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The Hard Stuff
- Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities
- Narrated by: Wayne Kramer
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's summary
The first memoir by Wayne Kramer, legendary guitarist and cofounder of quintessential Detroit proto-punk legends The MC5
"Voyeuristically dramatic." (The New York Times Book Review)
In January 1969, before the world heard a note of their music, the MC5 was on the cover of Rolling Stone. Led by legendary guitarist Wayne Kramer, the band was a reflection of the times: exciting, sexy, violent, chaotic, and even out of control. The missing link between free jazz and punk rock, the MC5 toured the country, played alongside music legends, and had a rabid following, their music acting as the soundtrack to the blossoming blue collar youth movement. Kramer wanted to redefine what a rock 'n' roll group was capable of, and though there was power in reaching for that, it was also a recipe for personal and professional disaster.
The band recorded three major label albums but, by 1972—it was all over. Kramer's story is (literally) a revolutionary one, but it's also the deeply personal struggle of an addict and an artist, a rebel with a great tale to tell. From the glory days of Detroit to the junk-sick streets of the East Village, from Key West to Nashville and sunny L.A., in and out of prison and on and off of drugs, Kramer's is the classic journeyman narrative, but with a twist: he's here to remind us that revolution is always an option.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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Critic reviews
"[This] book comes alive when bringing the reader into the heart of the late-'60s scene, where revolution seemed not just possible but plausible...The Hard Stuff is rarely poetic, but in its brutal honesty Mr. Kramer may succeed in deterring future musicians from contemplating serious drug abuse."—Wall Street Journal
"By the time he turned 30, Kramer had been the lead guitarist in a legendary but star-crossed rock band, a playacting Detroit gangster, and a guest of the American carceral system. All this living is covered in his new memoir The Hard Stuff, along with Kramer's roundabout path to the life he leads today."—NPR Music
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From Graham Nash - the legendary musician and founding member of the iconic bands Crosby, Stills & Nash and The Hollies - comes a candid and riveting autobiography that belongs on the reading list of every classic rock fan.
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The Best of the Recent Rock Biographies
- By Steven Schuster on 10-28-13
By: Graham Nash
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Mustaine
- A Heavy Metal Memoir
- By: Dave Mustaine, Joe Layden
- Narrated by: Tom Wayland
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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James Hetfield, with whom many years ago Mustaine founded a band known as Metallica, once observed, with some incredulity, that Mustaine must have been born with a horseshoe up his ass. That's how lucky he's been, how fortunate he is to be pulling breath after so many close calls. And Hetfield is right. Mustaine has been lucky. He has been blessed. But here's the thing about having a horseshoe lodged in your rectum: It also hurts like hell. And you never forget it's there.
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peace sells...I'm buying!!!
- By michael on 09-19-10
By: Dave Mustaine, and others
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Deal
- My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead
- By: Bill Kreutzmann, Benjy Eisen
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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On their 50th anniversary comes a groundbreaking rock-and-roll memoir by one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead are perhaps the most legendary American rock band of all time. For 30 years, beginning in the hippie scene of San Francisco in 1965, they were a musical institution, the original jam band that broke new ground in so many ways.
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Decent but not great
- By Monty S on 03-02-16
By: Bill Kreutzmann, and others
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Original Gangstas
- The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap
- By: Ben Westhoff
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Amid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality, a group of unlikely voices cut through the chaos of late 1980s Los Angeles: N.W.A. Led by a drug dealer, a glammed-up producer, and a high school kid, N.W.A. gave voice to disenfranchised African Americans across the country. And they quickly redefined pop culture across the world. Their names remain as popular as ever: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube. Dre soon joined forces with Suge Knight to create the combustible Death Row Records.
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Very Informative and well told
- By guyzilla on 02-19-17
By: Ben Westhoff
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Iggy Pop
- Open Up and Bleed
- By: Paul Trynka
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Iggy Pop's legendary career has been tumultuous, reaching great heights with mega-hits and then hitting rock-bottom lows in jail and mental institutions. Along the way, he's become a cult-rock hero, an inspiration for dozens of other famous rockers, and has had a pretty good time of it, too. But the image of Iggy Pop versus the man behind that image, James Newell Osterberg, Jr., is surprisingly contradictory.
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Banal and Boring
- By Michael on 12-03-08
By: Paul Trynka
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My Damage
- The Story of a Punk Rock Survivor
- By: Keith Morris, Jim Ruland
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Keith Morris is a true punk icon. No one else embodies the sound of Southern Californian hardcore. Short and sporting waist-length dreadlocks, Morris is known the world over for his take-no-prisoners approach on the stage and his integrity off of it. Over the course of his 40-year career, he's battled diabetes, drug and alcohol addiction, and the record industry. My Damage is more than a book about the highs and lows of a punk rock legend, however.
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keith rocks.
- By Jeff on 05-13-18
By: Keith Morris, and others
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Hit Hard
- By: Joey Kramer
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1997, amid Aerosmith's sold-out world tour and number one album release, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith.
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The things we never knew
- By bluestar on 08-22-18
By: Joey Kramer
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Walk This Way
- Run-DMC, Aerosmith, and the Song That Changed American Music Forever
- By: Geoff Edgers
- Narrated by: Geoff Edgers
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Washington Post staff writer Geoff Edgers takes a deep dive into the story behind "Walk This Way", Aerosmith and Run-DMC's legendary, groundbreaking mashup that forever changed music.
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A MUST LISTEN/READ
- By Aron Teo Lee on 05-17-19
By: Geoff Edgers
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Small Town Talk
- Bob Dylan, The Band, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Friends in the Wild Years of Woodstock
- By: Barney Hoskyns
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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When musicians in the New York folk scene of the 1960s grew tired of city life, they decided to "get it together in the country". They headed for Woodstock - not to the site of the infamous music festival of 1969 but to the Catskills, to Bearsville, to Woodstock proper. Counterculture revolutionaries like Janis Joplin, Richie Havens, and Paul Butterfield got "back to the land", turning the once sleepy hollow into a funky Shangri-La.
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Captured the era - too many mistakes
- By Frank Canino on 04-17-16
By: Barney Hoskyns
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Punk Rock Blitzkrieg
- My Life as a Ramone
- By: Rich Herschlag, Marky Ramone
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Having outlived his bandmates, Marky is the only person who can share the secrets and stories of the Ramones' improbable rise from obtuse beginnings to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But it wasn't all good times and hit songs, and Marky doesn't shy away from discussing his own struggles.
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Dedicated Punk Fans Must Read
- By Leostriple on 03-26-15
By: Rich Herschlag, and others
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All These Things That I've Done
- My Insane, Improbable Rock Life
- By: Matt Pinfield, Mitchell Cohen
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Matt Pinfield is the ultimate music fan. He's the guy who knows every song, artist, and musical riff ever recorded, down to the most obscure band's B-side single on its vinyl-only EP import. As a child, music helped Pinfield make sense of the world. Later he would approach his music idols after concerts and explain why he loved their music. As an adult, rock music inspired his career, fueled relationships, and, at times, became a life raft.
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great listen
- By nilda v. on 08-28-20
By: Matt Pinfield, and others
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Bear
- The Life and Times of Augustus Owsley Stanley III
- By: Robert Greenfield
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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The creator of the dancing bear logo and designer of the Wall of Sound for the Grateful Dead, Augustus Owsley Stanley III, better known by his nickname, Bear, was one of the most iconic figures in the cultural revolution that changed both America and the world during the 1960s. Owsley's high octane rocket fuel enabled Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters to put on the Acid Tests. It also powered much of what happened on stage at Monterey Pop.
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wow
- By Brian Harnois on 10-12-20
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Outlaw
- Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville
- By: Michael Streissguth
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Waylon Jennings. Willie Nelson. Kris Kristofferson. Three renegade musicians. Three unexpected stars. Three men who changed Nashville and country music forever. Streissguth's new book brings to life an incredible chapter in musical history and reveals for the first time a surprising outlaw zeitgeist in Nashville. Based on extensive research and probing interviews with key players, what emerges is a fascinating glimpse into three of the most legendary artists of our times and the definitive story of how they changed music in Nashville and everywhere.
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Revealing little-known Details does Captivate!
- By Cody Meyer on 11-20-17
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The One
- The Life and Music of James Brown
- By: R. J. Smith
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Senior editor at L.A. Magazine RJ Smith saw his first book, The Great Black Way, win the coveted California Book Award. With The One, Smith profiles one of the 20th century’s most innovative musical icons, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown. Drawing on extensive research and captivating interviews, Smith chronicles Brown’s rise from abject poverty to the pinnacle of fame, while also detailing Brown’s work as a civil rights activist and entrepreneur.
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pitiable, lovable, despicable,understandable
- By Anonymous User on 01-06-13
By: R. J. Smith
What listeners say about The Hard Stuff
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- No Focus
- 09-24-20
Get into the MC5. Do it now.
I missed the Wayne Kramer MC5 back in the day. Never hear them. Never knew the story. The Hard Stuff is a fantastic look at the band and Wayne and the evil that lurked waiting. I'll read this again at least once. It's that good. Thank you Wayne!
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- Ryan Anys
- 11-27-20
What a fantastic book!
If you're a fan of rock + roll, recovery, or redemption (yup, this book as all three), then this book is for YOU!
Of course, MC 5 + punk rock followers will be thrilled with Wayne's tales of the storied, innovative band he co-founded.
But even more thrilling, and incredibly moving, is Wayne's personal tale of rise, fall, and rebirth.
And if that kind of thing is up your alley, I can't recommend this book enough!
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- Socialfit77
- 10-16-21
Brother Wayne Kramer
This book is a wonderful look into the life of a MAN who struggled, rocked (rocks), spent time in jail and changed my life. Bless the MC5, Jail Guitar Doors, Brother Wayne and FAMILY. Get this book…
JT-
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- Chea
- 07-25-24
Genius
The details he shares about working in his industry are priceless. He brilliantly informs readers about the interpersonal goings on and communications between band mates, managers, corporate and various other insiders including girlfriends/wives, friends and partners in crime. Confessions of debauchery, vice, depravity... are offered generously. What an eye opener. How embarrassing it must be to reveal such things publicly. Thank you, Wayne. I have learned so much from you. And you got it all figured out and straightened up in the end. In one of your online interviews you even advised people not to go into the business, to go to school first and learn everything they can.
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- Gracioushostmusic
- 01-29-19
Hard stuff indeed
Great book, very honest and well told. Wayne has lived it all and here to tell his story. A lot of lessons learned along the way and I fell like I learned something as well. Highly recommended.
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- Andrea Zimmerman
- 12-15-18
So honest and open.
Wayne Kramer holds nothing back in this brutally honest look into his unique journey through years of hard rocking and harder living. His story is inspiring, entertaining, tragic and triumphant.
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- Josh O'Brien
- 12-21-18
Hard stuff is easy listening
I enjoyed hearing the 1st hand stories of Wayne & MC5. As someone from the Midwest and an employee at KLOS, a rock station in LA I've heard second and third hand versions of these stories. Now you have an opportunity to hear them 1st hand from a living legend and hard rock pioneer. Lemmy Kilmister used to say he wanted to create his version of the MC5 in Motorhead. Listening to Wayne Kramer's story you can see where that hard Detroit sound that inspired so many others came from. Also the passion he has to help those incarcerated better themselves with jail guitar doors USA.
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- ANTHONY OHARE
- 12-12-21
Awesome! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love this book! Very candid and open biography well told by Wayne Kramer! Very compelling and couldn't wait until I could listen again when I had to stop! 5 star Recommended!
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- David S. Rovics
- 05-21-21
Real stories from a real musician
Full of insight while constantly entertaining, great delivery by the author, as a politically-motivated touring musician myself, I would emphatically recommend this memoir as a highly accurate portrayal of the real world of both music and radical politics.
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- Born Cross-Eyed
- 01-24-20
Brother Wayne Kramer
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you a testimonial! Brother Wayne raps about the MC5, prison, and Jail Guitar Doors. Love that he reads this himself. Dig it!
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