Rock On

December 10, 2007
Kennedy, a McSweeney’s
contributor, offers an entertaining explanation of how, after years of stumbling through adulthood, he landed an improbable gig writing and producing ads for Atlantic Records. For a kid who grew up dressing like Gene Simmons each Halloween in the 1970s, this should be a dream job—hobnobbing with rock stars and industry legends while making more money than he ever had before. The trouble is that, by the early 21st century, he finds that Atlantic is more corporate than rock. Kennedy’s run-ins with rock stars involve helping Jewel sell razors and mistaking Duran Duran’s manager for a member of the band. When he’s not inadvertently insulting aging rockers, Kennedy worries incessantly about office politics—whether he’s made a permanent enemy of a co-worker by asking what kind of muffin she’s eating, which executives to greet in the hallway and which to ignore. Kennedy’s style—hilarious, paranoid and vulnerable—captures wonderfully the absurdity of the corporate music industry. Readers will appreciate the many lists that pepper the book, including “Inappropriate Greetings and Salutations for Middle-Aged White Record Executives to Exchange: #1. Hello, Dawg.”

November 1, 2007
"McSweeney's" contributor Kennedy's memoir is, in the new tradition of rock 'n' roll, a semi-ironic, semiwistful examination of the author's past, wherein he discusses the bittersweet nature of finally breaking into the record industry only to discover that it's not quite what he expected. Instead of spending his days doing glamorous work with up-and-coming bands, he toils away writing magazine ad copy for artists who have, to put it gently, seen hipper days. Kennedy is a talented humor writer, and the book is riotously funny throughout. One especially entertaining encounter revolves around a music-video shoot where Kennedy presents a tray of cheese and grapes that his bosses have provided for lunch to rap star Fat Joe and his large crew, who then proceed to laugh at him, order delivery barbecue, and get stoned in a conference room. Readers with an interest in pop music will get the most out of this book, but anyone who appreciates good writing will enjoy it as well. Recommended for all public libraries.John Helling, Bloomfield-Eastern Greene Cty. P.L., IN

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2007
McSweeney contributor Kennedy landed a job at Atlantic Records just in time to witness the collapse of the record industry. That demise will come as no surprise to readers once they get a load of the endlessly inane meetingsrun by a series ofcompany bigwigsdesperate to figure out how to sell CDs to an audience thatdoesnt want them. One ofKennedys first assignments is to carry out an ad campaign in which a Jewel song about anarchy is tied to a commercial forwomens razors. Other chaptersrelate an electrifying concert by Iggy Pop and Kennedysfeeble but funny attempts to connectwith gangsta rap star Fat Joe (plenty of take-out barbecue helps break the ice).Kennedys self-deprecating wit is highly appealing;if the anecdotes seems a little tame, thats more a reflection of thesad state of the music business. One anecdote speaks volumes: Kennedys startling glimpse ofrock icon Jimmy Page striding out of the New York Stock Exchange after an IPO announcement byWarner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)