JACOB SLICHTER is a native of Champaign, Illinois, and graduated from Harvard with a degree in Afro-American studies and history. He has read his road diaries (originally published on the Semisonic website) on NPR's Morning Edition. With his multiplatinum-selling band Semisonic he has appeared on the Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and Craig Kilborn shows.
“If I was nineteen again and lusted after the game of music, this
book would be my guide and charm.”
—Andrew Loog Oldham, former manager of the Rolling Stones
“Still wondering what your college band coulda been? This giddy,
can-you-believe-my-luck book is for you.” —Time Out New York
“Slichter’s most impressive attribute is his unfailing enthusiasm
for his craft and for music in general.” —James McMurtry, The New
York Times Book Review
“[Jacob Slichter] is a self-effacing, good-humored, and intelligent
guide through the musical maze…. Few first-person memoirs of the
rock biz are as smart, honest, and entertaining as this tart,
incisive work.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Slichter is the drummer of Semisonic, a marginally successful 1990s alt-rock band from Minneapolis that mined a hit with the late-night anthem "Closing Time." Considering Slichter's relative anonymity, one has to wonder how he got a deal to publish these road diaries-no doubt his Harvard education and stint reading them on NPR's Morning Edition helped. Ultimately, the drummer's recollections of life in the music biz are far more interesting than his band ever was. With conversational ease, Slichter details the scary side of rock semistardom, freely recounting how much money MCA Records spent on promoting Semisonic (millions) and why the band was expected to repay every cent. And when Slichter writes about his band getting dropped from the label's roster, it's easy to feel his despair. For diehard Semisonic fans, the book provides insight into the band's formation and touching details concerning the lyrics of "Closing Time." But for casual readers, the best information has little to do with a band. Recommended for libraries in the upper Midwest, specifically those in the land of 10,000 lakes.-Robert Morast, Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
"If I was nineteen again and lusted after the game of music, this
book would be my guide and charm."
-Andrew Loog Oldham, former manager of the Rolling Stones
"Still wondering what your college band coulda been? This giddy,
can-you-believe-my-luck book is for you." -Time Out New
York
"Slichter's most impressive attribute is his unfailing enthusiasm
for his craft and for music in general." -James McMurtry, The
New York Times Book Review
"[Jacob Slichter] is a self-effacing, good-humored, and intelligent
guide through the musical maze.... Few first-person memoirs of the
rock biz are as smart, honest, and entertaining as this tart,
incisive work." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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