Insightful and Entertaining

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I finally have some insight into the man behind the songs and the lyrics that I've enjoyed and admired for over 20 years; his early beginnings, his upbringing, his struggles and his successes. I was always so curious about the man that was responsible for writing and helping create some of the most powerful and most interesting music I've ever heard. He is such a private individual and I was so tired of the assumptions and speculations about the man. Now I know because it's coming straight from the horse's mouth, and I'm truly grateful. The book shattered a lot of my pre-conceptions and dispelled a lot of the false info and assumptions that floated out there. It even inspired me, which I did not expect. A must read for fans of Maynard and his music.

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can I say I f****** loved this book?

I f****** loved this story, this insight into the life of one of the most creative people on this planet. James Maynard Keenan is just such a powerfully creative force. To hear about all the circumstances and things that paved the way for every outlet that he took the opportunity to express himself in, it makes the enjoyment and understanding of the art he produces so much more complete and meaningful. Jim is so much more than a tool :-) what an incredible tale of living out one's life to its fullest potential!

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Stranger than fiction

Sets an example and a steep challenge to live up to, a fascinating story of an extraordinary character.

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A dive into one of rock's most interesting people

I'm not one of "those fans" when it comes to TOOL, but I am fond of their music. I'd heard that Maynard James Keenan is a very interesting person and wanted to learn more about that. This biography delivers that in spades.

When most people think about rock stars, they think of hard partying, drug addled nutjobs, who rely on their self-descruction to drive their music and performances. Indeed, when you listen to TOOL or A Perfect Circle, you could be forgiven for putting Keenan into that stereotype. This biography shows that he is anything but.

Despite having a hard upbringing and joining the army in his youth for lack of a better option, Keenan's rise to prominence is frankly remarkable. Unlike many rock bands who enter their career with dreams of fame and fortune, that was never Keenan's goal. He focused on the art first and success followed. Though he gave the appearance of a rebellious punk, he's a very smart, introspective person who is just incredibly driven by his goals. He's an artist, an actor, a comedian, an animal lover, an entrepreneur, a cook, a baker, a wine maker, a natural leader and an empathic family man, who dabbled in the hard rock lifestyle, but never let it define him as so many others have.

I do wish this book went a bit more into some of the struggles his musical endeavours have faced. It's not a book about TOOL or A Perfect Circle, but they inevitably take up a lot of the story. The collapse of Zoo Entertainment and subsequent dispute with Volcano Entertainment are barely touched upon, despite it stalling the band's output for years and keeping them off streaming services until very recently. Nor are the various creative differences the members have had discussed at all. I think these deserved more coverage as they obviously played a big part in Keenan's story. Despite these though, this is a fascinating look into one of rock's most creative and hard working people.

Devon Sorvari's reading is fine, but not my favourite. Despite being an actress, her reading comes off fairly flat. Keenan also reads some small sections from his perspective, but there are also other lengthy quotes from him that aren't read by him, which is kind of odd. His reading also comes off like he was almost shy to do it, though I could believe that's the case as off stage, he's fairly reserved.

If you like any of Keenan's music, definitely don't miss this one.

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Great book

Gives more insight into an artist that has always interested me. Love the fact that Maynard reads parts of the book as well.

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Sublime

Having the opportunity to hear it through Maynard’s voice was truly epic and often so poignantly crushing to the heart strings. Thank you for this experience.

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MJK

This book was a great glimpse at the man, himself.
Loved the mix of Maynard with the reading.

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Surpassed Expectations!

Clear and articulate narration with ocassional dialog from Maynard himself. I enjoyed hearing his story and was intrigued by the depth it went into over the course of his life. I finished with a broadened insight and respect for him.

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A Storybook Account of An Enigmatic Artist

As a longtime fan of Maynard's, I was not surprised that his book both divulges and withholds certain details from his life. This biography details many lesser-known intimate details of his early life and personal relationships, and naturally skirts around many inner details of his professional life. It is told as much akin to a storybook as also a biography, personifying Maynard like a character we'd follow and identify with in a fiction story, both in the literary style of Sarah Jensen and in the lessons offered from this account of Maynard's life.

A must-listen story for fans, but one that is naturally told from arm's-length.

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Missing depth

I've been a long time fan of Maynard and all his projects. His lyrics are poetry are beautiful often speaking of so much depth in life however this book didn't really seem to portray that. Rather was more so continual accolades of how amazing he is almost as though he's a Greek god of perfection. There seems to be a lack of humility and reflections on the humanizing struggles of what might have gone on behind the scenes. We already know of his amazing accomplishments but what about the deeper challenges behind it all? I kind of forced myself to get through it at times to hear the story unfold (which has lots of interesting details) but regardless he certainly is an amazing artist.

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2 people found this helpful