Bill Sullivan (3)

"Lemon Jail" can be considered as required supplemental reading to Bob Mehr's spectactular "Trouble Boys" - the ultimate story of one of the all-time great rock 'n roll bands, which sabotaged its own career to the maximum extent possible. Sullivan started as a roadie and later ended up as the group's road manager. Along the way, he was also often called up on stage to sing a few songs when Paul Westerberg decided to just do whatever he felt like doing, which was most nights. Sullivan's anecdotal narrative jumps around in time, but given the rather incoherent nature of the group's career, this is appropriate. He also took lots of snapshots, which grace the book, most, unfortunately, without captions, although many of them can be easily identified. While the book is named after the band's touring van, and a few scenes take place inside, just as much happens at venues, in bars, or by the side of the road after the van breaks down. Along the way, the band tours with R.E.M. and Tom Petty, tours Europe, appears on (and is permanently banned) from Saturday Night Live, consumes endless gallons of alcohol (and harder drugs as well), smokes cartons of cigarettes, steals women's clothes and wears them on stage, and pretty much does whatever is the most inappropriate thing to do in any given situation. Sullivan is alternately an enabler, a participant, and occasionally a rescuer who can seek out Westerberg in a nearby bar and coax him to go on stage. Of course, once there, Westerberg may decide to just sing show tunes. This book will amuse you, disgust you, and ultimately leave you with the same wistful feeling that Mehr's book did: these guys somehow achieved greatness despite of (or because of) all their faults. This fly-on-the-wall account, regardless of whether it is 100% accurate, certainly rings true throughout. Like a book about Warren Zevon I received a while back, it will make you appreciate the songs even more, but you will not want to have lived the rock 'n roll life as these guys experienced it.… (altro)