DUDE, YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME, OR "THE STORYTELLER" BY DAVE GROHL

Dave Grohl is a hard guy to dislike. The dude's so earnest and enthusiastic about music that it's totally understandable why he's in just about every music documentary ever made. His memoir "The Storyteller" is much the same - bringing puppy dog enthusiasm to his life story and musical influences and friends. Just don't expect too deep a dive.

Grohl writes descriptively about his early childhood days which will feel familiar to most Gen Xers - (being outside all day, getting into whatever you could, sometimes dangerously so) but he always felt a bit different from his friends.

This would make him a prime candidate for punk. 

His cousin Tracy introduces him to the genre during a family visit to Chicago, completely astounding little Grohl. "The music and violent dancing released an energy within me that had been pent up for years, like an exorcism of all my childhood traumas." Seeing the homemade-looking albums and 7"s reveals to Grohl that there was a whole world of kids making art - maybe not always the greatest technically or musically, but music that was raw and cathartic, music that was alive. 

"The most important element of rock and roll had been revealed to me in Naked Raygun's performance: the raw and imperfect sound of human beings purging their innermost voice for all to hear."

After drumming on pillows for years, Grohl was a beast when finally behind a real kit - sort of like this kung fu movie I saw where a little girl was forced to wear iron shoes so that when she took them off she could fly. Grohl lies about his age to join  D.C. punk legends Scream, drops out of high school to tour, leading him to Nirvana and then the Foo Fighters, where he meets all his musical idols, and becomes a devoted father. 

Cartoon Grohl

I get that "The Storyteller" is written for a general audience, one that might not be as interested as me in that final Scream tour, or the shows Grohl went to in D.C., or just how awesome Naked Raygun were. But there do seem to be major parts missing. Grohl mentions an ex-wife we were never introduced to. The Nirvana days feel wrapped up in a couple chapters, making me wonder what else was left out. However, the book is more a collection of memories than a straight autobiography, and combined with Grohl's conversational style reminds you of a friend telling you his best stories.

And Grohl makes his stories come alive, especially the early days - touring Europe with Scream, eating the 3 for 99 cents corn dog special during Nirvana's early days, then getting a $400 advance and going nuts with it - as well as getting his first credit card while in Nirvana and nearly blowing it all at Benihana. 

Naturally, the post-Nirvana stories have a different tone, since he's thrown into a completely different world after playing in bands where "anything over twelve people was stadium rock to me." Now he's meeting and becoming friends with his musical idols - hanging out with Paul McCartney and Lemmy, playing with Tom Petty, performing to two U.S. Presidents -  dude gets around, and gets along with just about everyone. Grohl never comes across as bragging - more like a guy who knows how lucky he is. While his celebrity encounters and friendships are engaging, my favorite part is Grohl asking a realtor to see properties of at least 400 acres, before admitting he had no idea how big an acre was.

Grohl's enthusiasm and optimism shine through "Storyteller," and he comes across as a genuine nice guy (he has photos of postcards sent to his mom throughout his tours). While you might not get a ton of deep insight, you'll get some good stories and it's an overall entertaining book.

Sex/Drugs/Bad Behavior
4/10. Lots of teenage weed, some alcohol, but Grohl never lets on to much more than that. Other than caffeine, dude seems pretty restrained. Sure, he's gonna indulge, but nothing that seems like a problem.

Could We Hang?
Totally. He'd be the suburban dad you're prepared to tolerate for the evening, then you spend the rest of the night talking about Naked Raygun and Void and the Cro-Mags to the boredom and annoyance of everyone else.

You Might Remember Me From, or, My Totally Biased View of the Author's Best Stuff:
If you're a member of Generation X, you know Nirvana. I played and heard "Nevermind" so much that it'll probably take another decade or so to hear it with fresh ears. You know what Nirvana song I really like, though? "Sliver" - that song about falling asleep at the babysitters. Foo Fighters are one of those bands where I really love a couple songs, and I'm pretty happy just staying where I am with them. 

Percentage of Music in the Bio
Let's say 60 percent. Not much technique, but lots of stories about the power of music. 
"I cannot overstate the importance of these moments to me. I walk through this crazy life of a musician like a little boy in a museum, surrounded by the exhibits I've spent a lifetime studying. And when I finally come face-to-face with someone who has inspired me along the way, I am thankful. I am greatful. And I take none of it for granted. I am a firm believer in the shared humanity of music, something that I find more rewarding than any other aspect of what I do. When the the one-dimensional image becomes a  living, breathing human being, it fills your soul with reassurance that even our most cherished heroes are flesh and bone. I believe that people are inspired by people. That is why I feel the need to connect with my fans when they approach me. I'm a fan too." . 

Buy, Borrow from the Library, or Pass
The Storyteller is available on audio. I could actually see that working better than the book - more like a friend telling you stories. Total borrow, pick up if it's cheap.