Book Review: You Never Know: A Memoir By Tom Selleck with Ellis Henican (HarperCollins)

By: Jesse Striewski

It’s interesting going from a rock bio like Alex Van Halen’s, the last book I had reviewed prior to Tom Selleck’s recent memoir You Never Know, to essentially the polar opposite with the much more reserved actor Selleck’s life story.

I knew much of the Magnum P.I. actor’s work before diving into his book, but never put much thought into just how his (or many other actors for that matter) career had begun. From juggling time in the army reserves, a love of playing baseball, and more or less stumbling upon attending an entry-level acting program via a major film studio, there’s no shortage of intrigue or grace for the extremely fascinating and respectable journey he has taken and put into print here.

As a child of the ’80s, I’ll confess I always wanted to be one of the “good guys” I saw on TV and in film, and in full disclosure, in my adult life I may or may not have at one point actually worked as a licensed Private Investigator (well, an intern at least) thanks in part to Selleck’s previously mentioned-role as one. Surely that kind of influence on people has got to stand for something.

But I digress; there’s a good amount of actor’s around from my childhood today that I don’t necessarily maintain much respect for after all of these years. Selleck definitely does not fit in this category; read You Never Know and you’re sure to find out why for yourself.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Book Review: Brothers By Alex Van Halen (HarperCollins)

By: Jesse Striewski

The moment I heard that legendary Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen would be releasing his memoir Brothers, chronicling both his life and that of his late brother/bandmate and legendary guitarist Edward Van Halen, I knew I’d be one of the first in line to read it.

From their early years as Dutch immigrants learning music through their father and musician Jan Van Halen, to ultimately achieving the American dream and rising to total rock stardom and carving out a lasting legacy their own, it gets harder and harder to put the book down with each new page.

The insight offered on the band’s formative years and first several tours with the classic lineup is nothing short of fascinating, and paint a vivid picture of what it was like to be there at that time. It is however disappointing that the story seems to end coinciding with the departure of original vocalist David Lee Roth from the band in the mid-’80s, leaving so much left to still be desired, particularly the Sammy Hagar and even Gary Cherone eras of the band.

On a personal note, I must admit there is some envy on my part in terms of the life Alex Van Halen was able to lead with his late brother, and not simply because of the obvious fame and fortunes they acquired in their lifetimes. Despite the one and only time I saw the band live back in 2008 being with one of my own siblings, I’ve never been able to truly say I know what it’s like to have that close relationship any of them (a notion I’ve always longed for, though don’t believe will ever come to fruition at this point). For that alone, the Van Halen’s were fortunate in every way.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Book Review: My Effin’ Life By Geddy Lee (Harper Collins)

By: Jesse Striewski

I can vividly recall the first time I ever really heard Rush and listened to the basslines of frontman Geddy Lee – not to mention Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris – not long after having just picked up the bass guitar myself, and knew I really needed to step up my game (it should come as no surprise to anyone that I did not ever reach the same skill level or heights on the instrument as the two mentioned bassists). Still, my interest was more than just a tad piqued to learn more about one of my personal bass heroes via his new biography, My Effin’ Life.

Granted, the title may not be the most eloquent (I personally like and respect the fact that Lee uses the term “eff” in place of the F-word itself, something I’ve been known to do myself from time to time in place of stooping to vulgarities), but his story of awkward small town Jewish kid rising to eventual rock God status is nothing short of phenomenal.

Perhaps the most unique and surprising moment found in My Effin’ Life though is the third chapter, which is solely dedicated to his parents’ story of actually meeting while in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. It’s both a heartbreaking, yet triumphant and encouraging story of bravery that touches anyone connected in anyway to that dark period of history (my grandfather, Herman, along with his three brothers – one of which was killed in action in Serrig and buried in Luxembourg, Germany – all proudly served in the U.S. Army and Air Force during World War II, so the subject tends to hit home on a personal level for me as well).

But I digress, Lee’s journey is one that resonates in a multitude of ways, and it’s more than just a little relieving to hear that him and former Rush bandmate Alex Lifeson are still close to this day. The stories involving late drummer Neil Peart and the tragedies he experienced (many of which I was not aware of prior) are nothing short of amazing themselves. The casual fan may only find a limited amount of interest within the pages of My Effin’ Life, but the die hard should no doubt find it more than a tad difficult to even put down at all.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Book Review: Into the Void – From Birth to Black Sabbath and Beyond By Geezer Butler (Harper Collins)

By: Jesse Striewski

When Ozzy Osbourne released his autobiography back in 2010, I of course was all over it at the time. But I’m honestly more prone to the “just the facts” type of memoir rather than those set up mainly for shock factors, and that’s exactly what fans are given here by Osbourne’s once band mate and original Black Sabbath bassist, Geezer Butler.

After a brief rundown of his early life and how he got from point A to point B, Butler goes through each period of his time in the band from album to album, describing each process in great detail (my personal favorite was his breakdown of what he described as the band’s “Sabbath Tap” period during the lesser-remembered Born Again era of the early ’80s).

There’s no overt need to be crude or crass found here, though Butler still maintains a sense of open honesty that still shines through. As a bass player myself who once honed their skills based around many of Butler’s riffs, and as just a metal and rock fan in general, this is truly the type of memoir I always have, and always will seek out for myself.

Rating: 5/5 Stars