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Mid-life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude
Writers and rock music critics describe their experiences touring with the rock band they formed to raise money for charity
240 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 16, 2025
I enjoyed the hell out of this. I mean, what's not to love?
There's hilarious stories of a bunch of writers—who mostly did not know each other—being slammed together into a trainwreck of a band that apparently was awful—but having so much fun with it, they went on tour a year later...when they were slightly less awful.
The funny stories are truly funny. But there's also a lot of sobering stories along the way. Barbara Kingsolver's recent divorce. Dave Marsh's daughter losing her fight with cancer. Tad Bartimus's mother unresponsive in a hospital. And, weirdly, in some way, this entire trainwreck somehow being the thing that came along at exactly the right time to pull them, if not out of their misery, at least pull them far enough away to gain some perspective on it.
With each of the main players taking the stage, it's interesting to hear the same anecdotes, but from different perspectives. Through it all, everyone seems to have a wonderful time, and yet, it's Tabitha King (wife of the famous Stephen) who is praised a lot through the book, yet comes across somewhat acerbic in her own essay, and she's the one that indicates that it was not necessarily a lovefest all the way around. Interesting.
Still, it's fun, it's funny, it's rock 'n' roll, and that vial of crack just keeps showing up, despite the warnings.
There's hilarious stories of a bunch of writers—who mostly did not know each other—being slammed together into a trainwreck of a band that apparently was awful—but having so much fun with it, they went on tour a year later...when they were slightly less awful.
The funny stories are truly funny. But there's also a lot of sobering stories along the way. Barbara Kingsolver's recent divorce. Dave Marsh's daughter losing her fight with cancer. Tad Bartimus's mother unresponsive in a hospital. And, weirdly, in some way, this entire trainwreck somehow being the thing that came along at exactly the right time to pull them, if not out of their misery, at least pull them far enough away to gain some perspective on it.
With each of the main players taking the stage, it's interesting to hear the same anecdotes, but from different perspectives. Through it all, everyone seems to have a wonderful time, and yet, it's Tabitha King (wife of the famous Stephen) who is praised a lot through the book, yet comes across somewhat acerbic in her own essay, and she's the one that indicates that it was not necessarily a lovefest all the way around. Interesting.
Still, it's fun, it's funny, it's rock 'n' roll, and that vial of crack just keeps showing up, despite the warnings.
May 8, 2012
What a riot - funny stuff here! Wish I'd seen the Rock Bottom Remainders during their tour. Lot of fun Stephen King stuff in this book, too. And he's, of course, my fav!
November 20, 2022
Only read the King essay for my never-ending goal of being a King completionist. It was fine.
February 23, 2008
I really enjoyed this book, probably a little more than my 3 star review indicates, but there is one big negative (in my opinion)that bugged me a lot.
I'll tell you the negative in a minute, but first I want to explain the premise of the book, and also mention some positives.
This is the story of The Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of a dozen or so best selling authors including Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Greil Marcus, and many others. The book chronicles their formation for a "one-time-only" gig, and the subsequent 10 day tour that followed. Each of the writers in the band take a turn writing a chapter to tell the stories of what happened on the tour bus, and in the clubs they played during that 2 week period traveling the east coast.
The positives: Lots of great anecdotes, mostly funny, but sometimes serious, from some of the best storytellers in America. These stories don't always have to do with the band, but rather personal recollections of past events in their lives, and how they relate to why they are in the RBR's. These were my favorites:
King battling a stomach ailment an hour before showtime reminds him of the time he almost drown as a child.
Amy Tan, as a teenager, trying to find ways to rebel against her strict Chinese parents.
Dave Barry hilariously telling the story of the ups and downs of his college band, Federal Duck.
Most touching was Dave Marsh telling the story of his daughter Kristen, who died of a rare cancer in her early 20's. and how the band helped him get through the despair.
That's just a few, but there are lots of others that are equally as interesting.
So what could be wrong with this book you ask...
Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Did I say repetition?
Each of the authors try to add their own touches and style to the anecdotes, but after a while hearing the same stories over and over again got to be a bit boring for me, including:
How publicist Kathi Goldmark formed the band.
The frustration, but ultimate respect, of music director/band leader Al Kooper.
Amy Tan's dominatrix outfit while she sang "These Boots Are Made For Walking".
The legal issues surrounding the Dave Barry/Stephen King version of the 50's teen tragedy classic "Tell Laura I Love Her"
Dave Marsh's nightly cross dressing.
... and many more
These tales of the road were humorous the first couple of times they were told, but after the fourth, seventh, or tenth times it was too much.
On the other hand, I'm a factory worker living in a little apartment with my pet cat, so who am I to criticize anything these superstars of literature do? If you want to read it don't let anything I say stop you. I'm sure you'll love it.
I'll tell you the negative in a minute, but first I want to explain the premise of the book, and also mention some positives.
This is the story of The Rock Bottom Remainders, a band made up of a dozen or so best selling authors including Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Greil Marcus, and many others. The book chronicles their formation for a "one-time-only" gig, and the subsequent 10 day tour that followed. Each of the writers in the band take a turn writing a chapter to tell the stories of what happened on the tour bus, and in the clubs they played during that 2 week period traveling the east coast.
The positives: Lots of great anecdotes, mostly funny, but sometimes serious, from some of the best storytellers in America. These stories don't always have to do with the band, but rather personal recollections of past events in their lives, and how they relate to why they are in the RBR's. These were my favorites:
King battling a stomach ailment an hour before showtime reminds him of the time he almost drown as a child.
Amy Tan, as a teenager, trying to find ways to rebel against her strict Chinese parents.
Dave Barry hilariously telling the story of the ups and downs of his college band, Federal Duck.
Most touching was Dave Marsh telling the story of his daughter Kristen, who died of a rare cancer in her early 20's. and how the band helped him get through the despair.
That's just a few, but there are lots of others that are equally as interesting.
So what could be wrong with this book you ask...
Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Did I say repetition?
Each of the authors try to add their own touches and style to the anecdotes, but after a while hearing the same stories over and over again got to be a bit boring for me, including:
How publicist Kathi Goldmark formed the band.
The frustration, but ultimate respect, of music director/band leader Al Kooper.
Amy Tan's dominatrix outfit while she sang "These Boots Are Made For Walking".
The legal issues surrounding the Dave Barry/Stephen King version of the 50's teen tragedy classic "Tell Laura I Love Her"
Dave Marsh's nightly cross dressing.
... and many more
These tales of the road were humorous the first couple of times they were told, but after the fourth, seventh, or tenth times it was too much.
On the other hand, I'm a factory worker living in a little apartment with my pet cat, so who am I to criticize anything these superstars of literature do? If you want to read it don't let anything I say stop you. I'm sure you'll love it.
January 3, 2023
Rounding from 3.5 since anyone who picks this up is a die hard fan of one of the authors. And this book is for us and for the authors. I enjoyed it decently and some parts even spoke to me. Rock on.
January 7, 2026
In 1992, the book publicist Kathi Kamen Goldmark (1948- 2012) decided to experiment and try a venture which as far as I'm aware, no one has previously attempted- Ms. Goldmark decided to form a band which would be comprised not of musicians, but rather all of the members of the band would be famous authors. Kathi Goldmark's intent was that this band would raise funds for various charities through their live performances.
Depending upon how one opts to view the project, the project was a success. Sort of.
The band that Kathi Goldmark formed was named "The Rock Bottom Remainders." Over the course of the 20 year period from 1992 and 2012, The Rock Bottom Remainders did perform at various concert venues throughout the U.S., and through the sales of tickets to their performances, they did succeed in raising funds which they donated to various charities.
In their live concerts, The Rock Bottom Remainders performed their cover versions of various popular rock songs which had been written and recorded by various rock musicians from the 1950's through the 1980's.
Was this band successful musically?
To be polite, their cover versions of the rock songs that they performed were .... .... well, they were very interesting.
The members of The Rock Bottom Remainders are all extremely talented writers, and well, some people are just not especially multi- talented.
In "Mid Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude," the authors who formed "The Rock Bottom Remainders" describe their experiences selecting the songs that they wanted to learn, and they recount their experiences rehearsing and subsequently performing these songs.
I found "Mid Life Confidential" interesting for the same reason that I found the band "The Rock Bottom Remainders" interesting. These authors all write in very different genres and subgenres of modern fiction and nonfiction. It's very interesting to see what people who are all very skilled in such diverse genres do when they collaborate with each other.
And while it's interesting to read about their experiences with their collaboration, for those who are feeling particularly brave, The Rock Bottom Remainders did eventually release a CD in 1998, their album was entitled "Stranger than Fiction."
"Mid Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude" was published in 1994, so this band of authors do not mention the album in this book.
For those who enjoy reading this book, The Rock Bottom Remainders wrote a sequel to "Mid Life Confidential," which they published in 2018, the sequel is entitled "Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All." And I'll also recommend "Hard Listening," in the sequel to this book, these authors describe their experiences rehearsing, recording and performing with each other through 2012.
Depending upon how one opts to view the project, the project was a success. Sort of.
The band that Kathi Goldmark formed was named "The Rock Bottom Remainders." Over the course of the 20 year period from 1992 and 2012, The Rock Bottom Remainders did perform at various concert venues throughout the U.S., and through the sales of tickets to their performances, they did succeed in raising funds which they donated to various charities.
In their live concerts, The Rock Bottom Remainders performed their cover versions of various popular rock songs which had been written and recorded by various rock musicians from the 1950's through the 1980's.
Was this band successful musically?
To be polite, their cover versions of the rock songs that they performed were .... .... well, they were very interesting.
The members of The Rock Bottom Remainders are all extremely talented writers, and well, some people are just not especially multi- talented.
In "Mid Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude," the authors who formed "The Rock Bottom Remainders" describe their experiences selecting the songs that they wanted to learn, and they recount their experiences rehearsing and subsequently performing these songs.
I found "Mid Life Confidential" interesting for the same reason that I found the band "The Rock Bottom Remainders" interesting. These authors all write in very different genres and subgenres of modern fiction and nonfiction. It's very interesting to see what people who are all very skilled in such diverse genres do when they collaborate with each other.
And while it's interesting to read about their experiences with their collaboration, for those who are feeling particularly brave, The Rock Bottom Remainders did eventually release a CD in 1998, their album was entitled "Stranger than Fiction."
"Mid Life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude" was published in 1994, so this band of authors do not mention the album in this book.
For those who enjoy reading this book, The Rock Bottom Remainders wrote a sequel to "Mid Life Confidential," which they published in 2018, the sequel is entitled "Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All." And I'll also recommend "Hard Listening," in the sequel to this book, these authors describe their experiences rehearsing, recording and performing with each other through 2012.
September 8, 2018
I read this many years ago and just discovered that I never entered it. Well-known authors get together, form a band, have a great deal of fun, and start doing gigs, including fund raisers for the American Library Association. I don’t remember details but find myself smiling whenever I come across this title. Maybe time to pick it up again.
April 19, 2019
Cuenta la historia de la gira de la banda que formó King con otros escritores, mientras van de ciudad en ciudad, tocando sus canciones.
Cada capítulo está escrito por algún integrante de la banda, y las fotos que ilustran el libro son de Tabitha King.
Me resulto muy interesante, y a pesar de estar en inglés, entendi bastante todo, y recurri bastante poco al diccionario.
Cada capítulo está escrito por algún integrante de la banda, y las fotos que ilustran el libro son de Tabitha King.
Me resulto muy interesante, y a pesar de estar en inglés, entendi bastante todo, y recurri bastante poco al diccionario.
October 11, 2017
This one was interesting. I liked the format - having each famous author/band-member writer a chapter. My only problem was that it felt a little bit like an in joke with all the Remainders, and we, as readers, were the squares on the outside.
June 2, 2020
This book made me so happy : )
September 9, 2020
This relic, which perhaps should have been left buried and forgotten, has all the feeling of the last dying gasp of the Big Chill/Me Generation, written about five years after anyone might care that Stephen King, Dave Barry, and Amy Tan (the latter in full s&m garb) would be touring in a rag-tag rock band singing “Wooly Bully,” “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” and “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love).” (And yes, a full set-list is provided, for those who are curious as to just which songs these aging Boomer non-musicians played during their ten-day “tour.”) At least the title is honest. These writers are all clearly going through a mid-life crisis and, on the cusp of transitioning from middle age to old age, are trying for one last hurrah at being young enough to do shit like this. And, of course, they’re doing it “for the cause” -- in this case the American Library Association. (Another old chestnut of 80s excess is the accompanying Boomer guilt: every self-indulgent display must be done for some cause, which reminds me of the satirical opening of Randy Newman’s video “It’s Money That Matters,” when Newman deadpans, “Gotta keep workin’ for the cause…” as he rides off in his antique Buick Roadmaster convertible. In the case of this book, the "cause" is pretty much an afterthought.)
To give you an idea of how dated this entire project is, the band was organized in 1991 via fax machine exchanges. But “dated” is probably the least of the problems here. In short, this book is boring, which is a surprising conclusion, considering it contains essays from Stephen King, Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Barbara Kingsolver, Greil Marcus, Matt Groening, and Dave Marsh -- all more-or-less at the height of their careers and popularity. And yet, this book is utterly, fantastically, overwhelmingly dull. How is that even possible? The whole point was to get a first-hand glimpse at wacky writers letting their hair down in a pastiche of rockstardom. They even had Al Kooper along for the ride.
When I was growing up in the 90s, I loved all these writers and enjoyed the kind of music they played. I can remember as a teenager in the mid-90s devouring King’s work and reading Dave Barry’s syndicated columns religiously. That 13-year-old me would have torn through this book while listening to the local oldies station in the background and thinking, “These writers are SO COOL.” Twenty-five years later, I chuckle at both myself and them. This nostalgic trip should have remained in the bargain bin.
To give you an idea of how dated this entire project is, the band was organized in 1991 via fax machine exchanges. But “dated” is probably the least of the problems here. In short, this book is boring, which is a surprising conclusion, considering it contains essays from Stephen King, Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Barbara Kingsolver, Greil Marcus, Matt Groening, and Dave Marsh -- all more-or-less at the height of their careers and popularity. And yet, this book is utterly, fantastically, overwhelmingly dull. How is that even possible? The whole point was to get a first-hand glimpse at wacky writers letting their hair down in a pastiche of rockstardom. They even had Al Kooper along for the ride.
When I was growing up in the 90s, I loved all these writers and enjoyed the kind of music they played. I can remember as a teenager in the mid-90s devouring King’s work and reading Dave Barry’s syndicated columns religiously. That 13-year-old me would have torn through this book while listening to the local oldies station in the background and thinking, “These writers are SO COOL.” Twenty-five years later, I chuckle at both myself and them. This nostalgic trip should have remained in the bargain bin.
July 2, 2016
This must be a bookring I signed up for in a feverish moment.
I may regret it at some point, but I'm going to pass this book along to another Bookcrosser, without finishing it. I read the acknowledgments, the "documentary history", and part of the first chapter (written by Stephen King), and realized I don't really want to slog my way through the rehash of the Rock Bottom Remainders 1993 tour. Bless their hearts, it appears the gang had a great time, and if I ever run out of stuff to read I may find a copy of this at the library, but right now it holds no appeal.
I may regret it at some point, but I'm going to pass this book along to another Bookcrosser, without finishing it. I read the acknowledgments, the "documentary history", and part of the first chapter (written by Stephen King), and realized I don't really want to slog my way through the rehash of the Rock Bottom Remainders 1993 tour. Bless their hearts, it appears the gang had a great time, and if I ever run out of stuff to read I may find a copy of this at the library, but right now it holds no appeal.
October 20, 2013
Self-indulgent, "you had to be there", blather.
December 2, 2014
I'm sure this was fun for the authors to write but it wasn't really a very entertaining read.
July 8, 2014
I love that they did this, because everyone wants to be a rock star, right?
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews