List Price:$26.00 Buy New:$9.99 You Save: $16.01 (62%) Avg. Customer Rating:(based on 9 reviews) Sales Rank: 12018 Category: EBooks
Author:Danny Goldberg Publisher:Gotham Studio:Gotham Manufacturer:Gotham Label:Gotham Format: Kindle Book Language: English (Published) Media: Kindle Edition Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 320
Dewey Decimal Number: 781.660973 ASIN: B001ESN1QC
Publication Date: August 23, 2008 Release Date: September 18, 2008 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Editorial Reviews:
Product Description A giant of the music industry grants an all-access pass to the world of rock and roll, with mesmerizing stories of thirty-five years spent working with legends from Led Zeppelin, to Stevie Nicks, to Nirvana.Danny Goldberg has been a hugely influential figure in the world of rock and roll. He did PR for Led Zeppelin; he managed the career of Nirvana; he ran Atlantic Records, Mercury Records, and Warner Bros. Records; he launched Stevie Nicks's solo career. In Bumping into Geniuses, Goldberg shares his stories about performers who represent a broad and powerful portion of the psychic real estate of the rock and roll kingdom: Patti Smith, Warren Zevon, Bruce Springsteen, KISS, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, Hole, Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Earle, Led Zeppelin, and more.But there's more to this story than just Goldberg's varied career. It's also a look at the industry itself: a business that was neither the romantic vehicle for self-expression that its most naive fans imagined, nor the purely crass money machine depicted by its most cynical critics. It was complex and chaotic -- a mixture of art and commerce, idealism and selfishness -- and sometimes, rock's most gifted and influential musicians were able to transcend it all.For anyone interested in the rock and roll industry, or simply the mores and temperaments of the musicians themselves, Bumping into Geniuses is an incredible insider's tale that only Goldberg could tell.
lived it - loved it January 7, 2009 Having been a witness to the business of the record business, I too have bumped into geniuses. However, Danny (who I have also bumped into during my career at Columbia Records) relates his experiences as a publicist turned manager turned record exec. in a very readable and enjoyable context. It becomes obvious to the reader that Danny is both a professional and a music lover. Whether you were there or not, Mr. Goldberg takes you through his life experiences within the music business and gives you a feel for its heart and soul and the trials and tribulations that accompany an entrepreneur with a heart. I could only wish to write a book like his. You will like it as a fan of rock and roll music or as a fan who has been in the business.
Genius or good timing? December 29, 2008 I admit that I was initially only interested in this book due to the final section's retelling of Warren Zevon's last year. From a personal standpoint, Goldberg deserves credit for whatever his role was in getting "The Wind" on the shelves.
In a generally solid, if a little vanilla, writing style,the author chronicles his good fortune at arriving at various important intersections where rock and roll made a left turn. It's not always clear what the author's role was; did he direct the traffic, or was he mostly a passenger along the way. Like many people in the entertainment business, and the music business in particular, one tries to walk the line between being subservient to an artist and maintaining whatever personal integrity one can. In the end, the lure of fame (even more than the money)and friendships of convenience win out. Some of the stories are entertaining, and carefully avoid the hyperbole that inhabits many "insider" books. But, then, the author refers to "genius" without really adequately defining it, as if it can really be defined anyway.
That was my main trouble with the book. "Genius" is a devalued term, and it's actually a disservice to lead the reader in this direction. Maybe this was by design, but to me there never seemed to be a unified theme. Maybe Goldberg realizes, as do most of us, that a genius might just be someone who puts something over on us for a while. It does a grave disservice to Warren Zevon to only print 4 lines from his song "Genius", but perhaps it puts it all in perspective:
"Albert Einstein was a ladies' man While he was working on his universal plan He was making out like Charlie Sheen He was a genius"
Reading this book made me miss Warren's music all the more.
An uneven and ultimately disappointing "insider" tale December 6, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am a fan of learning the background and history of "classic" music and the artists that created them. The underbelly of the music industry often times combines all the elements that would be considered outlandish fiction, but with some insight into the creative process. With this in mind, I was interested in Danny Goldberg's reflections on his life in the music business.
Mr. Goldberg starts off with a quick run-through of his early life, and cataloging his musical tastes in the way most do to try to establish their bona fides with critics. Music is such a subjective thing that I tend to dismiss this tactic. But from there he documents his foray into the lower rungs of the music industry and his rise through various positions over the years. Therein lies my first criticism of this book.
Perhaps is was a fault of the writing itself, or perhaps it it trying to be humble (overly so), but I could never get a real handle on just how influential Mr. Goldberg was in these artists' careers. One almost gets the sense that he was "bumping into geniuses", but did so with no skills or abilities. With a few exceptions, he almost comes off as nothing more than a hanger-on, or - as a few reviewers have pointed out - an enabler of drug use and self-destruction (in the case of Nirvana).
My second criticism comes in Mr. Goldberg's narratives about his interactions with specific artists. He does fairly well in providing interesting details about Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon, and - to some extent - Nirvana and Bonnie Raitt. But largely the interactions feel hollow, and there is no sense that we learned anything new or unique. Again, it almost stokes the feeling of being baffled that he ever got this far.
These criticisms are unfortunate, because in radio interviews I heard during the publicity tour for this book, Mr. Goldberg seemed to have a lot of engaging and insightful stories to tell. They are actually what prompted me into purchasing "Bumping Into Geniuses". But in the end, I am disappointed that I took the time to read this, and felt that I would have been better served to skip it altogether. I would encourage readers to stay away; there have been better accounts of the music industry and musicians.
A brilliant take on the music business, from the inside out. November 19, 2008 Dan Goldberg's tome spanning over forty years of rock and roll manages to show the underbelly of the industry, while still coming off as someone who truly is a fan of the music he supports.
My husband liked it! October 30, 2008 1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I heard about this book on Elliot in the Morning and it sounded like something my husband might like for his birthday. He's a big music buff and gifts like this could be hit or miss. He really enjoyed reading it and has let other friends borrow it and read it too.
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