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A review by bent
Lemmy: The Definitive Biography by Mick Wall
3.0
I would give the first half of this book four stars, up until about Pete Gill leaving the band. Maybe even when Lemmy fires Doug Smith for the second time and moves to LA. The rest of the book would rate about two. I give Wall full marks for not turning out a book of blind hero worship, of showing the young Lemmy as he was, without trying to protect his cool aura, and for letting some of the former members and associates- Fast Eddie, Brian Robertson, Pete Gill, Doug Smith - a chance to give their sides of the story. It makes for an interesting read and humanizes the man.
The problem comes with Lemmy's move to Los Angeles. Once he's ensconced in LA, with the lineup that would stay consistent for the rest of his life (with the exception of Wurzel who would play with the band until 1995's Sacrifice), the story gets boring. No major conflict or upheaval, just a lot of Lemmy quotes and quotes from other's praising Lemmy. It's boring.
I can't entirely blame Wall for this because there's just not a lot to report, although he does spend about 40 pages dealing with Lemmy's failing health and then eulogies from others talking about what a great guy he was. That's on Wall. The blow-by-blow of each new health diagnosis, doctor's advice taken or ignored, cancelled shows or tours, wears a little thin. And we've just read a whole book on the man - do we need to know what other celebrities thought of him?
My main complaint is with the Lemmy quotes. I have had this with several other biographies that I've read about him. The more I hear from him, the less I like him. Biographers always include at least one person commenting on how intelligent Lemmy is. Wall also had almost everyone he dealt with talk about what a great guy he was, even if their relationship ended acrimoniously. But reading his quotes, I just think it's the same crap over and over.
His comments about religion or war don't display any great insights, his view of the music industry and Motorhead's place in it are full of the usual carping against the business or whining about how authentic they always stayed and that's why they never got any bigger - because they wouldn't compromise. It's a broken record, and he doesn't sound any different from thousands of other rock stars. I don't see any great insight from his years playing rock and roll. What you're left with is an aging musician, putting out the same album over and over again (I stopped listening to Motorhead around Hammered because the albums became indistinguishable from one another), playing lots of shows, and spending the rest of his time at a bar on playing video poker. Lemmy ceases to be cool - he's just kind of sad. And having Lars Ulrich or Slash or Ozzy saying he's not doesn't make it any less true.
So four stars for the first two-thirds of the book, and then you can stop reading because the rest is silence.
The problem comes with Lemmy's move to Los Angeles. Once he's ensconced in LA, with the lineup that would stay consistent for the rest of his life (with the exception of Wurzel who would play with the band until 1995's Sacrifice), the story gets boring. No major conflict or upheaval, just a lot of Lemmy quotes and quotes from other's praising Lemmy. It's boring.
I can't entirely blame Wall for this because there's just not a lot to report, although he does spend about 40 pages dealing with Lemmy's failing health and then eulogies from others talking about what a great guy he was. That's on Wall. The blow-by-blow of each new health diagnosis, doctor's advice taken or ignored, cancelled shows or tours, wears a little thin. And we've just read a whole book on the man - do we need to know what other celebrities thought of him?
My main complaint is with the Lemmy quotes. I have had this with several other biographies that I've read about him. The more I hear from him, the less I like him. Biographers always include at least one person commenting on how intelligent Lemmy is. Wall also had almost everyone he dealt with talk about what a great guy he was, even if their relationship ended acrimoniously. But reading his quotes, I just think it's the same crap over and over.
His comments about religion or war don't display any great insights, his view of the music industry and Motorhead's place in it are full of the usual carping against the business or whining about how authentic they always stayed and that's why they never got any bigger - because they wouldn't compromise. It's a broken record, and he doesn't sound any different from thousands of other rock stars. I don't see any great insight from his years playing rock and roll. What you're left with is an aging musician, putting out the same album over and over again (I stopped listening to Motorhead around Hammered because the albums became indistinguishable from one another), playing lots of shows, and spending the rest of his time at a bar on playing video poker. Lemmy ceases to be cool - he's just kind of sad. And having Lars Ulrich or Slash or Ozzy saying he's not doesn't make it any less true.
So four stars for the first two-thirds of the book, and then you can stop reading because the rest is silence.