Book Review: Perfect Sound Whatever by James Acaster

Today I'm writing something a bit different. I think we've maybe had two book reviews in the five year existence of CPRW. The book I'm going to attempt to write a good review of isn't really even a book on punk rock exactly, despite its title. It's a book about mental health and how music (of any genre) can help you when you're at your lowest point. The book that is the subject of my review is Perfect Sound Whatever by British comedian James Acaster.

Released in August 2019, the book – which is named after a Jeff Rosenstock song from the 2016 album Worry – looks at James' 2017 which started with a break up with his girlfriend and the dissolution of his relationship with his agent which lead to a mental breakdown. It also lead to a re-found love of modern music, something he had lost years before. In 2017, he spent the entirety of the year dedicated to finding the best albums of 2016 from every conceivable genre imaginable.

Perfect Sound Whatever is a type of diary of James' 2017 as he talks about break ups, the state of his mental and physical health, the stress of his career and how he tried to make himself better. Interlaced between these autobiographical accounts he talks about some the best albums of 2016 that he discovers. Throughout the book he manages to weave a web linking the albums to what’s going on in his personal life. This really helps with the flow of the book, it doesn't just feel as if you're reading two different books at the same time. Something I was quite thankful for.

Having watched James’ stand up routine a couple of times, as well as watching him on countless panel shows and reading his first book James Acaster's Classic Scrapes speech and writing style, I was pleased to discover that he didn't change the way he writes for the more serious book. Whilst reading it, I imagined it was him reading me this book (like one of those audiobook things I've never gotten into). It being such a personal story, it had to be written in his own unique style or it wouldn't have been so powerful to read.

It's a bravely written book but also essential. James bares all about the state of his mental health. I always have the utmost amount of respect for anyone who can speak so openly about this. Men in particular are becoming more open when talking about their mental health but there's still a lot of work to be done to help men know it's okay to talk about this stuff. The way that James talks about his issues is very much warts and all – he holds nothing back. It can be a heavy read as he lets the reader know about the deterioration of his health but it also becomes quite heart warming as his life begins to get back on track.

A big part of getting life back on track was his quest, that probably turned into a slight obsession, to discover the very best albums from 2016. Leaving no stone unturned, James read through every top album list of 2016 alongside going through sites such as Bandcamp (my personal favourite way of discovering new music) to find everything he possibly could. Whenever he had a moment spare he would be searching for that gem of an album – from 2016 of course.

The way that he writes about each discovery is fantastic, you can tell how much love he has for each and every album he features in Perfect Sound Whatever. He writes with such passion that you can't help but want to check out a lot of the albums, even if it's not a genre that you're particularly fond of. I found myself with an urge to check out hip hop and I generally can't stand the genre. It also reignited my passion for discovering new music. Something I enjoy doing but had also been doing less and less lately. During the two weeks I spent reading the book, I probably spent more time going through Bandcamp than I have in ages. This is the biggest takeaway I had from Perfect Sound Whatever – the love of finding new music, sharing it with people and just using music as a form of escapism from all the rubbish that exists in your life.

If you're a lover of music then this is a must read book. I think James does such a wonderful job of encapsulating what a powerful form of media music is and just how important it can be for your mental health.

This book review was written by Colin Clark.

Book Review: Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout by Laura Jane Grace (by Robyn Pierce)

I finished reading Tranny by Laura Jane Grace within five days of picking it up. The style of the books feels as though you’ve just found a quiet moment to sit down with the lead singer and pioneer of the band Against Me! to discuss her struggles with gender dysphoria and self-acceptance. This makes it an accessible and uncomplicated book to read, but also leaves you feeling like you’ve been trusted with something personal – the raw ‘confessions of punk rock’s most infamous anarchist sellout’. The book is co-written with Dan Ozzi, editor of Noisey, but the narrative voice belongs solely to Grace. Ozzi’s influence can be seen in the careful structuring of the book, which moves between Grace’s retrospective writing and journal entries from the time of the events that she is discussing. There must have been hundreds of journal entries to sort through and the skillful selection of these personal excerpts helps to maintain the pace of the book and brings immediacy to the emotions that Grace is describing.

Tranny begins with a five year old Tom Gabel mesmerized by the image of Madonna as she sings ‘Material Girl’ on TV. This starting point becomes increasingly important as the book progresses and Grace finds herself entangled in the politics of trying to be a successful punk rock band. Madonna stands as a symbol of everything that Grace hopes to be: a respected and popular artist who derives confidence from a female identity. The strength of this book is that it doesn’t attempt to gloss over or sugarcoat the trauma of Grace’s dysphoria. The self-hate and isolation, the reliance on drugs, and the strain put on personal relationships are laid bare. Grace also doesn’t hold back in her assessment of Tom Gabel, essentially labelling him as a self-centered ‘prick’. Many of Tom’s problems are shown to be linked to his inability to fully accept his desire to be ‘her’. When Laura Jane Grace finally lays Tom Gabel to rest and emerges as ‘her’ it is a triumphant moment, because she is now able to live an open and authentic life (even if this comes with its own challenges). Tranny also peels back the polished veneer of the band Against Me!, with insights into band tensions and disputes, touring, and the recording process. This helps to shed any romanticized notions of what it must be like to be in a punk band, and it’s clear that Grace’s efforts to try and run from her dysphoria by going on tour often serve to worsen her symptoms. The book follows Against Me! from its early beginnings on Plan-It-X records, through its Fat Wreck days, to Sire and opening for bands like Green Day and Foo Fighters. From the moment Against Me! moves to Fat they are attacked and labelled as ‘sell outs’. Grace does well to deal with this quite openly: admitting to falling prey to certain pressures while also criticizing the selfish possessiveness of many punk fans.

Grace has noted in interviews that she understands, and agrees, that ‘tranny’ is an offensive term, but that it is a fitting title for her book because it deals with the fear and self-loathing experienced by Grace during her dysphoria. I think this is a brave move on Grace’s part which does fit in with the core focus of her book. At its heart, Tranny is a book about confronting the worst thought you’ve had about yourself and gaining confidence by overcoming it. I blew through this book wanting to get to the victorious transformative moment at the end – and I can assure you that there is a poignant moment with Grace’s daughter that put a lump in my throat and left me feeling deeply satisfied – but it’s clear by the end that this will be a continuous journey for Grace. And really, the journey described by Laura Jane Grace is much like the one every person must embark upon as we all attempt to develop and become our best selves. This book will satisfy Against Me! fans who want to know what went down behind the scenes of their favourite albums and shows. However, Grace has become an important advocate for the transgender community and, while this book certainly focuses on her personal experience, her confessions in Tranny offer vital insight into gender dysphoria and transgender experience.

Book Review: Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories by NOFX and Jeff Alulis

Before we really get into this I feel like I should apologise if this is rubbish. I'm going to attempt a book review, something I probably haven't done for twenty years. The book in question is The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories by NOFX and Jeff Alulis.

I took the opportunity to read Hepatitis Bathtub during my flight to Florida last month. Downloading it onto a Kindle borrowed from my mum (she's going to get a shock if she ever decides to read that book) I was fully engrossed by this autobiographical account on the lives and career of one of the most influential and controversial punk rock bands of the past thirty years.

Each chapter of the book is a different member of the band's story of a particular time in their lives, written in a chronological order (or as close as possible to that). Fat Mike, Erik "Smelly" Sandin, Eric Melvin and El Hefe all give great accounts on a variety of events and are joined by former members of NOFX as well - all of which are incredibly frank, open and honest throughout the book. This was a big part in me struggling to put the book down and wanting to keep on reading to find out what happened next. Considering the amount of writing I do, I'm not actually a massive reader. If I do read something it's usually a comic rather than an actual book but Hepatitis Bathtub really had me gripped. I spent any down time on holiday reading the book, learning about the next crazy scrape NOFX would find themselves in.

Long time fans of NOFX will know of the crazy party animal association that comes along with the band, so like you were probably expecting the book to be filled with hilarious tales of wild nights and debauchery. And there is a lot of this; including a tale of Smelly accidentally kidnapping some punk rock royalty and El Hefe nearly going to jail for twenty years. There are also some really dark, disturbing and quite shocking moments in the book. Growing up in the 1980s California punk scene, and judging from many of these stories, NOFX are very lucky to not only to avoid being in jail but to be alive.

There are also some horrible recollections from the band member's lives away from the NOFX. There are some extremely graphic stories of drug and alcohol addiction, sex, bondage, molestation, rape, terminal illness, abuse and death. Reading through this book there were plenty of times where I'd stop and just think "fuck" this is crazy - and not in a good way. You have to give the band a massive amount of credit for the bravery shown in telling these stories, many of which had been long kept a secret from each other until the release of the book. Some of these stories have had lasting mental scars on the band for life and it would have been much easier not to tell these stories in this book.

Of course things come up to the present day and NOFX reflect on what being in the band has meant to them and how it has impacted their lives in a positive way. It was good to have such an uplifting ending to what (I can't repeat this enough) is a very dark book. These guys know just how lucky they have been to have had such successful careers. It's inspiring that these guys, despite all their flaws and issues, have gone out and lived the life they that have always dreamed of having.

Like I said I'm not an avid reader by any stretch of the imagination but I just could not put The Hepatitis Bathtub and Other Stories down. It's a compelling read that really outlines what it was like being in a punk band in the late 80s and early 90s. These four guys have an amazing bond together that can clearly not be broken by anything. They are a family. They have really good times and really bad times but through it all they are still together and stronger than ever. I've read a few books on punk rock over the years but none of those even compare to this amazing read. I've seen a lot of people say it's a great read even if you're not a fan of NOFX or even punk rock music in general and I whole heartedly agree with that statement.