Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (An Evergreen book)

Terribly perfect.

I loved this book when I was 17 or 18. LOVED it. Read it 3 or 4 times in a row. I read again at 25, and all of a sudden I'm an old man with lifestyle changes and it's far too graphic for me. Still, the four stars stand. It's a hugely interesting read.

A wild roller coaster oral history of the roots of punk through Andy Warhol's Factory with the Velvet Underground to Ann Arbor, Michigan with likes such as The Stooges. As well as The New York Dolls and Television. It also recollects the American punk scene in NYC. Following the likes as Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, The Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers, The Ramones, The Dictators, The Voidoids...more

A wild roller coaster oral history of the roots of punk through Andy Warhol's Factory with the Velvet Underground to Ann Arbor, Michigan with likes such as The Stooges. As well as The New York Dolls and Television. It also recollects the American punk scene in NYC. Following the likes as Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, The Dead Boys, The Heartbreakers, The Ramones, The Dictators, The Voidoids and more artists. Many of musicians cover the time, stories and the scene. As well as followers of the scene, girlfriends, groupies, managers and etc.. You also get a history of the fanzines and writers who covered the scene. All in all it's covers sex, drugs and loud rock n roll. Iggy Pop and The Stooges stories are the most entertaining and interesting in my opinion. I'm surprised Iggy is still alive haha.   hide

How often do you get a first person look at a slice of history told so honestly? Allowing a particular experience told by more than one person that sometimes contradict, sometimes agree gives a more honest picture and credit for the movement is appropriately placed. A great read.

Want to know the history of punk music? Here it is.

Really great so far! An awesome peek into the lives of the people involved in the early punk scene in the U.S.. My only complaint so far is that it's hard to keep up with who everyone is since there are so many contributors!

This is a pretty amazing oral history about the first and second waves of the punk movement. It is all taken from interviews from one of the writers of Punk Magazine. You get first hand accounts of the self-destructive lifestyles led by the purveyors of the most powerful and influential movement in rock and roll history. There's plenty of nihilism, sleaze, violence, drugs, irony, passion,...more

This is a pretty amazing oral history about the first and second waves of the punk movement. It is all taken from interviews from one of the writers of Punk Magazine. You get first hand accounts of the self-destructive lifestyles led by the purveyors of the most powerful and influential movement in rock and roll history. There's plenty of nihilism, sleaze, violence, drugs, irony, passion, ecstasy, and even a few moments of humanity. These original punks were not only defiant, delinquent and dangerous; they were also fiercely creative, original, raw, visceral, and unafraid of being themselves. Legs McNeil also does an incredible job of editing the narratives and weaving them together so that they make one long continuous conversation. We also get insight into how and why these bands burned-out long before their music did.   hide

pretty awesome... hilarious, and yes, sad

Great read for fans of the early American punk scene. Should be a bit jolting for those not there and quite reassuring for those that were...if there are any of them left...lots of death and tragedy...