Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal #1

by Eddie Trunk, Andrea Bussell (Editor)

An updated edition of the first book by VH1’s music expert, Eddie Trunk

Known as a leading expert on all things hard rock and heavy metal, Eddie Trunk has updated and expanded this book with even more on the subject. Eddie discusses his most essential bands, his unique personal experiences with them, his favorite “Stump the Trunk” anecdotes and trivia, as well as his favorite playlists. Whether you’re a classic Metallic and Megadeath metalhead or prefer the hair metal of old-school bands like Bon Jovi or Poison, this book salutes those who rock.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Biography, Rock N Roll

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

About the author

Eddie Scott Trunk is hard rock and heavy metal historian, radio personality, talk show host, and author, best known as the host of several hard rock and heavy metal-themed radio and television shows including VH1's That Metal Show.

Reviews

[Brandi Hilton stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, a great history of hard rock and heavy metal from a guy who knows the genre. It's enlightening to get his insight. I learned a few things I didn't know about some of my favorite bands. I did skip over a few bands due to lack of interest (sorry Rush, not a fan...). I have a lot of respect for Eddie. He is honest, open, and those are valuable virtues!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with the other reviews that say there’s not much groundbreaking information in Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Anyone who’s even more than a casual fan of the included bands will be familiar with them and their stories.

I did like that the book is split by band and provides a short biography of each band, along with Eddie’s lists of essential listening for them. Included in each chapter is a little of Eddie’s story and his involvement with the individual bands and / or band members.

I would have liked to have read more about Eddie Trunk alongside the stories of the bands. I’ve known *of* Eddie forever it seems like, but I’ve only recently started listening to his satellite radio show. Before that, I think he was on in markets where I didn’t live or on cable channels I didn’t get.
He and I are about the same age and it sounds like we share a lot of history as far as the bands we loved as teenagers - Kiss was also my first favorite band. Who knows, had I made some different life choices, we could be reviewing a book about my essential bands.

Giving this book a 4. It’s a good primer for anyone unfamiliar with the genre loosely known as hard and heavy classic rock. For those of us who grew up listening to to these bands, it’s not so much a refresher - especially for people like me who still listen to them - but it’s Eddie Trunk talking about how and why he likes the bands. His perspective and opinions, rather than a simple PR-crafted band bio.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love music as much as or more than books....and I have always been a rock/metal guy. That being said it is no surprise that I loved this book. Eddie Trunk is THE guy when it comes to knowing bands, music and stories from the world of rock and metal. His focus is on lots of bands from the 70's and 80's but he covers all the essential rock and metal bands in this first volume. I love that he has not only a discography for every band but his own playlist of favorites. He is soooo right that many bands best songs are not the "well known" radio hits. He does a little self promotion and "bragging" in the book but hey....the guy put in the time and should be able to strut it a little. If you're a music fan and especially like the harder rock bands of the 70's and 80's you must own this book!

[Michael Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book that gives brief histories of some very notable names in hard rock and heavy metal. Info might be a bit basic for anyone already familiar with the work and story of bands like AC/DC, Metallica or Led Zeppelin (though if this is meant to guide newer fans, guess that’s not a huge deal) and Eddie Trunk mainly having love for the bands he grew up with might limit the scope of what a book like this can offer, but there’s fun stories about his experiences as a radio host (from working as an extra in an Ozzy Osborne show to working to help reunite Twisted Sister for a special show) to help give it a little more memorability than other books like this.

Even if you feel essential names were left out of this book (granted, some of them might be in the follow up released a few years after this), there’s still clear passion for the music covered.

[Gordon Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brillient book for those in or curious about the rock music business and it’s workings, knew some things already, but also learned a lot of new stuff.Eddie is one of the go-to guys if you want the truth!

[Rudy Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great scroll through a quick synopsis of different Hard Rock bands. Some interesting memories from Trunk and I really liked going through his pick list even though I did not agree with all of them.

[Josh Wilderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.

Covers all the greats. Nice playlists. Intimate knowledge of bands and individuals. Good stories. Great pics. No complaints for real.

[Chris Hartley · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

[Dustin Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the heavy metal genre of music, Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is definitely worth checking out. It’s sort of a Hard Rock 101, if you will, that runs down some of the most important bands in hard music, as well as some of the author’s personal favorites. I don’t always agree with Mr. Trunk’s opinions and I would not have selected all the same bands had I written a similar book, but you can never fault a book like this over differing opinions. The great thing about music is that any given type can affect everyone in a unique way and provoke different feelings in different people. Eddie was a teenager in the early 80’s and I was born in 1983, and growing up with different music can definitely be a factor on forming your tastes as well.
One opinion that I will fault Eddie for a little is his opinion on Ozzy Osbourne. I feel like he was a little hard on Ozzy in the book. Ozzy’s years in Black Sabbath are sort of glossed over in order to concentrate on the Dio years. Ronnie James Dio was a close friend of Eddie Trunk and was also one of the greatest singers on the planet in any genre. That can’t be denied. Although I have nothing but love for all the things Dio has done—from his solo stuff to his time in Black Sabbath, even back to Elf (great band!)—I still think Dio led Sabbath can’t compare to the early years with Ozzy. Basically, Trunk has created three chapters about his friend RJD (Black Sabbath, Dio, and Rainbow), although, to be fair, he does spend a decent amount of space on Joe Lynn Turner in the Rainbow chapter. He criticizes Ozzy throughout about how he can no longer sing and how he didn’t write much of his own stuff and how he has become a joke, etc. Even when he says something good about Ozzy, it comes off as faux praise. I still think Ozzy can bring it. I have seen him live and he was great. The new Black Sabbath record, which came out quite a bit after this book was published, is amazing. I am a big Ozzy fan and after recently reading his autobiography, I Am Ozzy, I love him even more. No, Ozzy is not scary anymore, but now he’s funny and likable. You could write books all day about musical artists of every genre who don’t write or havemuch to do with the creation of their own songs, but Ozzy has definitely contributed to his songs in many ways.
I really enjoy Eddie Trunk’s radio show, although I haven’t listened to it much as I only listen to the radio when I’m in the car and his show is usually not airing while I am driving. I used to watch That Metal Show a lot, but I no longer get VH1 Classic. I am glad that Eddie wrote this book and glad that someone continues to push great music to people and I’m sure a lot of people have discovered new bands or found new favorite songs from classic bands because of him. I have never looked at his Volume 2 of essential stuff; my local library system only had the first volume. There are a handful of hard rock and metal bands that I’ve never heard him say too much about on which I wonder what his opinions are. Maybe he has talked a lot about these bands, but I’ve just never heard it because I don’t listen to him often and haven’t read much else of his.
I would like to know his opinions on some of the earlier hard rock bands that were popular in America—like The Jimi Hendrix Experience or Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is known for their two giant hits “Born to be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride,” but they have so many other amazing songs. How about a couple southern rock bands—Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top. Maybe Lynyrd Skynyrd isn’t super heavy, but if you can have Led Zeppelin and others on your lists, why couldn’t Skynyrd be considered hard rock. Look no further than songs like “I Ain’t the One” or “On the Hunt” for some hard rock riffs. And anyone who doesn’t think ZZ Top isn’t a hard rock band, definitely is not familiar with their catalog!!! Lastly, I never hear him talking about one of my all-time favorite heavy metal bands: Corrosion of Conformity. They are an amazing band and I would love to know what Eddie thinks of them.
Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is a fun book to read and to get to know some of your favorite bands a little better and maybe discover a new favorite. The best part of this book is Eddie’s personal stories about the bands and his interactions with them. It’s really cool to read about how these huge rock stars are as people. Thanks for writing this, Eddie, and for keeping the music alive!

[Chip'sBookBinge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have what you would call a love / hate relationship toward Eddie Trunk. On the one hand, he is a brother-in-arms headbanger that has been (one of many) the voice out there keeping the Heavy Metal flag flying high and making sure that former bands from the 80's and 90's as well as newer hard rock bands stay in the lime light in both print as well as airwaves, be it his radio show or That Metal Show. For that I have to give him props where it is earned. I've been a follower of TMS since Episode 1 and the first couple of seasons were really good. Now for the 'hate' I have toward him. Over the years he has gotten to be very whiny about a lot of topics. Some will argue that he is just passionate. But to me he is a broken record and it has gotten old very fast. With his constant whining, he is making TMS all about him, rather than the bands he professes to love. Eddie will have you believe that he is the sole reason why KISS finally got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Just because he yells the loudest and longest doesn't make it so.

What does any of this have to do with his book? A lot actually. I'm not going to knock him about the career that he has made. As I've said, he has earned it. But reading the book, it comes off more about bragging and patting himself on the back for things that he really didn't have anything to do with. It seemed that with every band that gets a chapter in this book, he somehow "saved" them, be it from getting them a gig, reuniting them or whatever else it may have been that got them some press at that time. It's his story and he has a right to tell it as he sees fit, but the book overall wasn't what I had hoped for. I would say it's worth checking out from your local library, but it's certainly not worth it to buy because as soon as you flip through it, you will never bother to check it out again. I give this 3 Stars out of 5.

[Harry Sahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal and the key words in the title are Eddie Trunk. There are 35 bands listed and not all of us will agree on which bands are essential. To me, Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Poison, Billy Squire, Twisted Sister and UFO (you knew Eddie would include them) are not essential. Especially, if you omit The Who, Pink Floyd and Cream. Maybe, Eddie doesn't consider them hard rock like Billy Squire.
Differences aside, the book itself is a lot of Eddie - too much. Now, I like Eddie - he has credentials, experiences and knowledge that are unequaled in this field. His introduction in the book starts out with 'About Me' and that was great but that should have been the end of it - or most of it. The first band in the book is AC/DC (they are listed in alphabetical order) and it starts with 'I grew up an hour from Seaside Heights, one of the major shore towns with a boardwalk in New Jersey and went there every summer.' This is what too much of the book is - "I" and "me" and useless info. He talks about considerable space limitations, limiting the number of key additional members of the bands, limiting the number of songs from his personal playlists, etc. and starts his first chapter with drivel.
There are some nice photos of bands and even....wait for it....Eddie with Mike Piazza is included (space restrictions and we really needed to add this to the book?)
This book is too much Eddie and not enough essential hard rock and heavy metal.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The redeeming quality about this non-fiction book is the fact that Eddie Trunk did not really provide any new historical information about the bands he covers in the work, but that he provides some really nice stories about his experiences (via Radio, television - The Metal Show and other VH1 programs) with the bands. His personal details is worth the cover price of the book.

Eddie began his career as a hard rock and metal fan as just that, a fan who listened to the bands. Out of high school he worked at a record store which eventually lead him to a career in radio, and then into television (with a stint in the record industry via Megaforce Records). Now he is a metal personality on radio and the VH1 show That Metal Show. His knowledge about the bands in this book is astronomical. I used to own a record store in the mid-80s and have a huge knowledge base about the music industry and many different bands, but I'm nowhere near as knowledgeable as Eddie.

He covers all the main/popular hard rock and metal bands in this work, and even leaves room in the back of the book for some of the lesser known bands, or bands who are great but did not make the main featured chapters. The book is a must read for heavy metal and hard rock fans. This book was both informative and great fun to read.

[Nick West · Rating 4 out of 5]

They key words in "Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal" are "Eddy Trunk's". Going into this coffee table-style book you need to understand that it is semi-autobiographical, and every entry is heavy on references to Trunk's own experiences with the artists being profiled. Accordingly the artist selection also includes some of Trunk's personal favorites who may not belong on any "objective" list, particularly Billy Squier, Skid Row, and UFO.

If you're a fan of Trunk's radio work or "That Metal Show" on VH1 Classic you should have a pretty good idea of Trunk's tastes. He likes melodic bands that many metalheads would consider non-metal (like UFO) and pays little attention to bands that broke out later than, say, 1986. You won't find the pioneers of industrial metal, Ministry, nor the groundbreaking work of Sepultura in this book. However you will find Poison and Tesla.

Since I'm a fan of Trunk's work I enjoyed the book, and certainly it has inspired me to give a few artists a second or third look. I also like his personal stories, which give us a look at artists off-stage and away from the cameras. If you're a fan of the hard rock/metal genre, this is certainly worth a look. Just understand ahead of time what this book is: one (very experienced) music fan's list.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable recap of 35 essential bands in hard rock/heavy metal by Eddie Trunk, host of VH-1 Classic's "That Metal Show" and longtime rock radio DJ. He gives short bios for each band (from AC/DC to Van Halen) and includes insightful/fun/interesting stories and anecdotes of each from his career in music. His story about sitting down for a TV interview with Robert Plant in front of a roaring hotel lobby fireplace is great. Plant decides he doesn't want to be interviewed in front of the fireplace. At some point, the hotel folks decide to remove the logs...ashes ignite the carpet and they're all scrambling to pour water on the smoldering rug. As Plant pours out his water bottle on the rug and steam rises up, Trunk says, the legendary vocalist breaks out into the first verse of "Immigrant Song."

Best of all, for me, is that he includes a playlist of favorites with each band. This provides some suggested listening for bands with which I wasn't familiar (Thin Lizzy, UFO), along with tracks off the beaten path for some of my favorites.

[Vince · Rating 3 out of 5]

In one respect, this book was a trip down memory lane - reminding me of all the great bands I grew up listening to over the last 40+ years. On the other hand, it seemed to be more of a book about how great it is to be Eddie Trunk rather than how great the music was. All of the personal stories seemed to be centered around something wonderful that happened to Eddie rather than providing real insight into the band, its music, or its members.

True, there was some history and some interesting stories but most of it boiled down to "gee, it was really cool for them to suprise me on my birthday." So, part of me loved this book for reminding me of the music of my youth or introducing me to some new bands to check out. The other part of me found it a bit annoying that hearing about how wonderful Mr. Trunk's life was.

I say all this with the understanding that I love to listen to Eddie Trunk on the radio and watch his VH1 show. In the end, I enjoyed the book well enough - simply because of how much I love the music upon which it is based.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stories... and some not so much.

Don't get me wrong. I like Eddie Trunk. He seems to me to be an authentic and unassuming "radio personality." (Do you remember when we used to call them DJs? WKRP in Cincinnati, baby!)

Eddie's got quite an eclectic list of hard rock & heavy metal bands in this book. Never thought about discussing Sabbath, Poison, Thin Lizzy, Pantera, and Iron Maiden in the same conversation before.

The book's a mish-mash. More like a series of transcripts from Trunk Nation. Which is OK - not knocking it for what it is.

Suggestion: First, flip through and read Eddie's reminiscences about the bands you love. Second, explore the chapters on the bands you've either never heard of or haven't listened to since the summer you dug Uncle John's 8-tracks out of the garage. Third, skip the bands that suck. (Can anyone say "Billy Squier?" Or "Skid Row?")

This afternoon, I spent a couple hours thumbing through it, and learned quite a bit about Eddie Trunk. And gathered a few good stories about some of my favourite bands.

Not bad.

[Renato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun book to read. Don't expect a lot of deep analysis on bands: this is Eddie Trunk's account of cases with the most famous/important bands on the HM/HR scene, i.e., bands that really influenced the genres. Also, you need to read it without prejudice: maybe, many of your favorite bands won't be here, but I believe you won't dispute the ones that he included in his book as being the ones that really shaped Metal and Hard Rock.
I would disagree with a few (Poison? Skid Row? They didn't influence anyone. If you wanna talk about Hair Metal, Bon Jovi is already there. Skinny poser guys? Aerosmith is in there), but this is Eddie's view and, as you all know, he IS the expert (and probably the only one with undisputed credibility with these bands).
Also nice to read his stories on how he met almost all of these guys, and how much respect he has for them. His stories about Dio are impressive, as well as for others.
Again, a very nice book for those who love the music.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to knowing the back story of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal artists, there is no one who matches Eddie Trunk. Rob Halford of Judas Priest describes Eddie as a living, breathing backstage pass, and that is an apt description. The man is just plain immersed in the genres And for that, I am grateful.

In this light, coffee table softcover (this book can be read in a day), Eddie breaks down his favorite bands, listing them in alphabetical order. The book itself is slick and glossy, almost "over-produced" (which should be ironic to Mr. Trunk) and the only distraction is his repetitive need to remind us of his music industry background (in nearly every entry) while moaning about a lack of print space.

However, I share a great deal of similar interests with the author and so I found this book informative, highly entertaining and worth owning. So much so, that I have purchased his second effort.

Rock on, Eddie.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, informative book from a man who clearly loves his subject. One thing I appreciated is how Trunk made me realize how even bands that I hate, like Motorhead, contributed something important to hard rock and heavy metal. I enjoyed reading about Trunk's personal stories with these bands, as well as the recommended playlist to get to know the work of each band he features. I eagerly await the sequel! TIP: do not buy this on Nook/Kindle -- at least the non-tablet versions. There are lots of ticket stubs, colored side-bars, and old photos that I couldn't view clearly on my Nook Simple Touch.

[Fred Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still browsing Trunk's books, and I am admittedly not going to read every word. I am not interested in all of the bands and performers. Trunk provides information, stories, and his insight about the top players in hard rock and heavy metal. His enthusiasm comes through. Fans can debate about which performers should have been or should not have been included. (Personally, I am annoyed that Poison is in volume 1 and Ratt (a superior band IMHO) was relegated to a footnote, only to get full treatment in volume 2.) But these are Trunk's books, so the evaluations are necessarily subjective.

[D.m. Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Eddie Trunk, and this is a pretty fun read, and though it sounds like some sort of guide, the title is a bit misleading It’s more of his own personal experiences and encounters with the musicians included, as well as his assessment of the selected artists he chose to include. I enjoyed it, but I do kind of wish Mr. Trunk would try to expand his horizons a bit. There have been a lot of great and influential bands since the 80s, but Trunk seems to be stuck in decades-past. The newest band included here is Pantera.

[Harkonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice photography and written well but a bit of a fluff piece if you ask me. Not much new material for people familiar with the subject. At times the author seems hesitant to write harshly about his subjects. Truck did admit to not liking portions of an artists discography but I could tell he was holding back. I'm sure he's worried about severing ties to difficult to reach artists. All in all a good book for beginners new to the scene but a light read for us old timers.

[David Pollastrini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eddie Trunk writes like the fan he is. Hard rock and metal course through his veins. He tells the stories of the bands and their songs and then tells us about his personal experiences as a fan, a DJ, and A&R man for Megaforce records. While his love for this music and these bands is obvious throughout he is not afraid to critize them when he does not like something the do or perform. Check out the chapter on KISS for proof of this.

[Jeremiah Sain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eddie's style is a perfect way to be introduced to some new bands or just learn more about some bands you already knew. Reading this book, you can hear Eddie talking, almost like you're just sitting in your living room flipping through albums. The personal stories add a great touch and a level of intimacy that most books don't give. Eddie's access to the bands he talks about makes all the difference in the book.

[Cortney Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Eddie Trunk and "That Metal Show" because of Eddie's knowledge of music, and his great interviewing skills. This book was great for the traditional and non-traditional hard rock music lover. I liked reading all the side stories about the bands and their members as well as viewing Eddie's top playlist for each band. Great book!!!

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice compilation of Hard Rock by That Metal Show's Eddie Trunk. Learned a lot about the bands. Didn't mind that a lot centered around Eddie's experience with them but would have liked to see more information about some of the songs and albums. Enjoyed the format of the book and will be reading the second one.

[Randee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I applaud Eddie Trunk for endlessly promoting and championing heavy metal/hard rock. His book is commentary on his favorite bands, their catalog and Eddie's favorite songs of said bands. I thought it was an enjoyable read and can even be used as a reference to the featured band's discography. Long live rock and roll and the people who make it!!!

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overal, I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with the first half of the book. I may have been too hyped for it but found that I already knew most of what was included in these segments. I would still recommend the book but wavered on whether 3 or 4 stars was accurate but opted for the later because it finished off much better. I will still read the second and hope for the third soon after.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much better book than I thought it would be. There are some great stories in it. Trunk can come across as a pompous blow-hard, but if you can look past that, I think you'll really enjoy it.

[Bob Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, brought back so many great memories. I used Eddie's top list for each band to create spotify playlists and now listen to songs I haven't heard in many years. Looking forward to his next book.