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Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day
The full story of the rise and spectacular comeback of the band hailed as the saviors of punk rock. It's hard to believe that in early 2004 Green Day was considered over -- the band was still together, but they were dismissed as a strictly '90s phenomenon, incapable of re-creating the success of their groundbreaking album Dookie. Then American Idiot debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, stayed on the charts for nearly 18 months, and went on to sell more than four million records and to win the Grammy for Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." Combining unique access to Green Day with a seasoned journalists nose for a great story, Marc Spitz gives the complete account of the band, from their earliest days to their most recent explosion of popularity and critical acclaim. Foremost, Nobody Likes You is a story of friendship and the transporting power of playing very loud music. It is the story of how high school dropout Billie Joe Armstrong came to write song lyrics that inflamed the political conscience of fans in a way that two Yale graduates couldn't. Green Days story -- from rise, to fall, to rise again -- has never been fully told.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
34 people are currently reading
683 people want to read
About the author
Marc Spitz
30 books41 followersMarc Spitz was a former senior writer at Spin magazine. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Maxim, Blender, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Nylon and the New York Post. Spitz is the co-author (with Brendan Mullen) of the 2001 LA punk oral history We Got The Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk. He has authored two novels, How Soon is Never (2003) and Too Much, Too Late (2006), as well as Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day. His biography of David Bowie, entitled God and Man was released in the Fall of 2009.
Several of his plays, including Retail Sluts (1998), The Rise And Fall of the Farewell Drugs (1998), ...Worry, Baby (1999), I Wanna Be Adored (1999), Shyness is Nice (2001), Gravity Always Wins (2003), The Name of This Play is Talking Heads (2005), and Your Face Is A Mess (2007) have been produced in New York City. 'His holiday short "Marshmallow World" was produced at The Brick Theatre in Brooklyn in December of 2007. Shyness is Nice was revived by the Alliance Repertory Theatre company in Los Angeles in 2003, and The Name of this Play is Talking Heads was produced in the summer of 2006 on Nantucket. A new play, 4, a one-act comedy will be produced in the spring of 2009.
Spitz has spoken at Columbia University (on playwrighting) and DePaul University (on journalism), and appeared as a "talking head" on MTV, VH1, MSNBC.
Several of his plays, including Retail Sluts (1998), The Rise And Fall of the Farewell Drugs (1998), ...Worry, Baby (1999), I Wanna Be Adored (1999), Shyness is Nice (2001), Gravity Always Wins (2003), The Name of This Play is Talking Heads (2005), and Your Face Is A Mess (2007) have been produced in New York City. 'His holiday short "Marshmallow World" was produced at The Brick Theatre in Brooklyn in December of 2007. Shyness is Nice was revived by the Alliance Repertory Theatre company in Los Angeles in 2003, and The Name of this Play is Talking Heads was produced in the summer of 2006 on Nantucket. A new play, 4, a one-act comedy will be produced in the spring of 2009.
Spitz has spoken at Columbia University (on playwrighting) and DePaul University (on journalism), and appeared as a "talking head" on MTV, VH1, MSNBC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 10, 2017
3.5 because I love this band.
If this were a book about anyone or anything else, it probably would've gotten 2 stars instead because the author pissed me off. He came off as really condescending and misogynistic and I'm not here for that. Gonna go find a better Green Day book. In the meantime, gonna acquaint myself with their musical backlog -- I've listened to their older major-label albums (not for a long damn time, but I have) but I've never heard any of their Lookout-era stuff. So, as with Fall Out Boy a few months ago... time to start from the beginning! YAHOO!
If this were a book about anyone or anything else, it probably would've gotten 2 stars instead because the author pissed me off. He came off as really condescending and misogynistic and I'm not here for that. Gonna go find a better Green Day book. In the meantime, gonna acquaint myself with their musical backlog -- I've listened to their older major-label albums (not for a long damn time, but I have) but I've never heard any of their Lookout-era stuff. So, as with Fall Out Boy a few months ago... time to start from the beginning! YAHOO!
June 20, 2011
Hagiography at its absolute best. I now officially love Billie Joe and Mike Dirnt even more than I already did. Marc Spitz, however, needs to get the fuck over the fact that girls like rock, and not just when it sounds "poppy." I'd give this book five stars because I legit loved almost all of it, but occasionally Spitz threw in extremely snide comments about girls coming along to Green Day shows to hang with boyfriends, and liking the band for things like "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." Has he ever actually been to a Gilman show? I want to believe he hasn't, but he still made me feel othered - in a way Green Day never has.
November 9, 2012
With the recent break down of lead singer Billy Joel Armstrong, I thought I'd go back and just revisit this book for history sake. The amazing thing about Green Day, and the essence of their humble (and poor) beginnings is easily captured by author, Marc Spitz. This is a excellent flowing descriptive band that went from Gilman Street in Northern California, to get signed signed and putting out Dookie, to the break-in pint of their careers with the 1994 Woodstock mudfight.
One thing that I find some positive element about green day is A) They are excellent stage performers B) They beat and overcame the "sophomore slump" and when the media and fans thought they were "has beens" they became one of the biggest punk rock bands of all time when they released "American Idiot". This is the perfect 2 day read biography and it really gives you a sense of what Billy Joel is all about. Yes, he may be a crazed, drug fueled lunatic at times, but he is also a dedicated father and husband, and one creative songwriter. Check this out if you still think this band is cool.
One thing that I find some positive element about green day is A) They are excellent stage performers B) They beat and overcame the "sophomore slump" and when the media and fans thought they were "has beens" they became one of the biggest punk rock bands of all time when they released "American Idiot". This is the perfect 2 day read biography and it really gives you a sense of what Billy Joel is all about. Yes, he may be a crazed, drug fueled lunatic at times, but he is also a dedicated father and husband, and one creative songwriter. Check this out if you still think this band is cool.
July 27, 2024
Is there a more universally-loved American band than Green Day? Some would answer firmly in the negative. The California-based trio has had 35 plus years of international musical success. From the beloved punk album Dookie to the rock opera American Idiot to the triumphant return of Revolution Radio, Green Day has managed to remain musically original, creatively ambitious,
and unapologetically themselves. It’s truly shocking there aren’t more biographies on the band out there; one could write a book on American Idiot alone. However, the band is so active and so busy with various projects that its possible rock journalists are waiting until the end of their careers in the hope of getting the entire story.
Interestingly enough, this biography is almost more a character study of the band members themselves than an exploration of their music. Thoughtful lyrical interpretation and razor-sharp album insight is certainly present, but there’s a heavier focus on the personality and identity of each musician. Thankfully, our darling frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is not the only one who receives the shrink treatment; bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool each get picked apart and studied in turn. Dirnt’s reaction to the band’s early financial success and the ensuing backlash in the punk community is especially endearing, and everybody wants to know more about the chaotic goofball drummer known professionally as Tre Cool.
Music journalist Marc Spitz details the band’s storied career from a place of pure passion and respect; it is clear he is a fan. The book is a loving tribute to the musicians’ talent but doesn’t shy away from their less reputable moments either. Best of all, fans can enjoy learning about the experiences that led to the formation of the band, the inspiration for songs, and the meaning behind lyrics that have been sung a million times in a million hearts worldwide.
Whatever your opinion on Green Day and the punk/rock genre may be, there is no denying the impact the band has had on the American culture and music in general. Instead of becoming tired has-beens that only play 30 year-old hits, they have continued experimenting with and releasing music through a myriad of channels. They have had several dozen hit singles and hit records throughout their career, and continue to tour and capture the hearts of each new generation with their tireless cry to arms. Their classics are timeless, their new releases fresh, and best of all, their enthusiasm and passion remain undiminished. Green Day truly has a heart like a hand grenade.
and unapologetically themselves. It’s truly shocking there aren’t more biographies on the band out there; one could write a book on American Idiot alone. However, the band is so active and so busy with various projects that its possible rock journalists are waiting until the end of their careers in the hope of getting the entire story.
Interestingly enough, this biography is almost more a character study of the band members themselves than an exploration of their music. Thoughtful lyrical interpretation and razor-sharp album insight is certainly present, but there’s a heavier focus on the personality and identity of each musician. Thankfully, our darling frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is not the only one who receives the shrink treatment; bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool each get picked apart and studied in turn. Dirnt’s reaction to the band’s early financial success and the ensuing backlash in the punk community is especially endearing, and everybody wants to know more about the chaotic goofball drummer known professionally as Tre Cool.
Music journalist Marc Spitz details the band’s storied career from a place of pure passion and respect; it is clear he is a fan. The book is a loving tribute to the musicians’ talent but doesn’t shy away from their less reputable moments either. Best of all, fans can enjoy learning about the experiences that led to the formation of the band, the inspiration for songs, and the meaning behind lyrics that have been sung a million times in a million hearts worldwide.
Whatever your opinion on Green Day and the punk/rock genre may be, there is no denying the impact the band has had on the American culture and music in general. Instead of becoming tired has-beens that only play 30 year-old hits, they have continued experimenting with and releasing music through a myriad of channels. They have had several dozen hit singles and hit records throughout their career, and continue to tour and capture the hearts of each new generation with their tireless cry to arms. Their classics are timeless, their new releases fresh, and best of all, their enthusiasm and passion remain undiminished. Green Day truly has a heart like a hand grenade.
February 6, 2021
This book could have been fantastic.
This book could have been awful.
Instead, it sits somewhere in the middle. Being a massive Green Day fan (and music fan overall), I was excited to read this. However, less than ten pages in, it became apparent that my excitement was misplaced. Two thirds of this book is made up of interview snippets from someone you've never heard of (I've just finished it and can't recall any of them), and a couple of members of other bands from the time period (most notably Fat Mike from NOFX and Courtney Love).
There are a couple of interesting trivia bits dropped in amongst the needless interviews, but, really, the book wouldn't suffer if it lost the first 120 pages.
Then, the final act is where it gets interesting. I only wish the whole book was constructed in the same way as the final third. A shame, because the book begins with the early days of Green Day, and I desperately wanted to gobble up more information on their formative years and songs.
Until we get an official Green Day biography (Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills is a perfect example of how it SHOULD be done) or a Billie Joe autobiography, this will have to suffice. However, I'd personally just recommend listening to each album and reading the Wikipedia entry for nuggets of trivia.
This book could have been awful.
Instead, it sits somewhere in the middle. Being a massive Green Day fan (and music fan overall), I was excited to read this. However, less than ten pages in, it became apparent that my excitement was misplaced. Two thirds of this book is made up of interview snippets from someone you've never heard of (I've just finished it and can't recall any of them), and a couple of members of other bands from the time period (most notably Fat Mike from NOFX and Courtney Love).
There are a couple of interesting trivia bits dropped in amongst the needless interviews, but, really, the book wouldn't suffer if it lost the first 120 pages.
Then, the final act is where it gets interesting. I only wish the whole book was constructed in the same way as the final third. A shame, because the book begins with the early days of Green Day, and I desperately wanted to gobble up more information on their formative years and songs.
Until we get an official Green Day biography (Iron Maiden's Run to the Hills is a perfect example of how it SHOULD be done) or a Billie Joe autobiography, this will have to suffice. However, I'd personally just recommend listening to each album and reading the Wikipedia entry for nuggets of trivia.
September 13, 2007
My boyfriend gave me this book because he knows I'm a fan of Green Day. So from a fan's perspective, this book is excellent. It covers their early beginnings, the Gilman scene, their successes, their disappointments, and finally to the "American Idiot" album. It's chock full of quotes from interviews with family, friends, fellow musicians, and the band members themselves. The book gives you an real inside look into the world of Green Day. Highly recommended for fans of them or the Network, who are NOT Green Day... :)
February 1, 2010
My daughter had to read this for a class at school, so I started reading it. I've been sucked in and now I want to listen to a lot of the songs mentioned so I can follow what was going on. The band is pretty interesting, but the author goes off on tangents a lot and rambles about seemingly unconnected things. There is also a lot of the language that you would expect from a punk rock band. Overall, interesting, but not fabulous...
November 12, 2012
Everybody alive should read this book.
Okay, so some of the middle parts got a bit boring and were a little bit too much on the factual side to interest some fans (me) but this was totally made up for in the final paragraphs, which were purely about the music.
Also, the opening chapters, about Billie Joe and Mike's childhoods were really well written.
There were some really funny parts of the book too :)
Okay, so some of the middle parts got a bit boring and were a little bit too much on the factual side to interest some fans (me) but this was totally made up for in the final paragraphs, which were purely about the music.
Also, the opening chapters, about Billie Joe and Mike's childhoods were really well written.
There were some really funny parts of the book too :)
November 21, 2008
Best biography i have ever read.
December 15, 2010
Great story on the greatest rock band on the planet. As Armstrong sings, "You thought I was a write- off, you better think again".
October 31, 2018
It was a surprisingly thorough overview of Green Day as a whole... until 2006. Because that's when it was written. I'd surely read an updated version by Marc Spitz if it came out.
March 31, 2021
First half is good . Later chapters are pretty generic and bland
As title says .
Chapters about dookie era and Gilman st era are good .
Especially the last chapter about America idiot is boring.
As title says .
Chapters about dookie era and Gilman st era are good .
Especially the last chapter about America idiot is boring.
September 15, 2024
One star removed bc of the writing at times, not the band.
July 21, 2023
NOBODY LIKES YOU…EVERYONE LEFT YOU…THEY’RE ALL OUT WITHOUT YOU…HAVING FUNNNNNN
I LOVED THIS BOOK AHHHHHHH
I mean come on man it’s Green Day…the freakin Beatles of Punk Rock… (or at least in my opinion) what’s not to love? If you are a fan of this band this book is a freakin MUST READ….
FIVE STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I LOVED THIS BOOK AHHHHHHH
I mean come on man it’s Green Day…the freakin Beatles of Punk Rock… (or at least in my opinion) what’s not to love? If you are a fan of this band this book is a freakin MUST READ….
FIVE STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 3, 2021
"...punk boys look great with eyeliner and nail polish on" (p. 170) <-- Truer words have never been spoken.
I love learning about Green Day and their journey, but the writing and the author's voice were very much of their time (mid-2000s). There were moments of punk elitism and sexism every now and then on the writer's part. I also think the quotes could have been integrated better. It was often tons of quotes at once, then a little narrative, then more quotes. The balance could have been better.
Even so, it was an interesting and well-researched book. I love Green Day so it would be impossible for me not to enjoy learning more about them and their journey as a band. I just wish I could find a book that is updated to current day! All of the Green Day books are mid-2000s cuz that's when American Idiot came out.
I love learning about Green Day and their journey, but the writing and the author's voice were very much of their time (mid-2000s). There were moments of punk elitism and sexism every now and then on the writer's part. I also think the quotes could have been integrated better. It was often tons of quotes at once, then a little narrative, then more quotes. The balance could have been better.
Even so, it was an interesting and well-researched book. I love Green Day so it would be impossible for me not to enjoy learning more about them and their journey as a band. I just wish I could find a book that is updated to current day! All of the Green Day books are mid-2000s cuz that's when American Idiot came out.
February 9, 2008
Interesting biography about Green Day (the band). Starts off when Billie Joe (lead singer) is a young boy, then he meets Mike in Jr. High. Lots of interesting detail about the underground punk scene and how quickly they rose to fame after releasing "Dookie". I wasn't too familiar with the other punk bands referenced in the book, so I was a bit lost at times. Read it b/c it was on the "Recent Adult Non-Fiction" shelf when I went in to pick up books on hold one day. Glad I didn't buy it. Would be a great book for serious Green Day fans, but I could take it or leave it.
January 21, 2018
As one of those kids who fell in love with this band back in the days of Dookie, it was endlessly fascinating to hear more of the story of where this band came from and how they became what we know. The book was a little uneven in that a vast majority of it is up to and including Dookie and the. Seems to rush through everything up to American Idiot, but still great.
March 23, 2011
Man I love this book. Not only because it's the Green Day biography, but because it's well written. And of course the actual physical book has pictures in the middle for me to ogle. :)
October 19, 2011
Bändi on yhtä parhautta mutta kirja vain tyypillinen läpileikkaus lapsuudesta loistoon. Jos fanitat niin luet tämänkin.
May 17, 2009
Amazing book i didnt think green day went threw all that to get to where they are now
May 6, 2022
I want to preface this review by saying that I am not a huge fan of the band - meaning, I liked Time of Your Life and only ever bought one album, American Idiot. So this may account for my review.
For starters, my favorite part of the book was when the author went into detail about a specific time in the Cali punk scene when Maximumrocknroll was huge and founder Tim Yohannan started the Gilman club. I loved learning about that bit of history. However, I can't say the rest of the book kept me nearly as interested, and I wondered if the author should have written a book entirely about that scene instead. Maybe he did. I should go look.
Although the book uses Turbulent in its title, I couldn't honestly say that I found their lives all that turbulent, especially since addictions were only slightly hinted at (which I suspect was a main reason why the band just seemed to disappear). It didn't help that the author didn't seem to have much contact with the actual band; rather, he had to cobble together interviews and talk to those related to or were friends with the band, which I admire him for being able to do, but admittedly it didn't make the book very interesting. Also, I wish more was told about the missing album. It just seemed glossed over.
If you're a huge fan of the band, especially if you are/were a preteen fan, this book might be for you. But I'm afraid I skipped over much of it because it didn't hold my interest.
For starters, my favorite part of the book was when the author went into detail about a specific time in the Cali punk scene when Maximumrocknroll was huge and founder Tim Yohannan started the Gilman club. I loved learning about that bit of history. However, I can't say the rest of the book kept me nearly as interested, and I wondered if the author should have written a book entirely about that scene instead. Maybe he did. I should go look.
Although the book uses Turbulent in its title, I couldn't honestly say that I found their lives all that turbulent, especially since addictions were only slightly hinted at (which I suspect was a main reason why the band just seemed to disappear). It didn't help that the author didn't seem to have much contact with the actual band; rather, he had to cobble together interviews and talk to those related to or were friends with the band, which I admire him for being able to do, but admittedly it didn't make the book very interesting. Also, I wish more was told about the missing album. It just seemed glossed over.
If you're a huge fan of the band, especially if you are/were a preteen fan, this book might be for you. But I'm afraid I skipped over much of it because it didn't hold my interest.
November 11, 2018
Feeling like I wanted to know more about one of my favourite bands of all time, I picked up this book after seeing Green Day for the first ever time live. And while I certainly gained more insight into the backstory of the band, the biggest problem I find with this book is that it's not told by the band themselves, nor are they involved at all (i.e. through in depth interviews or anything) - which hey, I get it, they didn't want to and that's not the author's fault, but as a result I found it to read more like an encyclopedia article rather than a good story where I could really connect to the band. Granted this book is well researched and there's a tonne of info compiled from various interviews which Green Day have done in the past, but I found it difficult at times as there were a lot of names thrown out there, and compiling events through the statements of various people meant it felt like it was jumping around a bit and hard to keep track of who some of these names actually were. Overall, Green Day fans will enjoy reading (and reliving) the bands historical moments, but if you're looking for personal histories of who Green Day are, this isn't it.
January 16, 2020
I always found it easy and tempting to dismiss Greenday as punk light and therefore somehow insincere. It wasn't until years later when reviewing a greatest hits package (International Supervideos) that I realised how wrong I had been. Sure they were a fave of sugared-up pre-teen boys the world over for a while there but, at the same time, they really rocked and now only the most bitter and idealistic punk wanker would deny that they have a great set of songs. As expected, 'Nobody Likes You' is a fairly brief affair and doesn't progress beyond their crowning American Idiot glory. It does however, give a concise and easy to read overview of a band at the height of its powers and although the story is not a complex one, it does leave you with the impression that Greenday are a lot more legitimate as a bona fide rock phenomena than many would care to admit
December 13, 2018
As a huge long time Green Day fan, i really enjoyed this book. It had so much interesting information about the history of Green Day and punk rock as a whole. I learned so much about the the rise, the fall, and the once again triumphant rise of Green day, as well as the band's humble beginnings. I also enjoyed the references to some of my other favorite bands like Blink-182, the Offspring, and the Clash. However, it has it's faults. The book sometimes rambles on too long and I often found myself loosing track. The only thing that kept my interest in the book was that it was about Green Day. 'Nobody Likes You' is a great book for Green Day/punk rock fans, but not for casual readers who could care less about that sort of stuff.
March 29, 2019
This was a more personal read for me. I picked this particular of the few different books available specifically because of the negative reviews I read on Amazon. There were complaints that the bulk of the book focuses on the early years of Northen California punk culture. Well, that’s what I wanted. The other really wonderful part are the quotes from well known artists and even family members.
May 13, 2024
Interesting stuff about the 80s Bay Area punk scene in the early chapters. Everything else was a very simple, album to album look at the bands career up to 2005. Very by the books biography that offers little arc and less challenge about its subjects. Just repeatedly compares them to the beatles/etc.
Not an insignificant amount of jabs at women who listen to the band too! Spitz youre a loser for this one.
Not an insignificant amount of jabs at women who listen to the band too! Spitz youre a loser for this one.
May 19, 2020
From the suburbs, to shows in SF, and into mainstream American culture and recognition, Spitz writes an incredible portrait of a band known to any kid growing up in the US at the turn of the millennium.
Read in high school and remains one of my favourite music biographies to date.
Borrowed from Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library.
Read in high school and remains one of my favourite music biographies to date.
Borrowed from Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library.
May 9, 2021
One of the last true punk bands who, like Nirvana, were a pop band, Green Day emerged from poor kids to rich men. A useful reminder of an era where punk was living and, with American Idiot (whose success came when this book was being written), Green Day were representing the genre. Very good on the band's 'origin stories' before Basket Case et al made them radio staples.
November 27, 2024
This is a great biography of one of my favorite bands, Green Day. It covers their initial rise to fame, their slump, and their huge comeback. Spitz writes well, and he gives an objective and thorough synopsis of everything about Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool (and past members Sean Hughes, Raj Punjabi, and John Kifmeyer). Terrific book that I can highly recommend.
March 5, 2023
Three stars because it was informative to an old man whose children like Green Day.
Otherwise probably row stars. Flashes through the long period between Dookie and
American Idiot and little mention of personal life such as alcohol and divorce.
Otherwise probably row stars. Flashes through the long period between Dookie and
American Idiot and little mention of personal life such as alcohol and divorce.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews