The Uncool
A Memoir
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4.7 • 169 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Cameron has written a book that feels like music, an intimate souvenir, like a song you can’t stop listening to.” —Stevie Nicks • “A delicious tale of a devotee who worships at the altar of rock and roll….It’s a love letter to fandom, sealed with Cameron’s trademark sincerity and heart.” —Maggie Rogers • “Such a joy and so well written…My favorite book in a long, long time.” —Anderson Cooper
The long-awaited memoir by Cameron Crowe—one of America’s most iconic journalists and filmmakers—The Uncool is a joyful dispatch from a lost world, a chronicle of the real-life events that became Almost Famous, and a coming-of-age journey filled with music legends as you’ve never seen them before.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this affectionate memoir, filmmaker Cameron Crowe revisits his improbable youth as a teenage Rolling Stone journalist with the same warmth that defined his beloved film about the period, Almost Famous. Crowe’s stories of private audiences with the likes of Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and Fleetwood Mac reveal both the mystique and the everyday grind of ’70s rock stardom. We loved exploring his memories of being bowled over by a promising unknown named Bruce Springsteen, and the chaos of interviewing bands in bars he wasn’t old enough to drink in. But the real heart of the book lies in Crowe’s portrait of his indomitable mother Alice and his older sisters, whose influence shaped his sense of empathy and belonging. The Uncool wraps up just as Crowe starts moving out of journalism into Hollywood, which hopefully means there’s an equally enthralling sequel to come.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Filmmaker and former Rolling Stone writer Crowe (Conversations with Wilder) revisits his formative years in this lively autobiography. Growing up in 1960s Palm Springs with strict parents, Crowe found freedom in rock music, a passion that led—by age 16—to writing for Rolling Stone, where his youth, candor, and curiosity earned him the trust of artists including Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson, and Rita Coolidge. (Crowe's backstage encounters with Led Zeppelin and his tour experiences with the Allman Brothers inspired his Oscar-winning screenplay for Almost Famous, providing plenty of breadcrumbs for fans to connect the film's events to his real life.) After burning out on music criticism at 21, Crowe received a copy of Slouching Toward Bethlehem from Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner, and the quality of the writing inspired him to start the book that would become Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The account also covers Crowe's films, including Fast Times and Jerry Maguire, though he dives into those projects with less detail than he does his heady days at Rolling Stone. Readers who only know Crowe from his screen credits will savor the behind-the-scenes insights, but the book's real power lies in its portrait of a teenager chasing his heroes. It's a delight.
Customer Reviews
A Wonderful Ride
Everything that I would expect and want from the director of Almost Famous… I was taken on a journey that was familiar and yet new, with a companion that knows how to highlight and color what we are experiencing.
In tapping into his memories, many of mine resurfaced, but I can now see them with the same touch of whimsy and wonder that he shares with us. I enjoyed the ride.
An Excellent Book
Each new story brought to my mind of sitting with friends of my teens. Listening to the music in their basement rooms or cruising streets listing to “Stereo X”.
Crowe writes with feeling and purpose that is a pleasure to read.
I loved this book!
There was so many moments in Mr. Crowe’s story when I was overcome by emotion and found myself weeping. I cannot recommend this book enough!