Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor is a 1998 autobiography by American songwriter, record producer and musician Al Kooper.[1] The book is a revised version of Kooper's earlier 1977 book Backstage Passes: Rock 'n' Roll Life In The Sixties. The 1998 edition was initially published by Billboard Books,[2] but went out of print until 2008, when it was re-published by the Hal Leonard Corporation with updates to the text.[3][4]
 | |
| Author | Al Kooper |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Publisher | Billboard Books (1998), Hal Leonard Corporation (2008) |
Publication date | 1998, February 1, 2008 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, ebook |
| Pages | 328 pages (2008 edition) |
| ISBN | 0879309229 (2008) |
Synopsis
editIn the book Kooper talks about his interactions with the music industry, including information about artists such as Bob Dylan. Kooper also discusses his days as a successful songwriter who co-authored the hit "This Diamond Ring"; his membership in The Blues Project; his forming and leaving the band Blood, Sweat, and Tears; his collaborations and friendship with blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield; and, his discovery and early production of Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Reception
editCritical reception to Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards was positive,[5][6] with the Headpress Guide to the Counter Culture commenting that it was "a genuinely funny read".[7] The book also garnered a positive review from The Morton Report, who commented that it was a "great book" and that "almost every paragraph is designed to make you laugh in a laconic and self-deprecating manner".[8]
References
edit- ^ "Musician AL KOOPER (Interview)". NPR. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ "HOW CLAPTON ALMOST LOST A HAND". New York Post. November 24, 1998. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ "Al Kooper: a lot like a Rolling Stone". LA Times. January 14, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ Berton, Justin (January 8, 2009). "'Backstage Passes': Rocker Kooper's memoir". SF Gate. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ Buhle, Paul (2007). Jews and American Popular Culture: Music, theater, popular art, and literature, Volume 2. Praeger Publishers. p. 145. ISBN 978-0275987954.
- ^ "A 'Backstage' trip with Al Kooper". The Star-Ledger (via NJ.com). Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ Drake, Temple (2004). Headpress Guide to the Counter Culture. Critical Vision. p. 129. ISBN 1900486350.
- ^ "Reading Al Kooper: Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards". Morton Report. Retrieved April 13, 2013.