Nick is a living legend...nobody nailed rock journalism better than him ...

As a young bored teenager stuck in Melbourne Australia in the early 1970's, reading Nick Kent in the NME relentlessly championing the Stooges & MC5 rearranged my brain, eternal gratitude to you Mr Kent, I bought Funhouse on your say so. Rock journalism is dead boring without you, Shaar Murray & Ian McDonald. Thanx for writing Apathy, best ever book on 70's music

I'm almost at the end of this book; it's good to read something by someone who has been through a lot and is liberated enough to be truthful and also self-depricating. I've read Nick Kent's name so many times that I grabbed this book immediately when I saw it. I've still to read 'The Dark Stuff'.

Nick is a genuine genius....his two books are the dogs bollocks of rock journalism.

I'm half way through the book now and am thoroughly enjoying it. I was going to school in London in the early 70's and read Nick's NME articles religiously on the train into Waterloo. Those were the days.

Great piece of work Nick ! Written from the heart , we back down under in the little old or young NZ mist most of these 70,s nostalgic music and drug induced years, so most of it has been told by the likes of you man ,so well done ! very surprised you can remember anything being so wasted ,but there you go! had to get my dictionary out for some of the words in your book ,hey but that's just me ,high school drop out .What about Deep Purple very surprised they didn't get a mention ,any way, loved the book and your openness about yourself and honesty views .Ken

Really enjoying Nick Kents memoirs , after what he went through in the 70s a true survivor and in a way came out on top of his industry tormentors.

Brilliant book Nick. I loved the dark stuff also. You were the voice of a generation.

Am also in the middle of it. What a great book. All his observations are so right on. Thanks for the posting. BTW it's Chrissie.

Great book from a guy who lived it all, good and bad. Few journalists can have had such a raw and encompassing experience of the 1970's music scene and lived to tell the tale. I also highly recommend his earlier book, The Dark Stuff.

All his books are great. It's a shame that kind of journalism's dead.

AMAZING! I am half way through the book..it is flooring me. Being a fan of all things music, it ,( the) book really is both beautiful and haunting a tour de force of rock n roll..Thanks for posting!

Enjoyed the book very much. 'The Dark Stuff' is a classic.

My copy is standing up between my most glamorous and literature worthy bookends. Theyre carved stone pillars. Mr Kent deserves the best Ive got. Plus Ive READ it & laughed myself near to paralysis

Absolutely burning through this book, Nick Kent is an extraordinarily eloquent writer - thank you. Reading this "sequel" out of synch with "prequel" which is following on pretty close, rest assured

just finished this book. great read

Just finished reading it and can heartily recommend it. Gives a real insight into drugs and their appeal and hold over the individual. The section on Marley was a real eye opener, knew there was more to him than deification!

just returned from a weeks holiday in Spain and i read Nick's book,it was a great read,his description on first meeting Roxy Music as Lord Snooty and his chums in lurex was superb!,ha ha ha,well said mate!

A great read. Brilliantly written.

I thought Apathy For The Devil and Dark Stuff were two great books but then I probably would because I always liked his articles back then - he knows how to tell the story, great writing style, plus the fact that apart from Charles Murray there is probably no-one left who could write anything similar, as they start off way back and cover many of the greats, but, importantly some of the less obvious as Viola says below. I like Can too but I don't see much else around on them. Roky Erickson ? One article, maybe two, in 20 years in Mojo. So, bands broke up, careers changed and quite a few of the players have gone upstairs, IMHO I think these are two fine pieces of work and this might be stretching it a bit, but historically they might end up being important too. Can someone out there do a book on the Edgar Broughton Band ? Step up Nick Kent ? Thanks for writing the books !

@marianneginalski7564

6 жыл бұрын

There is also Nick Cohn and Nick Tosches.

What an incredibly readable, compelling and opinionated book. Simply brilliant.

Whatever your opinion of Nick Kent as a human being, his two books are essential readiing. The Dark Stuff is a classic and Apathy is even better. Fuck all the negative comments on this page - the man's lived a life and enriched mine in the process.

@602doog

7 жыл бұрын

damn right-the man's a legend.

@peterevans6102

6 жыл бұрын

ditto, Kent's influence is all over my music collection. I'm a Stooges fan with Joni & Al Green in my collection, would not have happened without Nick Kent.

Interesting stuff. Get the book, it's essential reading but steer clear of the twee ending - the sunlight streaming through the church trancept windows and ensuing spiritual peace. Hell if it is that easy then things couldn't really have been that bad to start with. Put it down once you reach 1978-ish so you don't miss the great anecdotes.

hejira raw power and a al green hits album ...i invite this guy to my home

love the book..kinda sorry i read it so quickly..but it does sort of flow off the page..tx nick..loved your nme stuff way way back too

Just finished reading it, absolutely loved it! A tad depressed now, can anyone recommend any similar books? I've read The Dark Stuff as well.

yes, Hejira is such a great piece of art

Forgot to say in Apathy you've got to read the story of Kent attending a 1972 London gig by The MC5 whereby the audience is made up of Kent + two men and a dog, priceless stuff, still don't know whether to laugh or cry. Also The Dark Stuff is essential reading. Hey Nick any thoughts on writing for Mojo or Uncut, they need you.

No wonder he turned christian, his autobiography depicts a real way of the cross. CAN being one my favorite bands, I am really grateful that he likes and mentions them, it is so rare.

@crapitoutjim

5 жыл бұрын

Read the book, hrs nog religious in anyway at all.

He's a brilliant writer-and obviously a bit shy,which ain't no crime.

I like Nick Kent. i don't know why people say he's a nob (or knob depending on your preferred spelling).

The Dark Stuff is the best rock crit book I've ever read, and I've read most of em!

LO TROVO PIU' IN CARNE E PIU' IN FORMA ADESSO CHE HA RAGGIUNTO LA PIENA MATURITA' FISICA RISPETTO AL PERIODO DEI SEX PISTOLS DOVE ERA MAGRISSIMO E SLANCIATO OVVIAMENTE LI' ERA MOLTO PIU' GIOVANE.

This book should be made into a major film.

the Bob Marley story in the book is funny

A great book, he is very clever and also very nice, I laughed a lot reading the book

String and sentence spring to mind.

Try watching The Smiths on the South Bank Show from 1987 here on youtube. Nick Kent appears a couple of times on the programme, and in my opinion he comes across much better there than in this video.

Its a great book really enjoyed it :)

Looking individual and not fitting into false stereotypes of appearance is something creative souls often find solace in...what's with the empty jibes on his appearance? I think the methadone section where he describes it as being on acid without the vision is alluding to the heightened sensations that occur after years of being kicked around by the central nervous system...I can concur with that having experienced the same thing. Although the ending is a bit twee give the guy a break he was there and came through the other side in pretty good nick...should be an inspiration, not the subject of ridicule for having the courage to be different.

i was very glad to hear him say that about raw power.(but funhouse is better really).here is a fellow that went through this stuff and experience speaks volumes.he was there and that matters.the stooges were the best hard rock band in that era.very few heralded them.history has proven them right.ofcourse though it's art and entirely subjective.but raw power can destroy a man,so fuck subjectivity.

@bernardmeyre

Жыл бұрын

Sorry but to me the Stooges 1st album is the best one. Same for the Ramones.

This is an awesome book, read it.

Great book !

I'm half-way throught he book. great stuff. Nick looks far better than his chemical exploits would suggest.

Marc Bolan to Mark E. Smith...Never thought I'd hear that HAHA!

a unique book!

@MrAMO73 Yes; these comments on his appearance are profoundly redundant and say more about the shallowness of their perception than of Mr. Kent.

Yeah, NK faults in all, still an entertaining writer. Jazz beard look in this interview.

Nick was always about "me".

he hated the Pistols especially Sid, that's why he didn't mention Never Mind The Bollocks!

@crapitoutjim

5 жыл бұрын

He did not hate the Pistols, read the book!

If a critic says Group Queen is not a good band (1970 statement), then he shows me that he has no idea about music.

great stuff clever clever man thankfully survived his less than salubrious habits could listen to him talk for hours

Funny, but also highly revealing to the true nature of the falsely deified Marley. Peace and love he was not.

Just finished the book, fantastic read, and reminded me just how shit Amphetamine Sulphate was.

the stooges "raw power" is the best rock album?? bollocks it is! you'd think a music journalist such as him would have a wider view of rock music.

think it maybe a great book if he had kept off the drugs!

Jesus Christ the guy is 60 years old. Cut him some fn slack. i don't think he looks bad at all.

He’s describing the effects of cocaine, macro cocaine

Nick Kent is rather a let down talking in person as distinct from how he comes across in his writing. Video is not his medium.

greatest record ever made only in your opinion Kent, I hate fuckers that tell you what is great, I'll be the judge of what music I think is great for me! This could be the reason Sid Vicious & Jah Wobble beat you up at the 100 Club!!

A man of such idiosyncratic mannerisms....

all in all, he's a bit of a knob, isn't he

when you have zero talent you become a rock journalist