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Punk Paradox: A Memoir
From the legendary singer-songwriter of Bad Religion comes a historical memoir and cultural criticism of punk rock’s evolution.
Greg Graffin is the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bad Religion, recently described as “America's most significant punk band.” Since its inception in Los Angeles in 1980, Bad Religion has produced 18 studio albums, become a long-running global touring powerhouse, and has established a durable legacy as one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time.
Punk Paradox is Graffin's life narrative before and during L.A. punk's early years, detailing his observations on the genre's explosive growth and his band's steady rise in importance. The book begins by exploring Graffin’s Midwestern roots and his life-changing move to Southern California in the mid-’70s. Swept up into the burgeoning punk scene in the exhilarating and often-violent streets of Los Angeles, Graffin and his friends formed Bad Religion, built a fanbase, and became a touring institution. All these activities took place in parallel with Graffin's never ceasing quest for intellectual enlightenment. Despite the demands of global tours, recording sessions, and dedication to songwriting, the author also balanced a budding academic career. In so doing, he managed to reconcile an improbable double-life as an iconic punk rock front man and University Lecturer in evolution.
Graffin’s unique experiences mirror the paradoxical elements that define the punk genre—the pop influence, the quest for society’s betterment, music’s unifying power—all of which are prime ingredients in its surprising endurance. Fittingly, this book argues against the traditional narrative of the popular perception of punk. As Bad Religion changed from year to year, the spirit of punk—and its sonic significance—lived on while Graffin was ever willing to challenge convention, debunk mythology, and liberate listeners from the chains of indoctrination.
As insightful as it is exciting, this thought-provoking memoir provides both a fly on the wall history of the punk scene and astute commentary on its endurance and evolution.
Greg Graffin is the lead vocalist and songwriter of Bad Religion, recently described as “America's most significant punk band.” Since its inception in Los Angeles in 1980, Bad Religion has produced 18 studio albums, become a long-running global touring powerhouse, and has established a durable legacy as one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time.
Punk Paradox is Graffin's life narrative before and during L.A. punk's early years, detailing his observations on the genre's explosive growth and his band's steady rise in importance. The book begins by exploring Graffin’s Midwestern roots and his life-changing move to Southern California in the mid-’70s. Swept up into the burgeoning punk scene in the exhilarating and often-violent streets of Los Angeles, Graffin and his friends formed Bad Religion, built a fanbase, and became a touring institution. All these activities took place in parallel with Graffin's never ceasing quest for intellectual enlightenment. Despite the demands of global tours, recording sessions, and dedication to songwriting, the author also balanced a budding academic career. In so doing, he managed to reconcile an improbable double-life as an iconic punk rock front man and University Lecturer in evolution.
Graffin’s unique experiences mirror the paradoxical elements that define the punk genre—the pop influence, the quest for society’s betterment, music’s unifying power—all of which are prime ingredients in its surprising endurance. Fittingly, this book argues against the traditional narrative of the popular perception of punk. As Bad Religion changed from year to year, the spirit of punk—and its sonic significance—lived on while Graffin was ever willing to challenge convention, debunk mythology, and liberate listeners from the chains of indoctrination.
As insightful as it is exciting, this thought-provoking memoir provides both a fly on the wall history of the punk scene and astute commentary on its endurance and evolution.
384 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2023
About the author
Greg Graffin
14 books309 followersGregory Walter Graffin is an American punk rock musician and college professor. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the noted Los Angeles band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1980 and has been its only continual member. Graffin obtained his Ph.D. at Cornell University and has lectured courses in life sciences and paleontology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Graffin attended El Camino Real High School, then double-majored in anthropology and geology as an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles. He went on to earn a master's degree in geology from UCLA and received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. The Ph.D. dissertation was officially a zoology Ph.D., supervised by William B. Provine at Cornell. The dissertation was entitled "Monism, Atheism and the Naturalist Worldview: Perspectives from Evolutionary Biology." It is described as being essentially an evolutionary biology Ph.D. but having also relevance to history and philosophy of science.
Greg Graffin spends most of his time in Upstate New York, and teaches Life Science 1 and Earth & Space Sciences 116 (paleontology) at UCLA during the winter or fall quarters of each school year. According to a June 2008 interview with Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley, Graffin will be teaching there from January to March 2009.
Greg Graffin received the Harvard Secular Society's "Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism" on April 26, 2008. During the award ceremony he played some acoustic versions of Bad Religion songs as well as songs from his solo career.
Preston Jones, a historian at the Christian John Brown University in Arkansas, sent Graffin an e-mail asking about one of his songs, and Graffin replied. Their resulting year-long e-mail exchange was published as a book in 2006, entitled "Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant? A Professor and Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism & Christianity."
In 2009 Graffin announced that he had written a book entitled "Anarchy Evolution," and that it will be published by Harper Collins with a tentative release date of April 14, 2010.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Graffin attended El Camino Real High School, then double-majored in anthropology and geology as an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles. He went on to earn a master's degree in geology from UCLA and received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. The Ph.D. dissertation was officially a zoology Ph.D., supervised by William B. Provine at Cornell. The dissertation was entitled "Monism, Atheism and the Naturalist Worldview: Perspectives from Evolutionary Biology." It is described as being essentially an evolutionary biology Ph.D. but having also relevance to history and philosophy of science.
Greg Graffin spends most of his time in Upstate New York, and teaches Life Science 1 and Earth & Space Sciences 116 (paleontology) at UCLA during the winter or fall quarters of each school year. According to a June 2008 interview with Bad Religion bassist Jay Bentley, Graffin will be teaching there from January to March 2009.
Greg Graffin received the Harvard Secular Society's "Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism" on April 26, 2008. During the award ceremony he played some acoustic versions of Bad Religion songs as well as songs from his solo career.
Preston Jones, a historian at the Christian John Brown University in Arkansas, sent Graffin an e-mail asking about one of his songs, and Graffin replied. Their resulting year-long e-mail exchange was published as a book in 2006, entitled "Is Belief in God Good, Bad or Irrelevant? A Professor and Punk Rocker Discuss Science, Religion, Naturalism & Christianity."
In 2009 Graffin announced that he had written a book entitled "Anarchy Evolution," and that it will be published by Harper Collins with a tentative release date of April 14, 2010.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
January 24, 2023
I got this as a gift in the office secret santa last month. In the secret santa survey, I listed “rock bios” as my guilty pleasure and “punk rock” as one of my interests, so it was actually quite a thoughtful gift. Anyways, I loved Bad Religion in high school (they were a gateway punk band for me, like a million other kids in the 90s) but haven’t really listened them in almost twenty years. But hey, I retain a lot of affection for them and this was sure to have juicy details about my beloved early 80s LA scene (not that I was there or anything), so I was in.
And it’s not good. The early bits about his childhood and the early days of the LA scene are interesting, but it gets less and less so the deeper we get into BR’s career. Graffin is an academic by training and I assume a perfectly cromulent academic writer, but good god is his prose bad here. Example: “Even though the audience were less-than-enthused when we took the stage—many fans couldn’t care less about the ‘opening’ bands—we nonetheless put on our usual impressive stage show. With our legendary soundman Ronnie at the helm of our live performance, no fan of music could watch with dispassionate nonchalance.” Yikes. It needed a better editor; Graffin hammers the same points (e.g., he didn’t like the preponderance of drugs in the LA scene) over and over and over. He’s got a lot of axes to grind, and he spends a lot of time grinding them (take THAT, Another State of Mind!). He contradicts himself, he overinterprets, he emptily pontificates (he has a very narrow view of punk), he provides endless details on boring things, and skips over the interesting stuff. This is for the only the biggest possible BR fans.
On the plus side, this inspired me to revisit their better albums (Suffer, No Control, Against the Grain) and they’re still pretty sweet.
And it’s not good. The early bits about his childhood and the early days of the LA scene are interesting, but it gets less and less so the deeper we get into BR’s career. Graffin is an academic by training and I assume a perfectly cromulent academic writer, but good god is his prose bad here. Example: “Even though the audience were less-than-enthused when we took the stage—many fans couldn’t care less about the ‘opening’ bands—we nonetheless put on our usual impressive stage show. With our legendary soundman Ronnie at the helm of our live performance, no fan of music could watch with dispassionate nonchalance.” Yikes. It needed a better editor; Graffin hammers the same points (e.g., he didn’t like the preponderance of drugs in the LA scene) over and over and over. He’s got a lot of axes to grind, and he spends a lot of time grinding them (take THAT, Another State of Mind!). He contradicts himself, he overinterprets, he emptily pontificates (he has a very narrow view of punk), he provides endless details on boring things, and skips over the interesting stuff. This is for the only the biggest possible BR fans.
On the plus side, this inspired me to revisit their better albums (Suffer, No Control, Against the Grain) and they’re still pretty sweet.
January 22, 2023
I dunno like I knew he was a nerd, but a self important nerd? Naw too much
March 5, 2024
Biographie des promovierten Evolutionsbiologen Dr. Greg Graffin, Punkrocker, Vater und Sänger der Band Bad Religion, die es seit 40+ Jahren gibt.
Wir durchleben seine Jugend, intellektuelle Eltern, beides Professoren, Scheidung, Punk in LA und die Entstehung der Band. Alben, Touren, Label, Trennungen etc.
Chronologisch bis zum 40jährigen Jubiläum. Allerdings keine reine Nacherzählung, sondern ein erfahrener wissenschaftlicher Schreiber, der das Ganze auch bewertet und versucht einzuordnen. Anfangs etwas schwierig, insgesamt aber gute Bio, für Fans und Musikhistorisch Interessierte.
3,5 Sterne
Wir durchleben seine Jugend, intellektuelle Eltern, beides Professoren, Scheidung, Punk in LA und die Entstehung der Band. Alben, Touren, Label, Trennungen etc.
Chronologisch bis zum 40jährigen Jubiläum. Allerdings keine reine Nacherzählung, sondern ein erfahrener wissenschaftlicher Schreiber, der das Ganze auch bewertet und versucht einzuordnen. Anfangs etwas schwierig, insgesamt aber gute Bio, für Fans und Musikhistorisch Interessierte.
3,5 Sterne
December 12, 2022
Was hoping for a few more crazy stories from the legendary Punk Band, but this is a good picture of who Greg is and what his music stands for, along with some of the family back story that helped define the backbone narrative of the Punk Professor.
I liked it. And I think there’s more to tell. When you pair this with Do What You Want, The Story of Bad Religion by Jim Ruland and the band, you get a great picture of the band and the SoCal scene.
I liked it. And I think there’s more to tell. When you pair this with Do What You Want, The Story of Bad Religion by Jim Ruland and the band, you get a great picture of the band and the SoCal scene.
January 20, 2024
First of all: I adored this book. As a musician, Greg has created some of my favorite art of all time and provided the soundtrack to my life. The books by Greg and about BR, however, have always left me wanting more. They always felt so… academic. Which is fine and fitting, for obvious reasons. But I never felt like I really understood him as a living, breathing human being.
This book gave me the personal and emotional context that I’ve been missing. For example, I can’t stop thinking about the wrenching chapters on divorce and a family destroyed while listening to the Grey Race. It’s given me a whole new lens and love for that album. True to form, it’s wordy, profound, and at times, pretty damn funny. I wish the latter years were covered more thoroughly but overall this stands heads above the rest of the BR-related literary catalogue and all music memoirs for me. Ya-hay ❤️
November 3, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for the advanced reader copy.
This week’s headline? Music is educational
Why this book? I like Bad Religion
Which book format? ARC
Primary reading environment? Train rides
Any preconceived notions? If I don’t like this then am I even punk? 😂
Identify most with? n/a
Three little words? “gauntlet of hostility”
Goes well with? The music of Johnny Cash, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, and Bad Religion
Recommend this to? Bad Religion and punk music fans
Other cultural accompaniments: https://blabbermouth.net/news/bad-rel...
Grade: 4/5
I leave you with this: “Here, among the masterworks of pop art and murals of modernism, I was starting to believe that any kind of bullshit could qualify as art.”
“Music was our family glue.”
📚📚📚
While this is first and foremost a memoir, it also delves into cultural criticism of the punk genre. Something I found interesting and didn’t know previously from reading this book is that Greg Graffin has written books about science and religion.
This book won’t be for everyone but I definitely enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who’s interested in music from the 70s and wants to know more about Greg Graffin’s early life.
Punk Paradox will be released on November 8, 2022.
This week’s headline? Music is educational
Why this book? I like Bad Religion
Which book format? ARC
Primary reading environment? Train rides
Any preconceived notions? If I don’t like this then am I even punk? 😂
Identify most with? n/a
Three little words? “gauntlet of hostility”
Goes well with? The music of Johnny Cash, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, and Bad Religion
Recommend this to? Bad Religion and punk music fans
Other cultural accompaniments: https://blabbermouth.net/news/bad-rel...
Grade: 4/5
I leave you with this: “Here, among the masterworks of pop art and murals of modernism, I was starting to believe that any kind of bullshit could qualify as art.”
“Music was our family glue.”
📚📚📚
While this is first and foremost a memoir, it also delves into cultural criticism of the punk genre. Something I found interesting and didn’t know previously from reading this book is that Greg Graffin has written books about science and religion.
This book won’t be for everyone but I definitely enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who’s interested in music from the 70s and wants to know more about Greg Graffin’s early life.
Punk Paradox will be released on November 8, 2022.
December 15, 2022
He really speaks like that. A fascinating read, verbose and paradigm shifting in its force of insight into one of the longest serving bands in punk rock.
April 11, 2023
Jesus, what a windbag. And what editor thought that in 2022 it was a good idea to let an AARP member rhapsodize at length about some underage breasts he saw in 1981?
February 7, 2023
2023 Book Review - Book No. 3: “Punk Paradox” by Greg Graffin
Date started: 1/9/23
Date finished: 1/29/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like memoirs, deep thinkers, and the punk band Bad Religion)
Spoiler free review: My first memory of Bad Religion was from some compilation album I picked up at Record Revival when I was in 8th or 9th grade. The first song of theirs I recall is “I Want To Conquer The World”, a fast punk song about tearing down the current social and political structure and eventually save the whales (for real). Immediately I was struck by the vocals of their singer, Greg Graffin. His lyrics and vocabulary were like none I’d heard in music before then, and his sound was immediately distinct.
Fast forward to now. One of my goals for this year was to read more biographies and memoirs, and this one fit the bill nicely. I wondered how much could be gleaned from the memoirs of a 2 minute punk song craftsman. The answer was actually more than I expected! Then again, I guess that’s where the title, “Punk Paradox”, comes in.
Graffin is an Ivy League educated doctor of zoology whose spent as much of his life raging against the machine at 180 bpm as he has digging up fossils and exploring our natural world. Instead of simply throwing himself into music for the whole of his career, Graffin often balanced the academic work with the touring and recording schedules up until Bad Religion finally scored a major label deal. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Graffin managed to avoid the temptations of the So Cal punk scene so that he could continue his education and continue to develop his life philosophy through his educational pursuits.
All this said, the memoir was often repetitive. Numerous times it felt as if the story had progressed, only to go back in time and seemingly revisit events and times already covered. This could just be a symptom of a lack of an overall story. Graffin’s writing here is just as verbose and well written as his lyrics (not that I expected anything less). Ultimately, this was a decent memoir, but it wasn’t necessarily a must read.
Date started: 1/9/23
Date finished: 1/29/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (would recommend reading if you like memoirs, deep thinkers, and the punk band Bad Religion)
Spoiler free review: My first memory of Bad Religion was from some compilation album I picked up at Record Revival when I was in 8th or 9th grade. The first song of theirs I recall is “I Want To Conquer The World”, a fast punk song about tearing down the current social and political structure and eventually save the whales (for real). Immediately I was struck by the vocals of their singer, Greg Graffin. His lyrics and vocabulary were like none I’d heard in music before then, and his sound was immediately distinct.
Fast forward to now. One of my goals for this year was to read more biographies and memoirs, and this one fit the bill nicely. I wondered how much could be gleaned from the memoirs of a 2 minute punk song craftsman. The answer was actually more than I expected! Then again, I guess that’s where the title, “Punk Paradox”, comes in.
Graffin is an Ivy League educated doctor of zoology whose spent as much of his life raging against the machine at 180 bpm as he has digging up fossils and exploring our natural world. Instead of simply throwing himself into music for the whole of his career, Graffin often balanced the academic work with the touring and recording schedules up until Bad Religion finally scored a major label deal. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Graffin managed to avoid the temptations of the So Cal punk scene so that he could continue his education and continue to develop his life philosophy through his educational pursuits.
All this said, the memoir was often repetitive. Numerous times it felt as if the story had progressed, only to go back in time and seemingly revisit events and times already covered. This could just be a symptom of a lack of an overall story. Graffin’s writing here is just as verbose and well written as his lyrics (not that I expected anything less). Ultimately, this was a decent memoir, but it wasn’t necessarily a must read.
July 20, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for an advanced digital copy of Punk Paradox. As a huge Bad Religion fan this way a truly enjoyable read. I recommend listening to Bad Religion while you read it, it really enhances the experience. I now need all the past and present members of Bad Religion to write a book as well.
April 20, 2023
I've loved Bad Religion since my early teens, and I've got huge respect for Gaffin and the whole band. That only grew reading the book. But my is it one humourless tract.
February 18, 2023
#16 - Greg Graffin, Punk Paradox. Graffin is the singer of Bad Religion, my favorite current punk band. He writes about growing up in a family with a divorce, moving from Milwaukee to Los Angeles and what led him to get into punk music.
I read with particular fascination his descriptions of Bad Religion's early days when they were finding their footing. There were also issues when Graffin was split between his duties with the band, to his new wife and to his academic work in Cornell. Graffin has a phd in zoology, which meant at times they could perform mostly on his summer breaks. He received his bachelors and masters degrees in geology in UCLA. He has an extinct bird named after him.
Graffin writes about how he come up with song lyrics, which are known for being articulate and
politically charged, and are one of my main attractions to the band. I also like their three-part vocal harmonies. There's also a good discussion and analysis of why fans accuse their favorite bands of being "sellouts."
This incredibly influential and popular band, who I was lucky enough to see live back when I lived in the Los Angeles area, is great and so is the book. I give it a 9.
I read with particular fascination his descriptions of Bad Religion's early days when they were finding their footing. There were also issues when Graffin was split between his duties with the band, to his new wife and to his academic work in Cornell. Graffin has a phd in zoology, which meant at times they could perform mostly on his summer breaks. He received his bachelors and masters degrees in geology in UCLA. He has an extinct bird named after him.
Graffin writes about how he come up with song lyrics, which are known for being articulate and
politically charged, and are one of my main attractions to the band. I also like their three-part vocal harmonies. There's also a good discussion and analysis of why fans accuse their favorite bands of being "sellouts."
This incredibly influential and popular band, who I was lucky enough to see live back when I lived in the Los Angeles area, is great and so is the book. I give it a 9.
April 5, 2023
This book brings back and parallels so much of my own life. Being a Midwest kid, and then because of divorce, moving to Southern California as a preteen. And then spending large parts of each year in each place. Summers with mom in Detroit, winters in San Diego and LA with dad.
And like Mr. Graffin, the activities I did with my Midwest friends differed so much from what we did back in SoCal. Midwest was baseball and sports. SoCal was skateboarding and the beach. But also like Mr. Graffin, music and expanding my knowledge were always there.
This is such well written and intelligent book. Not just on the rise of Bad Religion, but on life and being an academic in a punk band. Balancing family, PHD’s, and the love of writing and performing. Well done to you Mr. Graffin. Well done.
And like Mr. Graffin, the activities I did with my Midwest friends differed so much from what we did back in SoCal. Midwest was baseball and sports. SoCal was skateboarding and the beach. But also like Mr. Graffin, music and expanding my knowledge were always there.
This is such well written and intelligent book. Not just on the rise of Bad Religion, but on life and being an academic in a punk band. Balancing family, PHD’s, and the love of writing and performing. Well done to you Mr. Graffin. Well done.
January 12, 2023
Excellent read. A captivating look into the history of my favourite band from the perspective of its frontman.
I wish there was more detail of each and every albums conception/recording. I would have been thrilled if this book was twice as king.
The only true negative I would say is how much the last 20 years was basically an afterthought of half a chapter. Certainly the beginnings are the most interesting, but there have been many albums and band developments since Brett rejoined and very little time was dedicated to any of that.
Maybe a sequel in a few years? :)
I wish there was more detail of each and every albums conception/recording. I would have been thrilled if this book was twice as king.
The only true negative I would say is how much the last 20 years was basically an afterthought of half a chapter. Certainly the beginnings are the most interesting, but there have been many albums and band developments since Brett rejoined and very little time was dedicated to any of that.
Maybe a sequel in a few years? :)
January 2, 2023
They say never meet your heroes, and even though I've already met him a few times, I still had a bit of trepidation in cracking open his autobiography. At worst, I feared I might find he bears resentment or ill-will toward the band, the genre, or his fans; at least, I might just read another collection of anecdotes and musings I had already read elsewhere. Luckily, I'm not as smart as I think I am, and this was an intimate glimpse into someone I've looked up to for years that still surprised me and gave me plenty to think about.
Now comes the herculean effort to convince myself this (and DWYW) isn't an artist working themselves up to retirement…
Now comes the herculean effort to convince myself this (and DWYW) isn't an artist working themselves up to retirement…
January 10, 2023
I've read Graffin's other books and enjoyed them too varying degrees. I think this one is somewhere in the middle. Generally enjoyable, although some of the material is present in his other books and in the Bad Religion book that was released by the band recently.
July 6, 2023
Greg gives us more than a wee lil peek into his life and inner machinations. Even the legendary Greg Graffin has insecurities.
January 16, 2024
A great read for anyone identifying to the punk culture. Greg Graffin details his life and thoughts about his upbringing in academic households, how it fed him throughout his musical life and how his approach to punk culture actually feeds both these sides of him to this day.
Beautifully written, and as rich and eloquent as any song he has written to this day, I really enjoyed going through the 80s and 90s SoCal punk scene history depicted in the pages. Having the singer and co-writer of one of the most influential punk act of all time, a man I absolutely admire, was definitely one hell of a treat for me.
As Fat Mike of NOFX sometimes put it, having a thesaurus not too far might be a good idea while reading this book as it is definitely written in the same way Bad Religion's songs are (well, especially if English is not your first language anyway)
Beautifully written, and as rich and eloquent as any song he has written to this day, I really enjoyed going through the 80s and 90s SoCal punk scene history depicted in the pages. Having the singer and co-writer of one of the most influential punk act of all time, a man I absolutely admire, was definitely one hell of a treat for me.
As Fat Mike of NOFX sometimes put it, having a thesaurus not too far might be a good idea while reading this book as it is definitely written in the same way Bad Religion's songs are (well, especially if English is not your first language anyway)
January 14, 2025
it's an interesting read but can be a bit devoid of emotion. I would have appreciated a bit less of a clinical view of events.
January 23, 2026
3.5
You think if i bring this to the concert and huck it on stage he'll sign it for me?
You think if i bring this to the concert and huck it on stage he'll sign it for me?
April 16, 2026
What can I say about this book? It desperately needed a better editor. The same thing was said in different wording paragraph after paragraph. I looked forward to learning more about Bad Religion and Greg, but all I learned was how insufferable he seems. We get it, you’re an academic, you didn’t drink or do drugs, you occasionally popped in to take your kids for ice cream, and you felt like you were better than everyone. I can’t imagine what his PhD was like considering how long winded this book was.
May 26, 2026
This is more like a reading notes/reaction review
Introduction:
“Unimpaired by drugs or alcohol, I was, to them, the one who had an answer for everything.” (Page 3)
Lyrics from a Bad Religion song that instantly came to mind:
Bad Religion - The Answer (Generator Album) :
“I don't believe you have the answer
I've got ideas, too
But if you've got enough naivety
And you've got conviction
Then the answer is perfect for you”
Very solid introduction. It feels familiar as I, too, grew up in Southern California.
Greg Hetson—who I have met—is very well painted thus far.
A very interesting way to attract the reader with a violent scene with whoever drunk ass George is. I don’t much like him already.
Things I did enjoy that stood out:
“Stoked” such a punk-kid word.
Annoyed by:
“… perform with the Circle Jerks.” (Page 9)
I’d say yeah that guy performs with Circle Jerks. Why add “the”? It’s not part of the band’s name? Not sure why it sounds weird, but it does.
Part that gave me a lady-boner and also didn’t at the same time:
“My own athletic prowess allowed me to avoid the tackle…” Okay, bruh… couldn’t have found a more humble way to say that? But then again, he is a sexy dude. I’ve seen his shirtless, early-years photographs… not inaccurate.
2
As an educator, myself, I inherited the card game “Mille Bornes,” but I still haven’t read the instructions to implement it in class. Maybe I will?
What the heck? They had to read a 20th century postcolonial existential novel at such a tender age then watch the film in the original French language with subtitles… kind of high expectations there.
Seems like having professors as parents came with homework attached to everyday events. It’s better than inheriting trauma, but I guess we all gotta find something to bitch about?
Great quotes:
“Not knowing words was as bad as not knowing concepts.” (Page 15)
3
“It proves that new circumstances don’t necessarily change one who is lazy into one who is industrious.” (Page 27)
4
The way music is maternal (according to his descriptions) in this chapter is very Freudian…
“I could see that music broke people down by softening the emotional mortar that holds fragile emotions in check. I was attracted to that power. More important though, at that age, I needed some kind of nurturing medicine, since that house was void of maternal warmth…” (Page 34)
Later he compares the type of artists his mother gravitated towards that empowered her.
“If I could tap into Mom’s joy by participating in song, she might hold more affection for me.” (Page 35)
This theme: “…I was emotionally still attached to Mom with an invisible umbilicus.” (Page 39)
Must feel like a success when all he wanted was to be loved by his mother and now even today, all sorts of women (and men) adore Gregory.
5
Having to apologize for being educated will definitely not keep you coming back… to any church/religion.
Short chapter, but this instantly made me think of “The Empire Strikes First” album. That is a religious experience from start to finish. All the songs sound like singing at mass or at some old Church with the “aaaaAaaaaAaah”
I DIED 🪦when I read that he showed his grandmother “How can hell be any worse?” all proud, and that poor woman all shocked and tolerating his heathen ass—delightfully entertaining scene.
6
Being offered a joint and refusing (as a 4th grader!). This individual was straight edge before it was cool.
On his description of the concert: “It was as close to a religious calling as I can ever imagine.” (Page 49)
Not gonna lie, my first time seeing Bad Religion was in Paris, France 🇫🇷 2010 and it felt like that. It was not my first concert, but I always found it ironic that this band gave me a religious experience every time I saw them live 😆
Norman Mailer the new kind of journalism… “to challenge conventional wisdom because it was cool to question authority.” (Page 51)
I’d heavily argue in favor of an individual like Mailer being more punk than The Sex Pistols, who were just a fashion show. Counterculture is evolution … change happens when you highlight or make room for what we value, what we chose to display, which in Graffin’s dad’s house was an image of this Norman Mailer.
7
Dr. Greg Graffin writes Black with a capital B and is very respectful but then boom choses an ugly word like purebred in a not so favorable way. (-700 points)
Greg’s mom is a baddie. (500 points redeemed)
This chapter really shows just how sheltered Greg was in his upbringing. Good for him but also damn the world is so ugly yet vast and beautiful.
I didn’t much care about The Odyssey comparison. You know, you could just write without classic references, Sir. We don’t need the canon, we wanna know you.
Also this chapter felt like he said the exact same thing 4 or 5 times. Get yourself a blunt editor—one that will give it to you raw—I’m sure we people from the humanities, the liberal arts can be of service to you.
8
Not an easy read for me as I don’t have a dad because of substance abuse and domestic violence.
“The most devastating vision imaginable is seeing your Mom trying to cover up marks of physical abuse.” (Page 67)
I don’t know this woman (Greg’s mom), but I know she is strong. I applaud her for not continuing with that relationship even though people get blinded by “love.”
“Being educated is one thing nobody can take away from you.” (Page 71) I’ve heard this in one form or another growing up. I think Cesar Chavez said it too? …I might be remembering wrong, but I’ve heard it from many sources and now also from my favorite frontman.
“Academics fight so viciously because the rewards are so meager.” Greg quotes his mother there. Damn. Do I feel this. As a lecturer 👩🏻🏫 I get paid peanuts even today in 2026.
9
What kind of a slideshow did he put together? Not a PowerPoint like we have known… but something ancient?
That’s cool that his friend Jodi studied French—she sounds like a badass.
10
I guess he deserves a heartbreak for getting with a “harlot” instead of Jodi. Serves you right or whatever, Greg.
But seriously who the hell uses the word harlot? I do like that Sue was guiding him. I’m sure it gave him some maternal kink or whatever … also why did he tell his mom? (Not the sex part but even that he was in “love”) Then again, he was a momma’s boy.
I’m probably evil because I laughed waaaaay too hard when he wrote “…made me feel like an experiment.”(page 90)
Turns out he turned into an experiment because of this experience. He dyed his hair BLACK?!? I thought his hair was dark naturally… he sure fooled me.
For a sexy dude like Greg, what the hell with this word combo?
“consummate the lovemaking act.” I swear, it’s like shut up, my dude, you’re making horny scenes sterile as heck. That’s so un-punk of him.
“You committed fornication?”
This chapter was way too funny. I don’t think it was supposed to be comedic, but here’s this dorky teenage Greg with all that rage and these girls are just using him like a toy.
11-12
I think I too kind of didn’t like my punk friends either. I had straight A’s and everyone else just failed and did marijuana or whatever ecstasy? The fact that I’m ignorant on purpose about drugs is mostly because I hate addicts (Not The Adicts- I Love That Band)
Can’t stand the terms he uses:
-punkers (punks is what we call ourselves but okay)
-slam pit (mosh pit but okay maybe it used to be called that back then)
13
“short but sturdy”? What kind of description is that? If this dude is allegedly 6’5” everyone is short to him but STURDY?! That’s the confusing part. It is sad but satisfying to read Greg getting used for pipe and left. Makes for an angrier young man. Also, he’s really a romantic and that’s pretty cute. He sounds like a clingy boyfriend. I like that. I also like the kind of dude that doesn’t feel shame in begging. That’s hot. “I implored Jill to spend the night.” I mean what girl doesn’t want cereal 🥣 in the morning? That’s kind of cute for 17 year old kids.
14
“Ideas can be disrupting, just as outwardly obnoxious behaviors can be.” (Page 129)
Introduction:
“Unimpaired by drugs or alcohol, I was, to them, the one who had an answer for everything.” (Page 3)
Lyrics from a Bad Religion song that instantly came to mind:
Bad Religion - The Answer (Generator Album) :
“I don't believe you have the answer
I've got ideas, too
But if you've got enough naivety
And you've got conviction
Then the answer is perfect for you”
Very solid introduction. It feels familiar as I, too, grew up in Southern California.
Greg Hetson—who I have met—is very well painted thus far.
A very interesting way to attract the reader with a violent scene with whoever drunk ass George is. I don’t much like him already.
Things I did enjoy that stood out:
“Stoked” such a punk-kid word.
Annoyed by:
“… perform with the Circle Jerks.” (Page 9)
I’d say yeah that guy performs with Circle Jerks. Why add “the”? It’s not part of the band’s name? Not sure why it sounds weird, but it does.
Part that gave me a lady-boner and also didn’t at the same time:
“My own athletic prowess allowed me to avoid the tackle…” Okay, bruh… couldn’t have found a more humble way to say that? But then again, he is a sexy dude. I’ve seen his shirtless, early-years photographs… not inaccurate.
2
As an educator, myself, I inherited the card game “Mille Bornes,” but I still haven’t read the instructions to implement it in class. Maybe I will?
What the heck? They had to read a 20th century postcolonial existential novel at such a tender age then watch the film in the original French language with subtitles… kind of high expectations there.
Seems like having professors as parents came with homework attached to everyday events. It’s better than inheriting trauma, but I guess we all gotta find something to bitch about?
Great quotes:
“Not knowing words was as bad as not knowing concepts.” (Page 15)
3
“It proves that new circumstances don’t necessarily change one who is lazy into one who is industrious.” (Page 27)
4
The way music is maternal (according to his descriptions) in this chapter is very Freudian…
“I could see that music broke people down by softening the emotional mortar that holds fragile emotions in check. I was attracted to that power. More important though, at that age, I needed some kind of nurturing medicine, since that house was void of maternal warmth…” (Page 34)
Later he compares the type of artists his mother gravitated towards that empowered her.
“If I could tap into Mom’s joy by participating in song, she might hold more affection for me.” (Page 35)
This theme: “…I was emotionally still attached to Mom with an invisible umbilicus.” (Page 39)
Must feel like a success when all he wanted was to be loved by his mother and now even today, all sorts of women (and men) adore Gregory.
5
Having to apologize for being educated will definitely not keep you coming back… to any church/religion.
Short chapter, but this instantly made me think of “The Empire Strikes First” album. That is a religious experience from start to finish. All the songs sound like singing at mass or at some old Church with the “aaaaAaaaaAaah”
I DIED 🪦when I read that he showed his grandmother “How can hell be any worse?” all proud, and that poor woman all shocked and tolerating his heathen ass—delightfully entertaining scene.
6
Being offered a joint and refusing (as a 4th grader!). This individual was straight edge before it was cool.
On his description of the concert: “It was as close to a religious calling as I can ever imagine.” (Page 49)
Not gonna lie, my first time seeing Bad Religion was in Paris, France 🇫🇷 2010 and it felt like that. It was not my first concert, but I always found it ironic that this band gave me a religious experience every time I saw them live 😆
Norman Mailer the new kind of journalism… “to challenge conventional wisdom because it was cool to question authority.” (Page 51)
I’d heavily argue in favor of an individual like Mailer being more punk than The Sex Pistols, who were just a fashion show. Counterculture is evolution … change happens when you highlight or make room for what we value, what we chose to display, which in Graffin’s dad’s house was an image of this Norman Mailer.
7
Dr. Greg Graffin writes Black with a capital B and is very respectful but then boom choses an ugly word like purebred in a not so favorable way. (-700 points)
Greg’s mom is a baddie. (500 points redeemed)
This chapter really shows just how sheltered Greg was in his upbringing. Good for him but also damn the world is so ugly yet vast and beautiful.
I didn’t much care about The Odyssey comparison. You know, you could just write without classic references, Sir. We don’t need the canon, we wanna know you.
Also this chapter felt like he said the exact same thing 4 or 5 times. Get yourself a blunt editor—one that will give it to you raw—I’m sure we people from the humanities, the liberal arts can be of service to you.
8
Not an easy read for me as I don’t have a dad because of substance abuse and domestic violence.
“The most devastating vision imaginable is seeing your Mom trying to cover up marks of physical abuse.” (Page 67)
I don’t know this woman (Greg’s mom), but I know she is strong. I applaud her for not continuing with that relationship even though people get blinded by “love.”
“Being educated is one thing nobody can take away from you.” (Page 71) I’ve heard this in one form or another growing up. I think Cesar Chavez said it too? …I might be remembering wrong, but I’ve heard it from many sources and now also from my favorite frontman.
“Academics fight so viciously because the rewards are so meager.” Greg quotes his mother there. Damn. Do I feel this. As a lecturer 👩🏻🏫 I get paid peanuts even today in 2026.
9
What kind of a slideshow did he put together? Not a PowerPoint like we have known… but something ancient?
That’s cool that his friend Jodi studied French—she sounds like a badass.
10
I guess he deserves a heartbreak for getting with a “harlot” instead of Jodi. Serves you right or whatever, Greg.
But seriously who the hell uses the word harlot? I do like that Sue was guiding him. I’m sure it gave him some maternal kink or whatever … also why did he tell his mom? (Not the sex part but even that he was in “love”) Then again, he was a momma’s boy.
I’m probably evil because I laughed waaaaay too hard when he wrote “…made me feel like an experiment.”(page 90)
Turns out he turned into an experiment because of this experience. He dyed his hair BLACK?!? I thought his hair was dark naturally… he sure fooled me.
For a sexy dude like Greg, what the hell with this word combo?
“consummate the lovemaking act.” I swear, it’s like shut up, my dude, you’re making horny scenes sterile as heck. That’s so un-punk of him.
“You committed fornication?”
This chapter was way too funny. I don’t think it was supposed to be comedic, but here’s this dorky teenage Greg with all that rage and these girls are just using him like a toy.
11-12
I think I too kind of didn’t like my punk friends either. I had straight A’s and everyone else just failed and did marijuana or whatever ecstasy? The fact that I’m ignorant on purpose about drugs is mostly because I hate addicts (Not The Adicts- I Love That Band)
Can’t stand the terms he uses:
-punkers (punks is what we call ourselves but okay)
-slam pit (mosh pit but okay maybe it used to be called that back then)
13
“short but sturdy”? What kind of description is that? If this dude is allegedly 6’5” everyone is short to him but STURDY?! That’s the confusing part. It is sad but satisfying to read Greg getting used for pipe and left. Makes for an angrier young man. Also, he’s really a romantic and that’s pretty cute. He sounds like a clingy boyfriend. I like that. I also like the kind of dude that doesn’t feel shame in begging. That’s hot. “I implored Jill to spend the night.” I mean what girl doesn’t want cereal 🥣 in the morning? That’s kind of cute for 17 year old kids.
14
“Ideas can be disrupting, just as outwardly obnoxious behaviors can be.” (Page 129)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2023
I was part of the Southern California punk scene, saw Bad Religion several times, as well as every other punk band mentioned in the book.
It’s disappointing to learn what a terrible time Greg had in the scene, and how apparently bored he was by all of it.
It’s nice to have his details to fill in what happened with the band and it’s members, and every member of management and every record label executive…
But I digress. If you’re a hardcore fan of the band, give it a go, if you’re looking for stories from “back in the day”, keep looking. Maybe try Keith Morris’ book “My Damage”.
It’s disappointing to learn what a terrible time Greg had in the scene, and how apparently bored he was by all of it.
It’s nice to have his details to fill in what happened with the band and it’s members, and every member of management and every record label executive…
But I digress. If you’re a hardcore fan of the band, give it a go, if you’re looking for stories from “back in the day”, keep looking. Maybe try Keith Morris’ book “My Damage”.
February 28, 2024
If you want to read Greg Graffin talk in circles and constantly condescend everyone he's ever heard of: this is the book for you. We get it. You were born into a privileged household with 2 loving parents who worked at elite schools that granted you a better life than most. The constant theme of "I was an academic, I came from scholars, I'm better" was embarrassing. Graffin says how he was never fully accepted by his peers in the punk scene and didn't fully envelope the philosophy but goes on to call himself a punk ambassador and trailblazer. He repeatedly calls his fans junkies, speed freaks, and thugs. He criticizes everything with even remote themes of punk for not being "real punk" but later criticizes people trying to label and categorize what punk is. The entore book he talks in circles and discredits himself. He moans and whines about how long it took his band to gain popularity, but the entire time, he road the coattails of the Circle Jerks and never would have been anything without Greg Hetson. He bashes every band (save for the Circle Jerks) that's been relayed to punk. He hilariously belittled College Rick even though Bad Religion has always been known as the college rock version of a punk band. The way he speaks about friends and especially the way he admittingly has treated women is typical for a boomer but still inexcusable. I'm almost embarrassed to say I've seen them live after reading this. The elitism and ego seeping from this man is toxic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2022
Greg Graffin's Punk Paradox is a very good memoir that crosses into cultural criticism as well. Great for fans of the band Bad Religion as well as music lovers in general.
I enjoyed this book more than the last Bad Religion book I read (Do What You Want) even though I enjoyed it as well. But where the other is a history of the band (written by the band with Jim Ruland) this focuses on Graffin and one person's inside story of the band and punk music as a whole.
I was probably as intrigued by some of his thoughts that tended toward the more abstract, from rationales for songs or the scene itself to looking reflectively at his own life. While those who are fans may well enjoy it for nothing more than learning more about them (nothing wrong with that, that's what fans do) those who are more casual fans will find a lot here to keep them engaged as well.
Highly recommended for fans of Bad Religion, from the most casual to the most diehard, as well as any readers who enjoy memoirs about stars in the music industry. If you've read Do What You Want I would also recommend this as a great companion book, offering a bit more depth and a lot more personal perspective.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I enjoyed this book more than the last Bad Religion book I read (Do What You Want) even though I enjoyed it as well. But where the other is a history of the band (written by the band with Jim Ruland) this focuses on Graffin and one person's inside story of the band and punk music as a whole.
I was probably as intrigued by some of his thoughts that tended toward the more abstract, from rationales for songs or the scene itself to looking reflectively at his own life. While those who are fans may well enjoy it for nothing more than learning more about them (nothing wrong with that, that's what fans do) those who are more casual fans will find a lot here to keep them engaged as well.
Highly recommended for fans of Bad Religion, from the most casual to the most diehard, as well as any readers who enjoy memoirs about stars in the music industry. If you've read Do What You Want I would also recommend this as a great companion book, offering a bit more depth and a lot more personal perspective.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
December 8, 2022
Ein sympathisches, aber relativ langweiliges Buch. Also Greg steht nicht auf Eskapaden, aber vom Sänger einer der dienstältesten USpunkbands hab ich Spannenderes erwarter. Für Fans sicherlich unterhaltsam, aber wer nicht gerade auf Studiumsverlaufsbeschreibungen steht und bei einem Punksänger mehr Eskapaden als eine kaputte Autoscheibe beim Footballspielen erwartet, ist hier falsch. Keine Kritik am Menschen, denn der ist reflektiert, hat die richtige Einstellung und die richtigen Werte und ist jemand, mit dem ich gerne mal eine Cola trinken würde, weil er schon viel erlebt hat, aber vielleicht liegt ihm das Punksongschreiben eben mehr, als das von Büchern.
February 27, 2023
ughhhhh.
I'm superannoyed w myself for slogging thru and finishing this one. Should have just gone w my gut and DNF'd it - now I've wasted a bunch of time, AND I have the impression that Doc Graffin, someone I previously admired a ton, is a holier-than-thou (HA!)(but for real...like, oh YOU don't do drugs?? Wowwww, I didn't catch that the first bazillion 37 times you mentioned it 🤦♀️🙄... like a stereotypical caricature of a preachy vegan), condescending (to other music/musicians, and fans of music, especially/including Bad Religion's) toolbag.
I'm superannoyed w myself for slogging thru and finishing this one. Should have just gone w my gut and DNF'd it - now I've wasted a bunch of time, AND I have the impression that Doc Graffin, someone I previously admired a ton, is a holier-than-thou (HA!)(but for real...like, oh YOU don't do drugs?? Wowwww, I didn't catch that the first bazillion 37 times you mentioned it 🤦♀️🙄... like a stereotypical caricature of a preachy vegan), condescending (to other music/musicians, and fans of music, especially/including Bad Religion's) toolbag.
October 19, 2023
I was expecting a bit more from this. Although I recognize Greg is not a mad man, unlike his peers. There has to be something interesting he can talk about. Not salacious, just different from the constant slog of shop talk. A few moments stand out I’ll admit. But for the most part, underwhelming is the best way to describe this. Definitely great for DIE HARD Bad Religion folks, which I am not.
October 31, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of this new musical memoir.
Punk rock is hard to define, to some hard to listen to, to some the only thing that is true and right in the world, that music starts to get popular, than they are sellouts and deserve scorn. Just because the music is loud, or it sounds like the band just met the instruments they are playing doesn't make a band punk. Staying true to yourself, living the life you want playing music studying for a PhD., making a scene and singing the truth. That's punk. And punk is Greg Graffin. Singer, songwriter and the one man to be in all the iterations of the seminal punk band Bad Religion, Graffin has seen it all and has the receipts and the diploma to prove it as he shows in his memoir Punk Paradox.
Gregory Walter Graffin was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1964. Growing up in the midwest gave him a solid grounding in life and in himself, one that helped him deal with the scene that was Southern California in the 1970's when he moved there. Music was in not just the cafes but anywhere a band could set up, clubs, youth centers abandoned buildings, and Graffin was amidst it all. At the age of 15 he co-founded the band Bad Religion in 1980 along with Brett Gerwitz who later went on to start Epitaph Records to distribute the band, but later became a major label success. Touring constantly, playing anywhere and building contacts and a support base of fans started the band up the pole of popularity. However Graffin's love of music was equal to his love of knowledge and he attended college and grad school along with touring and writing, getting a PhD in Zoology in A major label deal was in the future and great things looked to come. Until they didn't.
A memoir that is both about music, a scene at its beginning and academia. All of which is very well written and very interesting, with stories, memories, some with a little of the anger Bad Religion's songs were known for. The narrative is always interesting, with a nice propulsion that keeps things moving, never really slowing down. Graffin is honest to a fault, quick to place blame on himself for things, slow to assign. Unless Graffin is calling out the powerful, than look out. Graffin also doesn't spare many punches on the punk scene he grew up in, nor what he thinks happened. A very outspoken, honest and funny memoir.
Recommended for fans of the band, and for fans of punk music in general as the information on the scene is very interesting with a lot of fun, different stories. Graffin was and is a guy who lives by his own punk ethos, and it is good to see that that has not changed.
Punk rock is hard to define, to some hard to listen to, to some the only thing that is true and right in the world, that music starts to get popular, than they are sellouts and deserve scorn. Just because the music is loud, or it sounds like the band just met the instruments they are playing doesn't make a band punk. Staying true to yourself, living the life you want playing music studying for a PhD., making a scene and singing the truth. That's punk. And punk is Greg Graffin. Singer, songwriter and the one man to be in all the iterations of the seminal punk band Bad Religion, Graffin has seen it all and has the receipts and the diploma to prove it as he shows in his memoir Punk Paradox.
Gregory Walter Graffin was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1964. Growing up in the midwest gave him a solid grounding in life and in himself, one that helped him deal with the scene that was Southern California in the 1970's when he moved there. Music was in not just the cafes but anywhere a band could set up, clubs, youth centers abandoned buildings, and Graffin was amidst it all. At the age of 15 he co-founded the band Bad Religion in 1980 along with Brett Gerwitz who later went on to start Epitaph Records to distribute the band, but later became a major label success. Touring constantly, playing anywhere and building contacts and a support base of fans started the band up the pole of popularity. However Graffin's love of music was equal to his love of knowledge and he attended college and grad school along with touring and writing, getting a PhD in Zoology in A major label deal was in the future and great things looked to come. Until they didn't.
A memoir that is both about music, a scene at its beginning and academia. All of which is very well written and very interesting, with stories, memories, some with a little of the anger Bad Religion's songs were known for. The narrative is always interesting, with a nice propulsion that keeps things moving, never really slowing down. Graffin is honest to a fault, quick to place blame on himself for things, slow to assign. Unless Graffin is calling out the powerful, than look out. Graffin also doesn't spare many punches on the punk scene he grew up in, nor what he thinks happened. A very outspoken, honest and funny memoir.
Recommended for fans of the band, and for fans of punk music in general as the information on the scene is very interesting with a lot of fun, different stories. Graffin was and is a guy who lives by his own punk ethos, and it is good to see that that has not changed.
May 18, 2026
For me, this book was underwhelming at best. There were many entertaining moments and there is no doubt that Graffin has put a lot of effort into constructing a comprehensive view of his life's work, but as someone who is well-versed in reading the "music book" or "rockstar autobiography", I honestly went from a less than casual bad religion fan to someone who thinks they are equally as lame as nofx, which Graffin calls a great punk band multiple times in this book and it made me nauseous a couple. I think Graffin is clearly a very intelligent writer and the application of scientific language and his experiences as a literal doctor in zoology make his story stand out, however his narration is overly-repetitive and excessively drawn out. He is so obsessed with his own point and philosophies which he repeats over and over again in a tone that is quite egotistical and often putting down other musicians. He over-romanticizes the straight-edge movement, basically calling those "violent" or "destructive" punks unintellectual idiots who never went to college as opposed to the supposed great intellect he presents in bad religion. I think he shows little consideration for the fact that he existed in a privileged position over many of the homeless punks suffering with addiction and he shows little to no compassion for that. He instead uses it as an excuse to boast bad religion's superiority because of their refusal of drugs and intellectual lyricism (which is a bit of an exaggeration) and arrogantly put - in my opinion - superior bands like Minor Threat or Fugazi down, saying they were more concerned with "political correctness". At the same time, he is obsessed with the commercialization of punk, desperately trying to convince his reader how wanting to be commercialized doesn't make his band less punk, constantly throwing daggers at invisible critics in a truly paranoid manner. Furthermore, the way he discusses his personal life is paradoxically impersonal and overly personal and makes secondary characters, like his wife feel completely alienated for the reader. In a comical way, he overshares his failures in his relationships while lacking the vulnerability to own up to mistakes, taking it all back to his egocentric struggle to be a professor while also be in what he believes to be the punk band of all punk bands. Anyway, if you want to know what the best era of 90s punk was, it was the DC, Seattle, Olympia scene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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