Stories Done: Writings on the 1960s and Its Discontents

by Mikal Gilmore

The 1960s and 1970s represent a rare moment in our cultural history -- music was exploring unprecedented territories, literature was undergoing a radical reinvention, politics polarized the nation, and youth culture was at the zenith of its influence. There has never been, nor is there likely to be, another generation that matches the contributions of the artists of that time period.In this poignant book, journalist Mikal Gilmore weaves a narrative of the '60s and '70s as he examines the lives of the era's most important cultural icons. Keeping the power of rock & roll at the forefront, Gilmore gathers together stories about major artists from every field -- George Harrison, Ken Kesey, Johnny Cash, Allen Ginsberg, to name just a few. Gilmore reveals the truth about this idealized period in history, never shying away from the ugly influences that brought many of rock's most exciting figures to their knees. He examines how Jim Morrison's alcoholism led to the star's death at the age of twenty-seven, how Jerry Garcia's drug problems brought him to the brink of death so many times that his bandmates did not believe the news of his actual demise, how Pink Floyd struggled with the guilt of kicking out founding member Syd Barrett because of his debilitating mental illness. As Gilmore examines the dark side of these complicated figures, he paints a picture of the environment that bred them, taking readers from the rough streets of Liverpool (and its more comfortable suburbs) to the hippie haven of Haight-Ashbury that hosted the infamous Summer of Love. But what resulted from these lives and those times, Gilmore argues, was worth the risk -- in fact, it may be inseparable from those hard costs.

The lives of these dynamic and diverse figures are intertwined with Gilmore's exploration of the social, political, and emotional characteristics that defined the era. His insights and examinations combine to create a eulogy for a formative period of American history.

Genres: Music, History, Nonfiction, Essays, Biography

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Mikal Gilmore was born "Michael Gilmore," but later changed the spelling of his name. He was born February 9, 1951 to Frank and Bessie Gilmore.

In 1977, Gilmore's brother Gary, a convicted murderer, was the first person executed after the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. Gary Gilmore was executed for shooting two young Mormons, Max Jensen and Ben Bushnell, in cold blood. He was executed by firing squad in Utah. Mikal Gilmore's 1995 memoir, Shot in the Heart , details his relationship with Gary and their often troubled family, starting with the original Mormon settlers and continuing through to Gary's execution and its aftermath. Shot in the Heart received positive reviews, including a USA Today comment that states the book is "one of the most beautifully written, moving nonfiction books published in the past five years." Gilmore's book won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Gilmore was long interested in music, and in the early 1970s began writing articles for Rolling Stone. In 1999, Gilmore's chronology Night Beat: A Shadow History of Rock and Roll was published by Anchor. In July 2009 Gilmore released another book, Stories Done: Writings on the 1960s and its Discontents . It was published by Free Press.

Reviews

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of these articles were originally written for Rolling Stone. As suggested by the subtitle of the book, Gilmore successfully conveys a feel for the cultural revolution in America known as "the Sixties", through his articles about music, musicians and other cultural icons.

The first section--articles on Allen Ginsburg, Timothy Leary, the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia, Ken Kesey and the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco-is just about as good an introduction to the Sixties as you're likely to find.

As indicated by the main title, most of these articles were written on the occasion of the death of the subject, or otherwise focus on defunct bands. (The last 2 articles, on Dylan and Leonard Cohen, are exceptions.) Wtihout exception, each of these is an excellent introduction to the individual or artist. Gilmore's characteristic approach is to describe the biographical background and the artistic success of the subject, and then the price paid.

[Joe Ahearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilmore's book is a collection of articles on the cultural history of popular music, with a specific focus on the music made in the 1960s in America and England. Although he does include a good essay on Bob Marley, Gilmore's book does not concern itself with international developments in pop music. And although he tracks some groups--Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead--well into the Eighties, the book really is a musical history of the a single era, the Sixties, and of the music produced by the best-selling groups of that period. There is nothing on soul, R&B, punk, New Wave, ska, worldbeat, ambient and certainly nothing on electronica or rave music.

Gilmore also includes some fairly perceptive essays on literary figures--Ginsberg, Kesey--and an interesting article on the death of Timothy Leary.

High points are Gilmore's coverage of the Beatles and the solo careers of George Harrison and John Lennon--believe it or not, he manages to find a fresh perspective on these well-worked subjects--and an excellent essay on Johnny Cash. He is also good on the history of Haight-Ashbury and the effect all those drugs really did have.

[Mike Balsom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A serious (yet fun) piece of music and cultural journalism by a serious journalist. Mikal Gilmore collects some of his best work out of the pages of Rolling Stone magazine into one volume that focuses on the significance of pop culture to the generation who came of age in the late 60s and early 70s. Reading about the beat poets, acid travellers, and rock and roll, folk and country pioneers who helped force change in the world back then is fascinating. Especially when you put it into the context of our current year, 2020, when activism amongst youth is once again on the rise. The difference between now and then, though, is they didn't seem to be doing it all for a selfie, but instead for the right reasons. Highlights here include Gilmore's conversation with Johnny Cash the night Gilmore's brother was put to death via the death penalty, and his multiple conversations with Leonard Cohen, of whom Gilmore seemed unable to get enough.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me right into the world of poetry, piety, music and the times of the 1960s forward through 1980.

Mikal Gilmore's writing is stunning - I've read almost everything he wrote/writes - (magazines, books and, yes, even Facebook). His storytelling captures just what I want to know and feel in the way I want to know and feel it - always with a better perspective and full of insight and information that captures it for me.

Stories Done was no exception.

However, I'm glad I never met anyone from Led Zeppelin and/or Pink Floyd. I know now why I was never impressed and only heard them as background music at a party. I read both chapters anyway. I was troubled about including this in my review. But, that's what makes Gilmore so much better than others.

I recommend everything that he has written.

[Jonathan Schildbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I picked this up from time to time over the course of several months--I wasn't highly interested in the book, but it was given to me by a friend who was sure I would like it. There were things in it that I really enjoyed--like Gilmore's analysis of the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's" album. I had heard the album so many times when I was very young, that it was odd to imagine what it was like to hear it when it first came out. I quite liked the entry on Johnny Cash, as it brought out some info and analysis on things I wasn't aware of. With the entry on Bob Marley, there was a reverse effect--that is, I was already familiar with the biographical info, although I've never been a fan and don't feel that I really know much about him. The analysis of Marley's work was decent, but definitely aimed at trying to reclaim Marley's relevance from ignorant frat boys who view him as nothing more than a party staple and excuse to get high. It was brought to my attention that I hardly knew anything about Led Zeppelin in terms of biography, despite being familiar with almost all their work from a young age. The book also includes entries on many writers of the era--which often read more like a play-by-play of arguments and legal issues--often centered around drugs.

Overall, I'd say the book is a good overview for people who want the back-story on some of the biggest figures in music and counterculture to emerge from the 1960s. Gilmore's writing style is accessible and keeps things moving along. But if you're already in the know about the people covered in this book, I don't know that Gilmore's analysis of the figures and their work will be quite enough to draw you in.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of articles written by the author primarily for Rolling Stone magazine, often when a prominent figure from the 1960s died. From poets like Allen Ginsberg to that big fan of LSD, Timothy Leary, and including many musical talents, these articles really do provide at least an overview of pop culture in the 60s.

In the introduction to the book, Gilmore tries to make the case that some of the creative leaps chronicled in the book wouldn't have been possible without drugs. But as you read each biography, you see how destructive the drugs were to individuals and groups. It's hard to feel sympathy for some of these icons who came to hard ends. In most cases, it's obvious that they made conscious choices.

Still, as far as the book goes, I did learn a lot about some of the behind the scenes actions - and some that were public, but I didn't pick up on. I lived through the 60s, but was just a little too young to do more than recognize the names and appreciate the music at the time. So this filled in a lot of blanks for me.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories Done: Writings on the 1960's and Its Discontents by Mikal Gilmore (Free Press 2008)(780.92) "...weaves a narrative of the 60's and 70's as he examines the lives of the era's most important cultural icons...[the author] gathers together stories about major artists from every field." It's a book of wonderful mini-biographies: Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Ken Kesey, Haight-Ashbury, George Harrison, the Beatles, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, Phil Ochs, Hunter Thompson, Jim Morrison and the Doors, The Allman Brothers Band, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen. I love reading about the sixties (I was there but too young to appreciate it), so why have I never heard of this wonderful book? My rating: 8/10, finished 2/8/13.

[Ethan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gilmore does some good solid cultural criticism via rock writing here. The most interesting essays are the ones in which he examines the darkness at the center of our rock and roll icons of love and light; Jerry Garcia, The Beatles, Bob Marley, and finds that in many cases the fear, anger, disenfranchisement and sorrow was the black foundation that gave them the ability to convincingly reach the masses with a message of hope, faith and love even if these things (or perhaps because these things) were often unobtainable in their own lives . The Leonard Cohen essay at the end of the book is outstanding.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I brought this book with me on vacation, knowing that the friends I stayed with in Vermont would read it if I left it behind. Gilmore has a great finesse with biographical essays, and even though I am a longtime fan of both Johnny Cash and John Lennon, he was able to offer bits of new information or new perspective on their lives in each of their chapters. I know my friends were looking forward to the essays on Bob Marley, Timothy Leary, and Allen Ginsberg; and I asked them to pass the book along to other friends after they were through with it. It really is a perfect pass-along book, having at least one revolutionary for anyone's taste!

[npaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the way Gilmore writes. He covers the 60s by telling of the complexities in a simple enough way to understand what it was like without making it cliche. Starting it with his essay on Ginsberg was brilliant. Each folds into the next and within each other. Just as it did in the 60s. Was very happy to just happen upon this book the day it came out in Costco of all places. They didn't know what to do with it, they had placed it next to the cook books. Could make some sense as reading this is like food for the soul.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mikal Gilmore, who many might know as a longtime writer for Rolling Stone, has a gift with words. In this book, he brings us a collection of stories from figures that were central to the counterculture of the 1960s. Gimore does this without extravagance or excess flare. He doesn't attempt to make these people heroes or to build them up unnecessarily. He simply tells their stories and, in the process, teaches us about the era that influenced so much of our lives today.

[Barbikat60 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few stories I got the impression that he was just a groupie kissing ass to his heroes. However, the more I read, the more I got an understanding of an era that was in perpetual motion and some made it out of the maelstrom and others couldn't deal with surviving it. The book's one flaw is that there are no stories from the women of that era. I'm pretty pissed about that but maybe I should start doing research and write that book!

[Kitt-e-kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took awhile for me to read. It has different chapters about different people from the 60's such as John Lennon, George Harrison, Jerry Garcia, Jim Morrison, Bob Marley, Johnny Cash etc.. I read and enjoyed certain chapters and got bored with other chapters of people I didn't know who they were. I read them and learned who they were but was alittle bored and not interested.

[Dquan G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think this was a really good book with different story's about different stars like (BOB MARLEY, BOB DYLAN, and HUNTERS.THOMPSON). I would like if every body in the world to read this wonderful book.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good re-cap of the men of the sixties....but the author gets stuck on each persons darkness. It starts to get repeative. The exception is the Leonard Cohen essay, which is darling.

[Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, how I love Mikal Gilmore. I wish that there'd be a compilation of his writings on more recent bands, though. I've read all that I can bear about bloody Led Zeppelin & the Doors (hate the Doors).

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It filled a lot of gaps in my understanding of
the music-makers of my children's generation,
including some still important--or at least still
of interest--to my grand-children.

[Saunders]

Just a book I picked up for research into my so called novel (which is 3 years into the writing and not very good, sigh!)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of stories most orginally published in the Rolling Stone. Great Read.

[Dancomfort]

A nice collection of obituaries; for people and for bands; by Gilmore. He's very insightful. And the books ends on an up note with chapters on two living legends; Dylan, and Leonard Cohen.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspectives on interesting bands and performers. Some repetition. Better than most music writing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories Done: Writings on the 1960s and Its Discontents (Hardcover)
by Mikal Gilmore
from the library