A Cure For Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage by Joe Jackson
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Book Reviews of A Cure For Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage
Book Review: One of the better written musician biographies
Summary: 5 Stars
Joe Jackson is a very good writer, certainly better than many of his peers in the music business. This book covers Joe's early years, before he even was known as Joe, and works its way through his formative development as a young man and dedicated musician, up until the success of "Look Sharp"
While I am a fan of Joe's early work, especially Look Sharp and I'm The Man, I think this book would appeal to non-fans as well. It comes down to basic writing skill, and Joe's got it. The book flows nicely from start to finish, never bogging down with unnecessary details of rock band debauchery, or getting too preachy. The pacing is just about perfect, with a nice balance of interesting, humorous stories and personal opinions about music, and life in general.
Joe Jackson tells a good story, and for fans, the stories alone are worth the price of admission. In addition to the entertaining stories and a very honest revealing of his life and early development of his career in music, Joe sprinkles in astute observations and opinions about music and the entertainment business along the way. While always remaining true to his passion for music, Joe keeps his ego in check, which enhances the success of the book by making him someone that the reader can identify with.
A better writer than Marilyn Manson, Dee Dee Ramone, and many other musicians; and providing much more insight than your average biographer, Joe Jackson tells his own story with heart, humor, and insight. Pick this up new or used, you won't be disappointed.
Book Review: An Entertaining Insight
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a very interesting book both in terms of its content and in the approach that Joe Jackson chose to write it. At first, one may suspect that this would be another story of his successful music career as he rode through the fame and glitter. I was somewhat surprised and delighted that he avoided this all-too-predictable approach. We really don't need him to explain what we, as fans, already know. This is the story of the man named David Jackson and his experiences that shaped his persona into becoming the pop star Joe Jackson that we all later came to know him as. His story is very interesting because of the interesting perspectives through which he viewed his environment; the world of music; his peers; and the deeper meanings of life that come with the wisdom of a slightly older age. As a long time Joe Jackson fan, I was always interested in how he was able to take the different approaches to music that he did. Aside from the first two releases by the Joe Jackson Band, he never did the same thing twice. As he mentioned toward the end of the book: "I was at a crossroads. Where did I want to go? Did I want to continue doing the same thing and become a Pop cartoon character or, instead, grow up in the public eye?" The answer is obvious. I've always respected Joe Jackson as a very talented and entertaining performer. When I finished reading this fascinating story, I came to see that David Jackson is also a thoughtful and intelligent human being.Book Review: If you're obsessed with music
Summary: 5 Stars
Anybody interested in music should read this book by Joe Jackson. Its a musical autobiography, covering his life in music from his childhood up to the point where he made it as a 'popstar'. I use the quotes around popstar because Joe Jackson was always more than a popstar and if you have an interest in Classical music or Jazz you might also find this book interesting.
Jackson is interested in most forms of music, he talks about Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, the difficulties of playing solo Piano gigs, the many musicians he played with, the madness of being in a band and some of the awful gigs he did. So whether you've played in a pub band, or you play in an Orchestra there is something here that will interest you.
For the musical snobs out there, Joe Jackson studied at the Royal Academy of Music and has letters after his name (LRAM in percussion). This shouldn't be relevent but some people will avoid this book just because he is/was a pop star.
This is well written by Jackson, on occasions funny, and to anybody who who has obssessed about music in the same way as he has you will find it an absorbing read, regardless of what form of music you like.
Book Review: File under: Paying his dues
Summary: 5 Stars
Joe Jackson became world-famous when "Is She Really Going Out With Him" hit the radio airwaves in 1978. But he didn't come out of nowhere to score a worldwide top-10 hit. In his book, "A Cure For Gravity," he documents his life prior to his big break. Jackson's goal was to be a composer, but somehow the musical experiences that molded his musically formative years steered him into writing and performing. A book about Jackson's career starting in 1978 could span an entire second full-length memoir -- this book is quite substantial. Of note: Jackson wrote the book without the aid of a ghostwriter, which makes the words his own. And although he's no John Grisham (thankfully), the book is quite readable and very intelligent. Obviously, Jackson is as much a perfectionist with a pen as he is with a piano.Book Review: A look into creative genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Joe Jackson's music entered my mind in 1978 and has lodged there ever since. He's one of the few pop musicians I followed for more than two albums, because he continally reinvented himself. It was a great discovery to find that he had written an autobiography.
The focus is on his musical development up to the point when his LP "Look Sharp!" made him famous, but it is also informed by what happened afterwards. I enjoyed this book very much, and dusted off the turntable to play his records again. They are every bit as great as I remembered them.