Lester Bangs achieved - in death if not in life - something no other rock critic ever has: stardom. In a way, I find this fitting, for Lester emulated in his writing the wild kinetic energy of the rock 'n' roll he loved so much. He also imitated the wanton lifestyle of the rock stars he wrote about with such ambivalence, and he died a drug-related death - a certain road to celebrity - at age 33.

In another sense, Bangs' status as a legend is a bit of a joke (one he certainly would appreciate). Though he wrote prodigiously - compulsively, even - he published only one book during his lifetime. He could be maddeningly inconsistent and, by all accounts, was a royal pain in the ass. Or, as Lester himself put it, "The only people who are more unnecessary than rock musicians, who are totally interchangeable, are rock critics, because who gives a fuck, right?"

But, if you want to know what makes good rock 'n' roll (or what makes rock 'n' roll good), I can't think of a more important author than Lester Bangs. His style is exciting, his opinions unassailable, and, despite intermittent appearances, he cared deeply about the music. More than anyone before or since, Lester Bangs had a tremendous impact on pop culture simply by writing about it.

Bang's friend and colleague, Greil Marcus, maintains that a critic's primary obligation is to tell the truth. According to Marcus, "Lester didn't lie. Lester was willing to make a complete fool of himself in search of the truth." In the process, Marcus observed, Bangs exposed his readers to, "the most extreme outbursts of humor, of pathos, of imagination, of invention, of storytelling, of obscenity, of absurdity." Over twenty years hence, Lester Bangs' writing continues to make most rock criticism look pale, timid, and dishonest in comparison. (Read more about Lester Bangs in the All Music Guide.)

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung
by Lester Bangs (1988)
This book, a collection of his writings edited by Greil Marcus, is the definitive Lester Bangs - posthumously, at least. Despite the fact that it skips his most famous work (for Rolling Stone) due to contractual limitations (i.e. Jann Wenner is an asshole), this anthology gives us a pretty clear window into the riotous, conflicted soul of rock and roll's own Hunter S. Thompson. Words poured - no, spewed - from the pen of Lester Bangs, and there will never be another like him. One was enough. Psychotic Reactions is truly essential reading, if only for the strange, riveting, confrontational conversations between Bangs and his fallen idol, Lou Reed. [top of page]

Blondie
by Lester Bangs (1980)
The only actual book Bangs published during his lifetime (though he contributed to others), Lester Bangs' Blondie was soon remaindered and now sells for upwards to $100 in collectors circles. In typical fashion, Bangs spends as much time tearing his idols down as he does building them up. Blondie should have broken the mold for rock bios; sadly and predictably, it didn't. [top of page]

Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs
by Jim DeRogatis (2000)
If Psychotic Reactions earned Lester Bangs a place of honor among his peers, Let It Blurt - and its attendant media huzzahs - very nearly placed Bangs in the pantheon of public opinion. Certainly, it cemented his status as a role model among earnest young college boys and gonzo journalist wannabes, and it greased the skids for Bangs' appearance ( played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) in Cameron Crowe's movie, Almost Famous. DeRogatis does a great job, though, and his book is a perfect companion for Psychotic Reactions. Regardless, Let It Blurt would be worth any price for its inclusion of Bangs' hilarious, scabrous, otherwise unavailable essay "How To Be A Rock Critic." [top of page]