Rating: 
Summary: The good, the bad and the ugly
Review: An extensive and insightful look into the too-short life of "the world's greatest Keith Moon-type drummer." While telling the story of Keith, it also tells the story of The Who, and provides tidbits of the band's history you may not have heard before (having been a rabid fan for over thirty-five years, I thought I knew it all, but I learned things I hadn't known previously). Many myths, most of which were propagated by Keith, are debunked here. That said, the book is also a sad and sometimes horrifying examination of the inevitable downward spiral that accompanies drug addiction and alcoholism unchecked. If you're in recovery, reading the last third of this is like going to an AA or NA meeting and hearing all the stories that say, "there but for the grace of God go I." If you're not an addict or alcoholic (or a spouse, close friend or relative of one), you can get a good look at the misery you've been fortunate enough to avoid. We love you, Keith.
Rating: 
Summary: What
Review: I first saw The Who in 1967, when they opened for Herman's Hermits at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, NJ. The crowd that night was split along lines of gender. Girls came to see the Headliners (mainly Herman because the Hermits were nothing to write home about, while guys came to see The Who.That aspect of The Who is cited by Tony Fletcher as another of their unique characteristics. It was a guy's band. A band for those slightly on the outside, loner males. And, Keith was emblamatic of that. We all knew of someone like Keith Moon. He was the kid our parents warned us about! Hyper-active, insolent, perpetularly seeking to cause trouble, and never wanting. Did that make Keith the Peter Pan of rock 'n' roll? Yep. Fletcher portrays Moon's life as it unfolded. Music with The Who being simply another - though the most important - component of that life. In many ways, it comes across as a Greek tragedy. It's pre-ordained - not because of what we know happened, but because of what he was - that Moon would burn out, not fade away (kudos to Neil Young). The degree of his incandescence foresaw this. We see Keith age, though never mature. Concurrently, his lifestyle is consuming his body and soul. The end comes sadly and quietly, as the struggling man-child's body finely surrenders to the excess. At the same time, we get the best view ever of why rock exploded in England during the 1960's. Keith's life, and that of all those involved in the music scene, are presneted in a context much like Jon Savage's portrayal of the punl birth in 'England's Dreaming'. The swirl of cultural conflict is laid out within a cogent basis of transition. Factors which further contributed to Keith Moon. Does Fletcher capture Keith's essence. Probably, though I will fault him for not trying to understand his actions. I guess - romantic that I am - I wanted more than, "oh, it's Keith," as reason for it all. Maybe, Fletcher loved him too much. But, as a story of Keith Moon, it's likely the best we will ever get.
Rating:
Summary: MOON an outstanding biography
Review: I thought the book MOON, by Tony Fletcher, was very impressive. It is a biography of Keith Moon who is the drummer from the "WHO." In the story, the writer shows Keith's development from childhood to manhood. It takes you on an incredible journey threw the often false and tragic life of Keith Moon. If you love rock, if you love drumming, or you want to read and excellent biography, you are the perfect person to read this book. From Keith's birth to his death, you will experience many interesting aspects of his life. There is not only one climax in this story, but many of them, which make the life of Keith Moon so interesting. All in all, I think this is an intriguing biography that every music lover should read.
Rating:
Summary: No more mythical Moon the Loon stories, the truth is crazier
Review: If you are interested in reading about how Keith Moon hurdled a Rolls Royce into a Holiday Inn swimming pool, I suggest that you do not buy this book. However, if you want to examine what made the London rock scene of the early sixties so exciting, or the LA scene of the mid-seventies so decadant, this book is for you. Tony Fletcher's book not only examines all of the wonderful and gory details of Moon's crazy life, he also paints a colorful picture of a world that seems ever the more distant from our own. This book is not interested in perptuating myths. Keith Moon did enough of that himself.
Rating:
Summary: Exhilarating, Hysterical But Overwhelmingly Sad
Review: Keith Moon was a man of many faces and moods. He was an innovative drummer and a practical jokester. He was also a raging alcoholic and physically abusive to his wife Kim. Tony Fletcher examines Keith's life in great detail-from his childhood up to his formative years drumming for the Beachcombers and onward to his wild & reckless years with the Who and ultimately to his tragic death. Fletcher conducted personal interviews and did tons of research to gain valuable insight into the mad world of Moon the Loon. Fletcher is witty and passionate about his subject. Fletcher captures Moon's humor perfectly, you will laugh out loud reading this book. You may also shed a tear as I did. Fletcher does more than recap Moon's personal history. He examines Keith's work with the Who and isn't afraid to criticize work he felt was mediocre. Fletcher uncovers the man that few outside of the Who's intimate circle really knew. Moon's generosity and childlike wonder will surprise you if you only think of him as an alcoholic whirlwind who trashed hotel rooms and drove cars into swimming pools. If you want a glimpse behind the myth, then this book will delight and amaze you.
Rating:
Summary: Warts and All...An Honest Biography of a Rock Legend
Review: Let me just start by saying that the Who is probably my favorite band ever, and Keith Moon is a huge part of that love affair. I was particularly pleased with this bio because it presents an unflinching account of a true talent whose death came as no surprise to those who witnessed his self-destructive nature first hand. Many of the stories of Moon's legendary acts of wanton mayhem and mischief are indeed true, and have been well-documented, and it's a credit to Tony Fletcher's exhaustive research that he does not repeat stories which have been done so ad infinitum. Instead, he paints Moon as a gifted musician whose wildly assaultive, innovative drumming was perfect for the Who (and especially Pete Townshend) and not for any other band, whose drumming influence early peers such as Zeppelin's John Bonham (who probably was the only rock drummer who could match Moon's debauchery on and off stage, according to Fletcher), as well as contemporary rock drummers of today. He also details Moon's chaotic personal life, filled with moments both uproariously funny (witness the countless banishments from top-echelon hotels) and cruelly pathetic (witness Moon having to ask contemporaries to loan him some cash, as he has squandered his fortune on drink, drugs and excess).
A recurring theme prevails throughout this bio; Moon was perhaps a borderline psychotic, a narcissist fueled by both deepening insecurity and a thirst for fame and fortune no matter the cost (and how!). Yet, despite his reckless consumption of alcohol and drugs, many of those surrounding Moon all felt that deep down inside Keith Moon was a warm-hearted, funny human being who thrived on being unpredictable, but could also being extremely loyal to those around him. After all, not only was he the dynamic drummer of perhaps the most aggressive, passionate rock band ever, he was also their biggest fan.
Moon's life was truly a cauldron of chaos, side-splitting humor and dark tragedy, much of which he either took part on or invented to further his reputation. Indeed, much has been written of Keith's antics, many of which have been passed as truth but are in fact fiction, and Fletcher, through careful, exhaustive research, debunks many of these myths. For example,
the oft-told story of Moon driving a Lincoln Continental (or any other car, take your pick) into the swimming pool of the Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan, and the Who's subsequent permanent ban from all Holiday Inns, is put to rest. According to Fletcher, and to those who have participated in this so-called incident, Moon was never involved in the car-in-pool act, nor was the ban ever forbidden from staying at any worldwide Holiday Inn. These myths, says Fletcher, helped fuel the interest in Moon's antics (many of these myths Moon supported, actually). In the end, however, not even a well-placed smoke bomb in an airplane latrine could disguise the fact that Moon was slowly killing himself.
From first hand accounts from those closest to Moon, including ex-wife Kim and Who lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, Fletcher's bio is a passionate, blood and guts account of a man who, possesed of all the talent in the world, embarks on a journey of fame and wealth but sadly becomes the poster child of rock-n-roll excess.
Rating:
Summary: The tragic life of a rock legend
Review: My enjoyment of the Who's music, curiosity about the legend of Keith Moon, and my interest in drummers and drumming in general led me to check out this rather massive book. By the time I reached the final chapter I was both sad that the story was over and completely emotionally drained, and not exactly sure I was glad to have learned all I had about Moon. Having grown up with an alcoholic/drug-dependant family member, far too much of what Fletcher described of Moon's problems was painfully familiar to me. The way he treated those who cared for him, particularly the women in his life, was quite terrible and sometimes difficult to read about.
Fletcher pulls no punches and presents both Moon's greatnesses and his weaknesses. He illustrates where and how Moon was a genius on the drums yet also where, when and how is performance was sub-par. He does not sugar-coat anything. Still, the end result is not as tawdry and cheap as some celebrity biographies I've read, for the reader gets the impression that Fletcher respects the subject matter instead of simply looking to provide cheap thrills and sensationalism. He also works hard to disprove some of the wilder stories and legends of Moon's behavior and stick with the facts, which may disappoint some who hate to see the legends shattered, but there is still much madness and mayhem that is apparently quite true.
If you are a Who fan and/or interested in the story of one of the most legendary drummers of rock music, you owe it to yourself to check out this book. Just be forewarned that you may find it difficult to look at Keith Moon in the same light ever again.
Rating:
Summary: It's That Good
Review: The author supplies a well rounded history of the youngster Moon, and then launches into the highs and lows (and madness)that were the Who and the music scene (with Keith serving as vehicle). I enjoyed reading this book as much as any non-fiction work I've ever read. If I had Keith Moon's drumming skill, I would have made all the same mistakes (given the opportunity).
Rating:
Summary: An Engrossing, Well-Researched Biography
Review: Think of Tony Fletcher's Moon: The Life And Death Of A Rock Legend as the serious, analytical counterpoint to Dougal Butler's comic, anecdotal Full Moon: The Amazing Rock & Roll Life Of Keith Moon. Butler simply wanted to tell a bunch of funny stories about his former employer; Fletcher covers this ground, too, but primarily wants to make a case for Keith Moon as Great Artist. Partly because of this approach, it's probably the better book. Keith Moon seems to be suffering from Jimi Hendrix Syndrome these days: that is to say, there seems to be this notion running around that he was merely some sort of drug-crazed lunatic making a lot of racket on his chosen instrument. The truth of the matter is that Keith was a musician of extraordinary intelligence and attentiveness. One of the things I like best about Fletcher is his ability to hear what was going on in Moonie's playing and to explain it in a way that the ordinary reader can understand. Fletcher's not always the greatest prose stylist, and has a tendency to get a bit fannish and/or maudlin at times, but on the whole he's written a thoughful, engaging biography of this outstanding musician. I hope that both fans and nay-sayers will take the time to check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Work!
Review: This has to be one of my favorite books ever written, and not just because it's about my favorite drummer in the world. It's just...so well written, and even if you're not a fan of The Who you could read it and come away knowing about a fascinating person. I love this book, and you would too.
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