The Stooges: A Journey Through the Michigan Underworld

Spotted this new book yesterday.
Anyone have any more info on it, besides what's on Amazon?



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stooges-Journey-Through-Michigan-Underworld/dp/1906191018/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208933189&sr=1-3

Synopsis
Containing primary interviews with all the band members and Iggy himself, as well as other key characters, this biography provides a collection of exclusive and captivating eye-witness accounts of this most important of rock bands. The influence of The Stooges on the world of punk and rock 'n' roll is immeasurable. The band's three albums - "The Stooges", "Fun House" and "Raw Power" - are bona fide classics. The fact that the band only existed for a few short years at the end of the '60s and start of the '70s makes their achievements all the more impressive.Of course, lead singer Iggy Pop went on to have huge success as a solo artist, working with the likes of David Bowie and Green Day, but here, for the first time, The Stooges story is told in-depth, through original interviews with the band members. Just after the turn of the new millennium, Iggy reformed The Stooges with all of the key members present, including brothers Ron and Scott 'Rock Action' Asheton. The Stooges have gone from strength to strength since the reunion, headlining festivals around the world.

wow that looks INTERESTING
gotta find out more! (don't know anything about the author either)
but of course it hasn't actually been released yet...


rather an odd title tho!

Looks good, thanks for the link.
Cheers,
Richard

Brett is a writer for Guitar World, and others, and did a well-regarded book on the MC5. I sent him some billy Cheatham and John Cale quotes not that long ago - he certainly turned the book around quickly. Respect!

Nadja wrote:

rather an odd title tho!

Yeah, it is an odd title.
I was thinking gangsters and all when I saw the title...

Cheers for that bit of info, Paul.

wow... pauls book was boss though !

but i'll def. buy this one still !

I AM getting that book!

Shit, I need a copy of Paul's book too, now that I think of it..

SH*T ! Can't they wait to release new books ? Paul's is supposed to arrive in two or three weeks... I'll wait for the reviews of this one. Looks interesting.

Should be good, i love detroit in that period, and yeh pauls book is relaly great, im thinkin of giving it a re-read at the end of the year (academic year that is)


HJW

'primary' interviews with all the band members, well that sounds good
I remember reading 'Gimme Danger' a few years back, the first book I ever read about the band, and I got thru the entire thing without realizing that so much of the stuff was from secondhand sources! I mean, lifted straight from 'Please Kill Me', 'I Need More', etc

I wait to see about this one - his MC5 book wasn't really that engaging. It just didn't really add to anything I'd already read in articles on the web and in magazine.

Just a quick heads up.
This is out now for those that are interested.

i saw it in a bookstore, amazingly i didnt immediately buy it - not least because of the crunch, but i dunno, because ppl have said it wasnt that good i didnt buy it

should i go back and get it?

Mine's already ordered. Can't wait!

I finally read Pauls book, even bought the hardcover because I knew I wanted to keep it. Great read, and a rock and roll book that was actully researched. What a concept! Now if we can just get Paul to do a Ramones Book, or better yet, Captain Beefheart.

I have seen several copies of this book but I have never bought it. Why? Because its got some seriously BAD information.

As a simpleton I always look at the shiny, glossy photos first when skimming through a biography. And this book had them mislabeled which put me right off. Heres an example:



The Stooges circa 1970


It also has a photo of a solo late 1970s/early 1980s Iggy Pop gig
which it says is The Stooges.

Thought as much. He's probably not a Stooges fan and just cashing in on them being so popular at the moment. Stick with the books by Paul, Richard and Per.

Here's part of a not terribly flattering review I found:

"Actually, it's not all here in Brett Callwood's less than exhaustive account. As misleading titles go, this one just about takes the biscuit: rather than journeying through the Michigan underworld, Callwood merely skims across its surface.

Mostly, he just tracks down a few old Stooges and their acolytes and takes them out to a local diner or sits in their homes, then transcribes, verbatim, their (often not terribly interesting) conversations. And he brings himself into the story far too often ("During the course of my research for this book..."; "I conducted the second part of my interview with Niagara in her bedroom")."

To be fair it's sometimes the book designer who sources the pictures - that's what happened in the case of The Complete Iggy Pop. A bunch of pictures were sent to me to sort out, choose, and suggest different ones. What I realised then was that the picture libraries often supply a caption with the image that is totally and utterly wrong. The picture above, showing the 1973 line up of the Stooges, may well have been mislabelled 1970 at the picture library.

Having said that, of course there's no real excuse for allowing someones else's error to continue to publication. Stuff from other sources needs very careful proof reading and checking and it seems that this probably wasn't done here. Still, no one is perfect and I'm still looking forward to reading this book.

Cheers,

Richard

Paul's book is the only one to get as far as I'm concerned.

of course Paul's book is exhaustive, but until I'm sure there's absolutely no fresh nuggets of info to be got from this new offering I won't be able to get it out of my mind, so, I'm probably going to get a copy
(from everything that's been said there doesn't seem much hope for it tho)

Nadja you can get a copy in HMV they seem to have ordered in loads of them. I'd say "The Complete Iggy Pop" and "Open Up And Bleed" are the best sources for Iggy Pop/Stooges information. And Richard as you said photos can be mislabeled but still its a book based on facts and if the facts are wrong then its just fiction.

G, F#, E wrote:

es for Iggy Pop/Stooges information. And Richard as you said photos can be mislabeled but still its a book based on facts and if the facts are wrong then its just fiction.

Yeah, Paul's book is an excellent read.
And yes, a book should be properly researched, there should be no room for errors.
It can be misleading for new fans, and annoying for older/hardcore fans if info is wrong.

G, F#, E wrote:

Nadja you can get a copy in HMV they seem to have ordered in loads of them. I'd say "The Complete Iggy Pop" and "Open Up And Bleed" are the best sources for Iggy Pop/Stooges information. And Richard as you said photos can be mislabeled but still its a book based on facts and if the facts are wrong then its just fiction.

thanks GF#E

come to think of it I was in HMV the other day...(altho I can't remember when was the last time I actually bought anything in there)

Yeah I've been on a holiday all around the UK the last fortnight or so and every HMV (or shop that copys HMV) seems to have piles of Stooges biographys and Reggae Reggae Sauce cookbooks

got a copy at last, not out of HMV tho

The title still bothers me, but, on the plus side the front cover picture is just terrific!