The Storyteller

Dave Grohl is an awesome storyteller. As he tells of his encounters, jam sessions, and chance meetings with his musical heroes, you can feel his love of music and of the bands that inspired him. They are all in the book Iggy Pop, AC/DC, Pantera, Joan Jett, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and many more. Dave is a fan, just like the rest of us. He cannot believe that he is living out his rock n roll dream and I'm glad he shared the ride with us.

The Foos were a massive part of my musical awakening, sans-90s bands and 80s stuff I listened to in Mums car growing up. Dave's wild tales of musical madness, coping with stardom, forming bands, and raising daughters (lowkey love his relationship with his girls) were truly wonderful to listen to.

The fact Taylor Hawkins died as I was reading this (I was made aware of his passing mere moments after finishing the chapter on when he and Dave first met) will forever add a poignant veneer over the experience of listening to this book. I remember him being a particularly impressionable drummer on my younger brother and I as we were just starting to drum in bands as sweaty young teenagers. Truly sad.

“To me, that is beauty. Not the gleam of prefabricated perfection, but the road-worn beauty of individuality, time, and wisdom.”

I came into this doubtful, expectant and afraid of being let down by my idol. Let me tell you that it couldn't be farther from the truth. Dave is a storyteller, and one who has the innate ability to bring you behind the curtain. It's the careful selection of which stories and how they're woven,interconnected and dependent on each other. It feels to me, like hanging out with a friend having a cold one while talking of old times and the endless wisdom that comes from aging - and appreciating the good in life. This is a feel-good, and it came at a perfect time where this light was needed. Thanks Dave.

I will try to maintain some degree of objectivity, but really, it's Dave Grohl, man.

Dave Grohl is one of the best of the humans. I don't really believe there are people who actually dislike Dave Grohl. Those are people who wake up every day and actively choose hate. Beyond the man himself, the Foos are one of my favorite bands; I have a Foo Fighters tattoo, took a two day road trip to see them in Denver, and I walked out to Everlong at my wedding. There was no way I wasn't going to like this.

But I was still surprised at how good it was. Naming your book The Storyteller is bold; but it's apt in this case. I listened to this audiobook in less than 24 hours. There are a variety of stories and reflections that range from inspiring, thoughtful, hilarious, or heart-warming. Dave's ability to speak on the power of music is infectious; after hearing him pontificate about music, I'd want to pause the book to go rock out.

Added to that, he was surprisingly candid about Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, and his thoughts on Kurt's death are pretty intense. The reflections on being a parent were poignant and touching; you can really tell being a father is the most important thing to him. Even the stories where he just talked about meeting famous people, a trap that memoirs fall into often, were awesome because Dave's enthusiasm just gushed off the page.

There is nothing to critique about this book, besides that I wanted it to be longer. Write another, Dave? Please? Also, I love how much of his actual career he skips over in this short book, but still has a whole chapter about coffee

As a child of the late '80s and early '90s, I was heavily influenced in my own life by classic rock, hair metal, and eventually the Seattle scene (although I would argue the Minneapolis scene was as good, if not better than Seattle in some aspects in the early and mid-90s).

I was never a Nirvana “fan,” although I liked their stuff. I owned Nevermind, of course. (Who didn't?) And I always admired Dave's drumming ability. I also knew he was a little different. I remember the SNL promo commercial Nirvana did when they played SNL the first time. Dave, with his mousy hair and slight frame, stood stock-still and psycho-stared at the camera during the whole promo. I knew it was being done because they told him to just stand there and say nothing, and this was his way of complying, yet performing. I knew at that moment there was something more to Dave Grohl than met the eye.

When Nirvana ended, I saw the emergence of the Foo Fighters, and I hoped for the best for Dave. It seemed like he was doing the right things. Their videos on MTV were always great. The songs were catchy. I still wasn't a fan, though.

That came about over a course of time when Dave's undeniable charm and work ethic eventually wore more me down. Slowly, I started amazing Foo records now have the whole collection. I'm a booster. I'm a supporter. They're doing things the right way. When Dave came out with this book, I always knew I'd read it eventually, but like so many things of this nature, it just got put off for a while.

This book is written with the same high-energy charm that Dave exudes in interviews and on stage. There is no pretense with this guy. What you see is what you get, and that extends to writing. For a high school dropout with a manic sense of energy, this book comes across without any sort of writer bullshit. There's no fancy prose. There are no deep metaphors or similies. Dave delivers the goods with a straightforward approach. And, like the man himself, the prose is likable. It's easygoing. It's a good read.

It makes you wish you could be one of the guys in the band, and that's about the highest level of praise I can give it.

It's an enjoyable read, although it feels like it only scratches the surface of some things. It leaves you wanting more. When I hit the end, I realized I'd gladly read Volume 2 of this if Dave ever decided to write it, and if he does, I hope he goes into more detail and delivers some insight into some events. If there's a single knock against the book, it was written like he didn't want to offend anyone, and that makes for a superficial feeling tome.

Still, I enjoyed every word. I hope Dave writes more. More songs. More books. Just keep delivering, Dave. You've earned your accolades the old-fashioned way.

Classic autobiography mistake (in my opinion) - assuming that readers are already familiar with your history. Picked it up to learn more about his life not knowing anything about his life and found it a little hard to follow. Cool story, entertainingly told. Plus, a beautiful take on fatherhood.

Age range: 15+
The rock band lifestyle (and the fact that this is non-fiction) may be a non-starter for younger readers.