Grumpy Old Rock Star: and Other Wondrous Stories

by Rick Wakeman

Around about August 1948, Mr and Mrs Cyril Wakeman had an early night and some time later, at Perivale in Middlesex, Mrs Wakeman produced a bonny baby son. They named him Richard, but he quickly became known as Rick. Rick was a likeable little fellow who had a talent for the piano and for making trouble. Music became Rick's life - he joined a popular music group called Yes and became a legend. Much later he became a Grumpy Old Man who appears on Countdown , hosts a hugely popular radio show on Planet Rock and performs a one-man show telling stories about his rather extraordinary life. Which is where this book you are holding comes in. Mr Wakeman is simply one of the great storytellers of our age - let's face it, he has some fabulous material. It seemed a shame that some of the funniest yarns should not be more widely known. So he accepted some cash and here we are. Curl up by the fire with a Grumpy Old Rock Star and your nearest and dearest. We defy you not to want to read it aloud and laugh.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Humor, Audiobook

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2008

Reviews

[James Reyome · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a, "I was born in...lived here at...met so-and-so..." sort of a tome, you're in the wrong place. A pity in part, inasmuch as I would like to have read Rick Wakeman's description of his early days in Yes, and some of the tumultuous times which followed. But I suppose there are other books for that sort of thing.

No, this is not so much a biography as it is a series of anecdotes from keyboard maven Wakeman's life and career, and some of them will just leave you speechless. A lot of times I was shaking my head, wondering how he has managed to stay alive so long, but as a fan I'm glad he did! The stories about trips (sans documentation!) to the Soviet Union and South America are riots, as is his description of King Arthur on ice...yes, you read that right! I have loved that record for years and always wondered what possessed Rick to present it as an Ice Follies kind of show. Now not only do I know the why, I wish I'd been there to see it!

There's more he could be telling, obviously; this book only takes you so far...that's what the SECOND book ("Further Adventures of a Grumpy Old Rock Star", naturally) is for, and I will be looking for a copy of it. Till then I shall have to be content in finally knowing how they created that amazing waterfall sound in "No Earthly Connection" without electronics...and, mentioning that, I feel the need to pee...

Fans of Wakeman will eat this stuff up. Just plain folks will love the inner details of the life of the Rock Star. Highly recommended.

[Rog the Jammy Dodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining ride down memory lane with Rick who has a store of genuinely wondrous anecdotes drawn from his long career as a musician with the Strawbs, Yes and as a solo artist. I knew that Yes were genuinely huge for a time but didn't appreciate the tens of millions of LPs that Rick has sold since he went solo. How he survived to tell the tales is the most wondrous story. Having had a heart attack at 25 he continued to drink prodigious amounts for another couple of decades before continue drinking or death was the stark choice. He chose life and I'm glad, both for his legacy and that he comes over as a decent guy who has remained so along the way.

[Rob Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not so much a detailed autobiography, more of a series of laugh out loud anecdotes and tales from keyboard virtuoso Wakeman's life and career. Some of these are remarkable, some are terrible, and some are simply bizarre. Rick comes across as being affable and personable, as opposed to grumpy.

I listened to the audio book which Rick narrates himself. It's like he's sitting next to you in a pub, having a chat as he recounts:
- getting hold of a KGB uniform, in the middle of the cold war
- drinking a plane dry
- gaining access to a nuclear submarine
- feeding meat to his vegetarian Yes band mates
- having a heart attack at 25 – twice
- staging King Arthur (on ice)
- playing in a circus with Salvador Dali
- watching Keith Moon trash a restaurant
- giving up drink after being told he had 6 months to live
- hanging out with Ronnie Biggs and Fidel Castro.

What a life he has had. Always self-deprecating but amusing. This was a tremendous way to while away a few hours cheering myself up as try to get though this pandemic without going crazy.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the trumpet player who evacuated into his white trousers on trying to hit a high note while sozzled, to the humping dinosaurs, this book had me literally in tears of laughter. The Tap couldn’t have written better, but I felt Rick could. This was just a collection of amusing rock star anecdotes. What a larf, eh boys? You don’t learn too much about Rick himself, but as an ex-alcoholic perhaps he’s forgotten a lot about what made him what he is.

[Jim Razinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve had this in my queue for a long time now, wishing I’d gotten to it sooner. I liked Wakeman’s Yes stint when I was young but knew little about him. Well...he’s pretty funny! Had me literally laughing out loud more than a few times. He’s a great storyteller. Not your typical musician autobiography. Not that I’ve read many. (But not like those I have read!)

[Andriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Не впевнена що доцільно писати відгук на чиїсь мемуари, але музичне життя Вейкмана і його почуття гумору - це щось особливе. Стільки неймовірних треків переїхало в мій плейлист, і тепер коли я їх чую, їх доповнюють дикі й шалені історії. І навіть “дивовижний звук водоспаду на No Earthly Connection”

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't one of those detailed autobiographies that recounts the author's childhood/schooldays etc up to the point where they become well-known. Where Rick Wakeman is concerned you'd have to find a copy of Say Yes for that. This is more a collection of anecdotes and tales that didn't quite make it into the aforementioned book as they are all a bit 'neither here nor there' subject-wise. Some of the stories here are amusing, some are interesting and some are both. Wakeman comes across as being, at times, extremely affable and personable but in the next chapter very smug and self-satisfied...the irony is that he never comes across as the least bit grumpy about anything. I found the book to be both funny and irritating at different times and I can't decide whether I like the man more or less after finishing it.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of most things British, especially music and humor, this book has been on my radar since reading an excerpt shortly after publication. I can’t say that I’m a longtime fan of Rick Wakeman or Yes music, but the guy definitely has the gift of wit and a knack for finding himself in some amusing situations (of his own creation or otherwise). There are the Spinal Tapesque stories - performing his King Arthur rock show on ice, the Yes drummer trapped in a giant clamshell on stage – and more poignant ones as well. I enjoyed Wakeman’s recollection of his visit to Champagne, playing the harpsichord privately for the matriarch of the Chandon family while enjoying very rare and pricey product of the estate. This is a quick read, if you have even a remote interest in this direction then Grumpy Old Rock Star is well worth a few hours of your time.

[Aapo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanha rock-muusikko muistelee. Viinanjuontia, alatyylistä huumoria, mahtipontisia lavarakennelmia, keikkailumokia, törmäilyjä vieraissa kulttuureissa... eli ihan perussettiä, mutta hauskasti ja sydämellisesti kerrottuna. Kuuntelin tämän Wakemanin itsensä lukemana äänikirjana (kiitos lainasta Osmo!) ja ehkä kaikkein parasta olikin Wakemanin selkeä ja eläväinen pubitarinoiva ääni. Loppua kohden rupesi jo vähän jutut toistamaan itseään, vaikka viinanjuonti loppuikin ja juttuihin tuli vähän vakavampi sävy. Jatko-osakin on jo julkaistu, mutta tämä annos riittää minulle tällä erää.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this after hearing Rick Wakeman as a very entertaining guest on the Danny Baker show. And what do you know, this is a very entertaining and often very funny book.
If you don't know who Rick is don't worry you're probably too young. But for those of us that remember "Prog Rock" Rick was in one of the stand out bands "Yes" and he also did some pretty outrageous solo stuff. I say solo, but literally everything he did had a massive backing orchestra or band. Anyway, enough from me. This is a very good book. So much so that I have already purchased the follow up.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love getting autobiographies and memoirs read to me by their author-subjects. Rick does not disappoint. His enthusiasm is evident and his stories are often hilarious. If you're interested in Rick or Yes or progrock from the 70s, this book is for you. One unintended bit of humor for me is that Rick's speaking voice sounds an awful lot like Peter Jones, another Brit and narrator of the television version of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". I started having HHGttG flashbacks.

[Kris Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, a quick (under 200 pages) recollection of road stories from 40 years of touring.

Doesn't matter if you're a YES fan or not, it's not about making music at all. Just anecdotes and amusing stories with a very British accent.

There is a sequel to this I hope to check out soon, I ordered this on Amazon in June 2013 and finally got around to reading it in June 2023. Not on purpose, I'm just terrible.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is for any Yes fan, which I am. Rick has a great way of explaining his foible, trials, tribulations. You could certainly call him a bad boy, a mischief maker, but you get the idea he doesn't mean anyone any harm. This was a funny book with lots of great stories of Rick's time as a solo artist, a member of The Strawbs, and Yes.

[Make · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always a treat to sit down with someone who's really lived the larger than life way. Keyboard icon Rick Wakeman has loads of stories from the road to tell, and they're all very amusing, some of them downright hysterically funny. And they're all true. Not necessarily great literature but just the book for a hot afternoon in your backyard - with a cold pint, of course ;)

[Neil Bridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Dad slightly forced me to read this on his Kindle while we were on Holiday but I did really enjoy the book.

Rick Wakeman has more than a few bizarre, funny, and sometimes outrageous stories to tell in this book.

If you're not easily offended or upset and like a good laugh then I would recommend this book to you.

[Wolfgang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes funny, sometimes annoying stories from his touring life. Contains the famous story where he is eating curry onstage while performing the "Tales from Topographic Oceans" , which he hated.

This is really two and half stars. If one wants to chose, I'd prefer the DVD version of the 2009 concert of "Six Wives of Henry VIII" at Hampton Court and skip the book.

[Stew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

I never was much of a Wakeman fan, though I always thought he was a tremendous keyboard player. I have recently gotten into some of his stuff, so decided to give this a look. In a lot of ways, he is the typical crazy, ludicrous rock star, but with more talent, lol. An enjoyable read!

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light-hearted enjoyable romp of a memoir as Rick relates tales of the alcohol-fuelled times had on tour and the puerile behaviour that ensued. He comes across as a genial bloke, happy in the pub and loving being a touring musician. En route meeting the likes of Castro and Ronny Biggs, and being let free to dream up mad concerts that featured dinosaurs or were extravaganzas on ice...

[Adrian Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a must read, hilarious. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much whilst reading a book. The wife kept saying, "what now?" and I just had to tell her. The humour is perfect and the tales told in a way that you just wish you'd been there.
The sequel is now being read whilst listening to Piano Portraits.
Thank you Rick, for everything,

[Ady Stimpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant piece of muso review. Rick clearly knows how to put pen to paper...... amazing really considering all the drugs he and the Yes chaps did in the 70's....... not to mention his numerous heart attacks. A reet gud read!

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a genuinely funny, recounting of incidents in Rick Wakeman's life as a rock star. I burst out laughing many times whilst reading this easily read biography. Recommended as a good light read.

[Hacksaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've seen Rick doing his solo tour with stories and playing, this is like that, but without the playing. It was enjoyable, but I liked the playing as well, so...

Still, I might get the next one, the stories are pretty fun, and there's more detail.

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hilarious book. Wakeman tells the readers wacky stories from his life of excess as a professional rock star, and they are even crazier and hilarious than you expected. Well worth the time!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what it is - no-nonsense, concise, hilarious collection of anecdotes from the everyman rock star. If you need a break from something literary or serious, read this. The chapter involving flatulence is worth the price of admission by itself.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining light reading for fans of Rick Wakeman's music. However, it's nothing deep, uproariously funny, or particularly memorable. I'm glad I read it, but I will probably not bother with his followup book, and I immediately donated the book to our local library when I was done.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

a must read for any fan

I have been a fan of Yes since my early teens. I read some excerpts online and wanted to read more. It's a very humorous behind the scenes look at an illustrious career.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

audio book

[Frank O'connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good insight into all the fun and excess of the prog rock life. Fans only, though.

[Guilherme Bradasch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a light, fun book about Rick Wakeman's life on the road as a rock-star. There were some stories that made me laugh a lot. If you're a fan, you should read it!

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rick Wakeman writes in a very chatty, easy to follow style. The stories very from the ridiculous to the incredible and every stop in between, but all great fun. A good read on a flight.