What do you think?
Rate this book
King's X: The Oral History
‘I think they’re easily one of the best rock trios anywhere. I don’t think they’ve been equaled.’ Andy Summers (The Police)
‘They were really ahead of their time. If you listen to the music that followed, they really figured things out that took many bands ten more years to figure out.’ Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)
‘King’s X’s music will never age. People will never get tired of beautiful harmony vocals and great songs.’ Richard Christy (Death/Iced Earth/Charred Walls Of The Damned)
‘King’s X is a dynamic, soulful band, whose show remains one of the best I’ve ever seen!’ Paul Shaffer (Late Show With David Letterman bandleader)
Countless accolades have been bestowed upon King’s X over the years, and, since their formation in 1980, they have grown to become one of the most universally admired in hard rock and heavy metal. But their story is one of many ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and periods of good and bad luck. This authorized biography examines and explores all aspects of their history, both personally and professionally, and allows the band’s three members—singer/ bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill—to tell their full story for the first time. It also opens the floor to friends and collaborators, plus some of the many top rock names who are also fans of the band, including Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, The Police’s Andy Summers, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, Pantera’s Rex Brown, Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, and many more.
In addition, King’s X: The Oral History explores the stories behind every single song the band have recorded over the years, while also detailing the creation of each of their twelve albums and offering insight into the influence of religion on their work. It also features memories of the band’s tours with some of rock’s biggest names—including AC/DC, Pearl Jam, and Mötley Crüe—and the events that led to their show-stopping performance at the mammoth Woodstock ’94 festival. Packed full of rare and never-before-seen photographs from throughout their career, and with a foreword by Scott Ian of Anthrax, this is the definitive companion to the band and their music.
Greg Prato is a journalist from Long Island, New York, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, and Vintage Guitar. He is also the author of several popular books, including Shredders! The Oral History Of Speed Guitar (And More), Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History Of Seattle Rock Music, and A Devil On One Shoulder And An Angel On The Other: The Story Of Shannon Hoon And Blind Melon. And you may have even heard him on one of his many radio appearances, which include interviews on The Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show, Eddie Trunk Live, and The Ron & Fez Show.
Admired and respected by musicians and music fans alike, King’s X are one of the most acclaimed hard-rock bands in the business. Since 1988, the band—singer/bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill—have issued twelve studio albums, including such classics as Gretchen Goes To Nebraska, Faith Hope Love, and Dogman, and achieved MTV/radio hits including ‘Over My Head,’ ‘It’s Love,’
‘They were really ahead of their time. If you listen to the music that followed, they really figured things out that took many bands ten more years to figure out.’ Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins)
‘King’s X’s music will never age. People will never get tired of beautiful harmony vocals and great songs.’ Richard Christy (Death/Iced Earth/Charred Walls Of The Damned)
‘King’s X is a dynamic, soulful band, whose show remains one of the best I’ve ever seen!’ Paul Shaffer (Late Show With David Letterman bandleader)
Countless accolades have been bestowed upon King’s X over the years, and, since their formation in 1980, they have grown to become one of the most universally admired in hard rock and heavy metal. But their story is one of many ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and periods of good and bad luck. This authorized biography examines and explores all aspects of their history, both personally and professionally, and allows the band’s three members—singer/ bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill—to tell their full story for the first time. It also opens the floor to friends and collaborators, plus some of the many top rock names who are also fans of the band, including Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, The Police’s Andy Summers, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, Pantera’s Rex Brown, Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars, and many more.
In addition, King’s X: The Oral History explores the stories behind every single song the band have recorded over the years, while also detailing the creation of each of their twelve albums and offering insight into the influence of religion on their work. It also features memories of the band’s tours with some of rock’s biggest names—including AC/DC, Pearl Jam, and Mötley Crüe—and the events that led to their show-stopping performance at the mammoth Woodstock ’94 festival. Packed full of rare and never-before-seen photographs from throughout their career, and with a foreword by Scott Ian of Anthrax, this is the definitive companion to the band and their music.
Greg Prato is a journalist from Long Island, New York, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, and Vintage Guitar. He is also the author of several popular books, including Shredders! The Oral History Of Speed Guitar (And More), Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History Of Seattle Rock Music, and A Devil On One Shoulder And An Angel On The Other: The Story Of Shannon Hoon And Blind Melon. And you may have even heard him on one of his many radio appearances, which include interviews on The Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show, Eddie Trunk Live, and The Ron & Fez Show.
Admired and respected by musicians and music fans alike, King’s X are one of the most acclaimed hard-rock bands in the business. Since 1988, the band—singer/bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill—have issued twelve studio albums, including such classics as Gretchen Goes To Nebraska, Faith Hope Love, and Dogman, and achieved MTV/radio hits including ‘Over My Head,’ ‘It’s Love,’
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 19, 2019
38 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Greg Prato
67 books81 followersGreg Prato is a Long Island, New York-based journalist, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone. He is the author of several popular books, 'A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other: The Story of Shannon Hoon and Blind Melon,' 'Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story,' 'Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music, 'No Schlock . . . Just Rock!,' 'The Eric Carr Story,' 'MTV Ruled the World: The Early Years of Music Video,' 'Sack Exchange: The Definitive Oral History of the 1980s New York Jets,' 'Too High to Die: Meet the Meat Puppets,' 'Dynasty: The Oral History of the New York Islanders, 1972-1984,' and 'The Faith No More & Mr. Bungle Companion.'
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 6, 2019
Love love love this book! It was put together brilliantly and had so much depth and detail into the history of this amazing band. And not just how it was laid out made it brilliant, but also having so many fellow musicians help tell the story and their love for King's X made it a truly enjoyable read!
March 9, 2019
As a die hard King's X fan, this book is like reading about yourself. A totally exhaustive, but never exhausting, tome dedicated to the music of a great band. I will be returning to this, Over and Over. It's gratifying to know I'm not crazy and alone for loving this band.
June 26, 2019
I loved this book so much. I feel like I know them personally after them being one of favorites since 1989. It was put together perfectly and Jaw Bone publications did a bad ass job on the jacket and print. Couldn't have been done better!!
October 12, 2021
Specific parts were interesting, especially the “dogman” era which is one of my favourite periods of Kings X, however towards the end it got a bit bland as it was mainly a showcase of what everyones opinion was of the band. However this book did offer some unique insights into the personal lives of the band members, so I feel like I got know them more so overall, not bad.
December 30, 2019
The question that keeps rearing its head in this books is, "Why didn't King's X become as famous as the Beatles?" or something to that effect. I think I have it figured out. It's perhaps a combination of poorly timed marketing, compositions and styles that were way ahead of their time and the fact that King's X is a musician's band. Surely, popularity is not a true measure of talent, but it sure would be nice had they received that kind of recognition. I was introduced to King's X (
Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
) by one of my AP Chemistry students in 1990. I have no idea how she figured that I would be a fan, but she was right! I've been a fan ever since. Anyway, I like a book about music and musicians to be about the music and the musicianship, and this has a good deal of that, but largely, it's personal anecdotes and a generous amount of butt-kissing by fans who also happen to be fellow musicians. Entertaining, but not hugely informative if you're trying to be a student of the band's talent. I give it a 5 star rating, because I love King's X.
August 2, 2021
What a great, thorough read. The reason this one took so long was that I listened to every song before reading the history and description of the song from the book. Fun!
June 15, 2019
So thankful Prato put together this excellent book.
A well done chronicle of band that despite it’s tremendous impact on fans and musicians never translated to record sales.
A well done chronicle of band that despite it’s tremendous impact on fans and musicians never translated to record sales.
March 2, 2019
Fantastic insights into the band, albums, songs, life on the road, personal stories, and insights from some of the people and musicians they've impacted. Their music is timeless, they never made it big and we all agree that is too bad, but they have and always will be my favorite band. King's X I'll never get tired of you.
August 15, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I'm a big fan of King's X and have been for thirty years so wanted to know the backstory to some of their albums and the book was highly recommended by other fans. I listened along to the albums while reading about the making of each. I learned a tremendous amount about the band members, particularly Doug. It is fascinating to see the Who's Who of rock and roll (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, et al.) recognize the greatness and tragedy [of the lack of commercial success] of King's X.
There is a great deal of background information that helps make clear the link between the style of King's X and the early influences for each band member - something that I found both helpful and satisfying to learn. Perhaps I'm just dense but I did not anticipate the major significance that was the influence of the Beatles, but the first time it appears in the book I had a major "aha!" moment and King's X became quite a bit clearer to me.
There are minor typos in the book, and since it is essentially a narrative of interviews, it would have been easier to follow if the speaker was identified across pages. I do think the choice of chapters as album periods was a good one, and makes for easier re-use of the book when listening to different albums. Again, overall it is a useful and expansive encyclopedia of band and [industry] fan perspectives across perhaps forty years. For the serious King's X fan, I'd call this a must-read. For the general public this is a good view into how the music industry can be random in it's selection of successes and also-rans. I do wish that the book included some interview material that helps all of us understand what, if anything, could be done to change this dynamic, since there are too many great bands that languish in near-poverty and result in a poorer world for all of us.
There is a great deal of background information that helps make clear the link between the style of King's X and the early influences for each band member - something that I found both helpful and satisfying to learn. Perhaps I'm just dense but I did not anticipate the major significance that was the influence of the Beatles, but the first time it appears in the book I had a major "aha!" moment and King's X became quite a bit clearer to me.
There are minor typos in the book, and since it is essentially a narrative of interviews, it would have been easier to follow if the speaker was identified across pages. I do think the choice of chapters as album periods was a good one, and makes for easier re-use of the book when listening to different albums. Again, overall it is a useful and expansive encyclopedia of band and [industry] fan perspectives across perhaps forty years. For the serious King's X fan, I'd call this a must-read. For the general public this is a good view into how the music industry can be random in it's selection of successes and also-rans. I do wish that the book included some interview material that helps all of us understand what, if anything, could be done to change this dynamic, since there are too many great bands that languish in near-poverty and result in a poorer world for all of us.
August 17, 2021
A fascinating read about the history of this eclectic Hard Rock trio, but also slightly depressing. Doug, Jerry & Ty have been slogging away together for over 40 years (35 or so of them as King's X) and never really "made" it. If you've been a fan of the heavier forms of of Rock any time in the last four decades then it almost 100% certainty that one of your favorite artists is either a huge fan of, or inspired by, King's X. Probably both.
I remember reading a review of their debut album, Out of the Silent Planet, back in 1988 that described their music as being along the lines of a Hard Rock blending of The Beatles (specifically their harmonies), The Police, U2 & Gospel music. Say what? Even though that jumbled description didn't exactly fit my then 18-year-old self's Hair & Thrash Metal tastes I was intrigued enough to check it out... which has led to me following them for 30+ years.
It short-circuits my brain to think that an outfit that over the course of thirteen studio albums has landed in VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock (at #83), were hand-picked by such diverse acts as Billy Squier, AC/DC, Mötley Crüe & Pearl Jam to be their opening act for various shows/tours and probably had the best performance of Woodstock '94 still struggles to make ends meet.
And by all means, if you're not familiar with the guys check 'em out. Here's a (very small) sample of tunes to get ya started:
Power of Love
Over My Head
Mission
Moanjam
Lost in Germany
Black Flag
Pillow
Mississippi Moon
Higher Than God
Black Like Sunday
Go Tell Somebody
Goldilox (Especially this. The live version is legendary.)
I remember reading a review of their debut album, Out of the Silent Planet, back in 1988 that described their music as being along the lines of a Hard Rock blending of The Beatles (specifically their harmonies), The Police, U2 & Gospel music. Say what? Even though that jumbled description didn't exactly fit my then 18-year-old self's Hair & Thrash Metal tastes I was intrigued enough to check it out... which has led to me following them for 30+ years.
It short-circuits my brain to think that an outfit that over the course of thirteen studio albums has landed in VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock (at #83), were hand-picked by such diverse acts as Billy Squier, AC/DC, Mötley Crüe & Pearl Jam to be their opening act for various shows/tours and probably had the best performance of Woodstock '94 still struggles to make ends meet.
And by all means, if you're not familiar with the guys check 'em out. Here's a (very small) sample of tunes to get ya started:
Power of Love
Over My Head
Mission
Moanjam
Lost in Germany
Black Flag
Pillow
Mississippi Moon
Higher Than God
Black Like Sunday
Go Tell Somebody
Goldilox (Especially this. The live version is legendary.)
June 19, 2019
Jika ada kategori grup rock paling apes sedunia, mungkin ya King’s X ini. Banyak didukung dan disukai para kolega musisi namun penjualan album seret —walau juga banyak konser tunggal mereka yang tiket ludes terjual.
Doug (vokal/bass) bahkan mengaku ada periode akhir 90an hingga periode 2000an yang nggak punya tempat tinggal dan terpaksa menjual koleksi bass. Bahkan sekarang pun penghasilan utama dari side projects, bukan hasil penjualan album King’s X.
Demikian juga nasib Jerry Gaskill (drum/vokal) & gitaris/vokalis Ty Tabor —Ty bisa “hidup” jualan jasa studio rekaman dan side projects.
Untung mereka ini orang-orang baik. Tidak terhitung banyaknya musisi yang ngajak King’s X tur atau label yang nawarin personel grup ini untuk bikin album solo maupun ngajak side projects. Dan semua itu tertuang di buku ini.
Sangat saya rekomendasikan bagi penggemar King’s X, atau juga bagi yang belum pernah mendengarkan musik mereka.
Doug (vokal/bass) bahkan mengaku ada periode akhir 90an hingga periode 2000an yang nggak punya tempat tinggal dan terpaksa menjual koleksi bass. Bahkan sekarang pun penghasilan utama dari side projects, bukan hasil penjualan album King’s X.
Demikian juga nasib Jerry Gaskill (drum/vokal) & gitaris/vokalis Ty Tabor —Ty bisa “hidup” jualan jasa studio rekaman dan side projects.
Untung mereka ini orang-orang baik. Tidak terhitung banyaknya musisi yang ngajak King’s X tur atau label yang nawarin personel grup ini untuk bikin album solo maupun ngajak side projects. Dan semua itu tertuang di buku ini.
Sangat saya rekomendasikan bagi penggemar King’s X, atau juga bagi yang belum pernah mendengarkan musik mereka.
April 20, 2019
A transcription of interviews with and about the long-running trio King's X. Bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill formed an alchemical mix of hard rock, blues, progressive metal, funk, and Beatles harmony. Decades of touring small clubs and as opening acts for major touring bands such as Iron Maiden, AC/DC, and the Scorpions, earned them fans among bands as diverse as Anthrax, Pantera, Pearl Jam, and Motley Crue. But commercial success continued to elude them.
Their albums have been a constant companion of mine since college, but I confess to not knowing much about the band. Interviewer Greg Prato covers their entire history, with commentary on every track of their twelve studio albums. It's fascinating to see the band's perspective on individual tracks, and the formation of each album.
Their albums have been a constant companion of mine since college, but I confess to not knowing much about the band. Interviewer Greg Prato covers their entire history, with commentary on every track of their twelve studio albums. It's fascinating to see the band's perspective on individual tracks, and the formation of each album.
April 28, 2020
I love this band so much.
I like the book.
It gives some background, but it is mostly the guys talking about the past and the path towards making the albums and the tours. It is all done in hindsight with other individuals making their comments and thoughts from managers to other musicians.
I totally respect that these guys have always made the music that they wanted to make. They did not break out like everyone said that they would or like King's X hoped that they would, and that is a damn shame.
Every musician that I have ever played with has either been a King's X fan or become one after they got introduced to this band. I only wish that I could have seen them play live just one time.
I like the book.
It gives some background, but it is mostly the guys talking about the past and the path towards making the albums and the tours. It is all done in hindsight with other individuals making their comments and thoughts from managers to other musicians.
I totally respect that these guys have always made the music that they wanted to make. They did not break out like everyone said that they would or like King's X hoped that they would, and that is a damn shame.
Every musician that I have ever played with has either been a King's X fan or become one after they got introduced to this band. I only wish that I could have seen them play live just one time.
Read
June 22, 2020An excellent book about one of the most underrated bands of all time. Told in their own words, as well as testimonies from a wide range of musicians and industry types, this book brilliantly tells the 40-year story of one of the most unique and underrated bands on the scene. Keeping the text strictly in the words of those involved keep this book from getting stuck in the mire of storytelling and delivers exactly what needs to be delivered. The book also goes through every album and features commentary on the album as well as every song contained within. I was only a nominal fan of this band before I read the book - they very quickly became a favorite.
August 7, 2025
Great book. So many stories, thoughts, and details from the band themselves as well as many other musicians. A must read for any King's X fan.
That being said, this book left me feeling frustrated that the band never achieved more popularity, never made much money (possibly ripped off a bit from early management), and seemed to be thwarted at every turn.
It was also tough to read about all of the self doubt (especially for Doug) and personal trauma they've all endured.
I'll have to read the album and song discussion sections again after giving each album in the catalog a fresh spin. Not like anyone needs an excuse to go on a King's X bender!
That being said, this book left me feeling frustrated that the band never achieved more popularity, never made much money (possibly ripped off a bit from early management), and seemed to be thwarted at every turn.
It was also tough to read about all of the self doubt (especially for Doug) and personal trauma they've all endured.
I'll have to read the album and song discussion sections again after giving each album in the catalog a fresh spin. Not like anyone needs an excuse to go on a King's X bender!
August 30, 2020
Your favourite band's favourite band.
At turns dark, comedic, joyful, uncomfortable, yet always wryly honest and forever hopeful, the tale of King's X is told by the band themselves and a cast of characters from their lives, including ardent admirers from the biggest names in hard rock.
I was expecting something of an enthusiast's approach, but in many ways the band are their own harshest critics and provide a tender balance to the slack-jawed praise bestowed from the musical spectrum-ends of Motley Crue and Pearl Jam.
At turns dark, comedic, joyful, uncomfortable, yet always wryly honest and forever hopeful, the tale of King's X is told by the band themselves and a cast of characters from their lives, including ardent admirers from the biggest names in hard rock.
I was expecting something of an enthusiast's approach, but in many ways the band are their own harshest critics and provide a tender balance to the slack-jawed praise bestowed from the musical spectrum-ends of Motley Crue and Pearl Jam.
June 2, 2019
A truly wonderful book which brings the reader on a no holds barred journey on the history of King’s X. This band is one of the most influential rock bands since the 1980’s. A collection of stories covering their entire history are recounted to the author by members of the band and their peers.
This book is a must for King’s X fans and all rock band lovers alike.
This book is a must for King’s X fans and all rock band lovers alike.
February 9, 2020
The book is geared towards folks who are already in on the music of this terrific band. I was able to enjoy it a lot as a result, but I don't know if the band will earn many new fans from the book. That being said, as a lot of the well-known musicians quoted throughout indicate, as long as people keep sharing, the band will continue to grow long after their "prime."
July 6, 2021
A terrific read for fans of the band, fans of music in general, anybody who's interested in how art gets made and how successful collaborations work. Lots of amazing anecdotes and insights into the songs that make up one of the best, and most criminally underappreciated, catalogs in modern music. There should be more like this!
November 26, 2021
King's X has been my favorite band since the 90s, so it was great to read about the history behind their songs from their perspective. It's frustrating that they never got their due and maybe never will. This is a great read for King's X fans. It's a little like the old VH1 Behind the Music documentaries, but in book format.
January 7, 2025
well written honest
Greg Prato tells the story of a band that has a very different twist than most. This is the perfect working man’s band. They are super good at what they do, but never get the promotion they deserved. Millions of people around the world aught to be able to relate. And their story is not over yet.
Greg Prato tells the story of a band that has a very different twist than most. This is the perfect working man’s band. They are super good at what they do, but never get the promotion they deserved. Millions of people around the world aught to be able to relate. And their story is not over yet.
March 9, 2019
Timeless
King's X is the most underrated band in the world and this book told a very fascinating and frustrating at the same time story of these phenomenal band a must for everyone go tell somebody!
King's X is the most underrated band in the world and this book told a very fascinating and frustrating at the same time story of these phenomenal band a must for everyone go tell somebody!
March 18, 2019
The most influential band you have not heard.
Read this book. But, most importantly, listen to the music. This is book provides great insight about timeless music. There is a reason why many compare their impact on music to ‘The Beatles’ and ‘U2’.
Read this book. But, most importantly, listen to the music. This is book provides great insight about timeless music. There is a reason why many compare their impact on music to ‘The Beatles’ and ‘U2’.
July 1, 2019
Fantastic, comprehensive, enlightening oral history of King's X! Well told by Greg Prato.
Highly recommended for King's X fans, prog-metal fans, music fans, and CCM fans.
Highly recommended for King's X fans, prog-metal fans, music fans, and CCM fans.
February 10, 2020
My only complaint about this book is that it isn't twice as long, especially the chapters breaking down each album track by track. You really get to understand the band's personalities and dynamic through their voices and stories in the book.
January 22, 2022
Can NEVER get enough of King’s X! This is a great read for any fan of the band. It was great reading it as somewhat of a conversation. Finding out some view and insights to songs and al ins from members of the band as well as their friends kick in support.
July 25, 2022
I have been a huge fan of King's X since 1989. With each album chapter, I played the specific album as I was reading. I have a whole new appreciation for each of these albums and the songs. Such a good read.
December 18, 2022
It’s taken me 2 years to finish and I really don’t know why? Maybe that’s the thing about Kings X - they are wonderful but do not on your face and so low key that they quietly and awfully slip into the shadows too easily.
April 13, 2024
Really enjoyed reading this book. I am a big King’s X fan, so the book and the way it was all first-hand accounts of their journey was really exciting. It is essential reading for anyone who enjoys good rock music!
July 4, 2019
I loved all the information presented here, and the band is a favorite of mine, but I did not enjoy the "oral history" format of the storytelling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews