Rock Stars by David Grant -- Book Review

It was a time when E.T. phoned home, Knight Rider made David Hasselhoff a star, Tylenol cured more than headaches, and young girls still had pens pals and collected stickers in albums.

John Lennon and Anwar Sadat were assassinated, and attempts were made on the lives of President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, and England's Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. IBM launched the first PC, Nintendo revived the video game market, and the Yugo came to America.

Many things defined the 80's, but perhaps nothing did that more than the music. MTV launched in 1981 with, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. The rest, shall we say, is history.

In Rock Stars: The rise, fall, and rise of 80's glam frontmen into pop culture by David Grant, the reader gets to travel back in time to when heavy metal, hard rock, and hair bands ruled the airwaves and MTV. Big-lipped Steven Tyler of Aerosmith belted out tunes into his scarf laden microphone stand, Bon Jovi wiggled his tight jean clad rump for his female fans, and Ratt was singing "Round and Round" while Motley Crue was dishing up "Dr. Feelgood" and "Same Ole Situation".

With Rock Stars, Grant provides a tongue-in-cheek look at the careers and music that defined the 80's. From Van Halen's David Lee Roth to Klaus Meine of the Scorpions, from Alice Cooper to Ozzy Osbourne, and from Skid Row's Sebastian Bach to the conflicted Axl Rose of Guns N Roses, this book is an engaging and bold journey into the frontmen who rose to fame in the 80's; many of whom are still loving and living the music man life.

Having read some of Grant's work in the past, I can say he stays true to his style with Rock Stars, but that this book is some of his best work. I couldn't put it down once I picked it up, and I will definitely be reading it again.

I personally want to thank David Grant for allowing me to relive this part of my childhood. As a teen who watched Twisted Sister's Dee Snider on MTV, is a member of the KISS Army, and still sings along to Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly" when it pops up on satellite radio, Rock Stars was one great walk on the wild side.


Title: Rock Stars
Author: David Grant
Publisher: Lulu
ISBN-10: 0557182409
ISBN-13: 978-0557182404
SRP: $13.00