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| | Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance | | | Music Style : | | General AAS | | Record Label : | | Penguin Press HC, The | | Store Price : | | $25.95 | | Artistopia's Price: $10.38 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 great memoir
Submitted on: 2009-11-05 |
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| I couldn't put this book down. Dean is a great writer, and told his story prolifically of an indie band(s) trying to make it despite difficult circumstances. The encounters with other bands and artists and Dean's snarky comments were especially enjoyable, as well as the encounters with the fans around the world. You don't need to be a fan of Luna or Galaxie 500 (I was somewhat of one but not that familiar with all of the music) to love this book. Any fan of music will appreciate the references and the well written memoir of a struggling artist who wants to make music for the sake of music, and not just to to be a rock star. |
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 Cult is just another word for crap
Submitted on: 2009-10-26 |
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| Every bit as soporific -- and mediocre -- as the music. Virtually nobody bought the cds so why anyone would want to read the stories behind them is beyond me. Here at last, made real for you in excruciating detail, its the dreary life of a C list indie band that couldn't even keep themselves happy -- or their record companies in the black; 15 albums or something and not one a hit. Get the message already. Cult is just another word for crap and this is just one more attempt to package the hype around these guys and separate you from your money. And Penguin no less; just perfect for such self-absorbed drivel. No wonder the NY Times was persuaded to use an industry insider/sycophant Liz Phair rather than a real reviewer. . . |
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 Stayed Up Late
Submitted on: 2009-05-28 |
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| After waiting forever for the paperback edition, I devoured this book in two evenings without chewing. I'd say that Dean and I have similar tastes in music but the truth is that I learned about a lot of artists I love, like Serge Gainsbourg and Lee Hazelwood, through listening to Luna and reading interviews, which is something I'll always be grateful for (I always hated G.E. Smith's rock faces though). I learned how much Luna's music and lyrics reflect Dean's evolving personal evolution. I'm happy that he's writing songs that feel much more heartfelt. Maybe Luna never reached the top of the charts but Dean never compromised his stubborn vision, which was to never sell out. Good on ya Dean and Britta, wherever you are. |
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Love the life you live
Submitted on: 2009-01-19 |
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Dean Wareham details his life in the elastic time of late 80's indie rock when opportunities to hear the music you might love came via live shows in rooms hardly anybody ever heard of or if there was enough buzz, on a CD like Today (Ryko), by the band he formed with two other Harvard grads, Galaxie 500. Always bigger in Europe, Galaxie gave Wareham a chance to visit a lot of famous cities and happily for the reader, he didn't sleep through them. After he left Galaxie 500, he formed Luna which stayed together for 12 years and never really made more than a critical splash. There is a weariness in even the wittier moments of Black Postcards, and the overwhelming sense that Wareham, who would have made a great journalist, feels that the music business is more treadmill than anything else, but music fans are a reason for living, even if they occasionally stalk him, write wacky poetry and slap him in the face.
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Biased review for paralell moments
Submitted on: 2008-11-29 |
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I was first taken to a Luna concert by a very close friend. We ended up going to a lot of their shows together; I met and fell in love with someone at a Luna concert. Both friend and lover were personally connected to Luna. My good friend now has a family but Luna is a connection to our early 20's. These were my early-ish New York years and Wareham's book sadly puts that into perspective. I remember when I first heard that Dean and Britta were together; I attach songs and events to my own life events. I think I am going to have to keep this book for life, just to remember that it all existed indeed.
Yes, I am biased.
Even if you didn't know Luna this is a very informative book that aptly discerns the development of music made by well-educated kids (such as Harvard grad Wareham) who were not quite able to reach out to the mainstream and live the cliche Rock'n'Roll life.
This is great news for those of us who have ever entertained the idea of living the music dream. Very quickly, Dean casually informs us of the crappy vans and disorienting routine of playing, of crashing record labels, fighting bandmates.
All in a lightly mocking, pretty-boy-prince style that could very well translate into why a band such as Luna was never able to become more mainstream to have perhaps cared for longevity. Dean pans us along seductively by giving our poison along with our meals. I can see myself in Dean's stand-offish persona, one that mocks REM, Chilli Peppers, etc...while longing for the absurd stability they've earned by crafting their brands so carefully.
It's great to see him tell us all about the Galaxie 500 control freaks; about love and the petty morality we all come to expect in the monotonous banter of existance. Music is a funny beast, taking us far afield, icing our paths along for fludity, and as he takes the cakes and bumps along the ride, he shares it along with us.
Dean is somehow endearingly likeable; his detestable easygoing charm pushes him along; his somewhat priviledged upbringing and natural good looks make it all seem a bit deflating. The have-it-all cover up is just worn-out skin for a proding, pleasure-loving urbanite.
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