Duff McKagan's Column In Seattle Weekly

[FunkyMonkey]

Duff McKagan: The Top 10 Rock Band Dos and Don'ts

4. Get a singer that has what we call L.S.D.--Lead Singers' Disease. That person has to have the ability to stand in front on a stage, and usually with no guitar to stand behind--and absolutely OWN the whole stage and venue.

I was surprised he said this -- but it makes sense.

[Falcon]

Not surprised he said this, and it really makes sense.

'It WILL get old after a while to the other band members. But hell, by the time the band is sick of the singer's antics, the sychophantic managers will already have found a way to wedge the original band guys out of the group."

[LunsJail]

Not surprised he said this, and it really makes sense.

'It WILL get old after a while to the other band members. But hell, by the time the band is sick of the singer's antics, the sychophantic managers will already have found a way to wedge the original band guys out of the group."

^^^Surely he was talking about the Neurotic Outsiders 

[FunkyMonkey]

BIG Prince fan...

There's Taking Things to the Next Level, and Then There's Prince

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Jun. 2 2011

Life can get overwhelming for all of us. There are blocks of time when--and even when you are ultra-aware of it and its reproductions--stress and tension and work and family obligations take us out of ourselves. Some of us have religion, yoga, exercise, and creative art to relieve life's weight. But sometimes we need a little something more. For me, seeing Prince play the Inglewood Forum during his multi-week stand was just what the doctor ordered.
I have been a die-hard Prince fan since the early '80s. When Controversy came out in 1981, a punker friend of mine in Seattle demanded that I listen to it. Prince was unlike anyone else.

When 1999 came out in 1982, the record transformed my insides. I was going through a tough break-up with my first real long-term girlfriend and was heartbroken. 1999 somehow became my psychiatrist, and I held on to that record for dear life as I slowly got my feet back under me.

When Purple Rain hit, I was free and starting to take life by the balls. That record was the soundtrack to my life and gave me the confidence to move to L.A. at 19, with nothing more than belief in myself. Prince's music can do that.

Flash-forward to 1992. GNR were playing stadiums around the world. My life, again, was getting confusing and unfocused. In an attempt to contain things, I was going into studios in different cities, and making a record on my own, trying to get some of that "Prince-ness" back into my life.

I was in Berlin on a day off of the GNR tour, and Prince was playing the arena there on his Diamonds and Pearls tour. I went, of course.

Because I was an ersatz and begrudging "A"-lister, I was ushered backstage in a rush when I got to the gig. I had no knowledge or hint that I was going to meet Prince that night, but I was suddenly shown into a backstage room, and there it was, just me and Prince. I was completely tongue-tied and overwhelmed. I didn't know what to say, and what I DID say probably sounded like dumb-ass babble.

I mean, how was I supposed to tell the guy that he and his music had gotten me through so much stuff, and that he was maybe THE reason I was now in a band that, had he not inspired in me the confidence to move to L.A., may not have happened? How was I to really tell him how his music had gotten me through so many rough spots, and helped me to celebrate my triumphs? How? In truth, I don't remember what I said to him at all. Dumb-ass.

My wife Susan and I went and saw Prince again in Las Vegas a few years ago for my birthday. He was doing a residency at the Rio Hotel. The gig was magical. Every time I see him I get inspired and just plain feel better about myself and others.

There are other bands and gigs that do this for me once in a while, but Prince is just next-level shit to me. Actually, much further than next-level.

I was getting ready to tour last week. It is always stressful to get everything organized and together. Not to mention going to New York that week for my book business. I also hate to leave my family. And it seems like everything in my house is broken and in need of repair. My car died last week, too. My back hurts, and I can't find a belt that fits me right. My feet were starting to slip out from underneath me . . .

I wanted to do something with Susan and my daughters for my last night before I left for a tour of Europe. And I wanted to see Prince at the Forum before I left, too. I decided to combine the two things. We went as a family to see him.

My girls really had no idea who Prince was, and I think really only went because they knew it was my last night and it was something that their dad wanted to do.

I told my older daughter, Grace, that she was about to see maybe the best pure singer on this planet. I told Mae that Prince was magic, and that intrigued her, I think.

So there we were. The house lights went down, and the first chords of "Little Red Corvette" sounded. I was suddenly in a different space. All of the things that had been overwhelming me suddenly evaporated. Prince played all of his hits that night, and it was an uplifting barrage to my soul. It was like church, I suppose. It was religious.

I'm just not sure how this dude does it, but Prince is a better performer, singer, and guitar player than ever. If he is in fact getting older, a person would be hard-pressed to recognize or spot any tell-tale signs of his time. No, like I told my daughter Mae, I think he has some serious magic working in his corner.

Prince is a pure genius. I am changed. It WAS just THAT good.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/06/theres_taking_things_to_the_ne.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Tour Diaries: The Highs, the Lows, the Ass-Grabs

By Duff McKagan, Thu., Jun. 16 2011

Loaded have been over here in Europe for the June rock festivals. We have done this a few times before, so now we have been moved up a few notches on the time slots. It's a good feeling for a band trying to make its name.
A band like ours has to play every single night--or as close to it as we can--to make it all work out financially. Often we will play a show and then do a "runner" (bail the stage and take straight off to the next city, dripping wet and all).

We played the Download Festival again, but this time we were on the mainstage instead of the second stage that is in a tent. Loaded has gone "big time" . . . sorta.

I have now played Download on five separate occasions. The first time was with GNR in 1988--when it was still called Donington. (If you have ever seen the video for "Paradise City," the black-and-white portion of it was filmed there.) I have played there twice with Velvet Revolver and now twice with Loaded. It has become a second home to me of sorts, and playing the mainstage meant a LOT to me and the band. And we KILLED it, quite frankly.

But we did have to pull a runner . . .

So coming off that stage, in front of some 40,000 people, the band was pretty stoked. But we had to get in a van and rush headlong back down to Heathrow Airport, some 140 miles away, to catch a flight to Prague.

That's all fine and dandy, but we were running late, and now it was looking like we wouldn't make our flight . . . that means not playing our gig in Prague the next day . . . and that would have killed this tour on a financial level. So there we were . . . stressing BIG-time, and telling the driver to please go over the speed limit--without seeming like assholes--proved to be a challenge.

So we make it to Heathrow and RUN with all of our guitars and whatnot . . . we have 45 minutes until this flight takes off. Will they accept our baggage this late? Can we even make this flight? Do I smell as bad as I think I do? Ah, the highs from that Donington gig are starting to wear off.

We make it through security, and then to our gate. Ahhh, we are all good. Stressed a bit, for sure, but all good.

We get on the plane and they shut the doors, and then the pilot gets on the PA system and announces that we will be sitting here for an hour . . . with no power on. The heat on the plane is oppressive, and I start to get claustrophobic (a plight that has plagued me for years). To add to this, there is a Japanese soccer team in the back of the plane, and they are all hacking their lungs out. My pores are open, and my immune system is run-down. Fuck.

The highs from the Donington gig, just a few short hours earlier, are officially gone. And this, my friends, is basically how it goes on a rock tour.

The next day in Prague, we played a gig with the Misfits. For a punk-rock dude like me, that was pretty all right. But I DID get sick from those dudes on our plane. REALLY sick. Nothin' you can do but forge on. The day after that, we played the Nova Rock festival in Vienna, Austria, with Danzig this time. Again, pretty fucking cool for me.

The virus I got from that soccer team finally passed through.

This week, we are playing a string of gigs with my new most-favorite band, DOWN. Phil Anselmo turned me on to a Swedish band called GHOST, who wear masks and hide their real identities--AND blindfold their interviewers when they take them to do a interview. Cool. I dig that kind of stuff. The majesty and hilarity of rock is still alive and well in Sweden, I guess.

My wife comes out to join me in a couple of days. I will definitely have to take a bath and clean some of my clothes . . . and curb my language. Actually, she is a pretty damn good "road dog" herself. She may even spit and try to grab my butt . . . just like the guys in my band do! Well, hopefully, anyhow?

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/06/tour_diaries_the_highs_the_low.php

[zihuatenajo]

Really enoyed that one    a friend of mine is a big Misfits fan and he said there's only one original member left and he apparently sings loud fast and horribly..in my friends opinion atleast. pretty sweet all the same 

[D]

Everything he said about Prince is the 100 percent truth. absolutely changed my life also

Prince is a one of a kind artist. not only one of the 5 greatest frontmen of all time but probably one of the 50 greatest guitarist also... that is a rare feat indeed.

[lynn1961]

Last Call on the Tour That Shouldn't End
By Duff McKagan
Thu., June 23, 2011 at 6:27 AM

Some of you know that I am currently on tour in Europe with my band Loaded. A lot of the gigs we are doing are at those magical European festivals with names ranging from the self-explanatory (Sweden Rock) to the Germanic (Rock im Ring and Rock am Park) to the inexplicably information-age-ish (Download) to the odd. France's Hellfest is a better name than its former moniker, FurryFest, but still conjures up the idea that it's filled with Satan-worshipping bands. And I don't think Iggy and the Stooges, The Cult, Mr. Big, or Kyuss are anything close to death metal . . . nor do any of those bands wear corpse-paint.
So, as this will be my last post from the field on this tour, I thought that it may be fun to let you all in on some of my personal highs from the last four weeks:

Ghost:  I know that last week I wrote maybe one sentence about these guys, and their whole mask-wearing shtick.

Later last week, I was backstage with Down's Phil Anselmo, and asked him if he'd gotten a load of Ghost's whole deal (no one knows who the actual band is, as they hide their identities, and blindfold their interviewers, etc.). Phil looked at me, kind of like an excited kid would after hitting his first Little League homerun. "Do I KNOW who Ghost IS?!! Dude. They are my new favorite band! Listen to THIS!" He proceeded to play Ghost's new record for me and Mike Squires. Mike bought it on iTunes immediately, and I followed suit.

Ghost is not what you would expect, I guess. Well, I've never actually given a "satanic" band a chance in the past. But if you like indie rock, Blue Oyster Cult, early-'70s rock 'n' roll, and a good pop song . . . check these guys out. Really great songwriting. Killer players. Great analog recording. All of that, with a bit of the ol' Lucifer thrown in.

Down: Best live rock band of the month. Anselmo means it. The band sounds ridiculous. Black Flag mixed with the best of stoner rock equals greatness (read: Down). Yes. Greatness. I don't need to say much else.

Lifehouse: You may ask how it is that I can put Lifehouse in here right after Ghost and Down. I must say, this band was never really ever on my radar before I saw them play two shows over one weekend a couple of weeks ago.

These guys write really good pop songs, and execute them with ease, flair, and even some balls. These guys have some roots in our own Port Orchard, too. I'd go see them again for sure.

Judas Priest: Yes! Loaded has had the chance to play a few shows with the almighty Rob Halford and co. And, even though guitarist K.K. Downing inexplicably bailed out right before this farewell tour, there IS still Glenn Tipton at stage left, shredding it up pretty damn good. Rob Halford has, hands down, the best and strongest pure hard-rock voice ever. Ridiculous.

Family Guy: Yep. I hadn't seen the show until last week. Our drummer, Isaac Carpenter, has been on me for like a year to watch this show. I've never been into adult cartoons and thought I was somehow above these types of shows.

Finally, on the tour bus last week . . . I relented. Isaac has a few seasons of Family Guy on the hard drive of his computer. The first one he played for me was the episode when the Dad (Peter) gets injected with the "gay gene." Holy fuck. The funniest and most twisted show on TV, or maybe ANYWHERE! I, for one, am now completely hooked.

French Loaded Fans: Who knew that people even knew who we were here? In my whole career, I have never had the pleasure of playing four straight shows in France. From Lille to Paris, and Strasbourg to Clisson . . . just great and excited fans of the rock.

Hanging out and touring with Mike Squires, Jeff Rouse, and Isaac Carpenter (aka Loaded): This has been one of those tours that, while I miss my family at home, I just don't want to end.

These guys are the fucking best dudes EVER. We travel light, and tour hard--often having to react and move and perform, with little to no information and less sleep. It is a perfect scenario to garner hot heads and snappy-ness. We have none of that.

It is rare to be in a band where there is no inner-band gossip. Loaded is that rare band (unless of course, they are gossiping about me, and I just don't know it!).

On this trip,  it has been an honor and a pleasure to travel and fight the good fight with these gentlemen.

My wife Susan meeting me in Paris, sans kids: Fancy time. Yes, that IS what I mean.

Bonjour. Ahoy. Good day. Guten Tag. Etc.



http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2 ? o.php#more

[FunkyMonkey]

Our Night With Britney Spears: I Stayed in My Seat, But My Girls Made It Onstage

By Duff McKagan Thu., Jun. 30 2011

​So, um . . . yeah. I, your trusty scriber of all things mostly rock, am going to try my best here to give you all a blow-by-blow account of my experience Wednesday night at Britney Spears' Tacoma Dome concert. Yep.

Some of you may remember me writing here about my night at the Justin Bieber concert. If you do, then you will also know that I am the father of two girls, now aged 10 and 13. I encourage music and arts with my daughters, so when they want to see a concert (any concert!), I will take them. I have learned to leave my preconceptions sitting next to my dog Buckley--squarely at home.

OK, enough of me explaining my attendance.

​With me just getting back from playing a whole slew of shows in Europe, going to a concert on my third night back probably was not on the top of my list of priorities. Especially a concert in Tacoma.

Driving ANYWHERE with teen and preteen girls involves--in my case--a large dose of finding the right music on the right station at the right time. When I am facing a drive that involves some time or distance, a parent in my position must sort of steel themselves and become almost numb. If you were to actually think in advance how many times you will be asked to turn up or down the music, or to "switch back to that OTHER station!", you go a bit numb with caustic pre-coil to the long drive. We listened to Ray J, Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, Britney. Not exactly deep and soulful. But the girls were wrapped up in THEIR moment, and last night WAS their night, after all.

From the get-go upon arrival, people-watching is the component that slaps one upon the broadside of the head at a Britney Spears show. The first person I saw was a rather larger and manly-man, dressed as the schoolgirl version of Britney. He was not exactly sexy in my view, but the bloke probably felt so sexy deep down inside. Alrighty then. That's all cool with me.

We all know of the crap the Britney Spears has gone through in her life, especially over the last seven or eight years. Drug use, a mental downward spiral, a child custody dispute in a very public forum, etc. One of the first people I saw and talked to at the gig was Britney's dad, Jamie Spears, a nice and very hospitable gentleman from Louisiana. You could visibly see the relief in his face and demeanor at the recovery in life that his daughter has seemingly been having as of late. I can respect what he must have had to deal with.

On to the show. It was a spectacle of Cirque du Soleil proportion. Britney seemed relaxed and happy, and just as or more important, my own girls were just absolutely losing their sh#t. The production was amazing. The show was G or PG-rated. The hits were unstoppable. My girls even randomly were chosen and invited onstage to dance at one point. My wife Susan took them to the spot side stage when it went down, and I stayed in our seats. The next thing I witness was ALL of the McKagan girls onstage dancing . . . even MRS. McKagan! The usher near me just looked at me and chuckled in a "you-poor-bastard" type of fashion.

But my girls had the time of their lives, and so did all 20,000 of the other people in attendance.

As we left, I saw the same dude in drag leaving the show in the parking lot. He seemed a bit disheveled and used, like a hooker after a long night's work. Britney has been through a bunch of crap that may have left her--all these years later--looking a bit haggard and disinterested too. But she was on top of her game. I was happy for her. If nothing else, as a dad of girls myself.

P.S.: I would like to send out a hearty congratulations to 'AxlReznor' and 'Katy (just me)' who write in often to this column.I have known then as a couple for the last few years, but I just learned tonight that they actually met years ago through a Velvet Revolver fan-forum on our website.

They will be getting married this weekend in their hometown in England. Other attendees will have traveled from the U.S. to be able to be there. These people have met too on either Loaded or VR websites. It is nice to know that social media brings with it love and friendship.

AxlReznor and Katy had BETTER make me the Godfather of their child--if they so choose to go that route. I'm just sayin'....!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/06/our_night_with_britney_spears.php

[FunkyMonkey]

The Sound(s) of My Summer: From Glasvegas and the Saints to Prince and Band of Skulls

By Duff McKagan Thu., Jul. 7 2011

​It has come to my attention that whilst I have been away, Seattle Weekly has been having "guest writers" chime in with what is on their iPod's "Top 10" list. Thought this was clever and interesting.

As I sat down to write this column, I have been ruminating on all of my great experiences here in Seattle this past week. Britney Spears, A Perfect Circle, a Mariners game, a comedy show at the Paramount, riding Harleys with my good friend, and spending time with my family. Good stuff. Summertime is indeed here!

With that being said, and getting back to the "playlist" idea, I will illuminate my most recently purchased digital music for you to perhaps help fill your summer-music criteria. Write back with yours. Let's have a party!

Glasvegas, "Geraldine" (self-titled): A great early Clash-esque band from Glasgow, Scotland. I HIGHLY suggest getting this whole record (titled simply GLASVEGAS).
Tokyo Police Club, "Favorite Food" (Champ): A haunting yet somehow jangly song that is definitely a theme to someone . . . somehow. It reminds me of the Saints from the late '70s into the '80s.

The Saints, "I'm Stranded" (I'm Stranded): Before the Sex Pistols made the genre popular worldwide, there was a little punk-rock band from Brisbane, Australia, writing the songs that would influence so many.

The Saints, "Blues on My Mind:" Chris Bailey is a genius. Listen to this song and let it overtake you.

Kanye West, "Runaway" (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy): You just can't count out old Kanye. He seems to be getting better and darker, with his tongue planting more solidly in his cheek (I hope?).

Twilight Singers, "Waves" (Dynamite Steps): Greg Dulli has come back again with another stroke of his songwriting brilliance. This whole record is a journey worth taking from beginning to end.

Florence and the Machine, "Howl" (Lungs): The first time I heard this song I was in some hipster retail shop a few months back. I thought it was some Kate Bush song that I had somehow missed back around the Lionheart era. Nope. I thus discovered Florence & the Machines.

Ghost, "Ritual" (Opus Eponymous): Give this record a chance for sure. If you like good '70s analog rock and roll . . . lend these dark spirit-loving lads from Sweden a moment of your time. They will be playing El Corazon in September, and other North American . . . uh . . . haunts.

Prince, "Laydown!" (20Ten): This "hidden" track from Prince's latest record made me go back and revisit "For You" and "Dirty Mind." For whatever reason, I hear the young man experimenting again. Live? Well, of course there is NO ONE better.

Band of Skulls, "I Know What I Am" (Baby Darling Doll Face Honey): A perfect addition to anyone's summer song list. It's never too late to be the coolest kid on your block, cranking out some Band of Skulls.

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/07/the_sounds_of_my_summer_from_g.php

[FunkyMonkey]

Singers Get Off Scott-Free, Bassists Get the Slammer

By Duff McKagan Thu., Jul. 14 2011

This past week seems to be a "Hell Week" of sorts, in the world of rock bass players.

Coheed and Cambria's Michael Todd got arrested on charges of armed robbery and drug possession when he held up a Walgreen's pharmacy while on the road supporting Soundgarden on the East Coast.

Four things here: maybe don't (1) take a cab back to the gig after (2) yell "Give me your Oxy, I have a bomb!" (3) You could've probably scored the drugs at the rock show. Duh! (4) Maybe time to get sober, pal.

You're going to have the time now that you be doing some time in the federal slammer.

Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri got a visit from LAPD's SWAT team on Monday night. Apparently, it is illegal to have a loaded assault rifle while telling your girlfriend she can't leave the house.

Singers and guitar players seem to get off Scott-free (pun intended) on these types of things. I fear that bass players and drummers may fare a bit worse. They are "out of the spotlight" types, and perfect targets to be made examples of.

These things usually come in threes, so Geddy Lee and Sting and Mike Inez--lay a bit low this week, and stay very, very far from the crack!

Note: I'll be answering a couple reader questions in this space tomorrow and on Monday. Stay tuned!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/07/singers_get_off_scott-free_bas.php#more

[LunsJail]

^^^^What's he talking about? Scott got arrested all the time.

[AxlReznor]

^^^^What's he talking about? Scott got arrested all the time.

Yeah, he's way off this week.

[westcoast_junkie]

c'mon Axl Reznor. Nothing to whine about, just cause' u think this weeks article wasn't the best he put out there...

Pretty sick of Oliveri. Powertrip....

Best regards (and congrats for the wedding!!!)....

Tor

[AxlReznor]

c'mon Axl Reznor. Nothing to whine about, just cause' u think this weeks article wasn't the best he put out there...

Pretty sick of Oliveri. Powertrip....

Best regards (and congrats for the wedding!!!)....

Tor

Not whining... just think that whole "we have it so hard compared to singers" thing sounded stupid. Saying so is apparently some kind of cardinal sin on there, though.

Maybe Oliveri is a big Phil Spector fan...

Oh, and thanks.

[metallex78]

^^^^What's he talking about? Scott got arrested all the time.

Yeah, but Scott seemed to get off pretty lightly for what he was convicted off every time...

[Trist805]

Nick Oliveri is like the next Sid Vicious...the man is a total badass.   

The Coheed & Cambria bassist thing was a lot like that movie Airheads lol  (Vince Neil only did 90 days...and he KILLED someone...keeping with the singer theme.) 

Anyway, I hope they both get-off.   Michael Todd is probably a first time offender...and he didn't even have an actual weapon.

[m_rated96]

c'mon Axl Reznor. Nothing to whine about, just cause' u think this weeks article wasn't the best he put out there...

Pretty sick of Oliveri. Powertrip....

Best regards (and congrats for the wedding!!!)....

Tor

Not whining... just think that whole "we have it so hard compared to singers" thing sounded stupid. Saying so is apparently some kind of cardinal sin on there, though.

Maybe Oliveri is a big Phil Spector fan...

Oh, and thanks.

lol! And yea I guess I agree with you AxlReznor although I think/hope the point Duff is making is that bass players ONLY get attention when they are doing something retarded... otherwise you'd never hear about them.

Suddenly Michael Todd is a CELEBRTIY acting CRAZY making headlines- last week he was 'just the bass player' in an obscure prog emo band. This is probably his first headline. And also, its easier to paint Todd as a weirdo when he does something like this, as he is out of the spotlight - a story about Weiland going crazy over drugs is expected even, not suprising.

Although to be fair, duff, I don't think weiland has done stuff this retarded -  threatened his girlfriend with a loaded gun, or held up a pharmacy with a bomb threat.

This is probably his first headline...

[lynn1961]

I thought the column was a little off, too.   

"Although to be fair, duff, I don't think weiland has done stuff this retarded -  threatened his girlfriend with a loaded gun, or held up a pharmacy with a bomb threat."  - so true!  I didn't get the reference to Weiland, either. 

[FunkyMonkey]

Because the Bookstore Has Taken Up the Strip Club/Bar Space In My Life ...

Thu., Jul. 21 2011

​I had the pleasure last night of going up to Elliott Bay Books, one of Seattle's best independent book stores. Bookstores to me these days are like what my experience was in the past of going to a bar or maybe even a strip club . . . I'm like a kid in a candy store when facing shelves and shelves of books. The only poles at these places hold up bookshelves, and the only "crack" here is the small sound a book makes when it is opened up.
I do pretty much all of my reading on my Kindle, but I buy the physical books, too. That is, I buy the e-book for my device doo-hicky, and the hard cover for my bookshelf at home.

Kindle isn't always the best way to find new books. It's cool for sure, in the way that if you hear about some new book, you can instantly download it to your device. But a bookstore is the ultimate way to immerse yourself into what is new. You can browse, and you can ask around, something you just can't do in the cocoon of e-commerce.

Here is what I found:

Corey Taylor, Seven Deadly Sins: I've known Corey (of Slipknot fame) on a personal level for the last few years, and have come to know that he is one of the smartest dudes out there. When he told me about his journey into authordom, I had no doubt that whatever topic he chose to write about would be deep and heavy.

I just picked this book up last night and gave it a cursory browse. It looks fascinating. It's a funny yet poignant look at Corey's own dip into drugs and vice and asinine behavior in his youth, while also studying the age-old question of whether certain personal traits are learned or bred into a person.

Corey Taylor is one of those people that just seems impossibly good at whatever he chooses to pursue, and I have no doubt that this tome will reflect this fact.

I can't wait to see what Corey's version of "Sloth" is! I shall report back to you all.

Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian (hardcover): Either you love Cormac McCarthy's prose, or you can't get through two pages of it. There seems to be no middle ground. His writing is too real and brutal for any half-measures. I am a huge believer myself, and anytime I see a McCarthy title that I don't have in hardcover, I will pounce upon it. Elliott Bay Books is the type of store where you can find these types of hard-to-find titles.

Steven Kasher, Max's Kansas City: Art, Glamour, Rock and Roll: This is one of those coffee-table books that a guy with my influences just has to have. It wasn't my birthday, but purchasing a book like this does feel celebratory.

I never got to go to this club in New York before it closed down, but if you are a fan of The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, Bruce Springsteen, or Patti Smith, well then you undoubtedly know of the lore of this hollowed ground.

Michael Hodgins, Reluctant Warrior: There are newer titles coming out about our U.S. soldiers' experiences in Vietnam. Just when I thought I had read everything there was to know about this conflict in Southeast Asia, boom, there comes another great account. Michael Hodgins writes with ease about his time as a Marine at the end of the war.

There is nothing at all wrong with a Barnes & Noble or Borders store. In many of the sprawling outskirts of our larger cities, these stores may be the only convenient means to browse what is available book-wise.

But the little indies like Third Place Books in Seattle, Powell's in Portland, Fingerprints and Book Soup in Los Angeles, or Warwick's in San Diego and Strand's in Manhattan instantly take me to a warm and inviting place where I feel welcome.

As with all of the other times that I have written "suggested reading" columns, please feel free to criticize my picks, and suggest some recent reads of your own.

We nerds must unite!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2011/07/because_the_bookstore_has_take.php