Rock N' Roll Babylon- By Gary Herman

For more than a quarter-century, rock 'n' roll has expressed rebellious attitudes, hopes and fears, joyous and oblique visions. Rock stardom can be enormously rewarding -- and not just financially. But along with the fun, the money, and some of the more manic off-stage activities come the tremendous physical and psychological pressures of mass adulation -- which often make rock stars the victims of their own success.

For the first time, Rock 'n' Roll Babylon takes apart the whole phenomenon of rock stardom -- its highs and lows, tragedies and absurdities, pleasures and pains. Both entertaining and uncompromising, this book combines solid documentation with humor, vintage gossip, and uniquely candid photographs. Gary Herman takes a hard look at the changes in attitudes and tolerance since rock 'n' roll first outraged and thrilled the public and chronicles the antics of the great pop idols as he examines who did what to whom-- and when, and where.

The story is told through the experiences and sayings of figures like Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Dylan, Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, David Bowie, Patti Smith, and Bruce Springsteen, not to mention the groupies, the druggies, the record tycoons, the media, the clergy, and the fans themselves. In rock music, behind every success story lies a tale of compromises, shady dealings, and not-for-publication behavior. In the same way that the real Hollywood was revealed beneath its glittering public-relations facade, the rock world is now forced to bow to the startling discoveries in Rock ' N' Roll Babylon.

Hardcover/Very Good