Author: Cameron Crow (narrator, too)
Year published: 2025
Category: Adult nonfiction (memoir)
Pages: 336 pages
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Location: (my 2025 Google Reading map): USA (CA)
Summary: Cameron Crowe was an unlikely rock and roll insider. Born in 1957 to parents who strictly banned the genre from their house, he dove headfirst into the world of music. By the time he graduated high school at fifteen, Crowe was contributing to Rolling Stone. His parents became believers, uneasily allowing him to interview and tour with legends like Led Zeppelin; Lynyrd Skynyrd; Bob Dylan; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Fleetwood Mac.
The Uncool offers a front-row ticket to the 1970s, a golden era for music and art when rock was young. There’s no such thing as a media junket—just the rare chance a young writer might be invited along for an adventure. Crowe spends his teens politely turning down the drugs and turning on his tape recorder. He talks his journalism teacher into giving him class credit for his road trip covering Led Zeppelin’s 1975 tour, which lands him—and the band—on the cover of Rolling Stone. He embeds with David Bowie as the sequestered genius transforms himself into a new persona: the Thin White Duke. Why did Bowie give Crowe such unprecedented access? “Because you’re young enough to be honest,” Bowie tells him.
Youth and humility are Crowe’s ticket into the Eagles’ dressing room in 1972, where Glenn Frey vows to keep the band together forever; to his first major interview with Kris Kristofferson; to earning the trust of icons like Gregg Allman and Joni Mitchell, who had sworn to never again speak to Rolling Stone. It’s a magical odyssey, the journey of a teenage writer waved through the door to find his fellow dreamers, music geeks, and lifelong community. It’s a path that leads him to writing and directing some of the most beloved films of the past forty years, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Say Anything... to Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous. His movies often resonate with the music of the artists he first met as a journalist, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Who, and Pearl Jam.
The Uncool is also a surprisingly intimate family drama. If you’ve seen Almost Famous, you may think you know this story—but you don’t. For the first time, Crowe opens up about his formative years in Palm Springs and pays tribute to his father, a decorated Army officer who taught him the irreplaceable value of the human voice. Crowe also offers a full portrait of his mother, whose singular spirit helped shape him into an unconventional visionary.
With its vivid snapshots of a bygone era and a celebration of creativity and connection, this memoir is an essential read for music lovers or anyone chasing their wildest dreams. At the end of that roller-coaster journey, you might just find what you were looking for: your place in the world.
Review: I have never seen the film Almost Famous (about Cameron Crow) and really haven't had a desire to, so why did I listen to his memoir? This month's Book of The Month books held no appeal for me, so I clicked over to their audiobooks. This one stood out, and I realized I could fit in one more nonfiction for Nonfiction November.
I am really glad I chose this book; it is interesting, well-written, has great stories, and Crow is a good narrator. I was surprised that he broke down a bit when he read emotional parts of his story; it really showed how much each story meant to him.
It's amazing how he connected with so many big names at such a young age. He was only 14 years old when he started getting interviews with Bob Dylan, The Eagles, YES, and more. I guess they were also all young, but it's a big "Forest Gumpish" how he kept getting incredible access to the stars of the '70s. He interviewed and hung out with all the greats of the '70s, for long periods of time. 18 months hanging out with David Bowie?! How cool is that?!
I didn't realize that he had also written all the movies that he did; what an amazing creative talent. I also liked hearing about his family, the role they played in his life, their grief, their normalness.
Usually, I listen to audiobooks in the car and on walks. This one, I kept listening to in my house.
Challenges for which this counts:
- Alphabet (Title)--U
- Bookish--journalist
- Nonfiction
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