New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation with Blondie, Iggy Pop, and Others, 1974-1981

The problem with all the Blondie books up til now has been that each one was written with too distinct a bias. Lester Bangs's 1980 "Blondie" was a venemous attack that barely concealed Lester's own jealous envy (he was in a band of his own), the Fred Schruers mini bio "Headliners: Blondie" while more objective, was too short to provide a comprehensive biography of the band,1982's "Making Tracks" is a great book but was written by Debbie Harry & Chris Stein themselves, and therefore only tells half a story. Cathay Che's Debbie Harry bio "Platinum Blonde" along with the more recent "Blondie From Punk to Present" are more like fan love-letters than biographies.That leaves us with Mr. Valentine, who played bass for only two years, 1975-1977. These were, however, the pivotal years of the band's inception and early development, and therefore are the most interesting and crucial to read about. His accounts of living and playing with Debbie and Chris are niether spiteful nor ingratiating, and provide what might be the first objective insights on what being in Blondie was really like. Nobody comes off worse for wear, even though many eccentricities, insensitivites and downright hypocrasies are revealed. Rather, it makes them more interesting and human than ever.In any summary of a life or career, it's fair to say that nobody owns the truth. There are many subjective truths. But Gary's literary voice rings true, you get the feeling he's being honest in his accounts. He's neither trying to turn you against the Blondies (like Lester) nor kissing their collective ass (like Ms Che). He's just telling it like it was from his persepctive, and the result is a fascinating account of the whole scene.The pix are quite good, mostly rare, and capture a Blondie that most folks probably don't even remember. A must have for any fan of Blondie and/or the NYC punk era.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the history of New York Punk as well as CBGB, Blondie and a host of other musicians. Great stories of Mr.Valentines involvement with Iggy Pop as well.

I have been a Blondie fan since 1978, but lost touch after the group supposedly disbanded in the early 80's. I was so out of it (marriage, career and family) that I failed to realize the group reformed around 1998 and was still touring even today (allowing me to finally get to see them, though with only Debbie, Chris and Clem). Anyway, a big mystery has been why did only 4 or the original members of the band come back, i.e. what happened to Nigel and Frank and, of course, what was the real story with Gary? (The latest "what happened" has been with Jimmy, though it appears his continued drug use got him kicked out, to which he wonders why his former friends ditched him when they, too, had had drug issues.)Again, anyway, the story Gary presents is very interesting. It is like he is sitting down talking to you, telling his story. Highlights are that Debbie is generally a really nice person. He tells of her cooking the guys breakfast, driving them around and, generally, being a mother figure to the much younger guys. He pokes fun at all who call Chris "a genius" and while he refers to Chris as a friend, he also paints him as being freakish at times and liable to quickly turn his back on you (as Frank, Nigel and even Jimmy later experienced). I had been aware that Gary had been asked to rejoin the band when Blondie was considering getting back together, but I had thought he declined. In fact, he played with them in several shows but when the time came to make a record, he was suddenly nixed without any reason given, apparently by Chris.He gives the story of the signing of Peter Leeks as the band's manager, a controversial figure who angered many of the band members and who wrote himself a very nice contract and cajoled the others into signing. Gary was the only one of the group who did not want to sign the contract but, under pressure from the others, he relented, to the regret of them all. (It is well known that Peter and the record company make a killing off of Blondie, but Blondie was nickeled and dimed to death so that they got only a very tiny fraction of the profits.)Gary's story of his being kicked out of the band is slightly at odds with manager Peter Leek's version. Gary says Chris was upset at him at his wild playing, in which he jumped up and down and swing his guitar wildly, in which it was said he was trying to take attention away from Debbie (or at least Chris) and, too, Chris and Peter were afraid he would end up hitting and injuring Debbie with the guitar. Gary just says that is how she played and there was nothing intentional in his behavior. Peter, obviously, didn't like Gary as he nearly upset Peter's gravy train. But while Peter claims he took it upon himself to fire Gary on behalf of the band and without even consulting the band (just to show you what a jerk he was), Gary claims he had simply had enough with the band and couldn't take the bickering anymore and he had actually submitted a resignation to Peter, asking to see him to finalize it. Instead, Peter called him back and led Gary to believe the others wanted him out, and told the band that he fired Gary on his own. (There is a interview I saw where Peters boasts proudly of getting Gary kicked out, implying that he was also trying to kick out some of the others, apparently as he felt he could make more money dealing only with Debbie. Probably true, but Debbie wasn't going to give up Chris. I guess Peter couldn't understand someone who would put love and loyalty before money.)It is at this time that the story with his Blondie involvement ends, so there is nothing by Gary as to why Nigel and Frank were not invited back. With all the bickering, I can understand why they were not invited to rejoin (Frank didn't even tour with Blondie at the end). I heard Nigel was asked about coming back, but have read nothing about why he didn't, if true. Of course, Blondie reformed, and the three outcasts (I think Gary was included) sued to prevent Blondie from using that name, but the case was thrown out.I loved the book and the informal writing style. I really had no interest in some of the other bands Gary discusses, but Gary comes across as likable and honest. As others have said, there is no sense of hatred or bitterness - he just tells it as he saw it. He left the impression that Debbie is a really nice person but who often deferred to Chris. Chris, while again described as a friend to Gary who did much to help him, also shows he is less loyal to friends than is Debbie and can get angry quickly and turn his back on you. The other members of Blondie are basically what you would expect rockers to be - funny, irreverent, often sex crazed and all of them, to one extent or another, doped out of their minds at times.I do wonder how Blondie may have been had Gary stayed. We would never have known about Nigel probably, and Nigel was a huge contributor to the Blondie sound. And I wonder how the reformed Blondie, today, would be if Gary had come back.

I have read number of Gary's works and have never been disappointed - this book is no exception! Not only does the memoir cover one of my favorite eras in music, but does so from an insiders perspective...invaluable to music geeks. On another level I enjoyed this as a coming of age tale, and found myself reflecting on my own 'misspent youth'...which brought back a deluge of memories. Gary's other works are usually scholarly with an esoteric/philosophic bent - this work is 'a light read' in comparison to some of those. What this book proved to me is that Gary is not only a top-flight intellect, but a writer in the truest sense of the word. This is a must read for fans of New York punk and music lovers in general.

Really enjoyed reading this book.Very well written, hard to put down.Recommended.

Great trip down memory lane for folks who enjoyed the 70s music scene. The good old days!

It would be almost impossible to have lived through the time period and cultural place that Valentine did and not have a few interesting stories to tell. Unfortunately he reveals himself as a not very likable character. He credits himself with Blondie's success - although he only played on their first album. Nasty jabs at the other members of Blondie, as well as complete disregard for a former girlfriend and sick child, make for very unpleasant reading at times - vitriol and envy seem to be the driving force behind his writing. Still, it's a least a better book than  Turn Off Your Mind: The Mystic Sixties and the Dark Side of the Age of Aquarius , which is a completly embarassing, amateur mess. Not sure how it's possible to make such fascinating subjects boring and repetitive, but Valentine manages to do it. 'New York Rocker' is certainly interesting, but it leaves a bitter taste.

Wow! ever wondered what it must of being like to become a member and flatmate of Blondie or to see the beginnings of many Punks Icons and gigs at CBGB then you need this book. A real insider view, full of personal comments and insights.

Blondieの1stアルバムにのみ参加しただけで脱退してしまったGaryは今ではイギリスでフリーのライターをやっています。この本は主に彼のBlondie時代やその後のバンド活動及びIggyとのツアーについて書かれておりいわば彼の自伝ですがこれにより彼がBlondieに加入してから脱退するまでのBlondie及びCBGB周辺のNYパンクシーンを知ることが出来ます。またBlondie初期の珍しい写真もいくつか見られるのでBlondieファンにお薦めです。

I have had a fascination with all things New York, especially Warhol and the music scene, which has led to the accumulation of a sizeable library on the subject. Naturally I had to check out Valentine's book and it turns out to be one of the better ones. Valentine writes chronologically and factually but also includes a lot of personal history which makes the subject matter come across in a vibrant manner. The first part of the book, his pre-Blondie phase as a glam fan, tarted up and looking for action, is easily the most enjoyable part although the Blondie saga is an interesting read. Valentine's perspective is somewhat biased, in his version his contribution of the song 'X-Offender' is responsible for the band's take off and the second album is basically a showcase for his song 'Touched By Your Presence Dear'. His post Blondie band The Know gave a brave attempt at success but were never signed which shows there was more to Blondie's success than Valentine. Also included is his stint as touring guitarist for Iggy but after that, in the last portion of the book, the action slows and it proves to be a more difficult read. The end of an abortive Blondie reunion is where the book finishes, again Valentine is a blameless victim. What this book shows most of all is that despite the 'Blondie is a group' badges, they never were. Chris and Debbie are firmly in control and should another member attract too much attention their standing becomes shaky.Overall it is a very readable book, easy to digest and interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. To give some comparison I found this book a better read than Richard Hell's biography and many other New York Punk books. The triumph of this book is down to the fact that it will be entertaining whether or not you are a Blondie fan and for that Valentine deserves respect.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gary Valentine's memoir about his time in Blondie, his eye witness account of the nascent New York punk scene, and what happened to him over the next few years, which included playing with his own band, called The Know, and a stint in Iggy Pop's touring band.Gary Valentine's self-deprecating style, give this memoir the ring of authenticity, including his less than complimentary stories about some of those he encounters. It's also yet another musician memoir that makes me wonder why anyone would want to try to pursue a career in music.Overall New York Rocker: My Life in the Blank Generation with Blondie, Iggy Pop, and Others, 1974-1981 is an essential read for anyone who is fascinated by the early New York punk scene and, to a lesser extent, the early LA punk scene.I heard about this book having read "Aleister Crowley: Magick, Rock and Roll, and the Wickedest Man in the World" which was written under his real name, Gary Lachman, and which I also recommend.4/5

Prompt delivery and very good book from a different perspective than Chris Stein or Debbie Harry