LIFE ON PLANET ROCK: From Guns N' Roses to Nirvana, a Backstage Journey through Rock's Most Debauched Decade
Lonn Friend is a well-know music journalist who was the head of RIP
magazine, considered the most important mag for metal and hard rock,
from its inception in the mid-80s until its demise in the 90s. This
book takes a behind-the-scenes look at the friendships he’s formed with
some of the biggest bands in the genre (Guns N’ Roses, Metallica,
Aerosmith, Bon Jovi), alongside some nervous encounters with a few of
his idols (Roger Daltrey, Peter Gabriel). Each chapter focuses on one
band as he moves his way up the ranks from Hustler magazine to RIP, to
record label hell, to internet radio. His experience in the various
facets of the music industry is astounding and it has put him in the
position of the ultimate fly-on-the-wall of the debauchery of bands
like GnR and Metallica.
One of the best chapters recounts his stint as the A&R
guy for Arista Records’ rock department. The label had been successful
pumping out disposable pop artists, but their rock side was severely
lacking. It is interesting to see Lonn go from an idealistic fan to a
bitter insider as his ideas and bands get rejected for not having the
right sound for radio or MTV. It’s common knowledge that the music
industry, especially the major labels, only look for what can bring in
the most money the fastest, and that organically developing a band over
the course of a few albums is considered a losing formula. His business
relationship with Clive Davis starts out friendly enough with the
signing of The Bogmen, but as their album fails to push serious units,
Lonn’s power at the label diminishes. The only other band that he
becomes passionate about in his time at Arista, Eels, gets rejected
right away for being “too alternative”. This leads him to quit.
Aside from some corny puns, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read whether
you’re a diehard fan of the bands covered, or even just a casual fan of
hard rock. He even touches on some encounters with modern bands such as
Linkin Park and P.O.D. in the last chapter, albeit briefly. For someone
who doesn’t read, I highly recommend this.
