Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?


Publisher's Summary. "I've been mythicized, Mick-icized, eulogized and fooligized, I've been Cole-Portered and farmer's-daughtered, I've been Led Zepped and 12-stepped. I'm a rhyming fool and so cool that me, Fritz the Cat, and Mohair Sam are the baddest cats that am. I have so many outrageous stories, too many, and I'm gonna tell 'em all. All the unexpurgated, brain-jangling tales of debauchery, sex & drugs, transcendence & chemical dependence you will ever want to hear."

The son of a classical pianist straight out of the Bronx of old Archie comics, Steven Tyler was born to be a rock star. Weaned on Cole Porter, Nat King Cole, Mick—and his beloved Janis Joplin—Tyler began tearing up the streets and the stage as a teenager before finally meeting his "mutant twin" and legendary partner Joe Perry. In this addictively readable memoir, told in the playful, poetic voice that is uniquely his own, Tyler unabashedly recounts the meteoric rise, fall, and rise of Aerosmith over the last three decades and riffs on the music that gives it all meaning.

Tyler tells what it's like to be a living legend and the frontman of one of the world's most revered and infamous bands—the debauchery, the money, the notoriety, the fights, the motels and hotels, the elevators, limos, buses and jets, the rehab. He reveals the spiritual side that "gets lost behind the stereotype of the Sex Guy, the Drug Guy, the Demon of Screamin', the Terror of the Tropicana." And he talks about his epic romantic life and his relationship with his four children. As dazzling, bold, and out-on-the-edge as the man himself, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? is an all-access backstage pass into this extraordinary showman's life.

Review.
Draw up a chair and gather round because the Demon of Screamin,' Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler has a story to tell: 64 years of wild living. Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll, as one would expect, are served up in lurid detail. Note: Does the Noise in My Head Bother You is NOT for minors or sensitive readers as Tyler seems unable to converse without using "colorful" terms. Also, some of the topics e.g. groupies and drug use are graphically discussed. Tales of debauchery and drug use, however, are not the only subject's covered. Tyler also shares his surprisingly softer self. He is spiritual and a nature lover. Tyler is also the product of a loving family who encouraged his creativity and is a devoted father and son.

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You is not the conventional memoir in that it does not unfold in a linear fashion. Rather it is told in a conversational freewheeling style -- jumping from topic to topic -- that seems natural although a bit chaotic at times. Additionally, as a listener of the audio version, I loved Tyler's rockin scat- rhymes that are sprinkled throughout the memoir. Narrator Jeremy Davidson does a superb job of conveying Tyler's attitude! The audio book version also includes a don't miss interview with Tyler at the end.

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You is a brash in-your-face memoir that will entertain longtime Aerosmith fans and newbies alike!



Review copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

4 comments:

  1. Wow - sixty-four years old. He's still rockin' it, huh? Can't believe it - if nothing else, the man is definitely a testament that we should live how we feel, not what our age dictates.

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  2. I listened to this one too. I enjoyed it, but have to admit that I cringed when he talked about his escapades with women. I couldn't help but wonder how he would feel if someone spoke about his daughters that way.

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  3. I listened to this audiobook as well and while I was initially wary of a narrator-other-than-the-author read the biography/memoir, I was completely won over!

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  4. Everytime I see him I think... "dude looks like a lady... " Sorry could not help myself ;P Great take on this memoir - Tyler still living large hope his age might give him more insight to live with the experience of time.

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