The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music

Ok so he had a fascination wikth Keith Richards and sometimes tended to identify a bit too much with his heroes. However he was a most brilliant writer at the best rock weekly ever, the NME. This book is brilliant and could have been longer.

A large part of the seemingly eternal appeal of rock music is the seamy underbelly of the movement itself. Kent is a master at exploring this underbelly, mainly (it seems) because he lived it himself. The man briefly toured with the Sex Pistols, befriended some of the most disturbed musicians of the 1970's, acquired and beat some serious drug addictions, and never lost an inch of his literary edge. The articles, essays and interviews in "The Dark Stuff" are compelling, exciting, repulsive and entertaining all at once. Kent knows who to write about: he chooses the pioneers, the masters and the mysteries. Some of the best music journalism of our time.

wow. i'm only halfway through this mindblowing thing but i gotta write a review full of slobbering praise RIGHT NOW. i knew i was in good hands when i finished the first piece on brian wilson, which is by far the best portrait of GeniusAbuse that i've had the pleasure to wade through. then, like a brilliant album, the hits just keep on a-comin': jerry lee lewis (scary), rocky erickson (pathetic), syd barrett (sad), brian jones (sad AND pathetic -- nice job, mr. jones!). harrowing, essential "stuff".

very good,obviously some stories are more interesting than others.all around great reading for fans or non-fans.the sid+nancy story was my favorite,but this shows just how pathetic they really were.author comes across as likeable,which is unusual in the rock biz.