King's X: The Oral History
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Music
King's X: The Oral History Details
Review "Ton of great interviews with the band and others (including me) on the history of this great and underrated band! Check it out." --Eddie Trunk"To any fan, the book is likely to become a dog-eared treasure. 'I always feel that King's X has a very unique story to tell,' Gaskill reflects near the end of the book. 'It's unlike any other story out there.' Greg Prato's diligent approach, which walks the reader through each phase of these three artists' creative and personal journeys, lays out exactly why." --Rolling Stone"A beautifully produced book that does what the title says. The band and other musicians, friends and record company workers, talk about the music of King's X. Enthuse about it, actually. It's great to hear some of the stories behind their songs, about the ups and downs of being a band who have never quite made it big but seemed to have influenced everyone they have come into contact with. About the different approaches record companies took, and how different albums were conceived and recorded." --International Times"This book is an excellent narrative that presents the grand arc of the King's X story from beginning to present, and includes details that I never knew. Even the information I already knew was presented as part of the larger story, and the context was crucial." --Proglodytes"Prato's neatly curated text includes a track-by-track exposition of King's X's recording history, and with the Texans set to release their first studio album in 11 years later in 2019, this labour of love serves as a primer for the curious and the believers alike" --Planet Rock"If your aim is to endure and gain the undying respect of your peers and fans, then this book is required reading." --The Void Report"With this oral history, noted music writer Greg Prato picks apart with precision the entirety of King's X's musical history." --Under the Radar "If you are a King's X fan, this is a must read. Even though the typical King's X fan knows a ton about them, there are still some details you may not know and appreciate reading about." --blue-echoes "Greg's the modern master of the rock 'n' roll oral history but this is his best yet. Part of the credit goes to Jawbone and the swell design, but mainly it's Greg's logical corralling of all this great interview footage with Doug, Ty and Jerry. Plus he's got an esteemed cast of famous rock stars to fill out the tale. There's also a beautifully done colour section, but yeah, the main meta of the matter is the 300+ pages of action-packed oral history. Congrats on just a tight, classy package." --Martin Popoff"Prato did an excellent job bringing this disjointed story that spans five decades together into one superb chronicle." --Metal-Rules.com"I can't say enough good things about this King's X oral history, put together by Greg Prato. I was never really a fan of the band (and, indeed, much of the book focuses around this idea of why weren't more people fans?) but was so engrossed in this. This is a fascinating look into the hard realities of the music industry; some of the quotes from the band members were absolutely sobering (see: any reference of their Woodstock performance and how that impacted their sales). Also, fantastic editing; an oral history that's not just a data dump of transcriptions. What a pleasure to read. Totally recommended for fans, for anyone who's had a long-running curiosity about the band but never really got it, and for anyone interested in learning more of the ins and outs of the music industry. Loved it." --Greg Pratt Read more About the Author Greg Prato is a writer and journalist from Long Island, New York, whose writing has appeared in such renowned publications as Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, and Vintage Guitar. He is also the author of several popular books, including Shredders! The Oral History Of Speed Guitar (And More), Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History Of Seattle Rock Music, and The Eric Carr Story. And you may even have heard him on one of his many radio or TV appearances, which include interviews on The Howard Stern Wrap-Up Show, Eddie Trunk Live, and The Ron & Fez Show.Admired and respected by musicians and music fans alike, King’s X are one of the most acclaimed hard-rock bands in the business. Since 1988, the band - singer/bassist Doug Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill - have issued twelve studio albums, including such classics as Gretchen Goes To Nebraska, Faith Hope Love, and Dogman, and achieved MTV/radio hits including Over My Head, It’s Love, and Black Flag. They remain one of rock’s finest live acts. Read more
Reviews
This chronicle of King's X is told entirely through interviews with the band, their peers, their business associates, their friends, and their families. There is no narrative text pulling it together, so no authorial voice. It's Doug, Ty, and Jerry telling you their story in their own words. It's magical. The amount of insight into the rise and eventual plateau of the band is staggering, as is documenting how they were taken advantage of by manager Sam Taylor — anyone looking to be in a band should read this, fan or not. If you are a fan, this is a must-buy. Every aspect of their career is covered, and every single song is discussed; all of their solo output is touched upon as well. There's not a lot of in-depth gear analysis except for a great section where Ty talks about his Strat Elite and his L5 amps, so if you're looking for that, you won't find it here. What you definitely will find are the likes of Mick Mars, George Lynch, Billy Corgan, Devin Townshend, all of Pantera, Billy Sheehan, Nuno Bettencourt, Jeff Ament, and more all singing the band's praises and wondering why they never made it big. And you'll be reminded of that as well. A great biography of one of the greatest rock bands ever. Go get it.