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loonyboi's review against another edition
3.0
This is a weird book. Neil Strauss is a great (albeit extremely manipulative) interviewer, and he speaks to some very, very interesting people. However the book itself, rather than taking those interviews and stitching them together into meaningful and interesting essays, simply presents their comments as question and answer segments. Strauss fills in the blanks with interesting anecdotes and asides, but it's hard shaking the feeling that this is a peek into his research files, rather than a finished book.
Having said that, there are some really great moments in here, and some very unusual comments from people. There was the opportunity to create a truly great book here. Instead you're left with one that's merely very good. If you're okay with that, I recommend reading it.
Having said that, there are some really great moments in here, and some very unusual comments from people. There was the opportunity to create a truly great book here. Instead you're left with one that's merely very good. If you're okay with that, I recommend reading it.
thisknife's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great read for any music fan. It's done in ten acts (instead of chapters), with themes for each act, and feature clips of interviews from Neil Strauss' career over the years with everyone from Marilyn Manson, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears to musicians and music business related folks from all backgrounds. Not every interview is with a celebrity, but all are intriguing. He asks fantastic questions, and keeps good conversation with who he is talking with. The last act, and story of interviews is what made me adore this book. I loved it up until then, but the story was so beautiful and devastating to read.
clairelorraine's review against another edition
5.0
Strauss is just such a great interviewer! And the stories are interwoven in a lovely way.
hollandsays's review against another edition
5.0
Doesn't come out till March but I got an advanced copy and it's brilliant! Excerpts from former interviews with some of the biggest names in music and entertainment...and it's unimaginable what people will admit to when the tape is rolling. WOW!
christinel's review against another edition
4.0
The author of this book is a famous rock and roll journalist who has interviewed many, many celebrities for publications like Rolling Stone and the New York Times. This big fat book is a compilation of little snippets of interviews, but they're arranged by themes that are a little oblique to anyone who is not Strauss. While there are a few gossipy bits, what you really get is an overview of what it's like to be Neil Strauss and have a front row look at fame and art and rock and roll without being a rock star himself. Many of the interviewees seem ruined by fame and drugs, but some of them are caught at moments of wisdom or insight. You get a real sense of the frustration of the interviewer in trying to take these often banal moments and make them seem epic. And you do wind up with a clear sense of what does and does not make people (rock stars?) happy in life. It's a wild ride; I liked it a lot.
thisknife's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great read for any music fan. It's done in ten acts (instead of chapters), with themes for each act, and feature clips of interviews from Neil Strauss' career over the years with everyone from Marilyn Manson, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears to musicians and music business related folks from all backgrounds. Not every interview is with a celebrity, but all are intriguing. He asks fantastic questions, and keeps good conversation with who he is talking with. The last act, and story of interviews is what made me adore this book. I loved it up until then, but the story was so beautiful and devastating to read.
fauvely's review against another edition
This was VERY interesting to read. Neil Strauss has had an amazing career and interviewed so many famous people. My favorite interviews in this book were Noel Fielding, Russell Brand, Johnny Cash, Lady Gaga, Pharrell(who was always too busy and kept asking to reschedule), Hugh Laurie, Ryan Adams(the constant "Fuck off"'s had me crazy amused), Steve Coogan(just because he came across as a total prat), Radiohead, Neil Young, Hugh Hefner, etc.
Liam and Noel Gallagher were the usual selves(wankers), Paris Hilton said shockingly racist things, Britney Spears was Britney, Christina Aguilera was a bit of a spoiled brat(but still interesting to read about), Kevin from the Backstreet Boys shared his idea for an album with a picture of a lollipop titled "Suck on this" , Hanson were young and naive, Courtney Love was bonkers, Julian Casablancas was being a total dick and that's just a taste of what is present in this book.
Mainly it was interesting because these aren't your typical interviews. Neil Strauss tries to go deeper than most people and asks random questions. I liked seeing the vulnerability in Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera. I liked how Neil Strauss tried to connect with these big names and get them to open up to him. It was just all very intriguing how we get to see the real people behind the celebrity and also how Neil Strauss ended the book with life lessons which he learned from all these interviews.
Liam and Noel Gallagher were the usual selves(wankers), Paris Hilton said shockingly racist things, Britney Spears was Britney, Christina Aguilera was a bit of a spoiled brat(but still interesting to read about), Kevin from the Backstreet Boys shared his idea for an album with a picture of a lollipop titled "Suck on this" , Hanson were young and naive, Courtney Love was bonkers, Julian Casablancas was being a total dick and that's just a taste of what is present in this book.
Mainly it was interesting because these aren't your typical interviews. Neil Strauss tries to go deeper than most people and asks random questions. I liked seeing the vulnerability in Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera. I liked how Neil Strauss tried to connect with these big names and get them to open up to him. It was just all very intriguing how we get to see the real people behind the celebrity and also how Neil Strauss ended the book with life lessons which he learned from all these interviews.
lukegoldstein's review against another edition
5.0
Every now and again, if you’re lucky, you come across a piece of craftsmanship that lays it all out for you. For architects, it might be walking up to an old gothic cathedral and watching the lines and foundations intersect. For musicians, it might be hearing a song which stirs their hearts, feeling the melodies and meaning intertwine like strands of DNA. For people like me, the writers, it means laying your hands on a book which illustrates so clearly not only the beauty of words, but also how those words can be used to change people. That rush only gets better if those words are pouring forth from a career on a rise to not just stardom, but mythic status. This writer, this moment — this is something to be treasured.
Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead is the latest in a growing list of “must read” books by Neil Strauss. This new tome is a culmination of years of interviews and all those magical moments that fell on the cutting room floor by way of verbal economy, relevance to the time, or the most egregious of reasons, editorial choice by the publisher. These snippets are peephole windows into the real people behind the fame and fortune, showing in possibly the truest form ever that celebrities are indeed normal people too, dealing with the same insecurities and same life choices as we do. That doesn’t mean they are all good people under the glitter, some are just as vain and superficial as we imagine, but at least we can now be sure they aren’t faking that for the creation of their persona.
The cast of characters span the celebrity horizon like a multi-billion dollar rainbow. Everyone is here and no one is spared from the charm and familiarity that Strauss brings into every interview. Snoop Dogg takes him along to get diapers for his kid, Lady Gaga goes to tears by her first question and Jewel snuggles up under the covers like it’s a high school slumber party. This book is filled with astounding moments of clarity from the people who spend most of their days hidden behind a persona, whether it be one of hard-edged aggression (like Marilyn Manson and Slipknot) or unstoppable humor (like Jay Leno or Stephen Colbert). Strauss shows in interview after interview his style of getting the subjects to relax, let down their guard and basically not feel like subjects. From reading these passages you not only learn some amazing factoids about these people, but you can also glean how to interact better with others in your own lives, with a sense of honesty and compassion.
As he did before in The Game and Emergency, Strauss has immersed himself over a period of time into a whole different world and come back with a roadmap to the reality he discovered. His choice of questions and how he allows himself to become part of the moment instead of just someone observing from the outside gives him the access and ability to truly describe and detail where these people are coming from. They are not just subjects or an assignment (although you can tell some he was more personally excited about than others). He gives each interview weight, respect and a sense of purpose often missed by the supermarket tabloid phenomena. You get the distinct impression that each person at one point or another looks over at him and thinks with internal surprise and joy, “Wow, no one has ever asked me that before!” So they get to tell their story in a fresh way and not sound like a broken record on yet another press tour, while we the reader get to see a little more deeply into the lives of these people who inspire, excite and often openly confuse us.
Everyone Loves You When You’re Dead is the latest in a growing list of “must read” books by Neil Strauss. This new tome is a culmination of years of interviews and all those magical moments that fell on the cutting room floor by way of verbal economy, relevance to the time, or the most egregious of reasons, editorial choice by the publisher. These snippets are peephole windows into the real people behind the fame and fortune, showing in possibly the truest form ever that celebrities are indeed normal people too, dealing with the same insecurities and same life choices as we do. That doesn’t mean they are all good people under the glitter, some are just as vain and superficial as we imagine, but at least we can now be sure they aren’t faking that for the creation of their persona.
The cast of characters span the celebrity horizon like a multi-billion dollar rainbow. Everyone is here and no one is spared from the charm and familiarity that Strauss brings into every interview. Snoop Dogg takes him along to get diapers for his kid, Lady Gaga goes to tears by her first question and Jewel snuggles up under the covers like it’s a high school slumber party. This book is filled with astounding moments of clarity from the people who spend most of their days hidden behind a persona, whether it be one of hard-edged aggression (like Marilyn Manson and Slipknot) or unstoppable humor (like Jay Leno or Stephen Colbert). Strauss shows in interview after interview his style of getting the subjects to relax, let down their guard and basically not feel like subjects. From reading these passages you not only learn some amazing factoids about these people, but you can also glean how to interact better with others in your own lives, with a sense of honesty and compassion.
As he did before in The Game and Emergency, Strauss has immersed himself over a period of time into a whole different world and come back with a roadmap to the reality he discovered. His choice of questions and how he allows himself to become part of the moment instead of just someone observing from the outside gives him the access and ability to truly describe and detail where these people are coming from. They are not just subjects or an assignment (although you can tell some he was more personally excited about than others). He gives each interview weight, respect and a sense of purpose often missed by the supermarket tabloid phenomena. You get the distinct impression that each person at one point or another looks over at him and thinks with internal surprise and joy, “Wow, no one has ever asked me that before!” So they get to tell their story in a fresh way and not sound like a broken record on yet another press tour, while we the reader get to see a little more deeply into the lives of these people who inspire, excite and often openly confuse us.