Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards - Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor

He produced some of the great albums of the time, Skynrds Second Helping, the Tubes great album, and of course the Dylan stories are fun. If you're interested in the behind the scenes stuff then read this book

One of the great rock musicians of all-time. This guy should definitely be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in fact he should have his own wing. Great writing throughout, this is the most entertaing rock and roll book that I've ever read. One of the finest memoirs I've ever read for that matter. I wish he would write more.

Written with a delightful sense of humor, Al Kooper's autobiography was an easy and fast read I will surely come back to. His pokes at the music business do not contain excessive bitterness. Like a professional athlete, he expresses gratitude for the opportunity to have made a good living doing what he loves. His attitude toward the loss of much of his eyesight is handled with similar grace.

The writing style is especially enjoyable. As Kooper himself notes toward the end of the book, he writes in much the same way that he speaks. This lends itself to his relating of so many humorous stories of life in the studio and on the road.

Harvey Mackay once wrote that if you find something you love to do, you'll never have to work a day in your life. While Al worked tirelessly in the music industry most of his adult life, he certainly embodies Mackay's sentiment. Thanks Al, for your music and your humor. Looking forward to enjoying both, in person and in recordings, for many more years.

This is an excellent tome about a period which was my psyche. Touched me on a number of levels - most importantly in resurrecting memories of the last several decades. He is an extreme talent and has spent his life pursuing his passion. I am so surprised that more people don't know the name.

Pretty interesting. His writing style is very readable. Lots of insider info, so if you like show biz stories, you'd like this. But it's also kind of depressing - talented guy, goes to a lot of parties, meets lots of famous people, works (!?) a couple hours a day (maybe) but never really finds the joy in life he thinks he deserves. Sometimes he seems whiney, but seems like a good guy.

Continuing worship of musicians as proxies. Of course they had a great time. Fewer rules, less inflated economy led to independence earlier, treasure trove of American music that hadn't been strip mined yet, the chance to lead a truly different life instead of purchased Bohemia.

Al Kooper has been rightly called the "Forrest Gump" of rock and roll. Throughout the 60's and 70's he seemed to turn up as a producer or band member with the right group of musicians until he either checked out of a band (the first electric Bob Dylan tour in 1965) or was thrown out (Blood, Sweat and Tears). Over the course of 40 years he's amassed an amazing amount of experiences that he's collected in Backstage Passes and Back Stabbing Bastards. This is the third edition of his music biography first published in 1979, then updated in the mid-90's, and now reissued covering 1998 to the present. "BP&BB" reads very much like a long-form interview you'd see in Rolling Stone (when it was good) or MOJO (always good). While he's never quite gone beyond cult figure status on his own, behind the scenes he's worked with some legends, most notably Bob Dylan and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Dylan pops up at various times throughout the book and Al's stories about him are alternately revealing but mostly hilarious. It was Dylan who gave Kooper his "calling card" to rock stardom when he overruled producer Tom Wilson and turned up the organist on "Like a Rolling Stone". The organist was Kooper, who'd BS'd his way onto the session and only jumped on the organ (an instrument he couldn't turn on let alone play) when Mike Bloomfield showed up and shattered Kooper's guitar hero dreams just by tuning up. That session would be both a blessing and a curse for Kooper, who got a ton of session work from producers looking for "that Dylan sound" but left Al wanting something more substantive musically. Enter Dylan, who dragged him onstage at the legendary Newport Folk Festival when he went electric. Al sets the record straight on that show and has a much different version of the event than the history books because he was RIGHT THERE. He was also "right there" when Bob went to Nashville to record "Blonde on Blonde". Al's relationship with Dylan has certainly evolved over the years and from his stories you get the impression that Bob's been doing everything he can to run away from his legacy instead of embracing it.

From there, he joined the Blues Project until they imploded. Organized and performed at Monterey Pop, then formed Blood Sweat and Tears until he was ousted by their drummer following their debut album. That might be the end of the story right? Wrong! Taking the phrase "if you can't beat `em, join `em" to heart, he became a staff producer at CBS Records under "Captain Clive" Davis. His first project would be the legendary "Super Session" album with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills. Kooper's work with "Bloomers' is a case of missed opportunities, when things were good with him they were very good. They would produce 3 albums together but Mike could be exasperating to deal with. He only appeared on ½ of "SS" and "The Live Adventures", leaving suddenly midway through both due to chronic insomnia and/or a heroin addiction that eventually took his life.

After leaving CBS, he relocated to Atlanta with the idea of forming his own record label (ala` Phil Walden at Capricorn Records). While scouting local talent he spotted a guitar army from Jacksonville and "Sounds of the South's" first artist was Lynyrd Skynyrd. LS seem to have a love/hate relationship with Kooper. While grateful for producing their first 3 albums (as well as hits like "Free Bird", "Gimme 3 Steps" and "Sweet Home Alabama") his production methods seemed to soften the powerhouse sound they had live. It's no wonder he was immortalized as "Mr. Yankee Slicker" in the song "Workin' for MCA".

The one story I wished he'd expanded on was playing with Jimi Hendrix on "Electric Ladyland". They'd met at Monterey Pop and Al received one of Jimi's Strats as a thank-you for his work. That guitar would prove to be more trouble than it was worth later on.

The last 10 years have been something of a rough road for Al. He became an associate professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, became a grandfather, and endured a long recovery from a debilitating eye disorder. But he's still out playing live (with his academic colleagues no less!) and his dry wit is still there, can't wait for volume 4!

Highly recommended!

Al Kooper (not to be confused with Alice Cooper) is a true rock and roll survivor with a music career spanning several decades. Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards gives us Kooper's perspective on his career as well as encounters with various significant musicians. Kooper's book is a rarity in this field because he comes across as an intelligent and likeable individual rather than the stereotypical rock musician qua druggie/devirginator. So don't go to this book if you're looking for lurid stories of ODs and groupies. Some of Al's fellow musicians, such as B.B. King, Gene Pitney, and George Harrison, are characterized as really great human beings but Al doesn't hesitate to take potshots at those who have done him wrong such as Bobby Colomby and Steve Katz of Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Kooper has had an amazing career playing with such notables as Bob Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones (You Can't Always Get What You Want), and Jimi Hendrix. And he was one of the writers of This Diamond Ring, a number one hit for Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Kooper writes intelligently and his book is a fun read. My only criticism is the lack of detail on some of Al's more interesting musical adventures. He came up with the idea for the Super Session album involving Mike Bloomfield, Steve Stills, and others but we don't get very much information about what it was like to work with Bloomfield beyond the fact that Bloomfield left with the album half-done apparently because of insomnia. On the other hand, Al is upfront in admitting that he showed up for Dylan's Highway 61 session expecting to play guitar but quickly abandoned that notion when Bloomfield played a few riffs on his Telecaster. Kooper was on the scene to work with Jimi Hendrix on the Electric Ladyland album but there's very little on this. Hendrix did think highly enough of Al to send him one of his guitars. There are interesting sections detailing Kooper's production work with Lynyrd Skynyrd and TV work with Ray Charles, and the crime drama "Crime Story." All in all, this is a very entertaining book even if it's somewhat lacking in details.

Many years ago, I bought the first edition, lent it to a friend, and never saw it again. More recently, I bought this edition, lent it to a friend, and never saw it again.

This is the story of music in the 60s by someone who was there and was apparently straight enough remember most of it. Mr. Kooper, songwriter (remember "This Diamond Ring?"), sideman, johnny-on-the-spot and shameless self-promoter, writes literately and vividly about sex, drugs, and music. You might think he's pushy, but you have to love him because it's obvious he loves what he does, bullsh*t and all. Also, his insights are so literate and poignant that you're grateful to be along for his ride.

My favorite stories--the "Like a Rolling Stone" session where he jumped up to the Hammond B3 and played the whole song behind the beat because he'd never heard it before, accidentally creating the organ style that everyone had to have in 1965; getting skunked onstage by Stevie Ray Vaughn; and jamming with Lynerd Skynerd in C# (it's one up from C) to discourage the guitar wankers. I was never a Lynerd Skynerd fan, but they have earned my deepest respect.

what do hit songs:
THIS DIAMOND RING; Gary Lewis and the Playboys
LIKE A ROLLING STONE; Bob Dylan
SWEET HOME ALABAMA; Lynyrd Skynyrd
WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE; The Tubes (well,almost a hit) have in common? Al Kooper that's who. From Brill building staff songwriter, to Blues aficionado, to big band frontman, to organ grinder to the stars, to producer extraordinaire, Kooper tells his unique story in a very conversational manner. Never succumbing to cliches and never passing an opportunity for a humorous, self effacing tidbit while rubbing up against some of the most seminal musicians of the golden age of Rock 'n Roll. Nobody ever had their fingers in as many pies as Al. If you've become a lover of the history of Rock, you can't pass up this memoir.........

first and foremost, this is a good read---kooper's a good storyteller with a nice, self-effacing wit, the incessant name-dropping gets a bit excessive. not much in the way of character development; you don't really get much of a sense of the innumerable famous people he's encountered. by his own account, not a great musician or especially seminal rocknroll figure, but he really has gotten around. recommended.

This book is most definitely a mixed bag. The parts regarding the Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Dylan sessions are quite captivating. The brutal honesty really shines through in those sections. However, the solo career and Super Session material is quite boring as those parts really portray Mr. Kooper as just another studio musician. There is a point where it all sounds the same, this was the guitar player, and that was the drummer and we made this kind of music and smoked this type of weed and had these hassles. What impact did these alleged Super Sessions have on the music industry? I'll tell you what, absolutely very little if not nothing. In addition, Mr. Kooper's style does not fully tune you into his world. He assumes that you know what he is talking about without gramatically introducing you to how he got affiliated with a particular group. Also the changes are not connected too well. Many interesting stories but this could definitely have gone alot deeper in spots.

Candid, honest, revealing, and funny, Al Kooper takes readers on a rock and roll rollercoaster filled with classic sessions with legends like Dylan and the Stones, groundbreaking work with The Blues Project and Blood, Sweat & Tears, and the master's touch that brought Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Tubes to prominence. Writing in a fluid, friendly style that feels like he's sitting right next to you pulling out albums from his own collection and telling you what turns him on, Kooper dishes the surprisingly-sour-grapes-free dirt on the nastiness and selfishness of the music industry and how it made him decide to leave the business and do the things he wants to do (such as teaching at Berklee and playing occasional gigs with superstars from late-night-TV-show bands) on his own terms. Amazing photos, incredible puns, and a promise to sign your book if you bring it to one of his shows are just some of unusual things that make this book a must for anyone who digs rock and roll, the blues, the 60s, or just a good story well told.

Great book. Interesting insights into the music business and the rock and roll lifestyle. I never got to go to the same kind of parties Al did so it was a great vicarious way to experience that world. I knew a little bit about Al Kooper, the Dylan story about playing organ on 'Rolling Stone, but had no idea he produced classics like Skynrd's Second Helping and The Tubes album with What Do You Want from Life and White Punks on Dope. Those are some of my favorite records of all time. Also a different telling of the Electric Dylan story I had not heard before. I'll take your word for it Al. It was a fun book.

Much more than the creator of The Blues Project; Blood,Sweat and Tears; and Super Session, the thread that is Al Kooper runs through most of the major events of rock-and-roll over the past thirty-plus years. "Backstage Passes..." is the chronicle of those times from the man who lived them (and survived them). Kooper's touch with a tune transfers well to the page, making for an insightful, humorous read. As a 20-year Kooper fan, I found mountains of "Gee, I didn't know..." material. Like: I didn't know about the Jonie Mitchell story. Didn't know how Stephen Stills wound up on Super Session, didn't appreciate the changing of the guard at B,S&T.
The world finally get an answer to the question: What do Judy Collins, Stephen King, B.B. King, Gary Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Rick Nelson, Jimmy Carter, Randy Travis, and George Harrison all have in common?
My advice: order "Backstage Passes...", and Kooper's 2-CD set "Soul of A Man" (both available from the store.com). Slide both discs in, crack this mutha of a book, and let Al take you for a rollercoaster-of-a-ride through the soul of rock. You'll love it...more than you'll ever know!

Where's Paul Harvey when you REALLY need him? These guys (everybody associated with the first two versions of Blood, Sweat and Tears) regularly spin doctor themselves and each other into oblivion at every opportunity they get without very much attention being paid to the MUSIC ITSELF, or it's creation. ALL of which I personally think is GREAT. Blood, Sweat and Tears' first 4 records will go to that Tom Hanks desert island with me ahead of just about anything else in rock music's catalog.
The question I want answered is when is the band that made the big splash going to get the chance to tell it's side of the story? (CD linear notes with 3rd and 4th hand accounts don't count). Apparently never.
Kooper's accounting of himself and his personal musical endeavor's however were so captivating and humorous that I checked out his compilation CD (Rare and Well Done) and LOVED it!

Lots of rock history and inside stuff. Always enjoy when an author treats the reader as intelligent. Who knew what comping vocals were?
Was the best rock bio I've ever read until it gets sloppy and redundant in the final third.

mr kooper has been at the correct musical intersections many times in his life. this yarn of the early years of the rock era morphing into the new reality is one of the best "art meets music biz" autobiographies around.

The details he writes about making music with All The Great Ones are fascinating. I had to listen to my old records again, now hearing them in a new way. His writing style is fluent and good English, spiced with dry humour. Being his age, takes my breath away reading how incredibly much he has done! There must be more than 24 hours in his day!

I recommend this book for everybody interested in the rock scene
of the 60`s and up !
Al Kooper has a lot to tell of the early days in rock music and is
a great writer .
A lot of good reading and dont forget:
Mr Kooper is still making really good music, listen to the newest
album Black Coffee and see what I mean...

The anecdotes of the Dylan sessions are worth the price of the book. But Kooper shows that ya gotta take chances. Sometimes he hits, sometimes he misses; but it's always funny. As Al says,"Forget what you heard, I was there."