5 Rock Memoirs I’d Read Again

by Chuck Thompson
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5 books
I’m a huge rock memoirs reader. Have knocked out upward of 100 of them, usually as a weekend escape or easy way to stay occupied on a long flight.
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Red

My Uncensored Life in Rock
Sammy Hagar, 2011
I’ve never cared for the Red Rocker’s music. Limited vocal range. Plodding rhythms. I picked up his book strictly for the Van Halen gossip. He delivers that and more. Sammy’s a far better writer (and businessman) than he is a singer. I actually have read this one twice—it’s my favorite rock memoir.

Reckless

My Life as a Pretender
Chrissie Hynde, 2015
Hynde’s early career straddled the weird transition between eras later defined as “classic rock” and “punk rock.” She experienced everything from Kent State (she was there in 1970) to the Sex Pistols rise and implosion in London.

It's So Easy

And Other Lies
Duff McKagan, 2012
Sometimes sidemen write the coolest books about mega-groups. Police guitarist Andy Summers turned out a disappointing memoir (One Train Later) about his time with that volatile group; Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine’s Street Player is the best one about that band. But Guns N’ Roses bassist McKagan’s candor, wit and unexpected life choices make his the best I’ve come across.

Who I Am

A Memoir
Pete Townshend, 2012
Most rockers-turned-writers run into trouble when they get introspective—just tell us what the songs are really about and which famous people are actually assholes. Townsend is the exception. He’s a genuine thinker and talented writer.

Black Postcards

A Memoir
Dean Wareham, 2009
This personal history written by the founder of Luna is, like his songs, often dour. But it’s also packed with characteristically off-kilter observations. Of his wife and Luna bassist Britt Phillips, Wareham proudly asserts she has “the best visible pant line in rock.” He adds: “Most women are under the impression that visible panty line is something to avoid. Not so.”