... careening, overstuffed ... That sense of fanaticism runs wild throughout the book ... Most of these convergences are amply familiar to rock history geeks ... But Kaye’s depth of field reveals a legion of bit players out on the horizon, miles behind the Elvises, Beatles and Nirvanas forever in the foreground. You’ll have to gauge your own capacity for long-distance arcana.
Kaye’s personal reminiscences about performing with Patti Smith are among the highlights. Part history, part memoir, Lightning Striking is a fat, fun homage to the glory days of rock and roll and is full of vivid and revealing memories and anecdotes.
Throughout Kaye draws from insider knowledge, crafting a fluent, attention-grabbing narrative and offering autobiographical asides about listening to 45s in grade school and becoming a true history maker himself. A copious biblio-discography, including classic and contemporary citations, adds value ... Kaye’s felicitous turns of phrase and ability to humanize his subject paint vivid pictures of each venue and its denizens; readers of any vintage will appreciate the chance to either relive these musical moments or experience them for the first time.
... an idiosyncratic, impassioned paean to rock ’n’ roll ... Though a scholar of the many lightning-in-the-bottle moments of which he writes, Kaye is nothing if not an enthusiast ... The author engagingly chronicles his wide travels ... If you’re a fan of rock music of whatever flavor, you need this book.
Kaye delivers his magnum opus, a rollicking tour through rock and roll history ... Touching on a dizzying array of famous and obscure musicians, bars, and clubs—and injecting the narrative with his own vivid memories of playing in such legendary places as Manhattan’s CBGB—Kaye brilliantly captures the ecstasy of what it was like to be there, or, as he puts it, 'the had-to-be of there.' This memorable history is electrifying.
