The Last Book I Read

Some years ago a friend of mine talked about quitting the academic life and going on the road to play music. He seemed convinced that it would be a glorious life full of excitement, money (if not riches), and psychic comfort far surpassing that of a teacher. I'd known enough musicians to warn him that it probably wouldn't be all milk and honey, but he didn't want to hear it (though in the end he also didn't take the plunge-- I guess maintaining the fantasy was more important). Dean Wareham spent most of the past twenty odd years in a couple of bands that actually had recording contracts with major labels, achieved considerable critical success, toured the world and cultivated fairly a fair number of rabid fans (I count myself in that group, with respect to his latter group, Luna). Even though I knew that most working musicians struggle mightily to keep ahold of their dreams of stardom, from all outward appearances, Galaxie 500 and Luna seemed to have made it. They weren't superstars in the Rolling Stones or U2 sense, but on the more modest scale of alternative rock groups, it would be easy to think that they had it made. Not so. Wareham's account makes it pretty clear that while there are certain rewards to grinding it out, in the end it's at best a wash next to the sacrifices made along the way. Wareham's deadpan style seems humorous at first, as he described the early stages of building a career in music, but by the end it becomes apparent that it's a reflection of being beat down over the endless van rides, personality clashes with bandmates, fans, and business types, and the physical and emotional exhaustion of trying to sustain a career as the music industry as a whole started its rapid decline by the late nineties. Don't get me wrong, it's a fascinating story, and kudos to Wareham for telling it straight. There are enough hints along the way to suggest that he could've written himself into the stereotypical rock star part without stretching things too much. Instead he conveys the work of being in a band, and while the high points justify the effort for awhile, it clearly becomes more and more difficult with the passage of time as the big commercial breakthrough fails to materialize (as happened to both of his groups, despite their great press). Just to be clear-- I didn't ever get the impression that making music was the problem, and Wareham remains active as a musician. It's all the stuff that went into supporting the creative process materially that became a drag. The stories of how first Galaxie 500 and then later Luna split apart have noticeable points of comparison with the breakup of the Beatles (which was recently chronicled in Rolling Stone on the anniversary of their split), and I suspect factor into the relatively short lifespan of most bands. As Wareham points out, those who stick together longer-- like U2 or the Rolling Stones-- do so as profitable corporations, not the group of pals they were when they started. Having studied the popular music industry in some depth, I know this is not a new phenomenon. Wareham's description is nonetheless fresh for his willingness to not just to describe the challenges confronting his bands, but to think through and offer explanations for the factors (whether personal or institutional) that define what it means to try and have a career in music. It's a good read, and likely to make you revise what you imagine about your own favorite band.