Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion

by Tom Beaujour, Richard Bienstock, Corey Taylor (Foreword)

Hard rock in the 1980s was a hedonistic and often intensely creative wellspring of escapism that perfectly encapsulated—and maybe even helped to define—a spectacularly over-the-top decade. Indeed, fist-pumping hits like Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It," Mötley Crüe's "Girls, Girls, Girls," and Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" are as inextricably linked to the era as Reaganomics, Pac-Man, and E.T.

From the do-or-die early days of self-financed recordings and D.I.Y. concert productions that were as flashy as they were foolhardy, to the multi-Platinum, MTV-powered glory years of stadium-shaking anthems and chart-topping power ballads, to the ultimate crash when grunge bands like Nirvana forever altered the entire climate of the business, Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock's "Nothin' But a Good Time" captures the energy and excess of the hair metal years in the words of the musicians, managers, producers, engineers, label executives, publicists, stylists, costume designers, photographers, journalists, magazine publishers, video directors, club bookers, roadies, groupies, and hangers-on who lived it.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Pop Culture, Audiobook, Rock N Roll

535 pages, Hardcover

First published March 16, 2021

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars

Back in the 80's I was a yuppie working in the Wall Street Area, and I have very fond memories of listening to so called metal "hair bands" on my Sony Walkman cassette player during my commutes. I had grown up on The Beatles, transitioned to The Bay City Rollers and then KISS, back to The Beatles again...and then it happened: Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Cinderella, Stryper, Poison, Guns n' Roses, Warrant, Skid Row, Europe, Ozzy and others. This melodic heavy rock music made me feel alive like no other, and I still react that way to it today. When I'm working and I feel like I'm getting drowsy, all I need to do is launch my ipod on the playlist I created called "Metal Orgy" and the blood starts coursing through my veins again. These were bands who teased their long manes of hair to the max and kept it there with Aqua Net spray, wore leather or colorful tight stretchy pants, and makeup. It was an androgynous look, but seemed to attract scores of women to their audiences. I became a devotee of watching the "Headbangers Ball" on MTV every weekend and subscribed to magazines such as Hit Parader, RIP and Creem (I still have every issue). I read these magazines cover to cover, even if I wasn't familiar with all the bands. They were still interesting to read about. They weren't just a bunch of guys in jeans, they were eye catching and each had their own mystique and schtick. People who don't know me that well are surprised when they find out what a penchant I have for these bands, as they know me primarily as a huge Beatles fan. I still am, but I'm also a big Hair Band fan! So I gasped when I saw this book dedicated to the story of this music genre and jumped at the chance to read it.

The book is delivered in oral narration format, which I love. The band members told their stories themselves. I know the history well of how up and coming bands flocked to LA where they held court at venues such as Gazzarri's, the Whisky a Go Go and The Cathouse to name a few. Bands would room together in mostly poor conditions relying on the patronage of female groupies who would bring them groceries, etc. There was a system of bands printing up flyers and posting them all over town. It was extremely competitive and bands would often find the fliers they had just posted- posted over by someone else. There was a signing frenzy for a period of time where record companies were snapping these bands up one by one. After awhile the genre became over saturated and their wave of success came crashing down with the advent of Seattle grunge bands. But years later, people who had grown up loving this music were nostalgic, and some of these resurfaced on package tours. A lot of bands had to seriously downgrade their venues if they wanted to play, as Nirvana spearheaded the next big thing with other bands like Soundgarden, Faith No More and Alice in Chains.

An iconic moment is emblazoned on the book cover that reminds me of my favorite guitar solo. When Ozzy Osbourne went solo he had an amazingly talented lead guitarist named Randy Rhoads. Randy was in his early twenties with soft, long blond hair and was very petite. There is a photo of Ozzy holding Randy up on his shoulder during a concert (see "Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads Tribute" album cover) If you ever want to hear an incredible guitar solo that meshes classical and metal music, play the video of "Mr. Crowley" in concert from 1981. As soon as the music starts, you will recognize the sinister organ intro and you'll be on your way! Quite tragically, Randy died in a plane accident after only being with Ozzy's band a short time, but his flying V polka dotted electric guitar will never be forgotten.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a teen in the 80’s who was a little metal head (and proudly, I still am), I loved this book! All of my favorites are packed in to this gem. Mötley Crüe, Guns ‘n Roses, Van Halen, Ratt, Skid Row, Poison and countless others detail the good and bad that shaped their lives and careers back in the day. Not only musicians are giving details - we also have band managers, roadies and club managers giving insight.

The interview format is genius and gave the reader a realistic view of rockstar life in the 80’s. The “cast of characters” at the beginning of the book is awesome! I’m super nostalgic when it comes to music and still listen to these bands daily. They will always be my favorite and a big part of my life. Now if we could only get concerts to start back up again I’d be in heaven! I can’t wait!

Rock on! 🤘🏼

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Tom Beaujour & Richard Bienstock for my advanced copy to read and review.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nothin But A Good Time" traces the journey that heavy metal rock took from the explosion of Van Halen in the late Seventies until the days of Nirvana and the grunge monsters bands heralded the dawning of a new generation of rock. Told not in expository fashion, but through interviews with artists, managers, and industry people, what this book does is give the reader a hands-on view of life in the metal trenches in the Eighties. For those not too familiar with the numerous hair metal bands of the Eighties like Motley Crew, Vixen, or Guns and Roses, this format might leave you a bit lost at times. For those who lived through the era and remember what the Sunset Strip was like in those days, it might just be a trip down memory lane. There are no secrets here. Every excess of drugs, sex, fame, or straight-out idiocy is laid out in these pages as remembered by those who were there.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! As a big fan of rock and specifically 80s rock, this book took you back to those crazy days. I have read other books chronicling these times and this one is the best. The author had great access to the bands and told their story, both good and bad. And it is not just the bands, it is the scene. You go behind the scenes with the venues the bands played, the people who made the costumes, the people at the labels, the magazines, and MTV. It wasn’t all about the bands. I found myself looking up old videos and recalling where I was at in my life when I heard these songs. Well worth a read.

ARC generously provided by NetGalley.

[Bookwraiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book overall with many tidbits of information I personally didn’t know about this music scene. The main complaint I have is the format of the narrative; everything here is excerpts from interviews with people, and reading this gets confusion and hard to follow at times.

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me start out by saying I love 80s metal so I was really looking forward to this book when I saw it available for review on NetGalley. It’s a really interesting read and now I’m spouting off facts and info. I rounded up my rating to 4 because it really gives a good accurate account of what was happening. The reason it’s not a 5 for me is because it’s really long and the flow isn’t terrific. It’s not awful but some chapters have multiple bands and I had to try and remember where I knew the name from (may be helpful to say the band each time).

All in all I enjoyed this book and would recommend to people that love the music.

[Alberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se nos cuenta el nacimiento, auge y caída del hard rock de los 80 también llamado hair metal o glam metal sobre todo en la zona de Los Angeles. Para alguien como yo que tenía 15 años a mediados de los ochenta y que conocía a la mayoría de grupos y vídeos de la época este libro no puede ser valorado con menos de cinco estrellas. Para otras personas a las que le pille más de lejos el movimiento puede que su valoración baje varias estrellas.
Vamos a ver desfilar por entre sus páginas a Van Halen (puede que los verdaderos pioneros), Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Ratt, Faster Pussycat, Great White, White Lion, London, Poison, Stryper, Guns n' Roses, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Warrant, Ozzy Osbourne, Vixen, Kiss, WASP, Winger,Aerosmith, Dokken, Lita Ford, L.A. Guns, Hollywood Rose, Y&T...
Vamos a enterarnos de sus lanzamientos discográficos, de sus videoclips, su imagen, los productores, las actuaciones, la promoción que hacían con sus flyers, la típica balada a incluir, las drogas que tomaban, el sexo, las groupies que tenían etcétera.
Veremos pasar por delante el programa de la MTV "Headbangers ball", el film "Decline of western civilization 2: Metal years", el concierto de Moscú, los cambios de guitarristas (Slash, Jackie E. Lee, Randy Rhoads, George Lynch....) de un grupo a otro y como terminó todo con la aparición del grunge y todos esos grupos de Seattle: Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden y demás.
A veces cuesta un poco seguir e hilo pero con todo ese contenido contado de primera mano es imposible no quedar atrapado en sus páginas.
Ahora es cuando hay que hacerse una lista de reproducción en Spotify con todas esas bandas, cuando la tenga actualizaré la reseña.

[Liberty {LittyLibby} · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a self-professed hair metal fan, the more guyliner the better. I would die of heart failure if I ever met Bret Michaels face to face. Give me pouty Sebastian Bach lips and slinky Axl Rose hips, and ALL the guitars and ballads. Preferably in music video format, as all good kids raised by MTV would want it.
But despite all the heart throbbing love I have for these pretty boys and their glam music, this book just did not do it for me. I listened on audio AND had the gorgeous hardcover in hand, but the format sucked....
I would absolutely watch it as a rockumentary though, if Bret did the interviews. 🤘🏻🖤🤘🏻

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love oral histories. A lot of the people interviewed in this book love oral something else.

This is an affectionate, detailed look at 1980s-era bands who were part of the hair metal/cock rock/glam metal movement. They fought and made up and succeeded and failed and had confidence and doubts. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the most hairsprayed of times.

The authors and at least some of the interviewees understand that sexism was a problem during this era. So there's an attempt to address that. I especially liked the interviews with the former members of the band Vixen, who seem to be smart and levelheaded women. I especially disliked the interview with someone I had never heard of, who said he would never want to be in a band with chicks unless the band was Heart. First of all, I don't think the members of Heart would touch him to scratch him. But what's really sad is that he still doesn't seem to understand that he dismissed 51 percent of the population for no good reason.

There's a little in here about homophobia, but at the time nobody seemed genuinely upset about it except Kurt Cobain. He was of a slightly younger generation, of course, so that may have been part of it. It seems odd that in all these bands with all these musicians, apparently nobody was gay or bisexual.

There's nothing in here about race. It seems deeply weird to me that in a movement that took place in Southern California, practically everybody interviewed is white. Everybody admires Slash, and there's one mention of Living Colour. That's it.

Of all the massive egos in this book, the one I enjoyed reading most about was Kip Winger. Tall, handsome, talented, intelligent, insufferable. Just full of defensiveness, even after all these years, and seemingly always ready to tear down others' talent and accomplishments. All I remember about him from back in the day is that he had great hair and they were mean to him on that Beavis and Butt-Head show. I figured it was a bad roasting but that his fans wouldn't care. It turns out that three days after the Beavis show aired, they had to cancel the Winger tour. The poor man got laughed at in a McDonald's. All that would stick with me, too.

Reasons this type of music went out of style, according to the authors and interviewees:

• SoundScan was invented, so sales figures were suddenly far more accurate instead of just estimates. It turned out that lots more people were buying country music than anyone realized. (Also rap and hip-hop, but the book doesn't mention that.)

• The record companies hired too many of the same type of band and flooded the market.

• Most of these bands sounded similar, and almost all of them looked similar.

• It was a new decade, and people wanted a new sound and a new look.

• In a brief period, several bands released albums that confounded their fans' expectations.

• A lot of bands either had addiction problems, didn't communicate well, got too caught up in the fringe benefits instead of focusing on music or even marketing, or simply ran out of ideas.

[kat’s books ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars! yes, it did take me a long time to finish this but I really enjoyed it overall! Definitely recommend if you are into 80’s hard rock and all. :)

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME is a rock n' roll roller coaster read through the history of 'hair metal.' The narrative is played out through a series of quotes revolving around the chapter's topic du jour. In short, it reads like an oversized VH1 Rockumentary.

For hard core fans, there's not a lot of new insights or revelations. This is a rocket ride through the history of the music starting in the late 70s and culminating in the revival years we're now living in. It's snap shots of important milestones of the genre. You get the rise of the LA rock scene. The domination on Mtv, Moscow Music Peace festival and of course, the advent of Nirvana.

Of course, this is meant to be a sort of encyclopedia of the entire decade of decadence. If you want deeper dives, you'll have to go and cross reference any of the bands or band member's own biographies. What's cool is getting a bit of insight from the second or third tier bands and musicians that you may never get to hear from otherwise.

This is a fun, nostalgic read for those who lived and loved 80s hair metal. It even a great read for those who were too young to be there but have discovered it and wish they would have been there. Now, you can get a better taste of what it was all like. This will be a treasured edition for my bookshelf.

[ᒪᗴᗩᕼ · Rating 3 out of 5]

❐ Overall Rating 3½⭐ | Narration 😐 = Okay
❐ Narrated by Amy McFadden & Gary Furlong
❐ Listening Length: 15H 58M
❐ Non-Fiction
❐ Pop Culture --The 80’s Hair Bands
❐ Covering details of how these bands made it or didn’t make it, their agents, make-up, costumes, and even their groupies

Not as good as I hoped it would be...but not bad, either.

The bands above are just some of the bands that you’ll hear about in this book. While it’s very comprehensive, covering a little something from each of the 80s hair/glam bands, it’s not all that in-depth. Although it would have been a lot longer if it had been more in-depth, I guess, and since I already found it to be tedious, I’m glad it wasn’t.

The narration was okay but they only had two people voicing many people and so it felt like it was just; two people, you really had to listen to catch which person was speaking and it moved from one to the next quickly...and sort made me tune out a little too often.


(cawpile score = 6.71/10)

[Fred Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an oral history of the 1980s hard rock/glam metal/heavy metal scene. It focuses on the scene developing in Los Angeles, but it also explores the bands that came from the East Coast (Cinderella, Britny Fox, Skid Row).

If you enjoy oral histories, you'll enjoy this one. There's lots of brief quotes from band members, managers, publishers, anyone who was involved, and they are organized to fit the narrative. Occasionally there's an interview with one person between chapters.

We've heard some of the stories before. I don't really need to hear again about Ozzy Osbourne snorting ants, stunning the members of Motley Crue, but there are many new stories as well, and the book gives a good account of the rise of this type of music and how it went into a decline as grunge appeared. However, not everyone blames grunge. Some blame a glut in the market, the excess of the bands, declining quality, experimentation that alienated the fan base, so it's more complicated than Kurt Cobain appearing and murdering a genre.

If you loved the music, this book is definitely for you. I never stopped loving it, and I still listen to many of these bands. I hadn't heard of (or didn't remember) several of them, and I'm checking them out.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure, it's easy to make fun of hair metal, but for those of us who grew up listening to it, it was a lot of fun and yeah, chick really dug it. I pre-ordered the book not knowing what to expect and it's way more than just a rise and fall of a genre of music that simply wanted us to have a good time. Was it over the top? Sure, but that was the point, and for a time there was no way to escape it. It's a well written book that allows the bands that were a part of the rise, and eventual demise of the genre to tell their stories and it makes for an interesting book. A few surprises and weirdly enough, it features Nelson and Winger who some say helped kill the genre.
For those who weren't able to experience it, they now can in a way and while there are going to be some who say the behaviors and actions of those involved were a bit gross, but that was just how things were back then. It was all about getting laid and having fun. The book details a lot more than the music, but the actions of the bands themselves. As adults we can look back and say that maybe that behavior wasn't exactly politically correct, but it sure was fun. It allows us to relive those days and remember the bands who sometimes looked like chicks.
The book is an interesting read that peels back the curtain and gives us the stories we've heard before and some that we haven't. It's a book for both fans, and newer fans that weren't around for the glory days of hair metal. While it may have worn out its welcome we still come back to the music because it's fun and while some of it hasn't aged well, some of it has. You have interviews with bands like Skid Row, Cinderella and even obscure bands like Pretty Boy Floyd who could have been huge if their album had been released a year or two earlier. Well written and one that fans and non fans can read and enjoy.

[Bonnie]

Format sucks on audio. Might try again in physical.

[Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you every listened to that Audible that made you think to yourself, man I wish that could have been twice as long and a musical? Well, Nöthin' But a Good Time is that book!

In the vein of Ready Player One and The Dirt, this book capitalizes on nostalgia. Every singer, every song, all those bands, each one brought back memories. Nöthin' But a Good Time doesn’t flow like a typical book. The contributors (you really can’t call them authors) sat and talked to many of the characters who were active during the rise and fall of ‘80s rock. They plucked snippets of these conversations and made it all flow into a cohesive narrative of the time and place.

The book was filled with some surprises and some things that weren’t so surprising; everyday I had several anecdotes that I felt obligated to share with my wife. It really speaks to the power of a book when you have to share it with others. Nöthin' But a Good Time embodies the period, it was fun, lighthearted, yet had its share of tragedy.

A good deal was made of the end of the era and the birth of grunge; I have my own little theory about that. Was it a shift in taste? Did Nirvana kill metal? I just think that the fans got older; the fifteen-year-old who was blown away by “Eruption” in 1978 was 28 in 1991; the eighteen-year-old who stood in line for four hours to get Twisted Sister tickets in 1984 was 25 in 1991; the twenty-one-year-old who banged the "Cherry Pie" guy in the back alley behind Gazzarri’s in 1983 was 29 in 1991. These people got to an age where they had kids, they had to get up in the morning, they had bills to pay. They couldn’t go to the shows on a Tuesday night anymore. The market grew up, but we still love the music.

Nöthin' But a Good Time may not be a creative masterpiece like some of the fiction that I typically read or listen to, but it certainly was nothing but a good time.

And just an FYI, I’m listening to Mötley Crüe as I write this.

[Lance Lumley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an objective look at the glam (or hair metal if you want to call it that) bands of the 1980s from the people who were involved; musicians, producers, costume designers and more. The story is told from the breakout of Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister as ground breakers and follows bands on both the East and West Coast forming bands to make it big.
The book interviews original band members who left before bands broke big, MTV execs, and others. The Sunset Strip flyer wars, to bands taking other members of rival groups to form their successful lineups. Great interviews by The Nelson brothers, members of Warrant, Vito Bratta, and more are all here. This isn't one of those books bashing the 80s genre , and for a fan like me, it is welcomed.
For an in depth review, visit my review on: https://sleazeroxx.com/reviews/nothin...

[Lezlie Gits · Rating 5 out of 5]

On one hand, this book is a really fun trip down memory lane of an era that is close to my heart. It was great to hear backstories about bands I loved, how they got together and the work they put in to become a success. On the other hand, this book is an uncomfortably disturbing trip down memory lane of an era raging with alcohol, drugs, sexism, misogyny, and, somewhat ironically considering the look for which 80s hair rock is infamous, toxic masculinity. You wouldn't think men who spent so much time and effort trying to look pretty would spend even more time degrading the women they were emulating. I still adore the music, but the perspective from a distance of 30+ years is vastly different. I loved reading it, but it did make me cringe more than a couple of times. If you are of a certain age, pair this book with a viewing of "The Decline of Western Civilization, Part 2: The Metal Years" and a good therapy session.

[reqbat · Rating 1 out of 5]

The weirdly knitted-together interview format stinks and frankly I think that some of these ppl COULD apologize for how they treated women back in the day, rather than the blanket “aw man it was a different TIME, you KNOW?” Yeah, we know, we grew- an apology for using women like cum dumpsters would be nice 🤷‍♀️ even a “maybe we weren’t cool for being assholes” would be nice. If you want a bunch of rock tunes you liked when you were an innocent 13-year-old ruined, revisit this book. If you know the deal with hair metal, just reread The Dirt- it’s FAR superior.

[Scott Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I know some people will be annoyed by the format. It feels more like a book version of a long documentary. It is predominantly made up of snippets of interviews. It's still good, but if you are looking for a more formally written book, this isn't it. It's pieced together with these interviews.

That being said, if you are a fan of the era, I'd say it is a must read. And even if you're just casually entertained by that scene, it's still a fun read.

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read. It’s funny how one day hair metal just took off. I went from Duran Duran to Motley Crue and in the end we all took another turn to grunge. It’s just the cycle of music.

[Ashley Osborn - Book Of Salem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be a little biased because I absolutely love 80’s Hair Metal but I really enjoyed this book!

One of the things this book has that a lot of other books don’t, are stories from other people in rock who aren’t the actual rock stars. They have stories from roadies, tour managers, producers and even heavy metal fashion designers. Of course, we have rock star stories too, from people like Slash, Nikki Sixx, Stephen Pearcy and Dee Snider, but having everyone’s perspective on the 80’s rock scene really made you feel like you were a part of it.

There are a couple reasons why this book is a 4 start instead of a 5. This book was pretty long, one of the longest I’ve read in a while. While I have absolutely nothing against a long book, this could have been a 300 page book. Also, this is a very personal opinion but I’m not a big fan of Stryper, Winger or White Lion, so I found myself skimming their sections. To be honest, I feel like many people will not be as interested in the chapter from bands they don’t gravitate towards. In contrast to that, I loved the chapters about Motley Crue, Ratt and Quiet Riot.

I also really enjoyed the last few chapters about 80’s hair metal today and the bands that have been able to last, ie. Motley Crue and Guns N Roses, just to name a couple.

If you love heavy metal, 80’s metal, hair metal, etc, you will love this book!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary | maryreadstoomuch · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is billed as "The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion", and I think it partially lives up to the name. It's clear that the authors got access to all the big names of the scene, as well as lots of smaller bands. However, the format really turned me off. I enjoy oral histories, but usually they are interspersed with text about the period and historical context. This book is pure oral history, delivered in a longwinded and unedited manner, and it didn't keep my interest beyond 3 chapters. 1 star for a DNF.

I also took issue with the way the authors just said "not our problem" to the undercurrents of sexism and misogyny that run through this time period. In the introduction, they say that these musicians have evolved and become parents and grandparents, and use this excuse to hand wave away any discussion of the topic. Sure, people change, and you also have to judge these things by the standards of the time, but the dismissive attitude felt really tone deaf to me.

You don't need to make people apologize, but looking back at history is the perfect time to think about how one's actions had unintended effects. It's also clear from some of the present day interviews that the way many of these men think about women has not fundamentally changed - one section of the book talks about being kind to "ugly fat chicks" because they were more loyal fans. Yikes. If you really loved this time in music, you may enjoy this book, otherwise, I would skip it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing overall story that definitely needed to be told! There were so many great stories within the overall story that also had to be shared. All the antics and debauchery that go along with the rock n roll lifestyle are amusing and entertaining to me.

I'm a child of the 80s and I consider myself extremely lucky to have grown up on this kind of music. Shout out to Mom and Dad for that! To this day I'm still listening, still rocking out with my first in the air! No matter how many times I hear these songs, they never get old. It's like hearing them for the first time every time. This book even turned me on to bands I'm not super familiar with. I look forward to checking out bands like Stryper, Faster Pussycat, and W.A.S.P. Some of the stories took a tragic turn towards the end. It's a little sad to read about people with so much talent who succumb to drug and alcohol addiction. It's a very unforgiving lifestyle if people aren't careful. Rest in peace Eddie Van Halen, Jack Russell, Kevin DuBrow, Jani Lane, and all the others who went to Rock n Roll heaven too soon.

The grunge explosion of the early 90s played a big hand in taking down the rock music of the 80s. Fortunately they were down but not out. Many of the 80s bands in this book are enjoying a big resurgence today thanks in part to people like me. People who want to remember hearing songs they grew up listening to.

Thanks to the authors for all the work that went into the extensive research and interviews they did to write this book. Keep on rockin' everybody!

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to win this book. Even though I grew up in music in the late 1906,s, I also love these hard rock and hair metal bands. I just love Gun,s and Roses, Kiss, Motely Crue, and Aerosmith. I loved MTV and I watched it every night and the Headbangers Ball was great. I could see the bands I loved perform on their video. It was fun years of music. Even Arnold saw what an impact these bands had and he went a recorded a video with Guns and Roses that played in his movie. He knew a really good soundtrack made the movie better. I still remember the stadium shows and the powerful ballads. This book is so awesome because it has interviews with members of some of these bands which is very interesting. This was a good time in music and it had it's own style. As soon as grunge pushed these bands out I was done. I have a whole book of these bands and no matter how old I get I still say I am rockin until I am dropping.

[Sean Kirkpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well done oral history. The interview quotes were compiled in a way that told the story of the 80s metal scene in a compelling, page-turning manner. There was the appropriate amount of sleaze, drugs, and sex that you would want/ expect but the book doesn't overindulge in this angle. Much attention is paid to how the bands formed, how hard they worked to get people to their shows and to get signed. All these people were on a serious hustle; they weren't playing around. It was live or die on the Sunset Strip. The Northeast bands such as Cinderella and Twisted Sister took their craft similarly seriously. For those of us who grew up seeing the hair, leather, and spandex on MTV, this book is a fascinating look behind the scenes at the bands who put this scene on the map (despite the industry's interest in new wave at the time), those who rode it to success, and those who came in just as the glory days collapsed.

[fc7reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun read if you enjoy 80s metal. The Dirt dissects the rise of Motley Crue amidst the resistance of record companies to sign metal bands. Nothin' But a Good Time shines exactly the same light, but across the entire 80s metal scene. It's very fun to hear from the members of so many different bands. They have so many overlapping opinions and experiences. Plus, hearing what these legends have to say about one another is very gossip-y. The book winds down as the 90s are ramping up. The authors do end on a bit of a high note, though, noting that while these 80s bands took a big hit when grunge came on the scene, the nostalgia of my generation has kept them playing stages for the past twenty years.

[Edward Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected there to be more than what there was in this one. The book is broken down into small interviews based upon a quote and the memories of dozens of rock stars from the '80s

I have to say to me that it was more like watching an MTV or VH-1 documentary than a book with 75% of the items already explored in the past. Quick read, but pretty boring...

UPDATE: IT's a Podcast written into book form! Thanks to my pal Ursula for pointing it out.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is two degrees of Tommy Lee. It's an exhaustive history of how basically every hair band had rotating members in LA in the years leading up to each of their making it big. Unless you care that the bassist for Stryper used to jam at Saul's mom's house (Slash), I wouldn't bother. There aren't any juicy stories in here that haven't been documented elsewhere, and better in The Dirt (Motley Crue).

[Amanda Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is that it is about the music and everything that went into creating these bands and their images. I love the way it is written because it comes off as very conversational. Like a bunch of guys sitting around talking about the good ol’ days. One of the most enjoyable reads about 80s rock n roll. Rock on🤘🏼