Killing Bono : I Was Bono's Doppelganger

Rating:
Summary: U 2 will enjoy it!
Review: The story of Bono's friend - maybe U2's friend - who had a lot of trouble following what his destiny really was! A lesson in learning to "listen" to what destiny is in store for you rather than trying to force it to be what YOU want it to be. Oh, and how Bono got started! A really enjoyable story that leaves you wanting to hear some of Neil's music. I liked how Bono's strong faith leads him and so far, he has "listened". Pick it up and read it if you have any interest in Bono, the music industry, or what it is like to be a friend with a "star". I couldn't help wonder why this guy is sooooooo unhappy! OPEN YOUR EYES! What a life!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Briefly: A fantastic book for music lovers who grew up during the '80s -- witty and well-written. Even if Neil McCormick didn't find fame through his music, he should get his 15 minutes (at least) with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Standing In The Shadows.
Review: I happened upon a commerical for this book--something very rare. Naturally, being a fan of U2 I filed the title away in my mind to later order a copy from Amazon.

Neil McCormick has written an amusing little book about many different subjects with Bono being the re-ocurring voice of faith throughout. I found myself identifying with Neil as a person. I, too, have enjoyed U2's rise to success, though initially I did not like them. I, too, have little faith, little belief in God and am quite the cynic. I, too have a love affair with music, but I never felt I'd have made it as a rock star (for me it was film star!)

Anyway, "Killing Bono" is basically Neil's experience of befriending the members of U2 when they all attended high school together. He formed his own band and they formed theirs. Neil never came close the success of U2, but he always remained friends with Bono. The book also highlights the pitfalls of the music business. Along the way, Neil meets many famous rock stars, er, pop stars such as Sinead O'Connor, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and lesser known artists (which I actually have in my music collection!) such as Jon Astley and Black.

I must say that if you love popular music like I do, and you know quite a bit about U2, like I do, then this book is a very enjoyable read. I'd love to sit down with Neil and discuss popular music! In fact, it would be interesting to sit with Bono and Neil and talk about popular music! I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in reading about Neil McCormick's struggles to become a ROCK STAR!

Rating:
Summary: "I could have been a contender."
Review: It is an experience that most artists can relate to, or someday will - that all the dreams you have worked so hard for will ultimately go unrealized. The fact of life is that, for various reasons, a very small percentage of artists actually become successful. This is a story of one such man and his quest to become a rock star. Yes, it is also a story of U2. However, the story of U2 is juxtaposed with that of the author merely for comparison, but also linked in friendship (which turns out to be a very interesting angle).

It's a story of struggle. Struggle with the music business and struggle with himself. The story of a man who started with blind ambitions and ends with mature realizations (however long it took him to get there). It is told with a humorous, self-deprecating, Irish sense of humor.

I highly recommend the book. Any artist, of any type, who has ever tried to make a living selling something of their own creation can benefit from, and relate to, the experiences wrapped up in these 358 pages.

Rating:
Summary: Best Music Book of 2004
Review: Let's get something straight from the get-go: this is the best book on music for 2004. Darn-sure qualifies as one of the Top 5 of all time, for that matter. And speaking of the matter, this is the most painfully pleasant description of the music biz's sorry-ass state ever put on paper.

Anyone who ever has even remotely dreamed of making it in a band (HELLO-OOO all you folks) must read this book. Mr. McCormick pulls no punches. He shovels the blame on incompetentcy, including his own. He documents the rise from gymnasium cover band to the most exhaulted level stardom by his school chums in U2, particularly Bono to whom he remains close.

The comparison and contrast could not delineate a clearer gap.

The writing reads as rapidly as a Ramones song: "onetotreefo" so you never get the slightest bit bored or anxious over the author's misguided efforts and tragicomic outcomes. How many ways can a band win in the music biz? Well, there's only one way things work when you're successful. How many ways can things get screwed up? Incalculable.

A modern classic is what we got with this. Sadly, I don't know if the ol' boy has anything left for a follow-up of substance. But he certainly did provide plenty of insight in this book.

Rating:
Summary: A fun read--a must for all U2 fans
Review: This is a quick, fun, and surprisingly existential read. I enjoyed the writing quality and the author's self-deprecating humor. (I'm glad no one I know ever became famous. It seems like it could be a real pain to deal with.) Good luck with the album, Neil.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is my new favorite book. It's a really interesting book that I couldn't put down for quite some time (which is rare for me. Very rare). The story's also quite funny at points. Great book for U2 fans especially but it should be enjoyed by anyone else

Rating:
Summary: One of the most amazing books I've ever read, and I hate it.
Review: Why? Because it tells my story, too. Reading this was like reading a summary of my own life...different circumstances, different setting, different people, different details...but essentially the same story.

Neil McCormick has illustrated a lifetime of disappointments, frustrations, and failures with an uncommon balance of humor, wit, indignation, and poignancy. For all struggling musicians, artists, actors, etc., who have wondered if their toils and sacrifices would ever amount to anything...this book is for them. It is a story of the grim reality of trying to succeed in the music business, but it really speaks to all areas of endeavor where the creative individual aspires to succeed at what he KNOWS he is meant to do, all the while swimming upstream against seemingly insurmountable odds. It is a story of living in another's shadow; having to sit and watch as a close friend reaps rewards that you know were meant for you. It is a dual tale, in that while it is a fascinating look into the early development of U2(and the evolution of the Bono persona), it is more about the author's personal struggle with his own creative efforts. His attempt to reconcile his own worth as a musician in the shadow of his relationship with U2 is as humorous as it is touching (The segment where Neil is mistaken for The Edge by two young fans as Bono urges him to sign autographs brought a lump to my throat, I must admit). Neil's writing style makes for effective storytelling, and one ends up emotionally invested in his desire for success by the end of the book.

One of the major themes of the book revolves around the various incarnations of the McCormick brothers' bands, around which there is much discussion of various songs that were written between the brothers. By the last chapter of the book, I had read so much about the music of "Yeah!Yeah!" and "Shook Up!" that I was dying to hear their music! So, in a not-so-ironic twist, "Killing Bono" ultimately ends up being the King of all marketing schemes (I mean this in the most positive sense) by gradually and subtly creating a demand for Neil's music in the mind of the reader. BRILLIANT! He has finally succeeded at what he has struggled for decades to do: get his music noticed!Nevermind the fact that he had to spend decades becoming a prominent music journalist so he could write a book about his downtrodden dreams of being a rock star in order to accomplish that feat! Hmmm...maybe I'll become an art critic, and in a about 20 years...

Seriously, "Killing Bono" is ultimately a story about hope, and that our dreams can manifest in spite of the different paths we walk as individuals, even if it takes some of us longer than others.

In a stroke of good timing, Neil McCormick's album "Mortal Coil" (20+ years in the making) was recently released in the UK, and from what I hear, it's amazing. Amazon/USA needs to make this item available. I predict that as this book makes the rounds, more and more people are going to want to hear Neil's music, and then maybe his dreams of becoming a star will be realized. With "Killing Bono", he is already a literary star.

Rating:
Summary: We're with you Neil!
Review: You don't have to be a U2 fan to love this book! However, it is a must read for any U2 fan! Neil McCormick has such an interesting story to tell, having known Bono and co. since before they assembled their band. Watching Bono and U2 ascend to global super-stardom was both frustrating and exciting for the aspiring rock star who seemed to receive a dose of bad luck for every bit of good luck that made U2 the most popular band on the planet. Going from band to band, Neil and his brother just couldn't seem to land a record deal that would enable them to match the success of their school buddies Paul, Dave, Larry and Adam. Through it all, Neil finds comfort in his continuing friendship with Bono and his wife Gloria, not to mention a promising career in journalism. The failed quest for fame and greatness, mixed with intense envy and frustration of the greatness of others, reminded me of the film "Amadeus," in which Salieri burns with envy at the greatness of Mozart. Neil is Salieri to Bono's Mozart, but what I think he has learned at this point in his life is that it isn't so bad being Salieri.