Modest Mouse: A Pretty Good Read

by Alan Goldsher

Book Overview

THE BEST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR IS SOMETIMES THE WORST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR Unruly and antagonistic, the Washington State rock trio Modest Mouse would seem like one of the least likely candidates for mainstream stardom: Their often brilliant live performances sometimes collapsed into utter chaos. Their highly original, highly off-center songs ran as long as eleven minutes. And their leader managed to raise eyebrows among music writers, law...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312356013
• ISBN13: 9780312356019
• Release Date: November 2006
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

grow up

If you are going to bash a book, at least buy it and read the whole thing, while i do agree that it should be called a "semi ok yet quite confusing read" fans of modest mouse (i am myself) will find the book quite interesting. I payed a total of 4 bucks for the book and was well worth it.

there's really not much wrong with it

These overwhelmingly negative reviews surprise me. I read this book in a matter of a few days. And I wasn't speed reading, no I was interested, thoroughly, in fact. I really liked Goldsher's humor(actually made me laugh etc.) along with his insights on "lo-fi" music and rock star mysticism. His telling of the Modest Mouse story is easy to follow, his examination of Isaac Brock's personality is intriguing (and quite amusing...Brock's eccentricity really shines through), his analysis of the albums/songs is descent.... There is absolutly NOTHING to hate about this book! Give this guy a break! I don't know where you people went wrong in reading this! Life is full of mysteries, huh?

Humor, Controversy, Facts, It's all there...

I'm not a Modest Mouse fanatic, by any stretch, but I don't know what all of these other reviewers are talking about. I just finished A Pretty Good Read, and found it to be a a fun twist on the unauthorized biography. Goldsher's take on the band and their music is as insightful as it could possibly be, without having had access to the band members themselves. This is not a gossipy, trashy bio. It demonstrates the author's respect for the band's music, and he tells it like it is when it comes to the biographical elements. It should also be noted that as a former musician, Goldsher's "interludes" and music analysis laced throughout the book are fun and help to prevent the book from becoming a chapter by chapter account of Isaac Brock's attention weilding antics. Perhaps Goldsher is worthy of a more complex subject such as Miles Davis or Bob Dylan, as opposed to a band who clearly has talent, but staying power? A fine job from an author whose upcoming fiction I look forward to reading!