Jesus Was Way Cool

by John S. Hall, Sander Hicks (Editor), Nancy Hall (Photographer)

As the leader King Missile, John S. Hall pricked the ears of society with tales like "Detachable Penis", "Take Stuff from Work", and our title track, "Jesus Was Way Cool". His work is familiar to listeners of contemporary radio, with the song "Detachable Penis" among the most recognizable.

Genres: Poetry, Music, Humor

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

People probably know John S. Hall (if they even know him at all) as "that King Missile Guy." And, to be fair, he hasn't really done anything else with his career (unless you count becoming a lawyer to help pay the bills between albums).

So, at first, a book collecting the lyrics to his songs might seem a little silly, if not downright unnecessary. However, when you separate the words from the music, you start to understand exactly how much of a writer John actually is.

There's nothing new in this book you haven't heard elsewhere (save a couple things that were used in songs that are on rarer, hard-to-find albums), but on the whole I would be excited if I could distill my written output into something as handy and pocket-sized as this.

And, let's be honest, who doesn't need a book on their shelf called, "Jesus Was Way Cool."

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved these poems! Hall's contemporary style is exactly what I like in poetry, so I was never bored with this book. The reader needs to have an... odd sense of humor to fully appreciate these pieces, though. ;]

"Sensitive Artist" has to be one of the best poems written in a long, long time. Brilliant.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered this book mainly because I saw John S. Hall perform this in Iowa City at Gabe's Oasis. It is a decent enough collection of his poetry -- nothing too sophisticated but definitely original.

[Dirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most underrated poet yet.

[brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

"he walked on the water, and swam on the land."