Straight Whisky: A Living History of Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll on the Sunset Strip

From Publishers Weekly
With varying degrees of success, Quisling and Williams reconstruct 40 years of hip-shaking, headbanging, altered consciousness and groupie-love at Sunset Strip nightclubs Whisky A Go-Go and its sister establishments the Roxy Theatre and the Rainbow Bar and Grill, in an attempt to bring to life the L.A. music scene since 1964. Focusing on 16 random events meant to emblemize the Whiskey ambiance and demonstrate its cultural impact, the authors chronicle the club from its early Tinsletown days to the Black Flag riots during the punk movement to a more current era of "unknown die-hard Sunset Strip devotees." The list of acts that have graced the stage of Whisky is a veritable who's who of rock, and while the authors do well to avoid a simple listing of these acts, the stories they focus on aren't always compelling. Tales of Jim Morrison passed out back stage or Roger Daltrey's sexual exploits fail to bring the Whisky to life. Quisling and Williams also choose an awkward, unintegrated format for the book, with the first part of each chapter (by Williams) a vivid, occasionally overwritten anecdote (does he really know what Robert Plant thought as he felt up two sisters under a table?), followed by a separate cultural and historical outline of the era (by Quisling). Williams recounts the time Charles Manson dropped by the Whisky just days before the mass killings at Benedict Canyon, harassed a waitress and was thrown out by the owner, Mario Maglieri. It's a compelling story, but following it with a separate, brief history of Helter Skelter, the authors clumsily connect the Whisky to the world outside the club doors. Central to rock 'n' roll history, the Whisky was a place of raw, untethered emotion, debauchery and mayhem. Quisling and Williams are certainly passionate about their subject, and their energy goes a long way toward making the book readable, but they don't fully capture its heart and soul. As Henry Rollins claims in his surprisingly bland foreword, the Whisky "is worth some real documentation." Unfortunately, this isn't quite it. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Music Connection Magazine, September 1, 2003
A fascinating account of events ... A must-read for anyone interested in music history.

Book Description
For forty years, the Sunset Strip has reigned supreme as rock 'n' roll's most enduring boulevard of dreams. No other street has witnessed so many immortal moments. So many legendary performances. And so much wretched excess. Virtually everyone who has made a meaningful impression on rock has been inside the Strip's three most famous nightclubs: the Whisky A-Go-Go, the Roxy and the Rainbow Bar & Grill. From psychedelic pioneers like the Doors and the Byrds… to notoriously heavy supergroups of the 70's like Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie… to furiously nihilistic L.A. punk bands like X and Black Flag… to local heroes responsible for the rebirth of hard rock in the 80's like Guns & Roses and Motley Crüe. They all played here, partied here, made history here, and sometimes died here. "Straight Whisky" is the first book ever to chronicle all the music, magic and mayhem of the Sunset Strip. Authors Erik Quisling and Austin Williams have created a unique multi-leveled portrait that is unlike any other rock book on record. With its sweeping historical analysis and down & dirty details, "Straight Whisky" pulls no punches and leaves no stone unturned. Quisling has drawn upon extensive research to chronicle the ways in which music on the Sunset Strip has both shaped and reflected the American experience since 1964. Williams has chosen sixteen of the most memorable events from the period and developed them into dramatic narratives that offer an intensely intimate view of this incredible story. Together, along with dozens of rare photos and original interviews with the rock stars who were there when it all happened, these perspectives provide a comprehensive look at the most famous stretch of rock 'n' roll real estate on Earth: the famed "rock block" of Sunset Boulevard. Here are the stories that have been whispered about for decades. Now they can be told out loud for the first time.

About the Author
ERIK QUISLING A graduate of UCLA, Erik Quisling is an accomplished writer and musician. He is also the producer of "Welcome to the Rainbow," the first fully authorized documentary on the fabled nightclubs of the Sunset Strip. Currently, Quisling resides in Los Angeles. "Straight Whisky" is his second book. AUSTIN WILLIAMS Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Austin Williams moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to study film at the University of Southern California. Working for several years as a freelance writer, he directed the documentary "Welcome to the Rainbow" in 1999. Williams currently lives in Santa Monica. "Straight Whisky" is his first book. Foreword by HENRY ROLLINS Musician, writer, actor, spoken word performance artist and self-declared "Anti-Man," Henry Rollins has been challenging audiences with his inimitable voice for decades. Through his work with the bands Black Flag and the Rollins Group, he has earned a reputation as one of music’s most relentless live artists, often touring around the globe several times a year without a single break. His books include "Solipsist" and "Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag." Afterword by LEMMY KILMISTER Widely recognized as the "Godfather of Heavy Metal," Lemmy Kilmister and his band Motorhead have been punishing eardrums with their patented brand of ultra-hard rock since 1975. A prolific songwriter whose pen has fueled twenty albums and hit songs recorded by Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, and Guns n’ Roses, Lemmy is also a World War II historian of some renown. His life is the subject of an acclaimed new documentary called "Lemmy," which is drawing rave reviews on the international film circuit.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

Home to such renowned rock temples as the Whisky (formerly the Whisky A-Go-Go), the Roxy, and the A-list restaurant the Rainbow Bar and Grill, L.A.'s famed Sunset Strip owns more stories of rock legend and lore than a Led Zeppelin groupie convention. This book reminds us that since the 1960s the strip has been a consistent cultural barometer, either hosting or nurturing the likes of the Byrds, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, and Guns'n'Roses. But by opening each of the 16 chapters with hyperbolic literary re-creations of key events-such as Charles Manson threatening a Whisky waitress during off-hours-Williams mythologizes the area, making it a Dionysian wonderland. In the book's second half, Quisling insightfully links the strip to the evolution of rock'n'roll and American culture and, in turn, verifies his coauthor's poetic license. Both writers worked on a documentary about the Strip called Welcome to the Rainbow and here draw on research from that project. Yet readers have to wonder whether the book is truth or fantasy-and though some may like the ambiguity, this reviewer did not. Recommended only for area libraries and specialized music collections. Skeptics will prefer Barney Hoskyns's more straightforward Waiting for the Sun.-Robert Morast, "Argus Leader," Sioux Falls, SD Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices