Lips Unsealed

This self-indulgent memoir by the former lead singer of the Go-Go's is painfully candid but simply skims the surface of a life seemingly most profoundly influenced by the drug abuse and excesses of a career that began in the mid-1970s, during the development of the Los Angeles punk music scene. From one wild and crazy drug-centered partying anecdote to the next, there is little insight into the inner life of a supremely talented performer. As has been said of Sinatra, a gifted singer is an actor who brings a nuanced reading to the musical material. It is especially unfortunate that Carlisle's narration is as flat, monotonous, and superficial as the memoir itself. Hard-core fans of Carlisle may enjoy the look backstage, while others will miss deeper insights into her fascinating life. W.A.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine