Book Review: Twisted Business: Lessons From My Life in Rock ‘n’ Roll By Jay Jay French and Steve Farber

By: Jesse Striewski

Part memoir, part motivational material, Lessons From My Life in Rock ‘n’ Roll dives deep into the life of Twisted Sister guitarist (and one time Rewind It Magazine interviewee) Jay Jay French and what ultimately lead him to rock stardom, falling into obscurity, then rising to the top again.

From start to finish, it’s a fascinating look at a life that once started ordinarily enough, and it’s easy to relate to his years as a rebellious teenager in New York, taking and dealing drugs, and causing unrest for teachers and authority figures alike.

And his path to rock warrior status was far from the easy route that most would expect; French (with the help of Farber) details how it was a long, hard fought road, filled with numerous ups and downs along the way. But he shares his learned experiences and wisdom with readers in hopes of just maybe enlightening some of them a little.

Although I might not see eye-to-eye with him on every issue (at least not as far as politics are concerned), French is someone I do have great respect for. His book goes to show, that although you may think you know the performer you see on stage every night, there’s sometimes far more to them than simply what meets the eye.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Book Review: Nothin’ But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the ’80s Hard Rock Explosion By Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock (St. Martins Press)

By: Jesse Striewski

With renewed interest in the decade of decadence continually growing each year, there’s no shortage of various media information on ’80s hard rock (a.k.a. ‘hair’ or ‘glam’ rock) and heavy metal out there these days. But this new book by rock journalists Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock (with a brief forward by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor) is truly the new bible on ’80s hard rock and heavy metal.

Largely tracing it’s roots back to the influence Van Halen had on the movement in the mid to late ’70s, here the two authors put together a collection of interviews that includes numerous musicians, producers, promoters, magazine editors, and the like, to help tell the tale of arguably one of rock’s greatest eras. Various key members of such staple acts as Motley Crue, Ratt, Guns N’ Roses, Quiet Riot, Dokken, L.A. Guns, W.A.S.P., Poison, Cinderella, and Warrant, – as well as numerous Rewind It Magazine interviewees from over the years – including Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister, Jack Russell of Great White, Brian Forsthye of Kix, and Rachel Bolan of Skid Row (among many others), are just some who help recall the foundation of the genre that changed it all in great detail.

The perspective is unique and fresh, despite some of the stories already found in other published works (many of those involved have previously published their own individual biographies). There’s even a brief but brilliant collection of many never-before-seen photos included as well. In short, Nothin’ But a Good Time is a rollercoaster ride of literature from start to finish, and one of the best of it’s kind currently available on the subject. It simply ‘don’t get better than this.’

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Interview with Twisted Sister Guitarist Jay Jay French By Jesse Striewski

Jay Jay French

There’s no doubt a lot has drastically changed in the music world since Jay Jay French last took the stage with Twisted Sister – a band with whom he helped shape the foundation for going as far back as the early ’70s – in 2016. Last week, I was briefly able to pick at Jay Jay’s brain and ask him some poignant questions about not only his days with Twisted Sister, but also his take on these unpredictable times we’re all living through right now.

With the Coronavirus currently looming at the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, one of the first things I wanted to know was his thoughts on whether or not the music world will ever get back to the way it was beforehand, to which he simply says; “One thing’s for certain, things always change. But there were never any “good old days,” ever. There were just different ways to screw the artist.”

Since his final tour with Twisted Sister, Jay Jay has kept somewhat of a low profile. I asked what his relationship with his former bandmates was like today, and if he ever kept in touch with any of the band’s numerous early members, to which he said; “Well, there is no ‘former’ Twisted Sister! Twisted Sister is still a working corporation that just happens to not tour anymore. We are a family of friends and business partners with almost a 50-year history, and we have licensing deals that I still need to review weekly. The only former member I’m still in contact with is (original Twisted Sister bassist) Kenny Neil. Many members have since sadly died.”

I also wanted to know how it felt when playing certain songs live, specifically the band’s most well-known power balled, “The Price.” To my surprise, I received one of the most honest replies any interviewee has likely ever given me; “Any heavily working musician, especially one in a band that plays the same set night after night, will tell you that the music can go by and you don’t even think about what you’re playing. It’s that automatic. Ask a baseball player if they remember a game. What does happen sometimes is that events occur that stand out…

…Playing “The Price” at the reunion show for the 9/11 NY Steel is one of those times. Playing it the first time in 2015 after the death of our drummer, AJ Pero (with Mike Portnoy as his replacement) in Las Vegas, as well as every show we played the summer after he died. That song brought me to tears almost every single night. That is when the message sends chills down my spine. Actually, the fifth anniversary of AJ’s death was March 20th, and just thinking about that song right now sets off those emotions again.”

He continues; “The Price is about the sacrifices one makes to follow one’s dreams. It is one of Dee (Snider’s) best, and he wrote it after a phone call with my sister-in-law while we were in England recording our second album. She asked him what it was like being away from his wife and son for three months, and I believe Dee’s response was, ‘It’s the price you have to pay’.”

On a less serious note, I had to ask what it was like being the only band who can say they appeared in the 1985 Tim Burton film, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. He informs me, “When things begin, like when you first see your album for sale in a record store, or you hear your song on the radio, or you see yourself in a movie, it’s a big thrill. After awhile, all of that fades away. It was fun at the time, but I got a big kick (not to mention paycheck!) out of Facebook using “I Wanna Rock” in a Super Bowl ad. That adds to our enormous amount of music licenses, making us the most musically-licensed metal band in history. The fact our music remains internationally popular 35 years after the release of (Twisted Sister album) Stay Hungry, is the most gratifying thrill of all. Dee has written some timeless classics!”

Jay Jay says he even donated a decent amount of his personal guitars after the band’s last tour, and that his days performing on the stage are indeed numbered; “I gave away all the guitars I had on that tour. I still have about 60 guitars in storage, and I’ll pick up the guitar at least five minutes everyday just to make sure my fingers are still working. But after the last tour I didn’t touch one for almost a year. I have absolutely no desire to perform ever again. Every time I go to a show now I think to myself, ‘Thank God I don’t have to stand on that stage!’ Could that change? Anything is possible, but for now, I will just play a song or two for a benefit if asked.”