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This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl
With over 150,000 copies sold worldwide, This Is a Call , is the definitive biography of Dave Grohl, the story of a singular career that includes Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Them Crooked Vultures. Based on ten years of original, exclusive interviews with the man himself and conversations with a legion of musical associates such as Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, Washington DC punk legend Ian MacKaye, Nevermind producer Butch Vig and former bandmates from Mission Impossible, Dain Bramage and Scream, this is Grohl's epic story. He speaks candidly and honestly about Kurt Cobain, the arguments that almost tore Nirvana apart, the feuds that threatened to derail the Foo Fighters's global success, and the dark days that almost caused him to quit music for good.Dave Grohl has emerged as one of the most recognizable and respected musicians in the world. He is the last true hero to emerge from the American underground. This Is a Call vividly recounts this incredible rock 'n' roll journey.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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3703 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 407 reviews
February 22, 2020
I agree with another reviewer's three-star rating of this book. While well written and researched, I really wish that the book contained more of an inside peek into Grohl's motivations. Also, as previously pointed out, the book starts out slowly and tends to gloss over the last five years of Foo Fighters' history.
I agree that Nirvana is an important band and I enjoyed learning more about Grohl's role in it. Still, Grohl has spent more than five times as long in FF as he did in Nirvana. I feel as if the emphasis of the book should have been less about Grohl's environs and more about the man himself.
This is an interesting read and I blew threw it in four days. It's just that a book with this title should primarily focus on the man, not on the DC punk scene and the inner workings of Nirvana, a band whose history that other books have documented well.
I agree that Nirvana is an important band and I enjoyed learning more about Grohl's role in it. Still, Grohl has spent more than five times as long in FF as he did in Nirvana. I feel as if the emphasis of the book should have been less about Grohl's environs and more about the man himself.
This is an interesting read and I blew threw it in four days. It's just that a book with this title should primarily focus on the man, not on the DC punk scene and the inner workings of Nirvana, a band whose history that other books have documented well.
May 15, 2012
It's unfortunate when a book gets so bogged down with other unecessary information it gets to be a chore to read... and it clearly doesn't have enough stories about the original purpose to sustain an entire book so it needed to rely on other stories to attempt to dazzle the reader. I normally don't rate books I couldn't finish, but this particular book wasn't all that good in the 58% of it that I did manage to trudge through, so I thought it needed a rating. If you don't mind minimal facts/stories about Grohl himslf, and lots more about the punk scene, Cobain and various other stuff, then read this book, otherwise it's probably best to hold your ponies for another Grohl bio and skip this one.
November 27, 2011
Paul Brannigan was the renowned editor of Kerrang! magazine between 2005 and 2009. He then went on to write a short book on sayings from Lemmy of Motorhead. This is probably where Paul Brannigan should stay - writing short articles and books.
Although only 353 pages long, this book seemed to drag on. It was more of a history to punk and music from the early 90's to today, than an autobiography of Dave Grohl.
It was very interesting to read about the music industry, but it seems that Paul cannot get out of the editorial mode by listing every artist, in every group (name dropping as much as possible) and then giving the history behind lyrics in every song on every record.
He had the habit of getting side tracked into some music trivia and then realising that he had to get back to the biography. By which time a couple of years may have passed and you end up jumping backwards and forwards in time. I thought that I had missed a couple of pages when Paul started talking about Dave going on stage with his wife and daughter on the sidelines. It wasn't until the next chapter that you were told about him getting married.
This book can probably be recommended for hard core Nirvana or Foo Fighter fans, who will wallow in all of the trivia.
If Paul had stuck to the biography and told Dave's story alone, I feel that it would have pulled together better and would not have felt like a chore to finish.
Although only 353 pages long, this book seemed to drag on. It was more of a history to punk and music from the early 90's to today, than an autobiography of Dave Grohl.
It was very interesting to read about the music industry, but it seems that Paul cannot get out of the editorial mode by listing every artist, in every group (name dropping as much as possible) and then giving the history behind lyrics in every song on every record.
He had the habit of getting side tracked into some music trivia and then realising that he had to get back to the biography. By which time a couple of years may have passed and you end up jumping backwards and forwards in time. I thought that I had missed a couple of pages when Paul started talking about Dave going on stage with his wife and daughter on the sidelines. It wasn't until the next chapter that you were told about him getting married.
This book can probably be recommended for hard core Nirvana or Foo Fighter fans, who will wallow in all of the trivia.
If Paul had stuck to the biography and told Dave's story alone, I feel that it would have pulled together better and would not have felt like a chore to finish.
Currently reading
March 4, 2012I've been stalled for a month now. I seriously skipped a chunk of the history of punk rock. Don't get me wrong, I like punk rock and music in general, but I kinda wanted to read about Dave Grohl. I get that he likes music, but do I need to understand how some band in DC formed to understand that Dave liked them and went to see them in concert?
September 5, 2012
I'm a big Dave Grohl fan (I have a picture of him hanging in my hallway and asked the wife if 'Grohl' could be our young son's middle name. She didn't think I was serious) and received this book as a present from the aforementioned missus.
I read a bit, but initially found it a bit smug and kind of 'I know Dave', 'one time Dave said to me' and 'I think that Dave' blah, blah, blah. I put it down and consigned it to the doom of being tucked 'just under the bed'.
Then, one day, I treated myself to a soaky bath and wanted something to read while I shrivelled. So I grabbed this book and continued from where I left off.
As I said, I'm a Dave Grohl fan. As well as following his career since Nirvana as closely as possible (including seeing the Foos some 7 or 8 times live), I've also read numerous books on Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, the Foos and Dave himself, as well as Wikipedia entries and so on.
Where this book differs, for me, is that because it is written by a journalist, it answers the 5 Ws all journalists should answer (Who did What, Where, When and Why) and it adds in How too. And so rather than just say, Dave decided he liked punk and then he decided to play drums and then he got in a group and then got in Nirvana, this tells us more about why that happened. The music scene around where he grew up, the characters that went with it and the other people along the way.
Yes it diverts off at some length about this band or that, or this person and them, and they have seemingly little relevance to the Dave Grohl of today, but the truth is they had an impact on him then and helped him on the course that fans of him today find him.
Having made my way through what is a rather lengthy tale, I find that I have pretty much followed his entire life - surely the purpose of a biography - until present(ish) day.
Yes, the actual contribution from Dave Grohl himself in terms of quotes is limited, but the research, additional quotes and contributions from others helps to tell the story.
Those who have read this will remember that Dave is quoted therein stating that he doesn't want to put his whole self on display. "I want to save a bit of me for me," he is quoted as saying. Therefore, we're highly unlikely to ever see an autobiography or maybe even an 'authorised' biography of him.
As substitutes go, This Is A Call: The Life And Times Of Dave Grohl is an exceptional alternative.
I read a bit, but initially found it a bit smug and kind of 'I know Dave', 'one time Dave said to me' and 'I think that Dave' blah, blah, blah. I put it down and consigned it to the doom of being tucked 'just under the bed'.
Then, one day, I treated myself to a soaky bath and wanted something to read while I shrivelled. So I grabbed this book and continued from where I left off.
As I said, I'm a Dave Grohl fan. As well as following his career since Nirvana as closely as possible (including seeing the Foos some 7 or 8 times live), I've also read numerous books on Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, the Foos and Dave himself, as well as Wikipedia entries and so on.
Where this book differs, for me, is that because it is written by a journalist, it answers the 5 Ws all journalists should answer (Who did What, Where, When and Why) and it adds in How too. And so rather than just say, Dave decided he liked punk and then he decided to play drums and then he got in a group and then got in Nirvana, this tells us more about why that happened. The music scene around where he grew up, the characters that went with it and the other people along the way.
Yes it diverts off at some length about this band or that, or this person and them, and they have seemingly little relevance to the Dave Grohl of today, but the truth is they had an impact on him then and helped him on the course that fans of him today find him.
Having made my way through what is a rather lengthy tale, I find that I have pretty much followed his entire life - surely the purpose of a biography - until present(ish) day.
Yes, the actual contribution from Dave Grohl himself in terms of quotes is limited, but the research, additional quotes and contributions from others helps to tell the story.
Those who have read this will remember that Dave is quoted therein stating that he doesn't want to put his whole self on display. "I want to save a bit of me for me," he is quoted as saying. Therefore, we're highly unlikely to ever see an autobiography or maybe even an 'authorised' biography of him.
As substitutes go, This Is A Call: The Life And Times Of Dave Grohl is an exceptional alternative.
August 6, 2012
This was a nice present from my brother and his wife for Christmas, and I finally got around to reading it!! Though I loved what I was reading, it still took me a fair while to get it done, which seems strange. But anyway...this is not the kind of book you should read if you're not interested in music. Maybe you're interested in Dave Grohl, maybe you've got a little crush on the purported "nicest man in rock" (though the man himself disputes he's this ALL of the time)...but if you're wanting to read 400 pages about Dave, this isn't the book for you. This is definitely a good read for anyone who loves rock music and is interested in the history of certain genres in America (and elsewhere, for that matter).
The book has a great focus on the punk/hardcore scene of Washington D.C., since that's what Dave Grohl grew up on so to speak. It also touches on other areas like, naturally, grunge, and also the underground (or overground in the case of Metallica) metal scene. It does tell Dave's story, from humble beginnings to where he is today. And it was news to me that Foo Fighters had had such dramatic moments in their history. I guess I've lost the desire to stay totally on the pulse with my favourite musicians' personal lives - I was really into that as a teenager, but the phase has passed me by - so I didn't pay attention to any of this stuff while it was actually happening. One thing that Dave Grohl hasn't lost, it seems, is his utter enthusiasm for life, for music, etc. He's gotta be just a little bit ADD, surely? hehe
I loved how the book ended, with that scene with Dave, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic revisiting some "mouldy oldies". What I would have given to be in or near that room while that particular jam session was going on! Anyway, in conclusion this is a great read for anyone who's enthusiastic about music in general. Not just Dave Grohl. But it does help if you're interested in his story! And yes, Kurt is mentioned a lot. For other people apparently this was a problem, but for me, who hasn't read any Nirvana or Kurt biographies (or hardly any biographies at all, really), it wasn't a bother at all.
The book has a great focus on the punk/hardcore scene of Washington D.C., since that's what Dave Grohl grew up on so to speak. It also touches on other areas like, naturally, grunge, and also the underground (or overground in the case of Metallica) metal scene. It does tell Dave's story, from humble beginnings to where he is today. And it was news to me that Foo Fighters had had such dramatic moments in their history. I guess I've lost the desire to stay totally on the pulse with my favourite musicians' personal lives - I was really into that as a teenager, but the phase has passed me by - so I didn't pay attention to any of this stuff while it was actually happening. One thing that Dave Grohl hasn't lost, it seems, is his utter enthusiasm for life, for music, etc. He's gotta be just a little bit ADD, surely? hehe
I loved how the book ended, with that scene with Dave, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic revisiting some "mouldy oldies". What I would have given to be in or near that room while that particular jam session was going on! Anyway, in conclusion this is a great read for anyone who's enthusiastic about music in general. Not just Dave Grohl. But it does help if you're interested in his story! And yes, Kurt is mentioned a lot. For other people apparently this was a problem, but for me, who hasn't read any Nirvana or Kurt biographies (or hardly any biographies at all, really), it wasn't a bother at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2021
Not bad at all, but not really remarkable either. I definitely enjoyed this one more in the later chapters. The early sections were interesting enough, but they spend so much time talking about every character Grohl has ever been associated with that you sometimes forget the book is about him. As a long time FF fan I found the later chapters much more enjoyable. Much more focus on each album and the work that went into each one, and much more focus on the man himself in these sections too and the dynamics that forged each era of the band. No doubt he is an exceptionally talented and charismatic guy, so if you're a fan I would give it a go.
February 1, 2012
Hubby and I were slightly deflated to discover this was an 'unauthorised' biography; however, the disppointment was short-lived as it became evident the depth of personal insight Paul Brannigan has into the mind and heart of one of our favourite rock identities... not to mention his iron grasp of the nuances of rock history in general.
More than just an insight into Dave Grohl, this book more than ANY other single rock biography I've read (and I've read MANY) gave a unique overview of the alternative/ punk/rock music scene through the 80's-00's. It's like Brannigan stands on top of a stack of amps and gives you a bird's eye view of how all our favourite bands - from Metallica to Mudhoney, Pixies to Sonic Youth, Aerosmith to ACDC - all interconnect. Through this book I "got" the geneology of it all like never before: who influenced who; how hardcore birthed heavy metal, birthed rock, birthed punk, birthed grunge, and how the whole thing comes full circle again.
A really, really engaging book which left me with a lot of respect both for Dave as an artist and Brannigan as a peerless rock writer.
More than just an insight into Dave Grohl, this book more than ANY other single rock biography I've read (and I've read MANY) gave a unique overview of the alternative/ punk/rock music scene through the 80's-00's. It's like Brannigan stands on top of a stack of amps and gives you a bird's eye view of how all our favourite bands - from Metallica to Mudhoney, Pixies to Sonic Youth, Aerosmith to ACDC - all interconnect. Through this book I "got" the geneology of it all like never before: who influenced who; how hardcore birthed heavy metal, birthed rock, birthed punk, birthed grunge, and how the whole thing comes full circle again.
A really, really engaging book which left me with a lot of respect both for Dave as an artist and Brannigan as a peerless rock writer.
June 26, 2020
This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl (2011) by Paul Brannigan is an indepth and very interesting look at the life so far of the former Nirvana drummer and the frontman of Foo Fighters.
What I almost always love about the biographies or autobiographies of rock singers is that you tend to get a real, warts ‘n’ all account that you can relate to in parts. It isn’t often done in a very stylish, showbizzy way and I appreciate that as a reader. In short it feels more honest and with this biography on Grohl I felt no exception was made to that rule.
The book first and foremost is based on ten years of interviews that Brannigan, former editor of Kerrang!, did with Grohl and from talking to other people who know him well like Josh Homme, Butch Vig and Ian MacKaye. I find the style of writing very conversational like you were listening to a mate of yours talking about music over a cup of tea and I really liked that tone to the book. There is one flaw though to this book. I didn’t mind it so much because I found what Brannigan was discussing about the punk scene and Grohl’s influences very interesting but there might be a little too much about that in a book that is supposed to be about Grohl himself. So I think if someone was looking for Grohl’s story without any massive overviews this may not be the book they are looking for. But myself, I quite enjoyed it.
There is very interesting pieces in the book about Grohl’s life growing up in a suburb of Washington D.C. I love how down-to-earth these passages sound and they are parts which are so easy to relate to. Brannigan wrote very well how these early days were a great indication of his life to come in music. It was very interesting to read.
There is some very emotive moments in this book. Grohl’s pain over his former bandmate Kurt Cobain’s death at the age of 27 is hard to read. This book shows both the ups and downs in Grohl’s life and music career. There maybe isn’t enough about Foo Fighters in the book though which was a bit of a shame. Grohl comes across as a very nice person, very likable and down-to-earth with a huge passion for music and the creative process.
There isn’t maybe much new facts in this book but it is a wonderful coming together of Grohl’s career up to 2011 and I found it a very interesting and engaging read. This book is filled with musical history and has been researched incredibly well so kudos to the author for that. I really enjoyed reading it.
A very absorbing and detailed book.
What I almost always love about the biographies or autobiographies of rock singers is that you tend to get a real, warts ‘n’ all account that you can relate to in parts. It isn’t often done in a very stylish, showbizzy way and I appreciate that as a reader. In short it feels more honest and with this biography on Grohl I felt no exception was made to that rule.
The book first and foremost is based on ten years of interviews that Brannigan, former editor of Kerrang!, did with Grohl and from talking to other people who know him well like Josh Homme, Butch Vig and Ian MacKaye. I find the style of writing very conversational like you were listening to a mate of yours talking about music over a cup of tea and I really liked that tone to the book. There is one flaw though to this book. I didn’t mind it so much because I found what Brannigan was discussing about the punk scene and Grohl’s influences very interesting but there might be a little too much about that in a book that is supposed to be about Grohl himself. So I think if someone was looking for Grohl’s story without any massive overviews this may not be the book they are looking for. But myself, I quite enjoyed it.
There is very interesting pieces in the book about Grohl’s life growing up in a suburb of Washington D.C. I love how down-to-earth these passages sound and they are parts which are so easy to relate to. Brannigan wrote very well how these early days were a great indication of his life to come in music. It was very interesting to read.
There is some very emotive moments in this book. Grohl’s pain over his former bandmate Kurt Cobain’s death at the age of 27 is hard to read. This book shows both the ups and downs in Grohl’s life and music career. There maybe isn’t enough about Foo Fighters in the book though which was a bit of a shame. Grohl comes across as a very nice person, very likable and down-to-earth with a huge passion for music and the creative process.
There isn’t maybe much new facts in this book but it is a wonderful coming together of Grohl’s career up to 2011 and I found it a very interesting and engaging read. This book is filled with musical history and has been researched incredibly well so kudos to the author for that. I really enjoyed reading it.
A very absorbing and detailed book.
June 3, 2018
I really had nothing against this book, the first half was really great about growing up in the American early 80s punk scene, which is my favorite, more than the 70s in New York or the British scene. I never knew Dave Grohl was such a fucking rocker! However, not being a really huge fan of Nirvana or Foo Fighters, there was a lot of stuff in the last half of the book I didn't know enough about, like particular albums and songs, and the drama of the Foo Fighters in-fighting, etc. And the writer is a LITTLE too worshipful, like falling all over himself about some lyric that seems pretty normal to me. If I had written this book I would have gone apeshit over Probot and the energetic live shows (did anyone see that show in Austin recently where "Kiss Guy" got on stage and just ripped it apart on Dave's guitar? It's on youtube, watch it, it's pretty badass.)
December 21, 2016
I made it to 10%...
This read like a really long magazine article instead of the unauthorized biography it was meant to be.
I learned more about the type of music and bands Dave Grohl liked than anything interesting about him.
I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he writes his own book. For some reason Foo Fighters hate Tampa, well Florida in general, so I will never see them live! Am I bitter about that? Yeah, but they still remain my #1.
This read like a really long magazine article instead of the unauthorized biography it was meant to be.
I learned more about the type of music and bands Dave Grohl liked than anything interesting about him.
I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he writes his own book. For some reason Foo Fighters hate Tampa, well Florida in general, so I will never see them live! Am I bitter about that? Yeah, but they still remain my #1.
January 4, 2022
Dave Grohl is smarter than I thought he was. He’s a private guy apparently who doesn’t give too much of himself away. Which is probably why this book has to focus on the music culture, politics and context around Dave Grohl instead of the man himself. Which in itself is interesting enough. I learnt more about the DC underground punk scene than I care to. Even when the book is focusing on the tumultuous nirvana years, you learn more about Cobain than you do the inner workings of Dave Grohl. The back half of the book is tedious because every chapter is: the foo fighters release another album and they did it like this. Ad nauseum. Through this book you learn that Dave Grohl is a nice guy who is all about the music. Making music, playing music, sharing music with others. And that’s pretty much it. Which is fine; if that’s what you came here for. If you came to get an insight into the trauma and controversies, you’ll be disappointed. This book projects the image of Dave Grohl that he wants you to see- a liberated, music loving, fan favourite rock veteran. To be able to maintain that level of privacy shows he is a disciplined and smart dude. I’ve always enjoyed his work, but this book has given me a new found respect for him as an artist. There’s a reason why he is in the rock n roll hall of fame twice.
June 2, 2012
Starts out really slow and is totally cluttered by all the DC punk scene history, this is one of the better unauthorized music bios I have read.
Dave Grohl is a pleasure to read about simply because he rocks. He's not the typical rockstar but at the same time can still express modesty at being labelled the nicest guy in rock.
There were moments in this book where I found myself laughing out loud at Dave's fan boy antics when meeting members of the bands he loved growing up and also moments where I thought "wow, this guy is actually human, just a regular dude who happens to front one of musics biggest contemporary acts"
I recommend this to Foo fans, nirvana fans, punk fans and music fans in general. This is a bio you simply cannot go past.
I had anticipated a deluge of Nirvana, with this bring an unauthorized bio, but Brannigan has managed to pepper the right amount throughout. The closing lines of the book were fantastic, truly bringing the book home and showing the Dave really is still just a punk from Virginia.
Dave Grohl is a pleasure to read about simply because he rocks. He's not the typical rockstar but at the same time can still express modesty at being labelled the nicest guy in rock.
There were moments in this book where I found myself laughing out loud at Dave's fan boy antics when meeting members of the bands he loved growing up and also moments where I thought "wow, this guy is actually human, just a regular dude who happens to front one of musics biggest contemporary acts"
I recommend this to Foo fans, nirvana fans, punk fans and music fans in general. This is a bio you simply cannot go past.
I had anticipated a deluge of Nirvana, with this bring an unauthorized bio, but Brannigan has managed to pepper the right amount throughout. The closing lines of the book were fantastic, truly bringing the book home and showing the Dave really is still just a punk from Virginia.
did-not-finish
January 13, 2012A book about Dave Grohl (even an unauthorized book about Dave Grohl) should not be this plodding and dull. Grohl is one of the feel-good rockers of this generation, and he deserves a lively biography. But Brannigan's insistence on filling pages with a peripheral history of punk rock stops this story dead in its tracks and takes the focus (far) off Grohl.
July 16, 2013
This book really needed some editing. It's a dogs breakfast, jumping backwards and forwards in time and reading like the author just put every single fact about Dave Grohl on the page as soon as it appeared in his head. Much better article in the Good Weekend a year or so ago. Disappointed. Just glad I waited and got it from the library and didn't buy it.
September 23, 2015
The author seemed to be trying to show how much he knew about grunge with occasional references to Dave Grohl. Hard going but I just kept skipping pages until I saw Dave Grohl's name again.
March 14, 2019
I'm a Foo Fighters fan so I had to check this out. Great biography, with lots of details about Grohl's time with Nirvana.
July 24, 2018
Paul Brannigan states early in the book that it is not an authorized biography of Dave Grohl, and he means it. If you're looking for an actual biography of Dave Grohl, look elsewhere or wait for the authorized bio.
This Is a Call is the history of the rise of punk/hardcore/metal rock music as only a journalist who's spent a lifetime chronicling it can tell it. It just happens to have plenty of quotes from and biographical anecdotes about the gifted, hard-working, and highly talented Dave Grohl and the parts that he and the various bands of which he's been a member have played in that history.
I checked This Is a Call out because I thought it was a Dave Grohl biography; I have been a fan of his since the first Foo Fighters album came out and have only grown to like and respect him more as his career developed. I so like Dave & the Foo Fighters that I recently took my 12-year old daughter to see them in concert, her first, and it was a wonderful evening for us.
Despite it not being a real biography, though, I was not at all disappointed in the book. It is well-written, interesting, entertaining, and compelling, at times even hard to put down. And I found very few typos & grammatical errors, which always makes me happy. If you're into punk/metal/hardcore music and are interested in its history, you'll definitely like This Is a Call. The Dave Grohl bits are simply a bonus.
This Is a Call is the history of the rise of punk/hardcore/metal rock music as only a journalist who's spent a lifetime chronicling it can tell it. It just happens to have plenty of quotes from and biographical anecdotes about the gifted, hard-working, and highly talented Dave Grohl and the parts that he and the various bands of which he's been a member have played in that history.
I checked This Is a Call out because I thought it was a Dave Grohl biography; I have been a fan of his since the first Foo Fighters album came out and have only grown to like and respect him more as his career developed. I so like Dave & the Foo Fighters that I recently took my 12-year old daughter to see them in concert, her first, and it was a wonderful evening for us.
Despite it not being a real biography, though, I was not at all disappointed in the book. It is well-written, interesting, entertaining, and compelling, at times even hard to put down. And I found very few typos & grammatical errors, which always makes me happy. If you're into punk/metal/hardcore music and are interested in its history, you'll definitely like This Is a Call. The Dave Grohl bits are simply a bonus.
October 22, 2021
I really liked this book, for much the same reasons that many reviewers here downgraded it. Brannigan puts Grohl's life in context with deeper dives into the punk and hardcore music scenes in which Grohl grew up. Brannigan also goes deeper into Kurt Cobain's life and the role that he played in the new music movements of that time.
Although these digressions are lengthy, I think that they're very interesting and worthwhile. I learned a lot about music reading this book. I also learned a lot about Grohl, and he and Brannigan clearly had a relationship - though thankfully Brannigan never mentions this explicitly. But clearly Brannigan must have interviewed Grohl multiple times through the years and I'd guess they had a friendship as well. That serves Brannigan well here.
Brannigan seems to be fair in his evaluation of Grohl's music, particularly Foo Fighters, though he definitely gives Grohl and the band the benefit of the doubt in some cases. But Brannigan is not a fawning fan. If I have any gripes it is these: Brannigan spends almost no time writing about Grohl's personal life after the formation of Foo Fighters; and there are too few pictures. But overall, I really liked this for the dives into various genres of music and Grohl's place in them.
Although these digressions are lengthy, I think that they're very interesting and worthwhile. I learned a lot about music reading this book. I also learned a lot about Grohl, and he and Brannigan clearly had a relationship - though thankfully Brannigan never mentions this explicitly. But clearly Brannigan must have interviewed Grohl multiple times through the years and I'd guess they had a friendship as well. That serves Brannigan well here.
Brannigan seems to be fair in his evaluation of Grohl's music, particularly Foo Fighters, though he definitely gives Grohl and the band the benefit of the doubt in some cases. But Brannigan is not a fawning fan. If I have any gripes it is these: Brannigan spends almost no time writing about Grohl's personal life after the formation of Foo Fighters; and there are too few pictures. But overall, I really liked this for the dives into various genres of music and Grohl's place in them.
June 22, 2020
Slightly underwhelming, though more because of unreasonable expectations as opposed to any fault of the author. I like Foo Fighters and used to really like Nirvana when I was younger, and Dave Grohl has always come across a pretty sound and very talented sort of bloke whenever I have read interviews or seen him on TV.
My opinion of him was not changed by this book, but as a consequence of him being far more 'an ordinary bloke who happens to be an exceptional musician and songwriter' than a tortured genius, rock character, larger than life personality.. this biography couldn't ever be the most wild and exciting and unexpected narrative.
The author clearly has done his research and has plenty of knowledge of the US underground punk scene in the 80s and 90s, and there is also a lot about the formation and short brilliant life of Nirvana too. However, though this provided context, it did at times seem that this biography had a lot of pages where the subject of the book wasn't mentioned at all. It was a decent book, but in truth I probably prefer just to appreciate artists on what they produce, less on what's going on behind the curtain.
My opinion of him was not changed by this book, but as a consequence of him being far more 'an ordinary bloke who happens to be an exceptional musician and songwriter' than a tortured genius, rock character, larger than life personality.. this biography couldn't ever be the most wild and exciting and unexpected narrative.
The author clearly has done his research and has plenty of knowledge of the US underground punk scene in the 80s and 90s, and there is also a lot about the formation and short brilliant life of Nirvana too. However, though this provided context, it did at times seem that this biography had a lot of pages where the subject of the book wasn't mentioned at all. It was a decent book, but in truth I probably prefer just to appreciate artists on what they produce, less on what's going on behind the curtain.
January 6, 2025
3.75 out of 5 for me.
I first listened to foo fighters from my dad and instantly enjoyed every second of any song produced by them that came on in the car when I was younger. And I continue to enjoy every song I listen to whether that’s in the car, room or in the gym.
Reading the book at times felt more of an information deep dive into grunge and the DC rock scene, which was great to read and actually learn about as I was born in the early 2000s, this was a great learning point expanding on a genre of music that I have started to listen to much more often in the recent months.
Furthermore, reading and learning about how Nirvana was formed to then unfortunately broken up was a great insight for me as it also expanded my new music listening as I’ve only listened to nevermind and In Utero, which I assumed was their only albums. However reading on throughout the book it enabled me to explore more alternate rock / rock, and find new music to scream to in the car.
So overall I did thoroughly enjoy it as it was really easy to get sucked in and just read pages on end. So I have given it a 3.75 but rated on Goodreads as a 4star due to being unable to rate anything further than a whole number.
I first listened to foo fighters from my dad and instantly enjoyed every second of any song produced by them that came on in the car when I was younger. And I continue to enjoy every song I listen to whether that’s in the car, room or in the gym.
Reading the book at times felt more of an information deep dive into grunge and the DC rock scene, which was great to read and actually learn about as I was born in the early 2000s, this was a great learning point expanding on a genre of music that I have started to listen to much more often in the recent months.
Furthermore, reading and learning about how Nirvana was formed to then unfortunately broken up was a great insight for me as it also expanded my new music listening as I’ve only listened to nevermind and In Utero, which I assumed was their only albums. However reading on throughout the book it enabled me to explore more alternate rock / rock, and find new music to scream to in the car.
So overall I did thoroughly enjoy it as it was really easy to get sucked in and just read pages on end. So I have given it a 3.75 but rated on Goodreads as a 4star due to being unable to rate anything further than a whole number.
July 3, 2020
Writing a book about a person who maintains their privacy can be difficult, I think the author did the best he could but I didn't really learn anything about Dave Grohl that I couldn't have learned through interviews. The Nirvana section seemed more about Kurt Cobain, but even then it seemed like he didn't want to get into the craziness that surrounded him and there was a lot of it.
This book is not really for those who have been long time fans.
This book is not really for those who have been long time fans.
October 22, 2017
It has 3 stars from me just because it's Dave. Sadly, getting through this book was more like a daunting task than a pleasure. Lots of unnecessary info, too many loose ends. Very detailed description of Nirvana era and punk scene but whole lot of stuff skipped about Foo Fighters and Dave's life. And from what I assumed before I picked this book up, it was supposed to be about him.
April 11, 2020
I don't know if it's because I am in quarantine but I really liked this book. It's really a three part book, growing up in Virginia, joining Nirvana and leading the Foo Fighters and all the post-Nirvana projects. The author has interviewed DG many times and you come away with knowing him a little better. The nicest guy in rock for a reason.
June 8, 2020
I'm not a huge fan of biographies. But I am a huge fan of Foo Fighters. So I gave this a go. It's an enjoyable read with an enormous amount of background information provided by the Author. I did resort to skim reading some of the more detailed paragraphs. Dave Grohl has lived a life and then some. And he says fuck. A lot. 9 years on from this book the Foos are still one of the biggest bands on the planet.
September 21, 2017
A book that went into too much detail about non-Dave things at the start. Whilst I appreciate the history of that bands that inspired Dave, I wanted to know more about his motivations. I enjoyed reading about Nirvana, TCV and Foos - although felt the book glossed over the Foo Fighters in a sense given how long they have been in existence.
November 29, 2019
It took me quite a while to get into this book, which is why it took me so long to finish it. But once I got to the Nirvana and Foo Fighters sections, I really got interested and I really enjoyed reading this.
March 18, 2021
3,5/5
spore luki w tematach osobistych, za to fajny portret sceny Waszyngtonu, Olympii i Seattle w pigułce.
spore luki w tematach osobistych, za to fajny portret sceny Waszyngtonu, Olympii i Seattle w pigułce.
November 24, 2023
Very well written and researched, but personally I’m more interested in Grohl than punk rock, so I could have lost 100 pages and not missed them.
December 28, 2025
Managed 46 of the 372 pages. Didn't feel I was learning much about Grohl himself, just what other people who had tenuous links to him (and Brannigan had managed collar) thought they knew about him.
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