how deep he was inside of a majority of the female population. anyway.
in other words: this might be the first time i've finished a memoir and actually disliked the person it was about because of it. i love blink-182 and have since middle school. i was fully prepared for this to be about sex, drugs, and rock & roll (i mean, have you ever heard a blink song? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A BLINK CONCERT??? nothing matches the joy of these idiots making a bunch of dick jokes right before playing adam's song. it's part of the appeal!). but like..........you're supposed to expect sex, drugs, and rock & roll in any book like this. so the whole point of writing a rock memoir, at least in my opinion, is to prove you're more than the coked up piece of shit that the media probably portrays you as.
i'm far from a prude when it comes to divulging one's personal details to the world, but this book needed some serious editing. the writing was not great, which i was expecting, but the main problem was the content. we get just a smidge of introspection and dare i say *gasp* emotion at the very end when travis discusses the plane crash he experienced, but everything else was so surface level that it took me a month to get through the book. clearly, with what travis has gone through, there was a lot he could have explored in his memoir, but instead 90% of the book was about the hundreds of girls he's had sex with (not sure i needed to hear such descriptive details of his sex life at age 13 especially?), constantly being high, and what a god he is at playing the drums. believe it or not, recounting every single place your penis has been does not equate to vulnerability. there was a serious lack of self-awareness paired with an overwhelming ego.
i also read some reviews beforehand about the way travis talks about women. yes, it's alarming at first, so i thought, surely there's going to be some comment later about how he talks about / treats women. umm, when i tell you it just gets worse???? what i got out of this memoir is that travis barker just views women as walking holes lmao. literally not a single woman was spared from sexual, degrading, rude, insensitive, or creepy comments. not his fans, not the mother of his children, not even his daughter. HIS INFANT DAUGHTER. in what world did all the people involved in the publication of this memoir think it would be a good idea to keep the line where travis describes his daughter as having "a crazy bubble butt". if you haven't read the book, you might say maaaaaybe there's a chance i'm misinterpreting it and he just phrased an innocent comment weirdly. here's the full line though: "When we got home, I couldn't believe I had a little girl. And even when she was a baby, she had a crazy bubble butt. After all the shit that I had done to girls through my life, I knew I was cursed." am i insane or does it sound like he's comparing his baby's ass to the asses of all the women he's fucked...
maybe i shouldn't do this, but i'm going compare Can I Say to a punk memoir that deals with some similar themes, but tastefully. Laura Jane Grace's Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock's Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout is one of my favorite memoirs ever, and it is, inevitably, a lot of sex, a lot of drugs, and a lot of rock & roll. and Laura Jane Grace absolutely comes off as an asshole for a large part of the memoir! but she's able to circle back and reflect on her choices and attitude; even though the book doesn't end on the most positive note, it feels down-to-earth, genuine, and humbling. i truly wish someone encouraged travis to do something similar because those insights are definitely somewhere in him, as shown by his reflections on the plane crash and his children, but instead, i was left feeling like travis is actually just a creep who i wouldn't really want to be alone around.
i truly think this would have been better as a personal diary, rather than a FOUR HUNDRED PAGE MEMOIR. in fact, i'm sure travis would have benefitted more if this was just his own little diary that he kept under his mattress. i honestly think that travis just wasn't ready to write a memoir; he was still clearly processing some thing when writing this. there were some funny moments, some dramatic moments, some insightful moments, but i think they would have been better executed if he attempted to write the same memoir now.
tldr: a disappointment to me, but surely enjoyable to other people (aka people i would like to stay far, far away from)
January 5, 2020
This truly had a bit of everything. Travis has certainly lead an interesting and crazy life in his 40-something years. Growing up with Blink-182, Travis has long been one of my drumming idols and musical influences – so I was excited to read this!
It took me a little while to get into it at first. It has a unique style all of its own (much like Travis’s drumming). It features vast footnotes, pictures and anecdotes splashing across the pages throughout. The style of writing and way of talking was different to what I usually read. Once used to it, I found it a refreshing aspect of the book. It soon began to feel like Travis was sitting down beside me and telling the story with his own words.
There was a lot of tragedy and heartache featured here – from losing his Mum at a young age, to the plane crash and losing friends along the way. I admit to getting emotional at his Mother’s final words to him: “keep playing your drums, Travis”. Thankfully, there were also laughs and lighter moments too. Such is life.
Travis certainly reiterates the need to work hard in order to achieve your goals and live your dreams – just as he has done. His dedication to the art of drumming was inspiring to read and has certainly motivated me to put in greater practice hours. In many ways, the inspirational tone of this book was surprising, but also made it the perfect book to begin a new year with. I love that he gave drum lessons even as his fame grew, and I admired his DIY entrepreneurship with his clothing company.
There was sometimes a little too much pills, weed and girls talk – even for a book of its kind. It was mainly the way in which it was presented: “By the time I graduated from high school, I had easily slept with 15 girls”. Some stories had to be preceded by how many blunts, joints and pills were had beforehand - of which often had no relevance to the actual story.
Travis was not afraid to portray himself as a dickhead at times and the book was better for it. It made everything much more authentic - and that is to be admired. "Authentic" is definitely an appropriate word to describe Travis. Featuring different sides to many stories, and allowing open criticism of himself in the book was really effective. For every dark element here, there were far more upsides and the book took on an inspiring, almost self-help vibe towards the end.
I really enjoyed reading the Blink-182 sections, and getting some of the ‘insider’ access to the making of certain albums and band drama. The guys did come across as less a band and very separate individuals though. Tom’s name is a noticeable absentee from the “Acknowledgements” at the end. So too is any mention of Scott Raynor by name throughout the book (the drummer Travis replaced in Blink). Can I Say probably name-drops various musicians and celebrities more than any other book I’ve read.
The plane crash and “Drums, drums, drums” chapters were my favourites. Not sure I’ll be getting ‘cadaver skin’ and ‘jet fuel burps’ out of my mind anytime soon. This book definitely gave me greater appreciation for Travis’s talents and musicianship – the diversity of his musical tastes and influences was refreshing. Like I could admire his skills any more already!
It’s always nice to find you have so many things in common with one of your idols. I found myself taking notes at various times and know this is a book I’ll refer back to in future – both for its motivational qualities and drum talk. This is something I couldn’t put down and got a lot out of. Highly recommend to other drummers, fellow musicians and fans of Blink.
I’m grateful for having Travis’s drumming in my life, and grateful my sister gave me this book. Now to go crank Enema of the State!
"Problems are opportunities in work clothes."
It took me a little while to get into it at first. It has a unique style all of its own (much like Travis’s drumming). It features vast footnotes, pictures and anecdotes splashing across the pages throughout. The style of writing and way of talking was different to what I usually read. Once used to it, I found it a refreshing aspect of the book. It soon began to feel like Travis was sitting down beside me and telling the story with his own words.
There was a lot of tragedy and heartache featured here – from losing his Mum at a young age, to the plane crash and losing friends along the way. I admit to getting emotional at his Mother’s final words to him: “keep playing your drums, Travis”. Thankfully, there were also laughs and lighter moments too. Such is life.
Travis certainly reiterates the need to work hard in order to achieve your goals and live your dreams – just as he has done. His dedication to the art of drumming was inspiring to read and has certainly motivated me to put in greater practice hours. In many ways, the inspirational tone of this book was surprising, but also made it the perfect book to begin a new year with. I love that he gave drum lessons even as his fame grew, and I admired his DIY entrepreneurship with his clothing company.
There was sometimes a little too much pills, weed and girls talk – even for a book of its kind. It was mainly the way in which it was presented: “By the time I graduated from high school, I had easily slept with 15 girls”. Some stories had to be preceded by how many blunts, joints and pills were had beforehand - of which often had no relevance to the actual story.
Travis was not afraid to portray himself as a dickhead at times and the book was better for it. It made everything much more authentic - and that is to be admired. "Authentic" is definitely an appropriate word to describe Travis. Featuring different sides to many stories, and allowing open criticism of himself in the book was really effective. For every dark element here, there were far more upsides and the book took on an inspiring, almost self-help vibe towards the end.
I really enjoyed reading the Blink-182 sections, and getting some of the ‘insider’ access to the making of certain albums and band drama. The guys did come across as less a band and very separate individuals though. Tom’s name is a noticeable absentee from the “Acknowledgements” at the end. So too is any mention of Scott Raynor by name throughout the book (the drummer Travis replaced in Blink). Can I Say probably name-drops various musicians and celebrities more than any other book I’ve read.
The plane crash and “Drums, drums, drums” chapters were my favourites. Not sure I’ll be getting ‘cadaver skin’ and ‘jet fuel burps’ out of my mind anytime soon. This book definitely gave me greater appreciation for Travis’s talents and musicianship – the diversity of his musical tastes and influences was refreshing. Like I could admire his skills any more already!
It’s always nice to find you have so many things in common with one of your idols. I found myself taking notes at various times and know this is a book I’ll refer back to in future – both for its motivational qualities and drum talk. This is something I couldn’t put down and got a lot out of. Highly recommend to other drummers, fellow musicians and fans of Blink.
I’m grateful for having Travis’s drumming in my life, and grateful my sister gave me this book. Now to go crank Enema of the State!
"Problems are opportunities in work clothes."
January 26, 2016
Travis Barker inspiring story about love, loss and guns touched a deep place in my heart. I do not know much about him,but based on the interviews I seen of him, he lived a rough life. As the book explicitly describes, he did not grow up with white fences and a beautiful home. Instead he had to struggle what he has now,from poverty and being misjudged based on his appearance. Raised as a military child, he got his tough nature from his father, but his mother (nicknamed Cookie) was the soft nurturing one. Despite being involved in gang violence, lack of educational credits and a bad reputation; yet he turned his life around for the sake of his kids.
The pictures and memos in this novel really brought this book to life. I know that most books tend to be visually appealing without substance. However, this book really took me by surprise with how the images matched the contents.
It is very graphic and raw in language,but it don't let that sway you.
Highly recommended to anyone who may be living a tough life!
January 3, 2017
The person that said the word 'weak' to describe the book was spot on. It was filled with heart but he held back. His stories were funny but he didn't say a bad word about anyone. He could have buried Blink 182's manager Rick Devoe and only devoted one line where he said that he didn't trust him.
A bunch of his friends got in a few words in the book, and reading those made my eyes roll. I get that they are his friends but they all sounded the same. "Travis Barker is the greatest drummer of all time. He does amazing things and elevates bands." I get it, he is a good drummer. I wouldn't be reading the book otherwise but they laid it in there like they were next in line if his sex addiction comes back.
I rarely say that a book could be shorter but this one could have been a lot shorter. With the exception of the plane crash, all of the stories were the same. Thankfully it is a fast read but that was because his stories were lacking depth.
A bunch of his friends got in a few words in the book, and reading those made my eyes roll. I get that they are his friends but they all sounded the same. "Travis Barker is the greatest drummer of all time. He does amazing things and elevates bands." I get it, he is a good drummer. I wouldn't be reading the book otherwise but they laid it in there like they were next in line if his sex addiction comes back.
I rarely say that a book could be shorter but this one could have been a lot shorter. With the exception of the plane crash, all of the stories were the same. Thankfully it is a fast read but that was because his stories were lacking depth.
October 20, 2021
Ugh…. I felt like I needed to take a shower after reading this book. There was literally nothing that was redeemable here about Travis. I went into it with an open mind and had a much higher opinion of him until I read this book. His life has been a real train wreck, I just feel sorry that there are children involved and that they will someday read this garbage and learn about their dad, and their mom for that matter, another piece of work. Not flattering in any way…,wish I hadn’t read it.
October 21, 2015
Travis Barker provides a revealing, frank and inspiring look into a life defined by perseverance, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to both the mastery of one's craft and to one's family and friends.
I work at a bookstore and was shelving yesterday morning when I noticed the arrival of Travis Barker's autobiography. Having been a fan of his music for well over half my life, I decided to grab a copy for myself. After cracking it open at 11 pm, I didn't stop reading until I finished the book around 6 am. I couldn't put it down! He really opens himself, offering a very revealing look into his past, present and future. There doesn't seem to be any holding back either. He talks frankly about his most difficult and darkest times; whether it was love, loss, addiction, or fear. Ultimately, this is really a story about commitment, perseverance, and dedication. It's truly an inspiring read.
I work at a bookstore and was shelving yesterday morning when I noticed the arrival of Travis Barker's autobiography. Having been a fan of his music for well over half my life, I decided to grab a copy for myself. After cracking it open at 11 pm, I didn't stop reading until I finished the book around 6 am. I couldn't put it down! He really opens himself, offering a very revealing look into his past, present and future. There doesn't seem to be any holding back either. He talks frankly about his most difficult and darkest times; whether it was love, loss, addiction, or fear. Ultimately, this is really a story about commitment, perseverance, and dedication. It's truly an inspiring read.
June 18, 2021
a trainwreck from which i could not look away
June 19, 2016
Should be called "Sex, Drugs, And Drums" (and what the crap do I tell my children in 10 years?)
Travis Barker is/was the tattooed drummer for the Pop Punk band "Blink 182". I still don't recall what the band name stands for, he probably explained it - but I didn't care, maybe it's the tempo of all their songs? Which mostly suck. Indeed, they are no Offspring or Rancid. More like a naughty version of Simple plan or the Backstreet Boys. But I can't tell 99% of the Pop Punk bands apart. But the BIG difference is Travis is a cool drummer to watch - very intense, and it's easy to recognize his snare drum sound.
So this is Travis's tale. What a tale it is: from marrying a Playboy Bunny to starting quite a few businesses and endlessly being endlessly rebellious and stoned and immoral. Yes, even Travis will no longer repeat what Travis did - and he has as many dead friends and abused lovers as Keith Richards and Nikki Six. Not everybody survives the party or the plane crash. But This book goes into good detail about Travis trying to be a good father, this is exciting inspirational stuff to read "Go Trav!". Reminds me of Duff Mckagan's (Guns & Roses Bassist) biography and children's stories. Awesome stuff to read. There's hope for some rockstars yet.
Travis chats a fair bit about his drumming. He seldom mentions any drums he's fond of. He's probably owned so many that they are mostly meaningless tools (like a hammer or chainsaw). He shows us the physical abuse of drumming the way he does, I've read of many old pros who can barely play anymore... this stuff catches up with you. And Travis has gone 10x beyond what most drummers are willing to do AND SHOULDN'T. But he has some great gigs and experiences to tell: Like festivals, and jams, and Award shows with super celebrities and music moguls. I'm not sure I'd want to jam with him (sure, test out his shuffles and motown beats maybe).
I think it's pretty cool that he became the Punkie drummer who jams with all the Rappers. They all need a guy like him on stage - help them stop babbling about being IN THE HOUSE and raising the roof, and actually make some deep music.
I just listened to his solo album: Give the Drummer Some.
Some fun tunes like "Saturday Night" and "The Beat Goes On". He's not your typical drum solo guy playing In a Gadda Da vida or trying to out shine Neil Peart. He's all about laying it down and pounding. And it's always fun to see him playing with Slash on guitar. I love his quick drum fills that guide the songs.
Go to Youtube and watch: Travis Barker Drum solo and recording. (Awesome!)
_____________________
This book is filled with Travis abusing life. And like some adults: he learns a few lessons along the way. Sadly, Travis thinks he's somewhat smart at every stage of his existence, until he goes too far... yep, drugs, bad health, bad people, women with no shame or morals, bad language, violence... It sure is great what having some awesome kids can do to your outlook. They sure helped travis grow up. Often he would have failed mightily for the Father Of The Year award - simply from so much drugs and sexual debauchery. (best never to marry a Playboy bunny). Like most parents: he'll probably try to give his teenagers some hard learned wisdom, and they'll simply tell him he's old fashioned and just doesn't have a clue... Then they'll proceed to slowly learn the hard way. Hopefully Travis will be one step ahead of them. But...
Now most music biographies I read have a fair bit of religion in them. Many are quite hateful of God and the Church and simply mock religious institutions and Biblical doctrine. Strangely (and awesomely) Travis seems to have a good heart about it, and an appreciation of God, even an inquisitive yearning for something eternally loving and meaningful. I sure hope he passes this onto his kids.
The problem is: Travis doesn't say anything specific about this God of his. WE assume a slight hint at some Catholic understandings. But many Catholics are deeply confused: Some even think it's all about Mary and their hopes are riding on some purgatory fairytale. They simply failed to read the Bible.
Quote: (pg. 51)
"There's no handbook for life: you just have to figure it out."
Travis, the Bible is God's handbook. All your questions are answered in there. You have to do some research though - God doesn't necessarily make it stupidly easy. We have to pay attention. There's a reason the Bible is a thousand pages... lots of scenarios and King Solomons with their 300 wives and 700 concubines. (hmmmm? Sometimes God shows us what NEVER to do)
1 KIngs 11:3
He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.
Yep, God has lots to say about sex, marriage, children, partying, health, and even music and instruments are mentioned a few times. It's all in there.
Quote: (pg. 77)
"I'd never met a Mormon my whole life, and now I was getting a crash course in Mormonism...I've always been open to whatever anyone has to tell me, whether it be Mormonism, Buddhism, anything. It's cool knowing that there are so many different way to believe in God. The more faith you can absorb, the more hope you can have."
Actually, it's the opposite; the more confusion and contradictions you can embrace. Every religion claims there is ONE way to believe and follow God. Go look for yourself. Mormonism claims the Bible and historic church was corrupted - and that the prophet Joseph Smith was gonna marry some young hotties and reboot everything. Buddha claims Hinduism had bad doctrine and so He started a NEW religion.
We simply have to check the source of religious truth claims (or writings). Simply compare and see what fits reality.
Quote: (pg. 197)
"I always said a prayer before my drum gags (crazy upside down drum solos on stage). It was the same routine I did before I got onto an airplane. I'd start with 'Mom, this is for you,' say my prayers, and then close my eyes."
Praying is great, indeed God wants to hear from you. He loves communication. But prayers need to be followed by some kind of repentance and obedience to God's will and Holiness. Nothing wrong with a great drum solo. Jesus might even be cheering Travis on. (It does appear Travis has a beautiful Tattoo of Jesus on his back.) So I must assume Travis is fond of the guy from the Gospel accounts who died for our sins - so we could be covered by HIS righteousness when we stand before a Holy God.
So the disturbing bit of info in this book is: (pg. 332)
"Nicki Minaj taught Bama how to dance. Bama would also pray with Nicki and her dancers every night, joining their huddle before they went onstage."
Isn't that sweet. Nicki teaching your innocent daughter to dance and pray. But?
(pg. 333)
"the night of the last show, Nicki's assistant came into my dressing room and said, 'Nicki's been wanting to do this for a long time."
"What's that?"
"She wants to give you a lap dance onstage tonight."
"S**T, you don't have to twist my arm." She gave a lap dance onstage every night: to Wayne, to Drake, to a person from the audience, She's rightly known for her beautiful A**: it was the best lap dance of my life."
So is Nicki teaching your daughter THAT dance as well? Hopefully your daughter doesn't end up like one of those girls at the endless parties OR ORGY's you went to. Why not? Nicki taught your daughter how to pray and dance and be a woman. I would be Freakin' Horrified if I were you Travis. Think this crap through buddy... This is your beautiful impressionable young daughter MR. Rockstar. Figure out exactly which God Nicki is teaching your daughter to pray to (Baal? Molech? Rati? Krishna? Aphrodite? ... certainly NOT the Jesus that's your tattoo, right NEAR YOUR MOTHER's tattoo - who is known to tell women to "Go and Sin no more" and "you have had 5 husbands, and the man you are with now is NOT your husband."
Just sharing some wisdom for your journey buddy. I have a beautiful young teenage daughter as well. I hope the very best for both our kids. May they find the love, loyalty and marriage that we both longed for. Teach her about YOUR Jesus. There's lots of info just a book away. Sex is sacred: teach your kids that. Even though you have failed. (there's always forgiveness - but there's a PRICE and often consequences.)
Yes, God has kept you alive through some amazing brutalities AND A PLANE WRECK. And NOT so you can get public lap dances from a very confused woman. You owe Jesus BIGTIME. He expects some pretty specific things from you. You might want to look into that.
Hey, it's your book - you brought it up. I'm just here to help. And please, stop swearing like a 15 year old. Your an adult now - work on that vocabulary buddy. Or at least be a little creative.
But, I look forward to more drumming from you. You ROCK! And this was the most enjoyable passionate music biography i've come across (and i've read 100's). Now go listen to Matt Abts (Gov't Mule's drummer - he'll show you how to get to the next level of your musical journey).
Travis Barker is/was the tattooed drummer for the Pop Punk band "Blink 182". I still don't recall what the band name stands for, he probably explained it - but I didn't care, maybe it's the tempo of all their songs? Which mostly suck. Indeed, they are no Offspring or Rancid. More like a naughty version of Simple plan or the Backstreet Boys. But I can't tell 99% of the Pop Punk bands apart. But the BIG difference is Travis is a cool drummer to watch - very intense, and it's easy to recognize his snare drum sound.
So this is Travis's tale. What a tale it is: from marrying a Playboy Bunny to starting quite a few businesses and endlessly being endlessly rebellious and stoned and immoral. Yes, even Travis will no longer repeat what Travis did - and he has as many dead friends and abused lovers as Keith Richards and Nikki Six. Not everybody survives the party or the plane crash. But This book goes into good detail about Travis trying to be a good father, this is exciting inspirational stuff to read "Go Trav!". Reminds me of Duff Mckagan's (Guns & Roses Bassist) biography and children's stories. Awesome stuff to read. There's hope for some rockstars yet.
Travis chats a fair bit about his drumming. He seldom mentions any drums he's fond of. He's probably owned so many that they are mostly meaningless tools (like a hammer or chainsaw). He shows us the physical abuse of drumming the way he does, I've read of many old pros who can barely play anymore... this stuff catches up with you. And Travis has gone 10x beyond what most drummers are willing to do AND SHOULDN'T. But he has some great gigs and experiences to tell: Like festivals, and jams, and Award shows with super celebrities and music moguls. I'm not sure I'd want to jam with him (sure, test out his shuffles and motown beats maybe).
I think it's pretty cool that he became the Punkie drummer who jams with all the Rappers. They all need a guy like him on stage - help them stop babbling about being IN THE HOUSE and raising the roof, and actually make some deep music.
I just listened to his solo album: Give the Drummer Some.
Some fun tunes like "Saturday Night" and "The Beat Goes On". He's not your typical drum solo guy playing In a Gadda Da vida or trying to out shine Neil Peart. He's all about laying it down and pounding. And it's always fun to see him playing with Slash on guitar. I love his quick drum fills that guide the songs.
Go to Youtube and watch: Travis Barker Drum solo and recording. (Awesome!)
_____________________
This book is filled with Travis abusing life. And like some adults: he learns a few lessons along the way. Sadly, Travis thinks he's somewhat smart at every stage of his existence, until he goes too far... yep, drugs, bad health, bad people, women with no shame or morals, bad language, violence... It sure is great what having some awesome kids can do to your outlook. They sure helped travis grow up. Often he would have failed mightily for the Father Of The Year award - simply from so much drugs and sexual debauchery. (best never to marry a Playboy bunny). Like most parents: he'll probably try to give his teenagers some hard learned wisdom, and they'll simply tell him he's old fashioned and just doesn't have a clue... Then they'll proceed to slowly learn the hard way. Hopefully Travis will be one step ahead of them. But...
Now most music biographies I read have a fair bit of religion in them. Many are quite hateful of God and the Church and simply mock religious institutions and Biblical doctrine. Strangely (and awesomely) Travis seems to have a good heart about it, and an appreciation of God, even an inquisitive yearning for something eternally loving and meaningful. I sure hope he passes this onto his kids.
The problem is: Travis doesn't say anything specific about this God of his. WE assume a slight hint at some Catholic understandings. But many Catholics are deeply confused: Some even think it's all about Mary and their hopes are riding on some purgatory fairytale. They simply failed to read the Bible.
Quote: (pg. 51)
"There's no handbook for life: you just have to figure it out."
Travis, the Bible is God's handbook. All your questions are answered in there. You have to do some research though - God doesn't necessarily make it stupidly easy. We have to pay attention. There's a reason the Bible is a thousand pages... lots of scenarios and King Solomons with their 300 wives and 700 concubines. (hmmmm? Sometimes God shows us what NEVER to do)
1 KIngs 11:3
He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.
Yep, God has lots to say about sex, marriage, children, partying, health, and even music and instruments are mentioned a few times. It's all in there.
Quote: (pg. 77)
"I'd never met a Mormon my whole life, and now I was getting a crash course in Mormonism...I've always been open to whatever anyone has to tell me, whether it be Mormonism, Buddhism, anything. It's cool knowing that there are so many different way to believe in God. The more faith you can absorb, the more hope you can have."
Actually, it's the opposite; the more confusion and contradictions you can embrace. Every religion claims there is ONE way to believe and follow God. Go look for yourself. Mormonism claims the Bible and historic church was corrupted - and that the prophet Joseph Smith was gonna marry some young hotties and reboot everything. Buddha claims Hinduism had bad doctrine and so He started a NEW religion.
We simply have to check the source of religious truth claims (or writings). Simply compare and see what fits reality.
Quote: (pg. 197)
"I always said a prayer before my drum gags (crazy upside down drum solos on stage). It was the same routine I did before I got onto an airplane. I'd start with 'Mom, this is for you,' say my prayers, and then close my eyes."
Praying is great, indeed God wants to hear from you. He loves communication. But prayers need to be followed by some kind of repentance and obedience to God's will and Holiness. Nothing wrong with a great drum solo. Jesus might even be cheering Travis on. (It does appear Travis has a beautiful Tattoo of Jesus on his back.) So I must assume Travis is fond of the guy from the Gospel accounts who died for our sins - so we could be covered by HIS righteousness when we stand before a Holy God.
So the disturbing bit of info in this book is: (pg. 332)
"Nicki Minaj taught Bama how to dance. Bama would also pray with Nicki and her dancers every night, joining their huddle before they went onstage."
Isn't that sweet. Nicki teaching your innocent daughter to dance and pray. But?
(pg. 333)
"the night of the last show, Nicki's assistant came into my dressing room and said, 'Nicki's been wanting to do this for a long time."
"What's that?"
"She wants to give you a lap dance onstage tonight."
"S**T, you don't have to twist my arm." She gave a lap dance onstage every night: to Wayne, to Drake, to a person from the audience, She's rightly known for her beautiful A**: it was the best lap dance of my life."
So is Nicki teaching your daughter THAT dance as well? Hopefully your daughter doesn't end up like one of those girls at the endless parties OR ORGY's you went to. Why not? Nicki taught your daughter how to pray and dance and be a woman. I would be Freakin' Horrified if I were you Travis. Think this crap through buddy... This is your beautiful impressionable young daughter MR. Rockstar. Figure out exactly which God Nicki is teaching your daughter to pray to (Baal? Molech? Rati? Krishna? Aphrodite? ... certainly NOT the Jesus that's your tattoo, right NEAR YOUR MOTHER's tattoo - who is known to tell women to "Go and Sin no more" and "you have had 5 husbands, and the man you are with now is NOT your husband."
Just sharing some wisdom for your journey buddy. I have a beautiful young teenage daughter as well. I hope the very best for both our kids. May they find the love, loyalty and marriage that we both longed for. Teach her about YOUR Jesus. There's lots of info just a book away. Sex is sacred: teach your kids that. Even though you have failed. (there's always forgiveness - but there's a PRICE and often consequences.)
Yes, God has kept you alive through some amazing brutalities AND A PLANE WRECK. And NOT so you can get public lap dances from a very confused woman. You owe Jesus BIGTIME. He expects some pretty specific things from you. You might want to look into that.
Hey, it's your book - you brought it up. I'm just here to help. And please, stop swearing like a 15 year old. Your an adult now - work on that vocabulary buddy. Or at least be a little creative.
But, I look forward to more drumming from you. You ROCK! And this was the most enjoyable passionate music biography i've come across (and i've read 100's). Now go listen to Matt Abts (Gov't Mule's drummer - he'll show you how to get to the next level of your musical journey).
September 25, 2017
Ever since I started listening to the podcast Blink-155, I have been consumed by the music of Blink-182 and all of its related media. I thought I would read Travis Barker's memoir since they mention it on the podcast and wanted some light end-of-summer reading fun. Instead, I got this book about Travis Barker's life - including some pretty heavy stuff about addiction, death and being the only survivor of a plane crash that burned 65% of his body. Sure, there's some fun goss about him hooking up with Paris Hilton and Kim K in the mid-aughts, but the majority of this book is a millionaire musician being depressed. Still, I gained a weird amount of respect for Travis Barker as a musician that I could not have anticipated. WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK AND WATCH MEET THE BARKERS AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE ALL YOU WILL BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT IS HOW HE BLAMES THE SHOW FOR DESTROYING HIS MARRIAGE :'(
November 10, 2015
I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for the drums. Whenever anything in my life has been bad, I knew I could go to my drums – for me, the drum kit has been better than a girlfriend.
Travis Barker isn’t capable of simply liking something in moderation.
Did you know that Travis has slept with hundreds of women?
Did you know that Travis owns a fleet of Cadillacs?
Did you know that Travis’ dedication to the drums landed him a spot on his high school’s marching band without having to attend the mandatory summer practice?
Yeah, Travis seems to be the poster boy for “addictive personality” and for the most part, that obsessive side has lead to a life of wealth and success. So in telling his story, it’s very smart of Barker to cede a bit of control and enlist a bevy of friends to act as co-authors, helping him tell his story through their own anecdotes, interspersed with Barker’s own recollections.
It helps keep the book from being too much of a humble brag.
So how did Travis first become a drummer? Inspired by Animal (yes, that Animal), Barker was encouraged by his mother at age 4, who would send him to lessons and then learn along with him as they practiced together at night.
No matter what, play the drums. Keep doing it, no matter what anybody else says. Don’t stop playing the drums, Travis. Follow your dreams.
When his mom passed away due to Sjögren's Syndrome the summer before Travis started high school, Barker began to rebel, getting tattoos, doing drugs and sleeping around to mask the pain. Despite this, his love of music combined with raw talent made him an in-demand local drummer, juggling his time between various acts before ultimately ending up in the Aquabats.
Honestly, I was most excited to read the section on the ‘Bats and the book really delivers. Blink is a silly band (dick jokes x infinity), but even then, Travis has always been the straight man. So what was it like for him in a band as wacky as the Aquabats?
MC Bat Commander, aka Christian Jacobs, provides commentary here and is as talented behind the typewriter as he is fighting giant monsters on stage. He reveals a Barker that’s fiercely loyal and a musical inspiration to his bandmates, as well as a bit of a goof:
Travis might not have seemed like the poster boy for ‘wacky,’ but he was more of a merry prankster than people realize.
Of course, his addition to Blink 182 and that band’s various breakups and reformations are details here, though if you’re already a fan, there isn’t that much new information. I did find it interesting that they never mention previous drummer, Scott Raynor, by name and that Barker almost joined Suicide Machines before landing Blink, but don’t expect any new dirt on Tom. (Mark and Tom both contribute writing in this book and while Travis is obviously closer to the former, he comes off as at peace with the latter).
Barker’s own writing can be a bit too conversational at times. He’s one of the best when it comes to making beats, but isn’t exactly Cormac McCarthy when it comes to writing.
Pops taught me how to drive. He was strict about it, but for a good reason: he wanted to teach me right, and that’s why I’m the dope driver I am today.
For some, I’m sure this will be part of the book’s charm but to me, I felt like it could use a bit more polishing. Some parts still felt like an early draft. However, his realist style is forgiven in the book’s darkest parts, namely, the parts dealing with his plane crash – a crash that cost four people their lives (two of which were very close to Barker) and left the drummer in the burn ward for weeks.
At that point, I panicked. I pulled the handle on the emergency exit and kicked the door open. AM was right behind me. I jumped out – right into the jet wing, which was filled with jet fuel. My whole body got covered with fuel and caught fire, from my legs all the way to my back. I started running.
You can feel the anxiety dripping off of every word, the type of anxiety that is expected of a person with a lifelong fear of flying experiencing such a horrific event (and the accompanying pictures are absolutely horrific). Similarly, much of the book deals with Travis’ longtime addiction to drugs and the dependency he feels is well depicted.
Travis Barker has certainly lead an interesting life, and while the writing style keeps the book from transcending the autobio genre like, say, Butch Walker’s autobiography, his story of overcoming vices is one that will certainly appeal to his already large fanbase.
kit: Twitter | Tumblr
November 22, 2024
I have spent the last 24 hours just telling my husband Travis barker facts and blink 182 facts…so on reflection i definitely gained so much insight from this read and it was really well done!
January 6, 2025
Эта книга расскажет вам о браках, пристрастиях и проектах Трэвиса Баркера. А так же приоткроет занавес тайн: как он стал таким, кто его родители и откуда он родом, как авиа-катастрофа поменяла его жизнь, в какой момент жизни от пересекся с Пэрис Хилтон и почему он набил столько много татуировок. Ну и, конечно, очень много признания в любви к барабанному искусству, после чего прям захотелось сесть и самому научиться стучать палочками.
Не совсем понятно, что там за информация 18+ в книге (на обложке изображен предупреждающий значок!); скорее всего это рекламный трюк, и судя по книге — себя продавать Трэвис умеет, да и в шоу он разбирается не плохо.
На удивление книга оказалась не самая плохая, а местами интересная и жизнеутверждающая. Хотя понятно, что ей не хватает завершенности, так как история главного персонажа всё ещё пишется. Но это никого и никогда не останавливало — всегда можно выпустить продолжение и назвать его в духе: «Между смертью и старостью» или «Между смертью и смертью» и т.д., главное побольше пафоса в названии.
В любом случаи читать или не читать — Вы определяете самостоятельно, и финальные выводы делаете Вы так же самостоятельно. Как по мне, книга заслуживает внимания и подчерпать чего-то нового Вам, наверняка, удастся.
Не совсем понятно, что там за информация 18+ в книге (на обложке изображен предупреждающий значок!); скорее всего это рекламный трюк, и судя по книге — себя продавать Трэвис умеет, да и в шоу он разбирается не плохо.
На удивление книга оказалась не самая плохая, а местами интересная и жизнеутверждающая. Хотя понятно, что ей не хватает завершенности, так как история главного персонажа всё ещё пишется. Но это никого и никогда не останавливало — всегда можно выпустить продолжение и назвать его в духе: «Между смертью и старостью» или «Между смертью и смертью» и т.д., главное побольше пафоса в названии.
В любом случаи читать или не читать — Вы определяете самостоятельно, и финальные выводы делаете Вы так же самостоятельно. Как по мне, книга заслуживает внимания и подчерпать чего-то нового Вам, наверняка, удастся.
December 30, 2015
"A powerful mind-set is the most powerful weapon you can have."
This has to be one of the most brutally honest and rawest memoirs that I've ever read and held in my hands. Pure adrenaline ride from cover to cover. Talk about inspirational too.
I've been obsessed with Blink 182 for as long as I can remember. They got me through some tough times and even high school. I owe a lot of what I did to them. Travis of course being inspiration number one. So this surprises me that he was the first one to have a bio published. Knowing that Tom is a money hungry savage, he would of been my first pick. But boy does Travis have a hell of a story to tell.
You have to have mad respect for someone who came from nothing and grew up to have it all. And with just hard work and determination. Nothing will ever stop this man and who would ever want him to?
Life comes with ups and downs, Travis just seems to breeze through and does his thing.
If you ever need a pick me up and learn to be a better person, you'll find solace in this book.
This has to be one of the most brutally honest and rawest memoirs that I've ever read and held in my hands. Pure adrenaline ride from cover to cover. Talk about inspirational too.
I've been obsessed with Blink 182 for as long as I can remember. They got me through some tough times and even high school. I owe a lot of what I did to them. Travis of course being inspiration number one. So this surprises me that he was the first one to have a bio published. Knowing that Tom is a money hungry savage, he would of been my first pick. But boy does Travis have a hell of a story to tell.
You have to have mad respect for someone who came from nothing and grew up to have it all. And with just hard work and determination. Nothing will ever stop this man and who would ever want him to?
Life comes with ups and downs, Travis just seems to breeze through and does his thing.
If you ever need a pick me up and learn to be a better person, you'll find solace in this book.
November 23, 2021
I picked this up pretty much to preview it for my husband (even though this came out a few years ago). Plus, I love a good celebrity memoir. It's complete bullshit that Barker doesn't narrate the audiobook especially since the cover says he does. The narrator is AWFUL. Not a good choice at all. Fortunately, the story is good. I didn't know much about his life before Blink-182 or details of the plane crash. A solid, pre-Kardashian, read.
December 31, 2015
Finished this late last night. It started weak, but ended much stronger. Travis is an interesting guy, and I think this was a pretty honest account, with not too much glossing over certain things. There was a bit of repetition in places, and a bit too much emphasis on all the women he has attracted over the years, but an interesting read nonetheless. 3.5 stars
October 28, 2015
An awesome book from an amazing man.
July 13, 2025
Didn't realize this memoir was so old (2014), since it came up as a suggested read after recently reading Mark Hoppus' memoir (2025). The book ends right when Tom leaves Blink (again) and Matt Skiba comes in as a replacement.
I listened to the audiobook, and felt duped because it was listed as "read by the author" but Travis does not read it, someone else does (I'm assuming who he co-wrote it with?).
Things I learned:
- Travis was a huge 'player' and definitely didn't treat women well for a long ass time
- Travis struggled with addiction
- He was a vegetarian turned vegan
- Travis' ex-wife Shanna was/is crazy
- He loves his kids (Landon and Alabama) more than anything
Things I Knew But Not As In Depth Before:
- Surviving the plane crash
- His health problems/scares
- Getting Sober
- His connections to other musicians/artists other than Blink
It was interesting, and if you're a fan of the band (or music memoirs in general), you'll probably like it. If not, you might just think Travis is an asshole. This is a memoir you can take it or leave it. Not a must read.
I listened to the audiobook, and felt duped because it was listed as "read by the author" but Travis does not read it, someone else does (I'm assuming who he co-wrote it with?).
Things I learned:
- Travis was a huge 'player' and definitely didn't treat women well for a long ass time
- Travis struggled with addiction
- He was a vegetarian turned vegan
- Travis' ex-wife Shanna was/is crazy
- He loves his kids (Landon and Alabama) more than anything
Things I Knew But Not As In Depth Before:
- Surviving the plane crash
- His health problems/scares
- Getting Sober
- His connections to other musicians/artists other than Blink
It was interesting, and if you're a fan of the band (or music memoirs in general), you'll probably like it. If not, you might just think Travis is an asshole. This is a memoir you can take it or leave it. Not a must read.
March 2, 2021
I finished this book in three reading sessions. I was completely captivated by Travis' writing, his honesty and all of the little details he shared about his life. He opens up about the plane crash he was in, love, loss, depression and addiction. I recommend this to anyone going through a rough time. It will truly inspire you.
I know that Travis is regarded in the music industry as an incredibly talented drummer but I didn't realize to what extent. It seems that everyone wants him to join their band or be featured in their songs.
An aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is that he has many people from his life (past and present) write their own reflections and he inserts them all throughout the book so we get their insight. Very neat.
What I love most about this book is that I felt like I really got a sense of who Travis is and what is most important to him, which is family. There's no denying that his kids are his world. It's also nice to realize that he is a genuine and down to earth guy who has never really let fame or money go to his head or change his character. I would happily read another book by Travis.
I know that Travis is regarded in the music industry as an incredibly talented drummer but I didn't realize to what extent. It seems that everyone wants him to join their band or be featured in their songs.
An aspect of this book that I really enjoyed is that he has many people from his life (past and present) write their own reflections and he inserts them all throughout the book so we get their insight. Very neat.
What I love most about this book is that I felt like I really got a sense of who Travis is and what is most important to him, which is family. There's no denying that his kids are his world. It's also nice to realize that he is a genuine and down to earth guy who has never really let fame or money go to his head or change his character. I would happily read another book by Travis.
December 14, 2015
The theme of this book seems to be something about making one bad decision after another, payback for prior bad acts, and magical success. I don't really care about his reality show or much of anything else that happened during the Shanna period of his life - yawn!
What I wanted to know wasn't in the book. I want to know how Travis Barker really got things together for his various successful ventures in music and business. I feel like this book listed this type of stuff (the fascinating stuff, to me) in a digest version whereas there were way too many exhaustive lists about exactly how Travis Barker got high, which interests me not at all. He scratched the surface, and there's way more there that he could have said. Travis Barker did not get where he is through magical success, and I wish he had elaborated more on his hard work, inspiration, and perseverance.
Also, the Dag Nasty fan in me really hopes he does them a good turn for stealing the name of their song for the title of his book.
What I wanted to know wasn't in the book. I want to know how Travis Barker really got things together for his various successful ventures in music and business. I feel like this book listed this type of stuff (the fascinating stuff, to me) in a digest version whereas there were way too many exhaustive lists about exactly how Travis Barker got high, which interests me not at all. He scratched the surface, and there's way more there that he could have said. Travis Barker did not get where he is through magical success, and I wish he had elaborated more on his hard work, inspiration, and perseverance.
Also, the Dag Nasty fan in me really hopes he does them a good turn for stealing the name of their song for the title of his book.
January 26, 2023
This book was remarkably both confusing and redundant in the story flow and writing style. It felt a bit like reading a Wikipedia page about Barker’s life. Tried not to fixate too much on how awful he was to women when he rated it, but it’s difficult to ignore that when his version of events makes it seem like just him saying “I was a real asshole” is enough to make up for it. Also it got old hearing every excerpt from a third party talk about how amazing and kind he was, despite his treatment of the opposite sex.
October 20, 2022
I haven't been on Goodreads for awhile, and I actually forgot I was reading this. I couldn't finish it. I'm not a fan of the band, but was interested to hear about the plane crash, and thought he might have some interesting stories. Unfortunately it was mostly bragging about how many women he'd slept with, then getting friends to talk about how many women he'd slept with.
Perhaps it got more interesting later on, but I didn't have the patience to find out.
Perhaps it got more interesting later on, but I didn't have the patience to find out.
December 30, 2019
wow. i read this book in 2 days, and it was truly hard to put down.
well written with lot's of funny stories and real heartache. it really makes you see Travis Barker in a new and very different way. and being such a huge Blink fan as I am, it made the book all the more awesome.
well worth your time!
well written with lot's of funny stories and real heartache. it really makes you see Travis Barker in a new and very different way. and being such a huge Blink fan as I am, it made the book all the more awesome.
well worth your time!
April 24, 2017
I was surprised at how engaging this book was! I enjoyed reading it quite a lot. It's very story-teller-y and I just kept hoping that he turns himself in to a more upstanding dude by the end. I liked the focus on fathering.
November 1, 2015
Raw, Real, Travis Barker
Have been a fan for 15 years or more but after reading this book I have a whole new love and respect for Travis Barker and all that he's about.
Have been a fan for 15 years or more but after reading this book I have a whole new love and respect for Travis Barker and all that he's about.
December 10, 2015
Anything that can get me to put down Tiger Beat for five seconds and halt my seemingly never-ending pining for the glory days of TRL is worth five stars in my book.
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