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Under a Rock: A Memoir
At its heart, Under A Rock is a love story. The codependent bond between Chris Stein and Debbie Harry carried Blondie through their many terribly misogynistic music scenes, greasy record execs, bitter band mates, gruelling schedules, and hard drug abuse abound, and Chris lays it all bare with blunt sincerity and humour. Ultimately, Chris and Debbie broke up, but their bond never dissipated; they remain closest of friends, and continue to tour and promote their various projects together to this day.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 5, 2024
My favorite era of music is 70's. I've never been what you'd call a Blondie fan, but did buy the single 45 disc of "Heart of Glass". I also read at least one biography about Blondie in recent years and knew that Deborah Harry was in a very long intimate relationship with fellow band member Chris Stein- so of course I was interested in reading his memoir. However, it wasn't quite what I expected. I was initially swept away by his wide swath of remembrances growing up in the fifties which gave me a warm feeling. However, he continued in a never-ending stream of consciousness with a lot of minutiae I couldn't care a flip about. It reminded me of another rock bio I read (and abandoned) last year for the same reason (Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me). This was a very self-indulgent and somehow remote plethora of memories that just didn't resonate with me and left me cold.
Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Thank you to the publisher St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
May 23, 2024
"I was getting worn out from cocaine use. Crawling around looking for drugs is annoying and stupid.
Everyone who knows music knows the name, Chris Stein. If you don't know the name then are you really listening to music? All I have to do is say one word and you'll know this guy. Blondie...
Chris Stein has led a fascinating life, growing up in New York and traveling the world to play music for sold-out crowds. Although he faced some challenges along the way, he persevered and achieved success.
It was an interesting read. However, his storytelling style became repetitive, often reiterating the same story and attempting to tell it differently. What was particularly frustrating was when he started to share an exciting story, only to instruct readers to look it up for the conclusion of the full story. This approach detracted from the book, as he could have included the complete stories and removed the repetition.
Under a Rock was a good read. Don't expect anything too juicy. My favorite story involves a Ramone throwing a guitar at McLaren. I wish I could have witnessed that.
Everyone who knows music knows the name, Chris Stein. If you don't know the name then are you really listening to music? All I have to do is say one word and you'll know this guy. Blondie...
Chris Stein has led a fascinating life, growing up in New York and traveling the world to play music for sold-out crowds. Although he faced some challenges along the way, he persevered and achieved success.
It was an interesting read. However, his storytelling style became repetitive, often reiterating the same story and attempting to tell it differently. What was particularly frustrating was when he started to share an exciting story, only to instruct readers to look it up for the conclusion of the full story. This approach detracted from the book, as he could have included the complete stories and removed the repetition.
Under a Rock was a good read. Don't expect anything too juicy. My favorite story involves a Ramone throwing a guitar at McLaren. I wish I could have witnessed that.
June 12, 2024
Chris Stein, the founding member and guitarist of Blondie, takes us on a wild ride through his life in his memoir,Under a Rock.Growing up in Brooklyn in the ‘50s with communist parents who held regular meetings at their home, Stein had anything but a typical childhood. He spent his days running around with friends, developing an early vision of the music world.
Stein’s musical journey began when he received an electric guitar for his twelfth birthday. Initially drawn to folk music, he soon got swept up in the hippie aesthetic of the time. A spontaneous road trip to California and a psychedelic experience landed him in a psychiatric institution, but his adventures didn’t stop there. After his release, Stein hopped on a bus to Woodstock, kicking off the next chapter of his extraordinary life.
I enjoyed the second half of the book where he first encounters Debbie Harry that eventually leads to a long-term relationship and the formation of the band Blondie in the ‘70s. Stein dives deep into the underground punk scene, sharing stories about legends like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, and even the Ramones. He talks about songs, records, drugs, touring, and the eventual success of their third studio album, “Parallel Lines.” This album was a cornerstone of my childhood and sparked my love for alternative music as a teen.
Stein is engaging and a fantastic storyteller, infusing humor into his narrative. However, I sometimes struggled to connect with parts of his story, maybe because of its stream of consciousness style. He frequently tells anecdotes and names people I’m not familiar with, which occasionally left me feeling a bit lost.
Overall, Under a Rock is a unique memoir that captivated me and would interest fans of the punk and new wave era, as well as those who love a good rock bio. I’m sure it’ll be widely popular. I especially enjoyed the foreward by Debbie Harry.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy for review.
Stein’s musical journey began when he received an electric guitar for his twelfth birthday. Initially drawn to folk music, he soon got swept up in the hippie aesthetic of the time. A spontaneous road trip to California and a psychedelic experience landed him in a psychiatric institution, but his adventures didn’t stop there. After his release, Stein hopped on a bus to Woodstock, kicking off the next chapter of his extraordinary life.
I enjoyed the second half of the book where he first encounters Debbie Harry that eventually leads to a long-term relationship and the formation of the band Blondie in the ‘70s. Stein dives deep into the underground punk scene, sharing stories about legends like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, and even the Ramones. He talks about songs, records, drugs, touring, and the eventual success of their third studio album, “Parallel Lines.” This album was a cornerstone of my childhood and sparked my love for alternative music as a teen.
Stein is engaging and a fantastic storyteller, infusing humor into his narrative. However, I sometimes struggled to connect with parts of his story, maybe because of its stream of consciousness style. He frequently tells anecdotes and names people I’m not familiar with, which occasionally left me feeling a bit lost.
Overall, Under a Rock is a unique memoir that captivated me and would interest fans of the punk and new wave era, as well as those who love a good rock bio. I’m sure it’ll be widely popular. I especially enjoyed the foreward by Debbie Harry.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy for review.
July 4, 2024
A very interesting and informative memoir!
A tell it like it was (good and bad) autobiography.
We read about the author's upbringing, the beginning of the band "Blondie", climbing to the heights of pop success, and the perils of fame and fortune.
A captivating read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
A tell it like it was (good and bad) autobiography.
We read about the author's upbringing, the beginning of the band "Blondie", climbing to the heights of pop success, and the perils of fame and fortune.
A captivating read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
December 9, 2023
Founded in 1974 by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry, Blondie was in many ways one of the bands that defined my growing up years as a disabled weirdo with a unique body, larger than life emotions, and a desire to express myself.
"Under a Rock" is Blondie co-founder Stein's memoir, a nothing-spared autobiography that takes us through Stein's early life, through his early creative years, the founding of the band, the band's ascension to the heights of punk/pop/new wave success, and the hazards of having experienced that success.
Stein, who in many ways, probably most ways, was the architect of Blondie's sound, is a natural storyteller with an almost jarring yet always sincere matter-of-factness and naturalness that leaves you occasionally thinking back about a story and being struck by its depth and poignancy and emotional resonance.
Until "Parallel Lines," the band's third album, Blondie was mostly an underground success. While Stein infuses "Under a Rock" with familiar names long before this point, it's about the time that Blondie catapulted to #1 and sold 20 million copies of "Parallel Lives" that we begin to realize the dizzying yet chaotic world in which Blondie lived. Song's like "Heart of Glass," "Rapture," and "One Way or Another" filled households and dance clubs like Studio 54 (NOTE: Personal favorite is "Call Me." ). Throughout all of this time, Stein and Harry with both lovers and best friends whose lives intersected in just about every way. While they would eventually part ways romantically, they remain closest of friends and collaborators to this day even as Stein continues to record with the band yet stopped touring in recent years due to health issues.
For those who grew up during this period, the names will be enchanting from Bowie to Basquiat, Warhol to Ramone. Stein tosses these names out during his storytelling, not in a way that feels like name-dropping but in a way that feels like genuine storytelling with a tone of awe and appreciation and bewilderment. It's the storytelling that truly makes "Under a Rock" such a joy to read, though there are also moments in this book that truly took my breath away as the costs of fame are often high and Stein's own current life, including recent family experiences, can't help but tug at the heartstrings.
A uniquely written tour-de-force, "Under a Rock" is no doubt a memoir that will leave its mark in 2024 and will prove to be mighty popular for anyone whose life found its rhythms in the punk/new wave/pop stylings of Blondie and bands just like them. Stein gives us the inside glimpse, all its glories and all its downfalls.
Refreshing in every way, "Under a Rock" features a foreword by Debbie Harry and commands our attention from beginning to end.
"Under a Rock" is Blondie co-founder Stein's memoir, a nothing-spared autobiography that takes us through Stein's early life, through his early creative years, the founding of the band, the band's ascension to the heights of punk/pop/new wave success, and the hazards of having experienced that success.
Stein, who in many ways, probably most ways, was the architect of Blondie's sound, is a natural storyteller with an almost jarring yet always sincere matter-of-factness and naturalness that leaves you occasionally thinking back about a story and being struck by its depth and poignancy and emotional resonance.
Until "Parallel Lines," the band's third album, Blondie was mostly an underground success. While Stein infuses "Under a Rock" with familiar names long before this point, it's about the time that Blondie catapulted to #1 and sold 20 million copies of "Parallel Lives" that we begin to realize the dizzying yet chaotic world in which Blondie lived. Song's like "Heart of Glass," "Rapture," and "One Way or Another" filled households and dance clubs like Studio 54 (NOTE: Personal favorite is "Call Me." ). Throughout all of this time, Stein and Harry with both lovers and best friends whose lives intersected in just about every way. While they would eventually part ways romantically, they remain closest of friends and collaborators to this day even as Stein continues to record with the band yet stopped touring in recent years due to health issues.
For those who grew up during this period, the names will be enchanting from Bowie to Basquiat, Warhol to Ramone. Stein tosses these names out during his storytelling, not in a way that feels like name-dropping but in a way that feels like genuine storytelling with a tone of awe and appreciation and bewilderment. It's the storytelling that truly makes "Under a Rock" such a joy to read, though there are also moments in this book that truly took my breath away as the costs of fame are often high and Stein's own current life, including recent family experiences, can't help but tug at the heartstrings.
A uniquely written tour-de-force, "Under a Rock" is no doubt a memoir that will leave its mark in 2024 and will prove to be mighty popular for anyone whose life found its rhythms in the punk/new wave/pop stylings of Blondie and bands just like them. Stein gives us the inside glimpse, all its glories and all its downfalls.
Refreshing in every way, "Under a Rock" features a foreword by Debbie Harry and commands our attention from beginning to end.
June 22, 2024
It's not really my place to judge someone's life choices so I won't really comment on that but I will say that this read like someone just writing down every single thing that comes to mind from their life. There are so many people who were mentioned that it is impossible to keep track of all of them. What I was looking for from this biography did not meet my expectations. 2.5 stars rounded down. *Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title*
May 17, 2024
Under A Rock: A Memoir
by: Chris Stein
2024
St.Martins
4.0
#NetGalley #UnderARock
Thanks to Net Galley for sending this e-book for review.
Most people know of Chris Stein as a member of Blondie, and Debbie Harry's boyfriend throughout most of their time in the band. This book shows us more, taking a deep dive into his childhood and years before Blondie. Growing up in the 1950's NYC, spending time in a mental hospital, attending Art School, touring with Blondie, TV appearances, movies, Chris has such a wild and tense, as well as fun and memorable life.
Chris shares stories of how the band decided on album covers, and the stories behind the songs. I really got into this book, and enjoyed reading and learning more about Chris' interests and hobbies beyond music, and learning so much about Blondie, too. He is very open, and engaging. Humorous and intelligent, these stories entertain and capture the spirit and essence of Chris Stein. Everyone will enjoy this.
by: Chris Stein
2024
St.Martins
4.0
#NetGalley #UnderARock
Thanks to Net Galley for sending this e-book for review.
Most people know of Chris Stein as a member of Blondie, and Debbie Harry's boyfriend throughout most of their time in the band. This book shows us more, taking a deep dive into his childhood and years before Blondie. Growing up in the 1950's NYC, spending time in a mental hospital, attending Art School, touring with Blondie, TV appearances, movies, Chris has such a wild and tense, as well as fun and memorable life.
Chris shares stories of how the band decided on album covers, and the stories behind the songs. I really got into this book, and enjoyed reading and learning more about Chris' interests and hobbies beyond music, and learning so much about Blondie, too. He is very open, and engaging. Humorous and intelligent, these stories entertain and capture the spirit and essence of Chris Stein. Everyone will enjoy this.
July 1, 2024
Blondie guitarist and group co-founder Chris Stein takes readers/listeners on a nostalgic and wild ride from his humble beginnings as the only child of Jewish parents in Brooklyn in the 1950s, to his rise to rock 'n' roll fame, to the quiet life he leads in the COVID era with his wife and two daughters (one of whom sadly passed away last year from an accidental overdose).
In most ways, this is your run-of-the-mill sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll memoir. Stein does a pretty good job of reflecting on the triumphs and trials that made him who he is today and the friends and enemies he made along the way. Be ready for lots of name dropping; it wouldn't be a memoir otherwise. Stein rambles and goes off topic frequently -- but I figure, this is his story and if it comes off a bit unpolished, that just makes it seem more genuine.
All in all, the audiobook was enjoyable and the narrator reading for Stein was well chosen.
I received an audio ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In most ways, this is your run-of-the-mill sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll memoir. Stein does a pretty good job of reflecting on the triumphs and trials that made him who he is today and the friends and enemies he made along the way. Be ready for lots of name dropping; it wouldn't be a memoir otherwise. Stein rambles and goes off topic frequently -- but I figure, this is his story and if it comes off a bit unpolished, that just makes it seem more genuine.
All in all, the audiobook was enjoyable and the narrator reading for Stein was well chosen.
I received an audio ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2023
I have been a fan since 1978 when I first heard Heart of Glass. Blondie remains my favorite band 45 years later. This book was incredible.! Thank you Chris Stein for allowing us a peek into your life and Blondie. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
June 9, 2024
I so wanted to like Chris Stein’s, the guitarist from Blondie, autobiography, Under a Rock. Unfortunately, from my perspective, it needed both editing down and fleshing out.
The author includes a lot of details about his childhood, 30% of the book, that didn’t add much to his story. When he finally gets down to his musical experiences, the details are lacking specifics. Mostly there are one liners about meeting a famous musician or pop culture icon with little more than a single adjective used to describe them. Seldom are the conversations they had together recorded either. The author himself seems to realize the issue about needing more details, when he explains in less than a paragraph that Debbie Harry and he just grew apart and she moved out. He concluded with “Maybe you want more details but there aren’t many.” Despite “many” implying some, no other details are mentioned and he just moves on to his methadone program’s experiences.
There is also some trash talking about our current political climate that might offend some right wing readers. I don’t think it belongs in an autobiography even though he may have a point to some extent.
Overall, Under a Rock was a disappointment that seemed both overlong and bereft of the details I hoped for. 3 stars.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
The author includes a lot of details about his childhood, 30% of the book, that didn’t add much to his story. When he finally gets down to his musical experiences, the details are lacking specifics. Mostly there are one liners about meeting a famous musician or pop culture icon with little more than a single adjective used to describe them. Seldom are the conversations they had together recorded either. The author himself seems to realize the issue about needing more details, when he explains in less than a paragraph that Debbie Harry and he just grew apart and she moved out. He concluded with “Maybe you want more details but there aren’t many.” Despite “many” implying some, no other details are mentioned and he just moves on to his methadone program’s experiences.
There is also some trash talking about our current political climate that might offend some right wing readers. I don’t think it belongs in an autobiography even though he may have a point to some extent.
Overall, Under a Rock was a disappointment that seemed both overlong and bereft of the details I hoped for. 3 stars.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.
May 19, 2024
St. Martin's Press provided an early galley for review.
At age 74, Stein has experienced a lot of life. As a Blondie fan from almost their start, I was interested to read his story and about the music. To get to that point, though, there was quite a bit of wading in miscellaneous details as we make our way through his rollercoaster life up to his early 20's. While interesting in spots, it might have been less of a slog if it had been delivered with a bit more energy and structure.
I also would have appreciated the detailed focus when it came to discussing the making of the albums and the tours during the band's peek periods. While we get some of that, it also seemed very quick and fleeting. The focus would shift to drugs or random people (some famous, some not) and cats. I found myself quick scanning at parts rather than reading, and I found I did not feel like I had missed anything.
Stein has written other books previously. Maybe one of those might have more of what I am looking for than what this one presented.
At age 74, Stein has experienced a lot of life. As a Blondie fan from almost their start, I was interested to read his story and about the music. To get to that point, though, there was quite a bit of wading in miscellaneous details as we make our way through his rollercoaster life up to his early 20's. While interesting in spots, it might have been less of a slog if it had been delivered with a bit more energy and structure.
I also would have appreciated the detailed focus when it came to discussing the making of the albums and the tours during the band's peek periods. While we get some of that, it also seemed very quick and fleeting. The focus would shift to drugs or random people (some famous, some not) and cats. I found myself quick scanning at parts rather than reading, and I found I did not feel like I had missed anything.
Stein has written other books previously. Maybe one of those might have more of what I am looking for than what this one presented.
July 4, 2024
As a child of the late 70’s and early 80’s who came of age in Manhattan, I eagerly anticipated Chris Stein’s memoir,Under a Rock.The fun and decadence that the (slightly) older generation had in NYC was legendary, and I wanted Chris Stein’s perspective and anecdotes concerning the seediness of the early 70’s. Not only was he a songwriter and guitarist inBlondie,but he was Debbie Harry’s other half, making male teens across the world terribly jealous. Additionally, Stein’s photography chronicles the punk and new wave era around CBGB’s better than virtually any other photographer. That Stein suffered from some sort of awful skin disease in the late 80’s that almost killed him, was a further reason to pick up the book. I vaguely remember stories of Debbie Harry taking care of him and that the couple broke up soon afterward, but by that timeBlondie,at least in its most famous incarnation, was history.
Early in the memoir, Stein is a Zelig-like character (he attended Woody Allen’s public school for a spell) who appears at various American events that have become cultural landmarks. He hitchhiked to San Francisco and took part in the summer of love. Later, after getting arrested, he returns to NYC and is present at anti-war protests. Photos of Stein and early incarnations of the band show disheveled hippies that were anathema to the new wave ethos ofBlondiethat they later came to represent. The fashion transformation ofBlondieinto new wave/punk darlings is startling and seems calculated.
Stein’s book is both forthright and brutally honest. As in most books that portray heroin addiction, the drug becomes more and more prominent as the book progresses, leaving the reader to shrug his shoulders in befuddlement as to why someone would muddle up his mind so thoroughly and become a slave to a substance. Stein, who had joined Mensa as a teen, is yet another bright precocious kid who falls victim to his own hubris, thinking he can control the drug. Of course, the heroin, and later, methadone, end up utterly controlling him. His anecdotes are less clever and involve scoring or—more maddening at least to author—not scoring. Stein begins to rely on hackneyed truisms to describe his folly, e.g. an addict trades all his daily problems for one big problem. Among the illusions shattered—at least for me—was that Debbie Harry nursed Chris Stein back to health; she procured heroin to bring bedside at Lenox Hill Hospital.
One problem with the many memoirs by rock stars is that the most interesting period in a life is when the artist is struggling and just beginning to make it. Many memoirs degenerate into extended bouts of name dropping about partying backstage with this or that celebrity [yawn]. Bob Dylan avoided this in hisChroniclesby concentrating almost exclusively on the East Village folk scene before he signed with Columbia records. Ray Davies avoids the trap by spending most ofX-Raydiscussing his teen years and the recording of “You Really Got Me.” Stein also largely avoids the pitfall by largely concentrating on his life before he attained fame (much of it in his apartment/hovel/squat pad on 1rst Ave and 1rst Street in the early 70’s). When Stein does name drop, it is completely appropriate since he and Debbie Harry were at the forefront of theavant-gardein the late 70’s, incorporating rap and disco into their act before most white acts; they also recorded videos pre-MTV and hung out with the likes of Warhol, Basquiat (who appears in the video of “Rapture” ), and William Burroughs. Those born and raised in Manhattan and/or Brooklyn will find the era and neighborhoods evoked worth the price of the book.
One maddening deficiency in the memoir is any close mention of musical collaboration within the band. There is no mention of the lyrical inspiration of “Sunday Girl” or the fabulous guitar riff of “One Way of Another,” perhaps because that was the brainchild of lead guitarist Frank Infante.Blondiewas unique of the early new wave punk acts in that the music was not primarily guitar-driven. Clem Burke is among the best and most flamboyant drummers of the 70’s. Jimmie Destri’s keyboards drive the melody of mostBlondiesongs. I rued the lack of insider information on so many songs because—in retrospect—many people couldn’t care less that “Heart of Glass” made it to number 1 or that “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture” cemented their reputation; I longed for a story about the genesis of “Dreaming.” The lacunae is all the more prominent because the 33 1/3 imprint onParallel Linesis one of the worst in the series; not a mention of “Sunday Girl” or “One Way or Another, but rapturous accolades for a disco song that took the nation by storm. In short, there is still aBlondiestory to tell.*
Back in the 70’s many teens built a record collection by reading Brad Marsh’sRolling Stone Record Guide.I paraphrase from memory on what was written aboutBlondiein that volume: “Blondie was everything the denizens of the Lower East Side could ask for, yet they were largely overlooked.” [Note: This was just asParallel Lineswas putting them on the cultural landscape]. Until picking up Chris Stein’s memoir, I never did truly realize how New York (or at least Tri-State area) the band was; and how seedy the members obviously were to anyone a couple of years older than a 14-year-old. Debbie Harry hailed from New Jersey, but was a true transplant for the 60’s Warhol Factory scene. Hoboken native, Clem Burke is an insanely talented drummer. The keyboardist, J. Destri, was a Brooklyn native who worked security in an Emergency Room (No college degrees in this band). The drug-fueled New Wave comboBlondiewas well ahead of its time and much greater than the sum of its parts.
--------------------------------------
*I have only decided to read Debbie Harry’sFace It,which appeared a couple of years back, after reading Stein’s memoir. Perhaps she addresses those songs?
Early in the memoir, Stein is a Zelig-like character (he attended Woody Allen’s public school for a spell) who appears at various American events that have become cultural landmarks. He hitchhiked to San Francisco and took part in the summer of love. Later, after getting arrested, he returns to NYC and is present at anti-war protests. Photos of Stein and early incarnations of the band show disheveled hippies that were anathema to the new wave ethos ofBlondiethat they later came to represent. The fashion transformation ofBlondieinto new wave/punk darlings is startling and seems calculated.
Stein’s book is both forthright and brutally honest. As in most books that portray heroin addiction, the drug becomes more and more prominent as the book progresses, leaving the reader to shrug his shoulders in befuddlement as to why someone would muddle up his mind so thoroughly and become a slave to a substance. Stein, who had joined Mensa as a teen, is yet another bright precocious kid who falls victim to his own hubris, thinking he can control the drug. Of course, the heroin, and later, methadone, end up utterly controlling him. His anecdotes are less clever and involve scoring or—more maddening at least to author—not scoring. Stein begins to rely on hackneyed truisms to describe his folly, e.g. an addict trades all his daily problems for one big problem. Among the illusions shattered—at least for me—was that Debbie Harry nursed Chris Stein back to health; she procured heroin to bring bedside at Lenox Hill Hospital.
One problem with the many memoirs by rock stars is that the most interesting period in a life is when the artist is struggling and just beginning to make it. Many memoirs degenerate into extended bouts of name dropping about partying backstage with this or that celebrity [yawn]. Bob Dylan avoided this in hisChroniclesby concentrating almost exclusively on the East Village folk scene before he signed with Columbia records. Ray Davies avoids the trap by spending most ofX-Raydiscussing his teen years and the recording of “You Really Got Me.” Stein also largely avoids the pitfall by largely concentrating on his life before he attained fame (much of it in his apartment/hovel/squat pad on 1rst Ave and 1rst Street in the early 70’s). When Stein does name drop, it is completely appropriate since he and Debbie Harry were at the forefront of theavant-gardein the late 70’s, incorporating rap and disco into their act before most white acts; they also recorded videos pre-MTV and hung out with the likes of Warhol, Basquiat (who appears in the video of “Rapture” ), and William Burroughs. Those born and raised in Manhattan and/or Brooklyn will find the era and neighborhoods evoked worth the price of the book.
One maddening deficiency in the memoir is any close mention of musical collaboration within the band. There is no mention of the lyrical inspiration of “Sunday Girl” or the fabulous guitar riff of “One Way of Another,” perhaps because that was the brainchild of lead guitarist Frank Infante.Blondiewas unique of the early new wave punk acts in that the music was not primarily guitar-driven. Clem Burke is among the best and most flamboyant drummers of the 70’s. Jimmie Destri’s keyboards drive the melody of mostBlondiesongs. I rued the lack of insider information on so many songs because—in retrospect—many people couldn’t care less that “Heart of Glass” made it to number 1 or that “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture” cemented their reputation; I longed for a story about the genesis of “Dreaming.” The lacunae is all the more prominent because the 33 1/3 imprint onParallel Linesis one of the worst in the series; not a mention of “Sunday Girl” or “One Way or Another, but rapturous accolades for a disco song that took the nation by storm. In short, there is still aBlondiestory to tell.*
Back in the 70’s many teens built a record collection by reading Brad Marsh’sRolling Stone Record Guide.I paraphrase from memory on what was written aboutBlondiein that volume: “Blondie was everything the denizens of the Lower East Side could ask for, yet they were largely overlooked.” [Note: This was just asParallel Lineswas putting them on the cultural landscape]. Until picking up Chris Stein’s memoir, I never did truly realize how New York (or at least Tri-State area) the band was; and how seedy the members obviously were to anyone a couple of years older than a 14-year-old. Debbie Harry hailed from New Jersey, but was a true transplant for the 60’s Warhol Factory scene. Hoboken native, Clem Burke is an insanely talented drummer. The keyboardist, J. Destri, was a Brooklyn native who worked security in an Emergency Room (No college degrees in this band). The drug-fueled New Wave comboBlondiewas well ahead of its time and much greater than the sum of its parts.
--------------------------------------
*I have only decided to read Debbie Harry’sFace It,which appeared a couple of years back, after reading Stein’s memoir. Perhaps she addresses those songs?
June 30, 2024
Did I love the book? No. Did I enjoy it? I did. Why the split decision? Because as I read Under a Rock: a Memoir by Chris Stein, I felt like I was reading a dictation of audio interviews with the interview prompts edited out and wasn't expecting that. But even though I wasn’t prepared for that when I first started reading, I got into it.
That was the only editing sometimes that I felt happened in this book. I think it’s a good representation of what Chris Stein wanted to share with us. He presents the story as he wanted. It’s fair. It’s his book right? So here my impression: read it that way. Listen to some of the interviews he has done throughout the years so that you can have his voice in your head as you go through the journey. I think you will get much more out if it that way.
I did and it really helped me to enjoy the book more. Seriously.
Chris Stein is a genius, Mensa level genius, which he writes about from his childhood. It was a wonderful nugget shared. I held that information close when I was reading. He has so much to share with us, fans and readers alike that it’s unfortunate that it was not reigned in a touch to make the book more linear at times. I don’t think we needed a lot of editing but a little bit would have helped with the focus.
So I had to go this place when I was reading. Also, because it was a galley edition I didn’t have the visuals that he shared in the print edition. Chris Stein is a photographer at heart and art. So maybe that was missed too. I do have a print edition coming and look forward to revisiting the book with that context too.
Read this book as one sided conversation sharing memories of a time from a respected elder. This is not a rambling of a crazy person, but ramblings of a person trying to capture everything and then leaving it to others to bring it to fruition in an understandable way at the end (which maybe doesn’t happen as clearly as we the reader would like). There is a sense of place but it’s chaotic truth.
It is so just matter of fact, the squalor of late 1960s to 1980s New York City, that it’s almost missed that his band “Blondie” was at the precipice of all music styles coming at that time. He founded a band that was so interested in all different genres, that while under the title of “punk” or “new wave” really the sheer variety of content that they recorded, often gets missed. Again, I go back to genius level human here.
There is a lot of drug content in the book, and due to it’s matter-of-factness may be triggering, but it’s not played up or down here. It’s just “there”. But that is his truth.
It also goes to show that adage… “Be kind. We never know what people are going through. Give grace and mercy because one day your circumstance could change and you may need it.”… ― Germany Kent.
As a lover of Blondie, I had no idea. Nor should I have until now.
Because of that at Chapter 9, I put the book down and picked up another. The break was needed.
Then at the first half of Chapter 10 I was rewarded by the most beautiful writing of the book.
I have read some other reviews where they comment that this is a cautionary tale of rock and roll stardom. I must disagree because really Blondie where never “stars”. They as a band were well regarded and niched into new wave and punk, but they were so very much more than that. They were never the “stars” that they could have been, should have been. Many of the recollections were of excess and then the downfalls which without fanfare are so important to remember.
This is a fable of great love of friends, a time where anything was possible and addictions of all types. The perspective is worth taking in and reading. Yes, this is about his on-going relationship between Debbie Harry (that I think fans of Blondie want to read about) but truthfully so much more. I really do appreciate that more than I thought I could when I finished it.
“Under a Rock” is a valuable memoir presented with his singular voice. Chris Stein makes a valuable note of what he feels truth of what the book is about too, in what is a very touching and heart wrenching epilogue.
That was the only editing sometimes that I felt happened in this book. I think it’s a good representation of what Chris Stein wanted to share with us. He presents the story as he wanted. It’s fair. It’s his book right? So here my impression: read it that way. Listen to some of the interviews he has done throughout the years so that you can have his voice in your head as you go through the journey. I think you will get much more out if it that way.
I did and it really helped me to enjoy the book more. Seriously.
Chris Stein is a genius, Mensa level genius, which he writes about from his childhood. It was a wonderful nugget shared. I held that information close when I was reading. He has so much to share with us, fans and readers alike that it’s unfortunate that it was not reigned in a touch to make the book more linear at times. I don’t think we needed a lot of editing but a little bit would have helped with the focus.
So I had to go this place when I was reading. Also, because it was a galley edition I didn’t have the visuals that he shared in the print edition. Chris Stein is a photographer at heart and art. So maybe that was missed too. I do have a print edition coming and look forward to revisiting the book with that context too.
Read this book as one sided conversation sharing memories of a time from a respected elder. This is not a rambling of a crazy person, but ramblings of a person trying to capture everything and then leaving it to others to bring it to fruition in an understandable way at the end (which maybe doesn’t happen as clearly as we the reader would like). There is a sense of place but it’s chaotic truth.
It is so just matter of fact, the squalor of late 1960s to 1980s New York City, that it’s almost missed that his band “Blondie” was at the precipice of all music styles coming at that time. He founded a band that was so interested in all different genres, that while under the title of “punk” or “new wave” really the sheer variety of content that they recorded, often gets missed. Again, I go back to genius level human here.
There is a lot of drug content in the book, and due to it’s matter-of-factness may be triggering, but it’s not played up or down here. It’s just “there”. But that is his truth.
It also goes to show that adage… “Be kind. We never know what people are going through. Give grace and mercy because one day your circumstance could change and you may need it.”… ― Germany Kent.
As a lover of Blondie, I had no idea. Nor should I have until now.
Because of that at Chapter 9, I put the book down and picked up another. The break was needed.
Then at the first half of Chapter 10 I was rewarded by the most beautiful writing of the book.
I have read some other reviews where they comment that this is a cautionary tale of rock and roll stardom. I must disagree because really Blondie where never “stars”. They as a band were well regarded and niched into new wave and punk, but they were so very much more than that. They were never the “stars” that they could have been, should have been. Many of the recollections were of excess and then the downfalls which without fanfare are so important to remember.
This is a fable of great love of friends, a time where anything was possible and addictions of all types. The perspective is worth taking in and reading. Yes, this is about his on-going relationship between Debbie Harry (that I think fans of Blondie want to read about) but truthfully so much more. I really do appreciate that more than I thought I could when I finished it.
“Under a Rock” is a valuable memoir presented with his singular voice. Chris Stein makes a valuable note of what he feels truth of what the book is about too, in what is a very touching and heart wrenching epilogue.
December 16, 2023
Chris Stein, a founding member of the late '70s new wave band Blondie, reveals a large part of the his life as well as providing insight into the early history of the band in his autobiography Under a Rock. The book opens the reader's mind not only to Stein's personal experiences but also into a period of time in American pop culture that influenced the direction of music, fashion, and the art world. In many ways, also, a time that influenced the medical treatment of people addicted to narcotics, a veritably new field for medical professionals then.
There are moments in Stein's book where the reader is so engaged in the narration that it is like actually being there. His descriptions about growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn with his parents, who then relocated to Midwood in Brooklyn, is relatable to readers who underwent growing pains through their youth. His challenges, with both his parents and school mates, expose a human side to him. His perceptive nature and poignant observations about the people around him personalize his story. Really giving the reader insight into the person Chris Stein is and became.
His telling of his experiences while living as a hippie in the communal collectives and drug dens that riddled San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood during the period of 1966 to 1968 is both creepy and revealing. Stein, at times, will ramble about the people he encounters inside the art world during his time, living and roaming through the Manhattan neighborhoods of Cooper Union, Greenwich Village, Soho, and the Lower East Side during the late '60s and early '70s. Oftentimes losing or overwhelming the reader with the various threads of information he presents to the audience.
He shares with the reader several artists who shaped the direction of music, fashion, poetry/the written word, and art during this renaissance period of pop culture. Such notables in his narration include Vali Myers, Andy Warhol, Stephen Sprouse, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Robert Fripp, and the Ramones, to name a few. Many times, Stein presumes the reader knows who he is talking about, when he mentions people that were popular while his fame was rising. It is a different time, and some readers will need to look up these figures on their own because Stein does not explain what made these figures popular.
It is not until half way into the book that reader's discover how Stein met Debbie Harry, and they formed the world acclaimed, popular art rock/punk pop/new wave outfit Blondie. He shares his experiences with the band he founded with Harry, explaining them in a gritty form that shows the time was both stressful and fun. He imparts his wisdom about how he learned to identify con artists, and what is the criteria that helped him to make smart choices for himself.
Under a Rock is a whirlwind read that will open the reader's eyes to a world so unlike the one in present day. But also shows links that readers will discern connect modern day to the heyday of Blondie. Stein's autobiography allows him to step into the spotlight, permitting audiences to connect to him and not just be known as the guitarist in Blondie. He shows he is more than simply the guitarist, part-time bass player and co-writer of songs in the iconic Blondie. His story is very revealing and oftentimes very engaging on a human level.
There are moments in Stein's book where the reader is so engaged in the narration that it is like actually being there. His descriptions about growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn with his parents, who then relocated to Midwood in Brooklyn, is relatable to readers who underwent growing pains through their youth. His challenges, with both his parents and school mates, expose a human side to him. His perceptive nature and poignant observations about the people around him personalize his story. Really giving the reader insight into the person Chris Stein is and became.
His telling of his experiences while living as a hippie in the communal collectives and drug dens that riddled San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood during the period of 1966 to 1968 is both creepy and revealing. Stein, at times, will ramble about the people he encounters inside the art world during his time, living and roaming through the Manhattan neighborhoods of Cooper Union, Greenwich Village, Soho, and the Lower East Side during the late '60s and early '70s. Oftentimes losing or overwhelming the reader with the various threads of information he presents to the audience.
He shares with the reader several artists who shaped the direction of music, fashion, poetry/the written word, and art during this renaissance period of pop culture. Such notables in his narration include Vali Myers, Andy Warhol, Stephen Sprouse, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Robert Fripp, and the Ramones, to name a few. Many times, Stein presumes the reader knows who he is talking about, when he mentions people that were popular while his fame was rising. It is a different time, and some readers will need to look up these figures on their own because Stein does not explain what made these figures popular.
It is not until half way into the book that reader's discover how Stein met Debbie Harry, and they formed the world acclaimed, popular art rock/punk pop/new wave outfit Blondie. He shares his experiences with the band he founded with Harry, explaining them in a gritty form that shows the time was both stressful and fun. He imparts his wisdom about how he learned to identify con artists, and what is the criteria that helped him to make smart choices for himself.
Under a Rock is a whirlwind read that will open the reader's eyes to a world so unlike the one in present day. But also shows links that readers will discern connect modern day to the heyday of Blondie. Stein's autobiography allows him to step into the spotlight, permitting audiences to connect to him and not just be known as the guitarist in Blondie. He shows he is more than simply the guitarist, part-time bass player and co-writer of songs in the iconic Blondie. His story is very revealing and oftentimes very engaging on a human level.
June 9, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for allowing me to preview Chris Stein’s unflinching memoir Under a Rock. While I’m not a major Blondie fan, I’ve always enjoyed their poppy music, and I generally love memoirs by musicians, especially those detailing the downtown/CBGB’s music scene of the mid to late 70’s. Chris Stein’s book is a great addition to other books detailing this important time period in American music and beyond. Beyond the music, Stein has led a really interesting life, and reading about his pre-Blondie years, growing up in Brooklyn, travelling to the West Coast and going to Woodstock, as well as attending an alternative school in NYC with other musicians and artists was fascinating. His stories feature some amazing characters and incredible events. The strength of his book, though, details his time with Blondie, forming the band, starting up around the same time as the Ramones and Television, and eventually gaining popularity. Beyond being more pop oriented than some of the other downtown bands, Blondie also incorporated art in unique ways, and Stein’s background as a visual artist, both in photography and videography, probably added to the band’s integration of visual arts with their music. It’s interesting to look back on Blondie’s output and realize how much Debbie Harry’s image was associated with Blondie. However, Stein also shares that Blondie was also one of the first bands to create a video album to go along with their LP. I loved reading about Stein’s time with other musicians and artists, especially how close Blondie was with Iggy Pop, David Bowie, William S. Burroughs, and Andy Warhol. Although this larger section detailing the development and success of Blondie was the strongest of the book, it was also the most harrowing since this was also the time when Stein’s casual drug use eventually spiraled into full-blown heroin and cocaine addiction. Stein details his addictions and some of the depths that it took him to, eventually seeking out methadone treatment to manage his heroin addiction. As Stein notes in his epilogue (which you must read), it’s important not to glamorize addiction the way some artists have. He documents friends who died from overdoses, and the health struggles that he experienced as a result of his habit. The later chapters dealing with the dissolution of Blondie and eventual reformation kind of fly by. I actually had a hard time following along with his timeline of events, and it wasn’t until the section dealing with 9/11 that I kind of caught up with his timeline. In fact, this is probably the one shortcoming I found with Stein’s writing. There weren’t many transitions or connectives in the text, and this led to a kind of stream-of-consciousness thought-process on the page. I found it more with his early life and his later sections. The events jumped around and paragraphs were listed without any sense of how one event related to another—whether it was sequential, emotionally linked, or some other kind of connection. Sometimes, events that were seemingly non-events were listed without any explanation of their significance, making me question its inclusion. Nevertheless, Stein is an important musician and artist, and I appreciated learning more about his involvement in this seminal scene of music.
April 29, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this memoir about a man who found his soul mate, changed music, and can look back and see what he did right, what he did wrong, and his own legacy.
Over the years I have read a lot of memoirs about people in the entertainment business. Most are books that are written by others to help make money. Or they say they are telling the real story, and its more of an airing of grievances. Or a settling of scores. Or just plain hagiography. Few of these reflect on events, how situations could have been better handled, how an argument was allowed to fester ruining things later. How a friendship could have been saved, or even a life. Under a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein of the band Blondie is one of these books. Stein tells of his life, the things he did wrong, did right and got away with. Stein also talks about music, what he loved, and what he had a hand in creating with his soul mate Debbie Harry.
Chris Stein was born in Brooklyn in 1950. As a child he loved movies, music, comics, and roaming the city and seeing what he could. Stein's father passed away when Stein was young, a hole that messed him up for quite a while. Soon he was growing his hair long, hanging out with early hippies, and taking drugs. Tossed out of school for his long hair, Stein was able to get into art school, where an interest in photography began. Soon his roaming instinct took him to San Francisco, Europe and to a cheap room in Manhattan. Stein was getting more into music, and soon was hanging out with many of the early players who would create the music that would be called punk. The New York Dolls, meeting Iggy Pop, member of the Ramones before the were the Ramones. Everything came together when he met a young woman, Debbie Harry who was interested in music and even more interested in Stein. One day after dyeing her hair Harry was catcalled in the street. Instead of being annoyed she thought it would be a great band name. Blondie was born, and musical history was made.
Chris Stein has lead an amazing life, and knew many amazing people, who make appearances in this book. David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, Andy Warhol. People who Stein learned from in different ways. The book is very well written with a nice style, one that really lets his voice show, and one that even Stein is amazed that all of this stuff happened too. There is a lot of sadness, the loss of people close to him, including his daughter, which for some reason hit me very hard in the writing. Stein is older and is able to look back at many of these things, bad music deals, fights in the band, disappointing people, and relate them in way that shows he wishes he had handled it better, and has learned a lot from his mistakes. Stein has a lot of interests and shares many of them, music of course, photography, even a bit about the occult. And of course much about the biggest character in the book the City of New York. Oh and Ms. Harry, of course.
Recommended for fans of the band, and music of the time. Also for those who love to read about New York when it was fun and dangerous. This is a really well-written tale about a young man, finding his soul mate, making music, and staying friends.
Over the years I have read a lot of memoirs about people in the entertainment business. Most are books that are written by others to help make money. Or they say they are telling the real story, and its more of an airing of grievances. Or a settling of scores. Or just plain hagiography. Few of these reflect on events, how situations could have been better handled, how an argument was allowed to fester ruining things later. How a friendship could have been saved, or even a life. Under a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein of the band Blondie is one of these books. Stein tells of his life, the things he did wrong, did right and got away with. Stein also talks about music, what he loved, and what he had a hand in creating with his soul mate Debbie Harry.
Chris Stein was born in Brooklyn in 1950. As a child he loved movies, music, comics, and roaming the city and seeing what he could. Stein's father passed away when Stein was young, a hole that messed him up for quite a while. Soon he was growing his hair long, hanging out with early hippies, and taking drugs. Tossed out of school for his long hair, Stein was able to get into art school, where an interest in photography began. Soon his roaming instinct took him to San Francisco, Europe and to a cheap room in Manhattan. Stein was getting more into music, and soon was hanging out with many of the early players who would create the music that would be called punk. The New York Dolls, meeting Iggy Pop, member of the Ramones before the were the Ramones. Everything came together when he met a young woman, Debbie Harry who was interested in music and even more interested in Stein. One day after dyeing her hair Harry was catcalled in the street. Instead of being annoyed she thought it would be a great band name. Blondie was born, and musical history was made.
Chris Stein has lead an amazing life, and knew many amazing people, who make appearances in this book. David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, Andy Warhol. People who Stein learned from in different ways. The book is very well written with a nice style, one that really lets his voice show, and one that even Stein is amazed that all of this stuff happened too. There is a lot of sadness, the loss of people close to him, including his daughter, which for some reason hit me very hard in the writing. Stein is older and is able to look back at many of these things, bad music deals, fights in the band, disappointing people, and relate them in way that shows he wishes he had handled it better, and has learned a lot from his mistakes. Stein has a lot of interests and shares many of them, music of course, photography, even a bit about the occult. And of course much about the biggest character in the book the City of New York. Oh and Ms. Harry, of course.
Recommended for fans of the band, and music of the time. Also for those who love to read about New York when it was fun and dangerous. This is a really well-written tale about a young man, finding his soul mate, making music, and staying friends.
January 9, 2024
Blondie's album Parallel Lines was one of the first (if not THE first) albums I received as a kid and I wore it out on my little turntable so I was excited to be approved for this ARC. Unlike a lot of popular bands/musicians at the time, Blondie has only grown in stature and legend since its chart topping run in the late 70s, early 80s. It is often credited with having the first number one song to feature rap.
Chris Stein was a founding member and his long-term girlfriend was none other than lead singer/icon Debbie Harry. (If you're a Debbie fan please check out her amazing memoir, Face.) It's absolutely astonishing to me that Chris, drug-addled as he was most of the time, has such a sharp memory for his entire life, starting with his childhood in Brooklyn (I had no idea I live about 5 minutes from where Chris Stein grew up on Coney Island Ave! Hi neighbor!) and ending with his post-Blondie/present life.
The most interesting part for me was Chris and the band's poverty-filled grind living in the enormous, rat-filled lofts of 70s downtown NYC - lofts that now sell in the millions. It's a real snapshot of old school NYC with its burgeoning punk scene, composed of CBGB bands like The Ramones, Television, Patti Smith and Blondie. Blondie was considered the "joke" band- it has a sexy blonde girl lead singer and its songs were more ballad-y and accessible. It would go on to be the most popular group. The times are so tough that Debbie is r*ped by an intruder to their loft while Chris is tied up in another room. They are repeatedly robbed. People overdose and die. Their cats kill huge rats. All stuff that would have sent most people running back to the burbs and who could blame them? (A moment of silence for poor kitty Sunday Man, who disappears from Debbie's sister's house. I was worried about the 3 cats the entire book).
Sadly, like most bands, bad business decisions and drugs conspired to rob these creatives of their money and Chris Stein ended up basically broke (though I'm assuming he's not now? Hard to tell.)
Occasionally the book veers into continual name dropping (X came over, then Y dropped by, then Z said hello, and I ran into A on the street... etc) and I did not recognize the majority of the names. So I found myself skipping over various portions.
If you love Blondie, music, or the 70s NYC punk/New Wave scene, this memoir is required reading. I just reviewed Under a Rock by Chris Stein. #NetGalley
Thank you Chris Stein, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Chris Stein was a founding member and his long-term girlfriend was none other than lead singer/icon Debbie Harry. (If you're a Debbie fan please check out her amazing memoir, Face.) It's absolutely astonishing to me that Chris, drug-addled as he was most of the time, has such a sharp memory for his entire life, starting with his childhood in Brooklyn (I had no idea I live about 5 minutes from where Chris Stein grew up on Coney Island Ave! Hi neighbor!) and ending with his post-Blondie/present life.
The most interesting part for me was Chris and the band's poverty-filled grind living in the enormous, rat-filled lofts of 70s downtown NYC - lofts that now sell in the millions. It's a real snapshot of old school NYC with its burgeoning punk scene, composed of CBGB bands like The Ramones, Television, Patti Smith and Blondie. Blondie was considered the "joke" band- it has a sexy blonde girl lead singer and its songs were more ballad-y and accessible. It would go on to be the most popular group. The times are so tough that Debbie is r*ped by an intruder to their loft while Chris is tied up in another room. They are repeatedly robbed. People overdose and die. Their cats kill huge rats. All stuff that would have sent most people running back to the burbs and who could blame them? (A moment of silence for poor kitty Sunday Man, who disappears from Debbie's sister's house. I was worried about the 3 cats the entire book).
Sadly, like most bands, bad business decisions and drugs conspired to rob these creatives of their money and Chris Stein ended up basically broke (though I'm assuming he's not now? Hard to tell.)
Occasionally the book veers into continual name dropping (X came over, then Y dropped by, then Z said hello, and I ran into A on the street... etc) and I did not recognize the majority of the names. So I found myself skipping over various portions.
If you love Blondie, music, or the 70s NYC punk/New Wave scene, this memoir is required reading. I just reviewed Under a Rock by Chris Stein. #NetGalley
Thank you Chris Stein, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2024
Note: Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Chris Stein for the advanced reader copy of the book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.
After reading Debbie Harry’s memoirFace It,when I saw Chris Stein’s memoir available on NetGalley, I simply had to read it. There are no great reveals here that weren’t covered in Debbie’s memoir, but Chris seems to have a better memory of happenings during the punk scene in New York City.
Chris was a City boy, having been raised there by parents who were once part of the Communist Party. His youth would seem to be completely alien to how we parent today, with a lot of freedom to venture out and figure things out for himself. He tells his story in a stream-of-consciousness style, with the memories flowing as he remembers them. I was actually surprised he was able to remember so much and in such detail. I don’t think I could have done it, and I didn’t have the drug issues he did.
The punk scene in New York was unique, and the band Blondie came out of that. However, they were not known necessarily as a punk band. Chris shows how they grew out of the scene, surrounded by so many punk icons and playing at CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City. I loved all the details about The Ramones, having grown up in the late 1970s and 1980s and been a fan of theirs. David Johanssen and the New York Dolls figure prominently as does David Bowie. Chris and Debbie were also part of Andy Warhol’s Manhattan scene.
He’s honest about the drug use and abuse that cost him so much, almost including his life. It started with pot but grew into just about every drug available throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He doesn’t get into the whys of his drug abuse; it was just something they did. He wasn’t trying to escape, or if it was a means of escape he doesn’t admit it. For much of the ten years prior to Blondie finally hitting it big, Chris and Debbie lived in abject poverty in a Manhattan that doesn’t exist anymore. The buildings they resided in have been gentrified and cleaned up. I don’t know that this new Manhattan can produce characters like Chris details here. It’s become much more like the suburbia I grew up in in many ways, with much higher prices.
To read my full review please go toUnder a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein
After reading Debbie Harry’s memoirFace It,when I saw Chris Stein’s memoir available on NetGalley, I simply had to read it. There are no great reveals here that weren’t covered in Debbie’s memoir, but Chris seems to have a better memory of happenings during the punk scene in New York City.
Chris was a City boy, having been raised there by parents who were once part of the Communist Party. His youth would seem to be completely alien to how we parent today, with a lot of freedom to venture out and figure things out for himself. He tells his story in a stream-of-consciousness style, with the memories flowing as he remembers them. I was actually surprised he was able to remember so much and in such detail. I don’t think I could have done it, and I didn’t have the drug issues he did.
The punk scene in New York was unique, and the band Blondie came out of that. However, they were not known necessarily as a punk band. Chris shows how they grew out of the scene, surrounded by so many punk icons and playing at CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City. I loved all the details about The Ramones, having grown up in the late 1970s and 1980s and been a fan of theirs. David Johanssen and the New York Dolls figure prominently as does David Bowie. Chris and Debbie were also part of Andy Warhol’s Manhattan scene.
He’s honest about the drug use and abuse that cost him so much, almost including his life. It started with pot but grew into just about every drug available throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He doesn’t get into the whys of his drug abuse; it was just something they did. He wasn’t trying to escape, or if it was a means of escape he doesn’t admit it. For much of the ten years prior to Blondie finally hitting it big, Chris and Debbie lived in abject poverty in a Manhattan that doesn’t exist anymore. The buildings they resided in have been gentrified and cleaned up. I don’t know that this new Manhattan can produce characters like Chris details here. It’s become much more like the suburbia I grew up in in many ways, with much higher prices.
To read my full review please go toUnder a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein
June 22, 2024
As a fan of Blondie’s music, I was excited for the opportunity to read this. Thank you to publisher St. Martin’s Press who provided an Advanced Reader Copy via #NetGalley.
From this #memoir, I was interested to learn Chris Stein’s story, meeting band members and the coming together of the band, and the process in their music writing with details of each of their contributions… I didn’t find any of the above in this book. Maybe he wrote more thoroughly on this in his other books prior, but the poorly written stream of consciousness displayed here doesn’t turn me on to pursue his previous writings.
I’d like to give benefit of the doubt that this is his memoir and not a “history of Blondie” book so maybe he chose to write memories reaching as far back into his childhood as he could remember, with mentions they “played a show” or “went on tour with…”. I was surprised he made mention of the DC radio station festival I attended with my brother and friends when we saw Blondie perform during the HFStival at RFK Stadium 31MAY1997. Band-wise, considering his history with her, he mentions Debbie quite often starting around chapter 5, including sarcastic, funny one-liners from her which I found amusing. (I’m still very much interested in reading her book.)
As far as his stream of consciousness story-telling goes, many local street characters with little to no introduction that are seemingly familiar to only him (irrelevant to the reader) fade in and out, along with quick remembrance of events with The Ramones, Joan Jett, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed… Unfortunately every time my interest was piqued by a story seemingly building, he would tell the reader either to “look it up” or he would just shut it down completely with “et cetera”. All throughout the entirety of the books duration… “look it up.” “Et cetera.” At only 300 pages I found this to be a difficult read. I quickly lost interest again and again, etc., and lacked the motivation to stick with it due to constantly being let down… cliff hangers… lackadaisical. Look it up.
He mentioned a time when they, as a couple, were attacked/mugged and wrote of Debbie getting raped as nonchalantly as he talks about finding a kitten in an alley and it’s now his pet. Matter of fact. Dry. Lack of emotion. I had to keep re-reading the line to ensure I processed this tragic event, considering how quickly he wrote it off. It’s a sensitive subject for some. For me. As a friend, band mate, her former lover, the seemingly lack of care in his writing on this happening to her had no place in his memoir. IMHO, It wasn’t his story or experience to write off.
In hindsight, I don’t personally know the guy. This is the first and only book of his that I’ll take the time to read. Maybe he was taking a punk rock “piss off” approach in his writing, in which case he has succeeded. There was no care to engage the reader with great writing, nor was there concern to edit down, or flesh out redundancies.
From this #memoir, I was interested to learn Chris Stein’s story, meeting band members and the coming together of the band, and the process in their music writing with details of each of their contributions… I didn’t find any of the above in this book. Maybe he wrote more thoroughly on this in his other books prior, but the poorly written stream of consciousness displayed here doesn’t turn me on to pursue his previous writings.
I’d like to give benefit of the doubt that this is his memoir and not a “history of Blondie” book so maybe he chose to write memories reaching as far back into his childhood as he could remember, with mentions they “played a show” or “went on tour with…”. I was surprised he made mention of the DC radio station festival I attended with my brother and friends when we saw Blondie perform during the HFStival at RFK Stadium 31MAY1997. Band-wise, considering his history with her, he mentions Debbie quite often starting around chapter 5, including sarcastic, funny one-liners from her which I found amusing. (I’m still very much interested in reading her book.)
As far as his stream of consciousness story-telling goes, many local street characters with little to no introduction that are seemingly familiar to only him (irrelevant to the reader) fade in and out, along with quick remembrance of events with The Ramones, Joan Jett, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed… Unfortunately every time my interest was piqued by a story seemingly building, he would tell the reader either to “look it up” or he would just shut it down completely with “et cetera”. All throughout the entirety of the books duration… “look it up.” “Et cetera.” At only 300 pages I found this to be a difficult read. I quickly lost interest again and again, etc., and lacked the motivation to stick with it due to constantly being let down… cliff hangers… lackadaisical. Look it up.
He mentioned a time when they, as a couple, were attacked/mugged and wrote of Debbie getting raped as nonchalantly as he talks about finding a kitten in an alley and it’s now his pet. Matter of fact. Dry. Lack of emotion. I had to keep re-reading the line to ensure I processed this tragic event, considering how quickly he wrote it off. It’s a sensitive subject for some. For me. As a friend, band mate, her former lover, the seemingly lack of care in his writing on this happening to her had no place in his memoir. IMHO, It wasn’t his story or experience to write off.
In hindsight, I don’t personally know the guy. This is the first and only book of his that I’ll take the time to read. Maybe he was taking a punk rock “piss off” approach in his writing, in which case he has succeeded. There was no care to engage the reader with great writing, nor was there concern to edit down, or flesh out redundancies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2024
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this compelling eARC.
Under a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein is a raw and unfiltered odyssey through the highs and lows of rock ‘n’ roll stardom. Stein, the co-founder and guitarist of the iconic band Blondie, takes readers on a journey that is as much about music and fame as it is about love, addiction, and the enduring power of friendship.
At the heart of this memoir is the tumultuous relationship between Stein and the band’s lead singer, Debbie Harry. Their codependent bond not only propelled Blondie to the zenith of the music world but also weathered the storms of misogyny, grueling schedules, and the pitfalls of fame. Stein’s candid recounting of their story is both a celebration of their shared history and a cautionary tale of the rock lifestyle.
The narrative is a tapestry woven with threads of humor and blunt sincerity, depicting the scuzzy reality of 1970s New York, the exhilarating rush of performing live, and the destructive allure of drugs and alcohol. Stein’s prose is a stream-of-consciousness that captures the chaos and creativity of the era, filled with encounters with other celebrities like David Bowie and Andy Warhol, and the wild antics of crazed fans.
Yet, it’s the personal revelations that strike the deepest chord. Stein’s reflections on his breakup with Harry, his battles with substance abuse, and the tragic loss of his daughter to an overdose are laid bare with heartbreaking honesty. These moments serve as a sobering reminder of the costs of fame and the fragility of life.
Under a Rock is not just a memoir; it’s a love letter to a bygone era, a tribute to a band that defined a genre, and an intimate look at the man behind the music. It’s a book that resonates with anyone who’s ever found solace in a guitar riff or the embrace of a true friend. Stein’s story is a testament to the enduring spirit of rock ‘n’ roll and the redemptive power of art.
Chris Stein’s Under a Rock is a compelling read that offers a many-layered view of an extraordinary life. For those of us growing up in the time this band was at its apex, this book is a treasure.
Under a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein is a raw and unfiltered odyssey through the highs and lows of rock ‘n’ roll stardom. Stein, the co-founder and guitarist of the iconic band Blondie, takes readers on a journey that is as much about music and fame as it is about love, addiction, and the enduring power of friendship.
At the heart of this memoir is the tumultuous relationship between Stein and the band’s lead singer, Debbie Harry. Their codependent bond not only propelled Blondie to the zenith of the music world but also weathered the storms of misogyny, grueling schedules, and the pitfalls of fame. Stein’s candid recounting of their story is both a celebration of their shared history and a cautionary tale of the rock lifestyle.
The narrative is a tapestry woven with threads of humor and blunt sincerity, depicting the scuzzy reality of 1970s New York, the exhilarating rush of performing live, and the destructive allure of drugs and alcohol. Stein’s prose is a stream-of-consciousness that captures the chaos and creativity of the era, filled with encounters with other celebrities like David Bowie and Andy Warhol, and the wild antics of crazed fans.
Yet, it’s the personal revelations that strike the deepest chord. Stein’s reflections on his breakup with Harry, his battles with substance abuse, and the tragic loss of his daughter to an overdose are laid bare with heartbreaking honesty. These moments serve as a sobering reminder of the costs of fame and the fragility of life.
Under a Rock is not just a memoir; it’s a love letter to a bygone era, a tribute to a band that defined a genre, and an intimate look at the man behind the music. It’s a book that resonates with anyone who’s ever found solace in a guitar riff or the embrace of a true friend. Stein’s story is a testament to the enduring spirit of rock ‘n’ roll and the redemptive power of art.
Chris Stein’s Under a Rock is a compelling read that offers a many-layered view of an extraordinary life. For those of us growing up in the time this band was at its apex, this book is a treasure.
June 15, 2024
The first thing you know about Chris Stein is that he is, with Debbie Harry, one of the founding members of Blondie. There's so much more to his story. Under A Rock is a rock star memoir, a love letter to New York, a juicy romp and a warning (kids, don't try this at home). He must have kept diaries to share various anecdotes from his childhood and beyond. He was raised on a "long leash" and made it to San Francisco during the Summer of Love as a teenager. He participated in demonstrations protesting the Vietnam War in DC. Back in New York he hung out in the East Village and saw performances by everybody from Janis Joplin to Frank Zappa and the Mothers. He took a bus to upstate New York to attend Woodstock. His band opened for the Velvet Underground when the original opening act canceled. He's the Forrest Gump of his generation and we haven't even gotten to the 70s yet.
There are a ton of stories and it's a miracle he a) lived through his drug use and b) remembered enough to fill up this book. There were a lot of drugs, and he doesn't glamorize it. It just was. The places he lived in could be described as squalor (many cats were the solution to the mice problem). But it put him at the heart of a major scene. This short list barely scratches the surface: Warhol, Jagger, Bowie, Iggy, Patti, Burroughs, Basquiat, the Ramones, Fripp, H.R. Giger.
We get the rise of Blondie, the story of Stein and Harry, the band's ups and downs (and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame). The long hiatus, the coming back together. Blondie was BIG, from CBGB to world tours. As they were gaining traction they toured incessantly, opening for everybody, until they were the headliners.
I enjoyed this memoir a lot. It was charming, and he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. He's just telling his stories.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
There are a ton of stories and it's a miracle he a) lived through his drug use and b) remembered enough to fill up this book. There were a lot of drugs, and he doesn't glamorize it. It just was. The places he lived in could be described as squalor (many cats were the solution to the mice problem). But it put him at the heart of a major scene. This short list barely scratches the surface: Warhol, Jagger, Bowie, Iggy, Patti, Burroughs, Basquiat, the Ramones, Fripp, H.R. Giger.
We get the rise of Blondie, the story of Stein and Harry, the band's ups and downs (and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame). The long hiatus, the coming back together. Blondie was BIG, from CBGB to world tours. As they were gaining traction they toured incessantly, opening for everybody, until they were the headliners.
I enjoyed this memoir a lot. It was charming, and he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. He's just telling his stories.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
June 18, 2024
For the most part, I really enjoy reading autobiographies and memoirs. It's incredibly interesting to read about the lives of famous people. Under a Rock is no different. Obviously, being 73 (at time of writing the book), Chris Stein has lived through a lot and it would be impossible to fit all of that into one book. I think he did a great job with the content he decided to include. I particularly enjoyed the parts of his life pre-Blondie, where he was finding his footing as a musician and all the shows he attended. It was so interesting, I think what stands out is you can see how pivotal and impactful this part of his life was for him and his career. Obviously I loved reading the parts about Debbie Harry and Blondie! It was strange to me to learn how little money the band earned and how Stein was still struggling a bit financially in the late nineties. I think the public perception of the music industry is that it's quite rich so you'd expect big bands like Blondie to be rich as well. It's almost a culture shock to learn that this isn't necessarily the case. It really leaves you wondering. I would like to say that I think it was incredibly brave for Stein to talk about his drug addiction and struggles, especially in such an open, public way. It hits harder when you read the epilogue and see that he feels a level of guilt about the death of his daughter. I just think that as fans, we are never entitled to know such personal things unless the artist chooses to share them. It's obviously an awful experience and it must have been really hard to include in the book.
Overall, a really interesting read that was a little hard to follow at times but a very enjoyable read.
Overall, a really interesting read that was a little hard to follow at times but a very enjoyable read.
June 6, 2024
I just finished Under a rock - A memoir by Chris Stein, A revelatory look at the man behind the band Blondie.
When @stmartinspress gifted me this book I was stunned into silence. I grew up on Blondie. Their music was a staple in my house, (yes I just aged myself haha), and Chris Stein being the legendary guitar player he is, I knew this book was going to pack the kind of punch I needed in a memoir.
Firstly Chris still rocks! He is in his 70s and he is still living his best life. KUDOS!!!! I loved how scathingly honest he is in this book and every page is so powerfully written, I was speechless.
I cannot imagine what it must have been like back then during this time for him and the people who were working with him. There is always madness in the arts and it was so interesting to read his account of himself looking back over that time.
It was one of the best memoirs I have read to date. I feel a little dirty after reading it. You know these things happened in the 70s but you don’t really know the caliber of it. Taking a look at the underbelly and darkside to the music industry is always alluring to me and Chris didn’t disappoint.
No matter who Chris is, I will always love Blondie. Definitely one of my fav memoirs this year.
4 stars. Highly recommend it even if you don’t know about the band.
#blondie #chrisstein #underarock #memoir #rockmemoir #blondiememoir #70s #smp #stmartinspress #smpinfluencer #bookinfluencer #nonfictionreview
When @stmartinspress gifted me this book I was stunned into silence. I grew up on Blondie. Their music was a staple in my house, (yes I just aged myself haha), and Chris Stein being the legendary guitar player he is, I knew this book was going to pack the kind of punch I needed in a memoir.
Firstly Chris still rocks! He is in his 70s and he is still living his best life. KUDOS!!!! I loved how scathingly honest he is in this book and every page is so powerfully written, I was speechless.
I cannot imagine what it must have been like back then during this time for him and the people who were working with him. There is always madness in the arts and it was so interesting to read his account of himself looking back over that time.
It was one of the best memoirs I have read to date. I feel a little dirty after reading it. You know these things happened in the 70s but you don’t really know the caliber of it. Taking a look at the underbelly and darkside to the music industry is always alluring to me and Chris didn’t disappoint.
No matter who Chris is, I will always love Blondie. Definitely one of my fav memoirs this year.
4 stars. Highly recommend it even if you don’t know about the band.
#blondie #chrisstein #underarock #memoir #rockmemoir #blondiememoir #70s #smp #stmartinspress #smpinfluencer #bookinfluencer #nonfictionreview
June 17, 2024
The book is filled with many pop culture references, starting with Stein starting a fan club for horror director William Castle, due to his love of horror films. He also talks about his love of music and movie soundtracks early on in his guitar career, going to Woodstock, and meeting Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead, who was at the time in Hawkwind in London.
he meets and dates singer Debbie Harry, which they form Blondie, and the book then dives into the art scene of New York a, long with them meeting and befriending people like David Bowie, several WWF wrestlers and touring the world with their drug use. The later parts of the book looks into his views on UFOs and other supernatural themes.
If someone wants to read about the New York art scene during the 1970s and 1980s, there is a lot here, especially the drug culture, but for a casual fan like me who wants to read more about the making of the records and the inspiration of some of the songs, another book on the band may be better.
For an in-depth review, visit my blog at:
https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
he meets and dates singer Debbie Harry, which they form Blondie, and the book then dives into the art scene of New York a, long with them meeting and befriending people like David Bowie, several WWF wrestlers and touring the world with their drug use. The later parts of the book looks into his views on UFOs and other supernatural themes.
If someone wants to read about the New York art scene during the 1970s and 1980s, there is a lot here, especially the drug culture, but for a casual fan like me who wants to read more about the making of the records and the inspiration of some of the songs, another book on the band may be better.
For an in-depth review, visit my blog at:
https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
June 16, 2024
Growing up in the 80's one of my favorite bands was Blondie. Watching and listening to Debbie Harry sing those songs made me feel like I was not alone in the world because I happen to not like what the other kids were listening to. I read Debby harry's autobigraphy and then heard Chris Stein was writing his own aurtobiography which is called Under th Rock. It's a very personal book that explains how the band came to be and how his growing up in NYC really influenced him musically. You get a lot of family stories and rock and roll situations and oh tons of drugs considering it was 80's New York City. Stein's storytelling may not be for all but hey he was in the band Blondie so why would expect it to be a standard biography. It brought back a lot of memories for me reading this book and how he also felt different. This book for would be a great summer book to read and talk about over the summer and you'll be putting Blondie on you Spotify list if it's not already there. Thank you to St Martins and Netgalley for the read!
December 22, 2023
I loved Blondie as a kid in the 80's and still do all these years later and was very excited to be able to read an advance copy of Chris Stein's memoir.
A life well lived is always fascinating to me, and Stein’s memory for small details is incredibly impressive. The writing is fantastic and lends itself to allowing the reader to really visualize the experiences. Not all parts are easy to read, but I appreciated his forthcomingness.
A veritable who’s who from music and art in New York, Under a Rock is wildly engaging. This is a must read memoir that will keep readers turning the pages (I’m also confident that it will be excellent in audiobook form).
*Some of my own favorite Blondie songs include ‘Dreaming’, ‘Out in the Streets’, ‘Will Anything Happen’, ‘Atomic’, ‘Union CIty Blue’, and ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ (also, the very first 45 my husband picked out and got as a kid was ‘Heart of Glass’).
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC
A life well lived is always fascinating to me, and Stein’s memory for small details is incredibly impressive. The writing is fantastic and lends itself to allowing the reader to really visualize the experiences. Not all parts are easy to read, but I appreciated his forthcomingness.
A veritable who’s who from music and art in New York, Under a Rock is wildly engaging. This is a must read memoir that will keep readers turning the pages (I’m also confident that it will be excellent in audiobook form).
*Some of my own favorite Blondie songs include ‘Dreaming’, ‘Out in the Streets’, ‘Will Anything Happen’, ‘Atomic’, ‘Union CIty Blue’, and ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ (also, the very first 45 my husband picked out and got as a kid was ‘Heart of Glass’).
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC
May 13, 2024
I would describe myself as a casual Blondie fan. I bought Parallel Lines and Autoamerican albums when they first came out in the late 70's/early 80s and have enjoyed hearing the hits on classic rock stations. I have not read any other Blondie biographies and I thought hearing about the band from a founding member would be fascinating. Some of it was very fascinating, especially when if focused on the band or the music. Unfortunately, there were long meandering narratives focused on innocuous incidents or who was scoring what drugs at which parties. I would have really liked to hear more about song writing and song selections for the various albums. There was a little more detail about the early albums but the later albums barely warranted a paragraph sandwiched between stories of rescued kitties or descriptions of New York neighborhoods. I would recommend this for hard core Blondie fans only.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy
February 12, 2024
I would say I'm a middle-of-the-road Blondie fan - not diehard, but I know all of their singles and grew up listening to the band. I don't know a lot about the members, but I knew that Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were together and that they had a connection to Andy Warhol. I thought this would be an interesting read and it certainly was that. Stein talks not only about his time in the band but his life before and since the band's inception.
I expected it to be a bit more polished but it of course is an unedited copy. I'd be interested to see if it turns into a more finished product or remains a stream-of-consciousness type of story. Either way, this book was both hard to read and hard to put down at times.
I expected it to be a bit more polished but it of course is an unedited copy. I'd be interested to see if it turns into a more finished product or remains a stream-of-consciousness type of story. Either way, this book was both hard to read and hard to put down at times.
April 14, 2024
I am a Blondie fan so I was incredibly thrilled to receive a copy of Under a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein via a Goodreads giveaway.
It took me about 20 pages to get used to the writing style (kind of stream of consciousness), but once I did, the book managed to keep my attention throughout. I assumed the book would give me a behind the scenes look at Blondie (it did) but it also painted a great picture of the music scene from the 70’s through today. It was filled with interesting stories, people and events and whether intended or not, a love letter to New York City. The only thing missing were photos…these were not included in the ARC but I sincerely hope will be in the final release.
It took me about 20 pages to get used to the writing style (kind of stream of consciousness), but once I did, the book managed to keep my attention throughout. I assumed the book would give me a behind the scenes look at Blondie (it did) but it also painted a great picture of the music scene from the 70’s through today. It was filled with interesting stories, people and events and whether intended or not, a love letter to New York City. The only thing missing were photos…these were not included in the ARC but I sincerely hope will be in the final release.
Read
April 12, 2024Under a Rock is an atmospheric narrative that offers a descriptive and highly impressionistic account of the author's experiences in Blondie and his life in New York City. Stein's vivid storytelling transports readers into the heart of the music scene and the bustling streets of the Big Apple, providing a unique glimpse into his personal journey and the iconic band's rise to fame. Through his evocative prose, Stein captures the essence of a bygone era and invites readers to immerse themselves in the vibrant world of rock 'n' roll and urban life. Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to share my thoughts on an ARC copy of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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