HAIR AND SPANDEX , OR "NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME: THE UNCENSORED HISTORY OF THE '80S HARD ROCK EXPLOSION"

Man, did I hate most of this stuff growing up. 

Glossy, overproduced cotton candy music littering the sonic landscape with dumb songs comparing sex to engines or baked goods that I could not get away from. And those cheesy ballads - Ugh! Limp, transparent "Hey, I'm really a sensitive guy" ploys.

Some of this hatred was simple teenage tribalism - I was heavily into punk at the time, and the bands I liked were screaming about Reagan and the cops and politics that I sometimes barely understood, but at least they stood for something, you know? Even the pop-punk that made up a good portion of my listening was more self-deprecating than posturing. And as a skateboarder with straight edge leanings, the constant emphasis on partying and good times seemed to give credence to the theory that adults and big corporations wanted this sort of safe rebellion, rather than a clearheaded, questioning group of teens. 

My stances have mellowed a bit over the years, and I'll always devour an oral history, especially if it promises to be filled with debauchery, and "Nothin' but a Good Time" certainly delivers, although maybe not as much as promised.

In retrospect, these guys didn't look too much different from the Cure

If you've read "The Dirt" or some of the other overviews of hard rock/heavy metal, a lot of these stories seem familiar. Much more interesting were the chapters on flyer wars, costume designers (where a high point was a costumer designer matching outfits for David Lee Roth and his stage monkey), or the pressure to write ballads. 

It's also interesting that rock was considered dead to the major record labels in the early '80s - the big money was seen in new wave, making it hard for the first wave of rockers to get contracts. I'm always a sucker for underdog stories, and it's fascinating to read how so many of these bands struggled for years before getting recognition.

Speaking of which, to me the heroes were Stryper and Poison - Stryper because they actually were sincere about their religion, something I thought was just a cynical marketing ploy back in the day ("Hey, all these bands sing about the devil, if we say we believe in God, we'll rake it in!") and Poison, a band I hated, for recognizing that they might not have been the most musically talented band, but they could make it through determination and enthusiasm.

For the most part, even the sleaziest rockers come off sympathetically (which might just be the passage of time), and it's a fun read The movement officially ends with Nirvana and Beavis and Butthead, but revival tours and cruises keep the music alive. While I haven't changed my opinion on glam metal, it's worth spending some time with "Nothin' But a Good Time," even if you'll pay the price by having a rotating array of hair metal stuck in your head.

Sex/Drugs/Bad Behavior
8/10 All the booze, drugs, and poor decision making you'd expect from a bunch of 20-somethings with lots of money and management teams willing to clean up after them. 

You Might Remember Me From, or, My Totally Biased View of the Author's Best Stuff:
Those first Motley Crue records are a great blend of glam, hard rock, and punk and have probably aged better than 80 percent of the other stuff in here. The early stuff from Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot still sounds OK, but I don't need to actually listen to them, ya know? Are we lumping Van Halen in there? A life without those first Van Halen albums is a life without sunshine. I'm beginning to come around on Guns n Roses, even if Axl Rose's vocals still grate on my nerves. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Percentage of Music in the Bio
More than you'd think. While there's a strong emphasis on sex and drugs, early chapters on Eddie Van Halen and the dude from W.A.S.P. constantly practicing, remind you that for all the partying, there was actual musical talent in there.  

Buy, Borrow from the Library, or Pass
Borrow from the library. Even if you're a huge fan, you probably don't need to pay full price.