Fine writing on rock music: a rare feat, indeed. Most of these essays are interesting enough to dive into, well-written and always from a convincing personal angle. Unfortunately, Bangs' musical tastes are completely one-dimensional and as immature as his writing style is excellent. A mixed blessing... ( )

Michael Stipe said it best - that Lester Bangs was responsible for more people listening to more bad music than anyone else in history. His taste could be questionable sometimes (listened to Metal Machine Music lately?), but his writing was the best. Worth reading for his Astral Weeks alone, although his stuff on Lou Reed is pretty hilarious. ( )

A gift from a now estranged friend, this collection of Lester Bangs' essays--most of them published at the time in Creem--takes its authority from new journalistic tendencies to insert oneself into the subject one is covering. Bangs does this to powerful and poignant effect. I used to have my Writing 101 students read from this book to show them what a good personal essay could sound like. ( )

Writings about Rock from a true enthusiast. Good chapter about the Clash. Thank God Bangs died before Lou Reed began his long slide towards unlistenable pretension (although it might be debateable as to when that slide began).

The pieces early in the book are among the best, most inspirational things you can read on the subject of rock music. As Lester Bangs started getting dragged down in drugs and depression, his writing did too and the enjoyability factor suffers because of it. Always interesting though, and recommended to folks who want to read something about rock that's actually worth reading. ( )