Bangs, Lester

Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung

New York, NY: Anchor Books, 2003. First Trade Softcover Edition. Softcover. Former Rolling Stones editor and columnist Greil Marcus collected the writings of Lester Bangs (1948 – 1982) into, what he calls, “the story, ultimately, of one man’s attempt to confront his loathing of the world, his love for it, and to make sense of what he found in the world and within himself” (xviii). As a music critic, Lester wanted to provoke the artists he was interviewing, confronting them as wholly vulnerable people rather than treating them like gods and goddesses walking among us. Bangs referred to himself as the greatest writer of all time, comparing himself to Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, and Hunter S. Thompson, believing he “was blessed with wisdom beyond [his] years and gender.” He wrote 150 reviews for Rolling Stone before being fired for “disrespecting” the artists. He moved to Detroit and began freelancing for Creem, an early champion of punk rock, heavy metal, and new wave bands, before being named editor in 1971. Bangs idolized Lou Reed, and he believed the Velvet Underground was the greatest band of all time. His interview with Reed published in 1975 “Let Us Now Praise Famous Death Dwarves” (a play on Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee, see our Item #4564) is included in this anthology (page 169) and considered one of the more scathing and exposing interviews in music history. He left Creem in 1976 and began freelancing for a variety of publications including Playboy, Penthouse, and The Village Voice. Before his death, Bangs was working on a collection of his own writing with a working title of Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung, which is why Marcus chose that title. Marcus says, Bangs “discovered, invented, nurtured, and promoted an esthetic of joyful disdain, a love for apparent trash, and contempt for all pretension.” He could see through the haze of celebrity and understand the reality and humanity of each person and each artistic expression. The irony of his self-righteous attitude and his disdain for pretension is almost too much to believe. His inner-conflict between art and success and humanity and celebrity blended within him an insufferable personality to some and an inspiring one to others. He believed “all art is an act of love towards the whole human race,” (168) but he was strict in his definition of art, and posers calling themselves artists were all too prevalent for him to ignore. His untimely death at the age of 33 was due to an accidental overdose of several flu treatments after he had been clean and sober from alcohol and drugs for less than a year. Marcus thinks his abrupt lifestyle change shocked his system, leaving him vulnerable to disease and weakening his constitution. He is remembered with several songs, movies, and other media that represent him as a vital component to that era of rock music history. Trade-Format Softcover. "First Anchor Edition, January 2003" as stated on copyright page. [ISBN: 978-0-679-720456] Book is in Fine condition with little to no visible wear except a small scratch to front cover and very mild rubbing to the bottom edge of spine. Pages pristine with no markings. Fine. [Item #5422]

Price: $20.00