Alice in Chains was the first of grunges big four - ahead of Nirvana; Pearl Jam; and Soundgarden - to get a gold record and achieve national recognition. With the charismatic Layne Staley behind the microphone; they became one of the most influential and successful bands to come out of the Seattle music scene. But as the band got bigger; so did its problems.Acclaimed journalist David de Sola follows the members from their inauspicious beginnings at a warehouse under the Ballard Bridge through the history of the band; charting:- The local hair metal scene in Seattle during the 1980s.- How drugs nearly destroyed the band and claimed the lives of Staley and founding bassist Mike Starr.- Jerry Cantrells solo career and Mike Starrs life after being fired from the band.- The bands resurrection with William DuVall; the Atlanta singer/guitarist who stepped into Layne Staleys shoes. Based on a wealth of interviews with people with direct knowledge of the band and its history; many of whom are speaking on the record for the first time; Alice in Chains will stand as the definitive Alice in Chains biography for years to come.
#2036232 in eBooks 2014-06-23 2014-06-23File Name: B00S8W0JWG
Review
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful. BLONDIE IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHTBy Shazam!PARALLEL LIVES seems to have come out of nowhere. At first you think; "Uh-oh... another one-dimensional cookie-cutter story of Blondies rise to fame from a gritty NYC club..." Not so. NOT AT ALL. As a matter of fact; MAN; did I ever learn some amazing Blondie trivia I hadnt heard before! Some information seemed so personal; it was like you were sneaking in and reading someones diary or secret journal. There were times I felt guilty reading of arguments; inside management problems; etc. But it was when I read that Debbie Harry (who was adopted) was actually given the name "Angela Tremble" at birth; I felt like I absolutely wasnt supposed to know that. I felt incredibly sad for Debbie in that whole chapter because of her sense of loss and confusion and how she dealt with feeling displaced in the world. I didnt know what to do with that information. "Are we supposed to be reading such revealing; sensitive information?" I was afraid to read further. But as far as band trivia; you mean to tell me that original Blondie bass guitarist Gary Valentine actually played on Debbie Harrys single "Liar; Liar" ?? How did we not know that? And the photographs are refreshingly clear; sharp and colorful on their glossy pages... photos you have never seen before! Many are outtakes from photo sessions you recognize; but have never seen quite that way. And Debbie Harry doesnt hold back when she describes what really happened when Blondie broke up. She also isnt reserved when she delves into answering what really happened when Chris Stein was sick and she let the rest of the world go away for sanitys sake. But most of all; it is the raw; "inner sanctum" feel that you get when reading this book.... its like Debbie; Chris and the boys finally said; "The time has come that we need to tell the story like it really happened..." Although the authors are sometimes pulling from earlier references in order to create a more precise timeline; the current interviews kick all the stories we ever heard into OVERDRIVE. The fine details of every microscopic move Debbie Harry made in her career ("Feel the Spin" has paragraphs!) makes it hard to put this down. PARALLEL LIVES truly is a riveting book!3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. For Blondie fans--a great readBy CoasterFanNot perfect; but for hardcore Blondie fans this is a great find and an absorbing read--you probably know much of whats in the book if youve been following Blondie all these years; but there are things I hadnt heard before; and I enjoyed the read overall. Terrific pictures included; too. If you havent seen Blondie live in recent times; get out there and do so! Theyre in excellent form; Debbies having a ball; Clems still drumming like hes 30; Chris and the rest of the band are obviously enjoying themselves; too--audiences are up dancing; young and old; and its a blast of a live show and night out.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. For the serious Blondie fan: birth to Panic of GirlsBy Mark D. R. SternDeborah Harry and Chis Steins autobiography of the band "Making Tracks" was great; but stopped as the bands hiatus approached before The Hunter in 1982. It was the salad days by the bands lyricist and composer told in first person. Cathay Ches "Deborah Harry" (aka Platinum Blonde in the UK) was a great third person interview update through the reunion of 1999 and No Exit; published 2000. This is third person well researched biography from birth to the present Panic of Girls 2011.This is for the serious Blondie fan and for the person who wants to pass on early books that are now outdated.It has interview segments from the band members as well as some photographs. And; yes; it does cover Debbies solo efforts from 1981 to 2007. It is as up to date as you can get now as it went to press before the 2011 Panic of Girls album was released in the US.
