Under A Rock (Chris Stein)

Chris Stein
Under A Rock

An extremely interesting book about Chris' life and of course the start, rise, demise (somewhat) and rise again of Blondie. But it's so much more than this. His was (is) a fascinating life from a Brooklyn childhood and then moving into Manhattan before it was desirable, cleaned up and gentrified. I hadn't realised that he and Blondie were so in touch and integrated into the pre / proto punk scene, indeed into the late 60s scene, and his stories of that period are entertaining and fascinating. He hung out with all the bands and movers and shakers (New York Dolls, Iggy, Ramones, Andy Warhol etc. etc.)  Of course there are the "usual" tales of oddballs and criminals amongst the trendy (although not at the time) struggling artists and musicians. I had read Debbie Harry's "Fact It" memoirs of the period but that was a few years ago. This memoir has loads of little incidents and people passed mentioned which gives it a really great flavour of what it was like to live in NYC at that time. He gets into heroin and then coke in a big way and the trials of looking for junk, and trying to get off, are as enlightening as Burroughs. An excellent read whether you are into Blondie, punk or not.