Rock 'Til You Drop: The Decline from Rebellion to Nostalgia

Rating:
Summary: Save Your Money
Review: After Strausbaugh very early makes the obvious point that the Stones USED to be good but NOW are bad the book is a rehashing of this tired truism.
You almost feel bad for the guy writing about has-beens at this point in his life instead of discovering new music. Also, anyone who uses the band "Furious George" as a cultural signifier is a joke. Their lead singer writes for the same weekly Strausbaugh works for and once wrote a VERY ugly piece on why women should not be rock musicians.
Use your money to buy the new "White Stripes" or "Oneida"

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book--Not to be Judged Until Read!
Review: I can't believe some people actually wrote a review of this book without reading it! The whole point is to review the book and not what you gathered might be the author's premise. The book is not flawless, but it is passionate and thought provoking on a subject that Strausbaugh and many others feel strongly about. And for those whose argument was that the music of today leaves youth with nothing worthwhile to listen to, then you need to look further. Go to a small club, see a hardcore show or someone like the dropkick murphies. They are the youth and energy that make them the rolling stones and bob dylans of our generation. You obviously can't look to pop, the same way Strausbaugh is not talking about the pop icons of his time.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book--Not to be Judged Until Read!
Review: I can't believe some people actually wrote a review of this book without reading it! The whole point is to review the book and not what you gathered might be the author's premise. The book is not flawless, but it is passionate and thought provoking on a subject that Strausbaugh and many others feel strongly about. And for those whose argument was that the music of today leaves youth with nothing worthwhile to listen to, then you need to look further. Go to a small club, see a hardcore show or someone like the dropkick murphies. They are the youth and energy that make them the rolling stones and bob dylans of our generation. You obviously can't look to pop, the same way Strausbaugh is not talking about the pop icons of his time.

Rating:
Summary: A good read, but lighten up a little...
Review: I read "Rock Til You Drop" initially with some degree of amusement. Nobody enjoys a boomer rant more than me, and Mr. Strausbaugh equals author Joe Queenan ("Balsamic Dreams" available on Amazon) in his disdain for the lamness of boomers everywhere. But after finishing the book and considering it for a while, I realized that I never quite "got" what Mr. Strausbaugh would rather have us listen to.

True, "colostomy rockers" as he puts it, are pathetic caracatures of thier former selves. True, dopes like the the Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones screamed revolution and then became the very thing they "rebeled" against (Did it really require a whole chapter for this foregone conclusion?). But Mr. Strausbaugh's blatant dismissal of the importance and influence of people like David Bowie is just plain incorrect.

Rock music is art. Yes, in the truest sense of the word, it is "white R&B" or electrified blues. But many people listen to and create "rock music" for reasons other than to rebel or to espouse some youthful rantings.

I would challenge Mr. Strausbaugh as to why we can't just enjoy rock music for the fun of it? For those who want to merely appreciate rock songs because they are pleasing to listen to, are catchy, and make us feel good, the message is often secondary. (Perhaps there needs to be a really good definition of "rock music" because perhaps some artists have been incorrectly identified as such).

As for being too old, there are mountains of great bands making music currently, especially on the indie scene. But there are also some long established artists such as Peter Gabriel, The Flaming Lips, The Jayhawks, Neil Finn, Elliot Smith, Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices, and yes, David Bowie, to name a few, who continue to make fresh, vital contributions to "rock" music's arsenal. Many of these people are in their mid-forties and fifties and have never stopped making great music.

I agree with Mr. Strausbaugh; there is nothing more comical or irrelavant than another CSN&Y reunion; nothing more ridiculous than watching the Eagles limp through yet another rendition of "Peaceful Easy Feelin;" nothing more ludicrous than the current state of Keef. But there is plenty of new ground being broken by artists who have fresh ideas and heads full of catchy pop songs. And more of them are being born every day.

Mr. Strausbaugh needs to lighten up a little--what took a whole book to say would have made a great essay, or even an article in "Harper's" or "The Atlantic" if he wanted to stay away from rags like "Rolling Stone" (whose pathetic state of affairs I couldn't agree more on). He even looks angry on the back flap--like he's someone who stopped having fun long ago. And who wants to do that? That's what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is for.

Rock is dead. Long live rock.

Rating:
Summary: A good read, but lighten up a little...
Review: I read "Rock Til You Drop" initially with some degree of amusement. Nobody enjoys a boomer rant more than me, and Mr. Strausbaugh equals author Joe Queenan ("Balsamic Dreams" available on Amazon) in his disdain for the lamness of boomers everywhere. But after finishing the book and considering it for a while, I realized that I never quite "got" what Mr. Strausbaugh would rather have us listen to.

True, "colostomy rockers" as he puts it, are pathetic caracatures of thier former selves. True, dopes like the the Jefferson Airplane and the Rolling Stones screamed revolution and then became the very thing they "rebeled" against (Did it really require a whole chapter for this foregone conclusion?). But Mr. Strausbaugh's blatant dismissal of the importance and influence of people like David Bowie is just plain incorrect.

Rock music is art. Yes, in the truest sense of the word, it is "white R&B" or electrified blues. But many people listen to and create "rock music" for reasons other than to rebel or to espouse some youthful rantings.

I would challenge Mr. Strausbaugh as to why we can't just enjoy rock music for the fun of it? For those who want to merely appreciate rock songs because they are pleasing to listen to, are catchy, and make us feel good, the message is often secondary. (Perhaps there needs to be a really good definition of "rock music" because perhaps some artists have been incorrectly identified as such).

As for being too old, there are mountains of great bands making music currently, especially on the indie scene. But there are also some long established artists such as Peter Gabriel, The Flaming Lips, The Jayhawks, Neil Finn, Elliot Smith, Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices, and yes, David Bowie, to name a few, who continue to make fresh, vital contributions to "rock" music's arsenal. Many of these people are in their mid-forties and fifties and have never stopped making great music.

I agree with Mr. Strausbaugh; there is nothing more comical or irrelavant than another CSN&Y reunion; nothing more ridiculous than watching the Eagles limp through yet another rendition of "Peaceful Easy Feelin;" nothing more ludicrous than the current state of Keef. But there is plenty of new ground being broken by artists who have fresh ideas and heads full of catchy pop songs. And more of them are being born every day.

Mr. Strausbaugh needs to lighten up a little--what took a whole book to say would have made a great essay, or even an article in "Harper's" or "The Atlantic" if he wanted to stay away from rags like "Rolling Stone" (whose pathetic state of affairs I couldn't agree more on). He even looks angry on the back flap--like he's someone who stopped having fun long ago. And who wants to do that? That's what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is for.

Rock is dead. Long live rock.

Rating:
Summary: BOOMERS IN DENIAL
Review: I refuse to read this book for 1 distinct reason. I am a 17 year old high school student. I HATE the music of my generation. The only concerts I would pay to see are those of artists that perform decent music. I care not that the songs were worshipped by my father when he was a kid. Without bands like Phil Lesh and friends (grateful dead sans garcia), the rolling stones, and the who, i have nothing. What this author fails to realize is that there is a whole new generation that has no music. Sure, these guys are old and sure MOST of their fans are pot-bellied baby boomers, however, if they were to stop performing, my generation would not be able to experience these legends of rock and roll. Instead, he should feel blessed that Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, and Sum 41 were not around when music was good. If he votes to heave a big F-U at my generation, then i can safely say that his book is one big oversight. If they were to stop performing, I'd have to spend my time enclosed in my bedroom while my peers go and cheer for fred durst. I'll take a geezer over a talentless schmuck anyday. Thank you very much Mr. Strausbaugh. And please, stop writing.

Rating:
Summary: A well-done book that takes on some deserving targets
Review: John Strausbaugh is angry about the state of mainstream rock and roll, as well he should be. The media hypes up creaky acts who go on tour charging 100+ dollars for tickets, old standbys are such sacred cows that any mediocre album they release is praised without question, and rock is treated as if it were a dead art.

I'm less concerned than Strausbaugh, mostly because I don't like mainstream music, and the underground is alive and well, thank you very much. While bloated arena acts go through the motions rehashing their old hits, smaller acts put on the best shows you're ever likely to see anywhere. Strausbaugh does make some good points, though. His main targets in this book are the Rolling Stones, Rolling Stone Magazine, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These are the areas in the book where he is most successful.

The Stones, he argues, have long since stopped being a great band, long since becoming a cover band, playing their own hits, and not very well at that. This isn't groundbreaking, but more intriguing is his hypothesis that perhaps the Stones were never truly sincere about their rock n roll ideals, more hype than truly rebellious substance. This resulted in some of the best rock music ever created, but also contributed to their bloated downfall (which was never noted by their apologists).

"Rolling Stone" is targeted as well, and it has it coming. The ... state of the once-cutting edge biweekly is assessed via its past history as one of the most important magazines in the world, and how it fell into being little more than US Weekly with record reviews. The portrait of Jann Wenner here makes the guy sound like a sad-sack wannabe hipster, yet one who is hip only in that he likes famous people and wants to be part of their crowd. His taste is also questioned, via his angry reaction in the early '80s to a Foreigner record not making Rolling Stone's top 100 albums of all time list. Eek.

And of course the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is one of the most oxymoronic creations I've ever seen. Rock and roll as ancient history, geared towards the useless tastes of Wenner and co. Having been there, I agree completely with what he says here.

There are some problems in the books, mostly towards the end when Strausbaugh relies a little too heavily on the thoughts of "pretty good" alt rock-jazz-hip hop-'90s icon M. Doughty of Soul Coughing and writer William Repsher (both of whom write for Strausbaugh's former weekly paper The New York Press). Doughty's experience in the business is fairly interesting but not really enlightening in terms of the subject matter, and Repsher's give and take with Strausbaugh as outlined here is pretty run-of-the-mill. I also don't entirely agree with Strausbaugh's main assessment, that aging rock icons should give it up at a certain age. Most of them should, of course, but a band like Wire is still cranking tunes out that blow away bands half their age. And of course the Mekons!

But this is a fine book, good reading for anyone who is angry about the state of rock and roll today.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, but often misses the point
Review: Rock Til You Drop is the quintessential screed every "hip"music journalist has against "Dinosaur Rock". Trouble is, he doesn't even examine his own facts. He admits early on that "blame has to be laid at the feet of the boomers who continually support these over-the-hill acts" and then goes on to spend the rest of the book taking on Jagger and Townsend. But that statement begs the question: if people are willing to spend their money that way, Jagger and Townsend have a right to keep delivering don't they? We KNOW cigarettes are bad, but if no one bought them, Phillip Morris would be out of business. Also, Strausbaugh takes on-exclusively- the behemoths of 70s-FM radio. OK, so REO Speedwagon sucks. But what about Tina Turner? If he had had the guts to take on the "queen of rock an roll"'s crappy Euro-pop which makes up 90% of her concerts before tossing out "Proud Mary" I would be more inclined to give him some props. Or how about the Temptations, touring with only one original member left? (Ok he gets points for taking on icon Patti Smith) Also, I find that people who hate 70s rock acts are really just reacting to the unbelievable overplayed-ness of "Classic Rock" Stations. Imagine, just imagine, Zep, Floyd, or the Stones had never sold more than a couple 100,000 copies. (Hard I know, but just try). They'd be worshipped like the Velvet Underground and Big Star. Still, the book is quite good for a laugh, but best taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

Rating:
Summary: Some of these things needed to be said
Review: You've got to love the book for no other reason than finally, finally someone is willing to say that Lenny Kravitz is 'the lamest rockstar of all time'.

This book is not a balanced, well-thought, and comprehensive argument, nor is it meant to be. It is the voice of an angry fan writing about music he obviously cares about. This is not a scientific study, it is unfair and impulsive and energetic, just like the music. There is no doubt that you'll disagree with some of what he is saying, and sometimes Strausbaugh seems determined to incite the readers for no other reason than promote argument (he never makes a great case for the 'Rock should End at Age 30' proclamation beyond citing a lot of rockers who, indeed, should have stopped at age 30). There are also some huge omissions (I don't believe Bob Dylan is mentioned even once) that he would have had a difficult time explaining away with his argument.

The most convincing writing is when he vents on institutions like the Stones and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that are generally, weirdly, beyond reproach by the popular press. I have myself always felt that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was the death knell for the joy and rebellion that rock music had inspired and promoted, and I've always been surprised that so many bands and performers that I otherwise held in esteem would buy in wholesale to such crassly commercial venture. Even Mr. "The Note's for You" Neil Young wouldn't dare criticize the place too fiercely. Finally someone has the courage to ask just what the criteria for getting into the Hall of Fame is supposed to be. The chapter when he relates attending a Hall of Fame induction ceremony is excellent and very funny.

On the down side, Strausbaugh concludes this book with a reverent bow to The Fugs. He would like you to believe that somehow they represent the antidote to all the dire Rock Is Dead rhetoric he has been espousing. Unfortunately, this comes off as nothing more than a slightly bizarre homage to some friends of his. I mean, there's no way that anyone is going to believe that a 70 year-old playing "Slum Goddess" or the complete "Peace Wars" is the way Rock and Roll should get old. I don't think there's very many people who think The Fugs had a lot to do with rock anyway.

Still, the book is a kick. It won't change your life and it won't stop Mick from shaking his well-weathered behind, but, as I mentioned, someone finally had the nerve to diss Lenny "Hilfinger" Kravitz.