Perfect from Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life
by John Sellers
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Book Summary Information
Author: John SellersEdition: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2008-03-04
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Reviews of Perfect from Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life
Book Review: Dancing with himself
Summary: 1 Stars
Since Mr. Sellers can't seem to help himself when it comes to lists, I think a review which parrots that particular form is fitting.
TOP 5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID BUYING "Perfect From Now On" by John Sellers:
5 - Sellers (by his own admission) is more interested in appearing "with it" than actually enjoying the music. He bases his musical choices/obsessions on how 'obscure' they are, and how knowledgeable he can be regarding the band in question.
4 - His holier-than-thou (and occasionally hypocritical) approach to:
- drugs (although he abuses alcohol like a fiend)
- other parts of the world (although he grew up in Michigan?!)
- any music he doesn't deem 'worthy'
3 - The (sub)title of the book... nowhere is there any indication that 'Indie Rock' did anything greater for Sellers than give him a soundtrack to his studies and drinking. That isn't "saving" your life-- it's what EVERYBODY uses music for.
2 - Guided By Voices. Sure, I love them too, had an intense period of listening/collecting/concert going. But come one man... enough. It's just downright embarrassing reading about Sellers' slavish idol-worship. Plus, he didn't even get on board with GBV until the end of 2002? For somebody who seems desperate to be on the 'cutting edge of music', there is simply no excuse.
1 - The condescending tone of the book. Sellers doesn't just come across as a passionate music fan (really- who isn't?). No, reading this book, Sellers comes-across as a snippy, shallow know-it-all. His barrage of pop-culture references and "I'm-right-you're-wrong" writing is tiresome and provides little more than what you might find on a teenager's blog.
This book ends-up being little more than one sad person's attempt to brag about a shared, collective experience (enjoying/obsessing over music). It's the sort of paper-thin observation that can be read for free on-line; it's the literary equivalent to Sellers standing in front of a mirror and rhyming off his favourite artists (and why he enjoys them more than you). Really - why waste money on it?
Summary of Perfect from Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life
John Sellers was powerless to resist the call of indie rock -- once he finally heard it. In this hilarious and revealing memoir, Sellers meticulously charts his transformation from a teenage headbanger rebelling against his Dylan-obsessed father to a thirtysomething fixated on the obscure Ohio band Guided By Voices. Along the way, he commemorates the deaths of Ian Curtis and Kurt Cobain, makes a pilgrimage inspired by the Smiths, and riffs on Pavement and the other raucous bands that have ruled college radio since the 1980s. Packed with compulsively constructed lists, ridiculous formulas, and embarrassing confessions, this is a book for anybody who thinks that corporate rock still sucks.History & Criticism Books
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