Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book on the indie music scene
Review: Even though I have never been a tremendous fan of punk music in general, I think Michael Azerrad wrote an excellent book. I enjoyed reading the bands' individual stories, and love Azerrad's wit and humor.
These bands never made much money, which is tragic, but they were courageous enough to fight off the temptations of the mainstream music industry and maintain their D.I.Y. ethic and musical integrity.
In an age where most entertainment is vapid, at best, it's refreshing to see a book like "Our Band Could Be Your Life" make such a big impact.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine job on an important subject
Review: Well, it's about time someone did it: a truly informative, well-written book on the '80s underground music scene in the US that covers, chapter by chapter, all the important players. That's exactly what this book is.
You get Black Flag, Minutemen, Big Black, Beat Happening, Mission of Burma, Minor Threat, Husker Du, Sonic Youth, etc. Having read just about any tiny slice of information on these bands that I've been able to scour for the last 15 years, I can only say that it's a great testimony to Azerrad as a writer that he had me ferociously devour this (big) book in a night or two, given how well-worn I am with the given subjects at this point in my life. The new angles, gossip and tid bits make it a fascinating read.
Even more so, the chapters on bands I've never really been a big fan of, like Butthole Surfers, Dinosaur Jr. and Mudhoney, were illuminating and exceptionally penned. Possibly my only complaint would centre on the inclusion of the Replacements, whom I've always felt to be neither very good, important or influential (OK, calm down, fans, it's just my opinion), and their chapter failed the litmus test the others passed: it was dull. As one opinionated music snob would say: Should've included the Wipers instead.
That said, this book is highly recommended to fans of the bands included and anyone wanting to get a grip on where this whole so-called "alternative" music scene comes from. Along with Roni Sarig's "Secret History of Rock", at this point in time it may be all you really need on the topic, and it beats the pants off the hopelessly disappointing "American Hardcore" compendium (Steven Blush), also recently published.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: Finally, a book that does the 80's punk and alternative (when alternative was REALLY alternative) music justice. After reading THE CARPET FROGS by Alan Arlt, (a brilliant novel about a fictional 80's Minneapolis punk band) I wanted to read more about that time and music scene. Azerrad writing is clean and humerous, offering a snapshot of what life was like on the road. Great book!
Rating:
Summary: This Book Could Be Your Life
Review: "Our Band Could Be Your Life," by Michael Azerrad, is a wonderful book about the Underground American Indie Scene from 1988-1991. This book is extremely interesting and well written. It brings you into the life of the traveling indie bands trying to make on their own, and all the stuff that goes on being on the road. Though, the best part of this book, is that it is about the Underground Heroes, who really started something big, but never got much credit for it until later on. My favorite chapters are on Sonic Youth and The Replacements-my love. lol. This book is a must have!
Rating:
Summary: Telling the Truth
Review: There are only two books that truly capture the reality, the
insanity, of making it on the fringes: Azzerad's Our Band Could be
Your Life for music and Ray Carney's Cassavetes on Cassavetes for
film. The punk scene, in film and music, is brilliantly, scarily
depicted in both--the fate of garage artists who too much of the
world takes for garbage artists. The doom and the horror. The
excitement and the craziness. Long live indie art, one thing you
can't buy or sell, even in Amerika. Long live Harmony Korine and his
dad John Cassavetes. Long live Azerrad and Carney as chroniclers of
the real, the beyond the hype, the stuff they wouldn't dare put on TV.
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this one all you ex-Reagan youth
Review: A must for 80's hardcore fans. It was disheartening reading about what pricks many of these punk legends could be behind the scenes (Steve Albini's racial insensitivities, Bob Mould's dictatorial nature, the sheer immaturity of the Butthole Surfers etc.), but it sure made for some great reading. Could have easily swapped the inclusion of Mudhoney, Beat Happening, and Mission Of Burma for chapters on the Misfits, Bad Brains, and Dead Kennedys, but there's always the possibility of Volume 2, right? Great job Michael Azzerad!!!
Rating:
Summary: Get this book and pass it around!
Review: This is a book you can hardly put down. The exhaustive research and straightforward style of Mr. Azerrad are exceptionally presented for anyone who lived and breathed the indie music scene of the 80's, or for others who would love to know what they missed. Nicely connects the dots as an American social, cultural and musical history of the time, deftly bridging the late 70's punk era with the early 90's grunge era. The chapter on the Butthole Surfers was one of the funniest things I've read; I was forced to put the book down and wipe tears from my eyes! By all means get your hands on this book and enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: You mean Nurvana didn't invent punk rock?
Review: Having been a youth in the 70s, I really enjoyed this book, since it brought me back to a time before eMpTV, and Spin. A time when you figured it out for yourself and not by some silly TV show and magazine telling you what was 'hep.' And a time before the merchandising of 'alternative' or 'grunge' by Sub Pop marketing folk. And hey, I have no tatooz or nose rings, and I like this music. That makes me really different...just kidding. Enjoy it and remember, Nurvana didn't invent punk rock.
Rating:
Summary: What a book!
Review: I loved this book! A must read for Punk rock fans. VH-1 should take notice. Also recommended: THE CARPET FROGS: MUSIC AFTER TOMORROW by Alan Arlt
Rating:
Summary: 'Behind the Music' of 80s Hardcore
Review: "Our Band Could Be Your Life" chronicles some of the underground giants of the independent music scene of the 1980's. It makes no attempt to be complete, yet most 80's rock fans will have at least passing familiarity with one or more of these bands. Many of the bands I revered as a teenager are given space: Black Flag, Husker Du, the Minutemen, Minor Threat and Fugazi. This alone makes the book an amazing read. But not having heard the music of some of the other bands (Mission of Burma, Big Black, Dinosaur, Jr, Beat Happenings) it was hard fro me to care about their chapters and I could only give cursory attention to bands whose music I never liked beyond a few songs (Replacements, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney). Of the bands I loved, the section on the Minutement (whom I knew the least about) was my favorite. Black Flag's chapter will be mostly familiar to any who've read Henry Rollin's 'Get in the Van' and Joe Cole's 'Planet Joe'. The writing stays focused on the music - how it was made, why the band made it and some of what they went through to get it 'documented' and play in clubs all over the country. Common themes pop up repeatedly: a DIY mentality, a fierce distrust and/or dislike of the mainstream music industry, a relentless work ethic, turning personal and political angst into art (as opposed to churning out rehashed product geared to exploit the angst of consumers), extreme loyalty and personal integrity to the music, the band and the independent music scene, and the inner tension between starving/burning out and selling out. While many could pick bands that were left out, the Dead Kenneys seem to be a glaring omission, having achieved similiar level of success as the mighty Black Flag, while remaining a seperate entity from the LA-based SST indie juggernaut. The author makes a case for these bands laying the foundation and the framework for the overnight success of Nirvana and for previously underground music suddenly becoming "it" in the early 90's (everything from Lollopallooza to Jane's Addiction to the Chili Peppers and the Seatle grunge movement). I don't know whether ther truly is a direct correlation, but as most the bands in "Our Band..." burned out in financial, musical/and or idealogical failure, its a comforting sentiment for fans. Also recommended: "Rock and the Pop Narcotic" by Joe Carducci; "Get in the Van"; "Planet Joe".
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