Finished Tu 8/19/14
This is a book that I suggested that the library buy, and I was amazed that they went ahead and borrowed it from a sister library. I want to find out from Anne if this is the policy. When you suggest a book, they will see if they can get it. I was floored!
This was probably the best Rock Star bio that I've ever read. He is an amazing individual, and it really clears up his image of 'an angry man'.
The first third of the book is a detailed explanation of his early life (born, 10/16/60) in the farm town of Malone, upstate New York. His high school years, and his admission to Macalester College in Minneapolis. where he met the two other guys that would become Husker Du. It all really happened quite by accident.
Grant comes off as a kind of 'hippy-dippy', and he probably was (is), and Greg Norton is kind of a non -entity. When the band folded, at least Grant formed Nova Mob which is a worthy outfit. But Greg completely reinvented himself as a chef. I don't think he was all that musical in the beginning, but he only was a record clerk with 'artistic' taste in music (Sun Ra, 60's experimental jazz).
By the time the band that he forms with Anton Fier is formed, Husker Du becomes a footnote, and I think this is how Mould sees it. And, he really makes the case.
'Copper Blue' by Sugar is probably where he would like to see as his greatest early achievement.
The last third of the book delves into his 'gay nature', and it's very revealing. None of what he says fits into any literary framework, and his choices and attitudes about who he is and what he did are truly heartfelt and clearly his own.
I ordered BEASTER and PINK FLAG (by the English punk rock band, 'Wire') after finishing the book.
The section where he relates his eight months writing for World Championship Wrestling is crazy. It's not that wrestling was 'fake', it's just that it is all completely scripted. You might as well call Shakespeare 'fake' because it never really happened.
The fact that he was involved in Wrestling after such a stellar career in music was completely unexpected, and I wouldn't have been more surprised if he had decided to become a dental technician or even a long distance truck driver.
He's another rock musician who implies that he has a superior IQ (Warren Zevon). And, he might even be smarter than Warren. Certainly he was more successful at keeping his life and 'the books' in order. And, Kris Kristofferson is a Rhodes Scholar.
I don't think I will ever be able to see someone wearing a 'Bears'(football) tee shirt and not think about his experience with 'Bears'.
The book is a tremendous expose about his experience in the Music Biz and also works as a brilliant bio of a gay man. And, his sexual identity is laboriously crafted by him, and he absolutely refuses to be nothing but true to himself.... as it most definitely should be....
I was surprised that there was absolutely no mention of David Bowie because I would have thought this artist would have had some kind of a connection with him, and the absence of any kind of a rapport is kind of odd.
Link to the book on Amazon-
http://www.amazon.com/See-Little-Light-Trail-Melody/dp/B009WHP5PW
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