bleak , 14 Feb 2008
This book captures rollins writings from 1989 to 1991 and this is not easy reading by a long shot,this is the work of a man that has seen too much and his heart has imploded,this book feels like torture at times such is its downward spiral into agony,depravity and human sickness,there is little light here,some humour releases itself from time to time but the moral of these writings is really pain and more pain from a creative man who finds it hard to be happy.
The book is broken down into different areas,the first is the traumatic '124 worlds',this is made up stuff (or is it) about 124 stories of murder and death and human nature gone wrong,drug use,suicide ,murder and downright evil,this takes some going to read as your mood changes with it,story after story after story of agony and vile,vile acts,it isnt easy and when i finished i felt i deserved a medal for my bravery but this is still good stuff.
We get a few short poems and then some tour memoirs which always make for interesting reading but again rollins brings the subject matter in on itself with his raging anger and uncaring matter but this is rollins and thats the way he thinks.
Then we get some more short prose ,a poem and then an interesting section called '61 dreams' where he writes down the subject matter of his dreams,these are very interesting and open to debate on what they could mean in a literal sense but usually the matter at hand is one of agony and regret perhaps.
We finish with a work called ' i know you' which is rollins standing baxck from himself and analysing himself and we can all relate to some of what he says although i cant say i relate to it all and im sure thats a blessing but henry rollins is a very interesting and troubled man and this book flew by in no time.
I have seen rollins live telling his stories and we all chuckle along at his tales but here there is little to brighten the day ,its a black book that screams with every page and after you read it you may well be screaming too,great though.

Ouch, 08 Nov 2002
If you've never read Rollins before, it might be better to start with his more accessible stuff like "Smile, You're Travelling", mainly because the first half of this book is a lot of very short stories detailing little acts of violence and suicide carried out by nameless city residents. It's quite admirable really, and you feel like a *trooper* for having got through it, and into the diary section at the end, which is as always interesting to read and leaves you wanting more.
Recommended, then, but not for the weak of stomach.
And it does improve when you go back to it (after your years of THERAPY) to get you through those HARD TIMES, uhuh.

viva Rollins, 04 Nov 2001
Questions....Do you have an occupation that takes you away from home on a regular basis for weeks at a time? When you're at home, does it actually feel like 'home', or how others describe their homes? Are you an authentic human being that loathes mediocrity in all it's forms? Would you rather be working than have 'leisure time'? Are you alienated from your parents and family? Would you prefer to stay in most of the time in your own company, reading excellent literature and listening to music YOU like, rather than listen to pop-pap, and ingrates whingeing and talking bulls**t in most social situations in which you find yourself? Do you always feel painfully lonely and like an 'outsider', no matter how hard you try, and no matter how well you get on with people after having read "HTWFAIP" by Dale Carnegie? If the answer is yes to at least two of the above then you'll find Mr Rollins has no equal in making you feel slightly less lonely in this world and modern times. Buy any of his books,this one for instance, and read them when you inevitably hit the low periods you have (will have) seeing as you answered yes to some of the above questions.

Essential Rollins for the uninitiated and the true fan alike, 02 Jan 2001
Black Coffee Blues is the first book in the Black Coffee trilogy, which now includes the installments "Do I Come Here Often?" and "Smile, You're Traveling". Black Coffee blues can be broken down into colections of essays, tour diaries and short thematic poetry and prose. Henry Rollins writes directly from the heart in an honest and stripped down fashion that immediadely mades the reader forget that this, apart from the tour diaries, is fiction. The first section of Black Coffee Blues is called 124 worlds and is a collection of 124 short insights into peoples lives. Surprisingly, the shortest insights, sometimes only a few lines long, provide the most stark and disturbingly horrific realities. Each "world" provides a new thought provoking reality, and the excellent use of third person naritive allows the stories to be told without resorting to uneccisary explaination or judgement. The second section, Black Coffee Blues is a collection of tour diaries written between 1989 and 1991. Henry Rollins destroys the misconseptions surrounding the glitz of fame and the music industry and allows a deeper insight into the effects of long touring schedules and crushing work loads. Henry talks frankly about the effects of isolation and loneliness while on the road along with the problems of exhustion and the constant movement from show to show. You can almost believe that Henry never intends for any of his tour journals to be read by other people, let alone be published. All of Henry's writing on the road is unbelievably honest and insatiably addictive. Black Coffee Blues drags you on a trip across Europe and lets you see the world in a way very few people could ever hope to achieve. The third section is a collection if longer essays which explore some of the themes identified in the tour diaries. These include loneliness - "invisible Woman Blues", Exhaustion -"Exhaustion Blues" depression - "Monster", and alienation - "I Know You". These essays provide a gateway into the mind and motivation behind Mr Rollins. The forth section is a collection of 61 dreams as recounted by Henry. Once again, Henry resists the temptation to spoil the writing by adding any uneccisry commentary or explaination. The dreams mearly are, and their interpretation is left to the reader. By the end of Black Coffee Blues you feel as if you have made a new best friend who you've accompanied on a great adventure. This book is fantastic as a travelling companion and is a constant source of inspiration and is always thought provoking. This book can be re-read a million times with the same enjoyment as the first as something new can always be taken from it. This book is an excellent travel companion which the reader should never be without on a long trip. Essential Rollins.

bleak , 14 Feb 2008
This book captures rollins writings from 1989 to 1991 and this is not easy reading by a long shot,this is the work of a man that has seen too much and his heart has imploded,this book feels like torture at times such is its downward spiral into agony,depravity and human sickness,there is little light here,some humour releases itself from time to time but the moral of these writings is really pain and more pain from a creative man who finds it hard to be happy.
The book is broken down into different areas,the first is the traumatic '124 worlds',this is made up stuff (or is it) about 124 stories of murder and death and human nature gone wrong,drug use,suicide ,murder and downright evil,this takes some going to read as your mood changes with it,story after story after story of agony and vile,vile acts,it isnt easy and when i finished i felt i deserved a medal for my bravery but this is still good stuff.
We get a few short poems and then some tour memoirs which always make for interesting reading but again rollins brings the subject matter in on itself with his raging anger and uncaring matter but this is rollins and thats the way he thinks.
Then we get some more short prose ,a poem and then an interesting section called '61 dreams' where he writes down the subject matter of his dreams,these are very interesting and open to debate on what they could mean in a literal sense but usually the matter at hand is one of agony and regret perhaps.
We finish with a work called ' i know you' which is rollins standing baxck from himself and analysing himself and we can all relate to some of what he says although i cant say i relate to it all and im sure thats a blessing but henry rollins is a very interesting and troubled man and this book flew by in no time.
I have seen rollins live telling his stories and we all chuckle along at his tales but here there is little to brighten the day ,its a black book that screams with every page and after you read it you may well be screaming too,great though.

Ouch, 08 Nov 2002
If you've never read Rollins before, it might be better to start with his more accessible stuff like "Smile, You're Travelling", mainly because the first half of this book is a lot of very short stories detailing little acts of violence and suicide carried out by nameless city residents. It's quite admirable really, and you feel like a *trooper* for having got through it, and into the diary section at the end, which is as always interesting to read and leaves you wanting more.
Recommended, then, but not for the weak of stomach.
And it does improve when you go back to it (after your years of THERAPY) to get you through those HARD TIMES, uhuh.

viva Rollins, 04 Nov 2001
Questions....Do you have an occupation that takes you away from home on a regular basis for weeks at a time? When you're at home, does it actually feel like 'home', or how others describe their homes? Are you an authentic human being that loathes mediocrity in all it's forms? Would you rather be working than have 'leisure time'? Are you alienated from your parents and family? Would you prefer to stay in most of the time in your own company, reading excellent literature and listening to music YOU like, rather than listen to pop-pap, and ingrates whingeing and talking bulls**t in most social situations in which you find yourself? Do you always feel painfully lonely and like an 'outsider', no matter how hard you try, and no matter how well you get on with people after having read "HTWFAIP" by Dale Carnegie? If the answer is yes to at least two of the above then you'll find Mr Rollins has no equal in making you feel slightly less lonely in this world and modern times. Buy any of his books,this one for instance, and read them when you inevitably hit the low periods you have (will have) seeing as you answered yes to some of the above questions.

Essential Rollins for the uninitiated and the true fan alike, 02 Jan 2001
Black Coffee Blues is the first book in the Black Coffee trilogy, which now includes the installments "Do I Come Here Often?" and "Smile, You're Traveling". Black Coffee blues can be broken down into colections of essays, tour diaries and short thematic poetry and prose. Henry Rollins writes directly from the heart in an honest and stripped down fashion that immediadely mades the reader forget that this, apart from the tour diaries, is fiction. The first section of Black Coffee Blues is called 124 worlds and is a collection of 124 short insights into peoples lives. Surprisingly, the shortest insights, sometimes only a few lines long, provide the most stark and disturbingly horrific realities. Each "world" provides a new thought provoking reality, and the excellent use of third person naritive allows the stories to be told without resorting to uneccisary explaination or judgement. The second section, Black Coffee Blues is a collection of tour diaries written between 1989 and 1991. Henry Rollins destroys the misconseptions surrounding the glitz of fame and the music industry and allows a deeper insight into the effects of long touring schedules and crushing work loads. Henry talks frankly about the effects of isolation and loneliness while on the road along with the problems of exhustion and the constant movement from show to show. You can almost believe that Henry never intends for any of his tour journals to be read by other people, let alone be published. All of Henry's writing on the road is unbelievably honest and insatiably addictive. Black Coffee Blues drags you on a trip across Europe and lets you see the world in a way very few people could ever hope to achieve. The third section is a collection if longer essays which explore some of the themes identified in the tour diaries. These include loneliness - "invisible Woman Blues", Exhaustion -"Exhaustion Blues" depression - "Monster", and alienation - "I Know You". These essays provide a gateway into the mind and motivation behind Mr Rollins. The forth section is a collection of 61 dreams as recounted by Henry. Once again, Henry resists the temptation to spoil the writing by adding any uneccisry commentary or explaination. The dreams mearly are, and their interpretation is left to the reader. By the end of Black Coffee Blues you feel as if you have made a new best friend who you've accompanied on a great adventure. This book is fantastic as a travelling companion and is a constant source of inspiration and is always thought provoking. This book can be re-read a million times with the same enjoyment as the first as something new can always be taken from it. This book is an excellent travel companion which the reader should never be without on a long trip. Essential Rollins.

Weak writing by someone who clearly suffers from depression, 31 Mar 2008
"I just get things done instead of talking about getting them done. I don't go out and party. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs and I'm not married, that leaves a lot of time for my work."

"I'm 38 and if I met a woman of my own age and married her, I'd also be marrying her former life, her past. It might be OK for some people - I don't want to judge it or anything - but it's not for me. It would destroy my creativity."

Henry Rollins doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs. He travels America with his (spoken word) show and writes books about his thoughts and travels. Here (Do i come here often?) each diary entry Rollins made for every birthday from 25-35 is reprinted. With most people of that age their lives change immeasurably in that time with the arrival of children or other serious responsibilities. Rollins remains largely the same.
His writing smacks of immaturity: "When i open my mouth, i waste my time"...and he refers to people as insects. His writing is evidence that his life is one endless plough of the same lonely,frustrated furrow.

"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine."
This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I once discovered recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.
In conclusion, Shut up Rollins, take some prozac, buy yourself a pint of beer and enjoy a cigarette.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."



This poor book piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

short! great!, 16 Oct 2003
finished this in an afternoon. it contains rollins' diaries from the lollapalooza tour and interviews he conducted with jerry lee lewis, roky erickson and others. funny and observant. he talks about jane's addiction, the trials of playing in front of indifferent audiences, and the frustration of having to get up extra-early so the shared tour bus could take members of nine inch nails into town to get face-paint.
would be good to ease into his writing as it's not as intense as black cofee blues. you might as well get another while you're at it though cause the short length will leave you wanting more, of which there is plenty my friend, oh yes.

excellent, 08 Jun 2002
i bought this book to fly out to america, i just wanted something to keep me interested, and, did i find it! this book is an in depth look at rollins life on the road, its filled with his ups and downs whilst touring, and his outlook on life in general. his writing is very complexed and intense, even more so than i thought before reading it. this book has changed the way i look at things, and i garantee that if you read it, it will change you aswell, for the better. An excellent book, i recommend it to anyone, even if not a fan of his music.

Classic Rollins., 12 Apr 2001
If you liked the first Black Coffee Blues & high adventures in the Great Outdoors, then this one will be right up your alley. Personally I didn't feel that this one was as good as the first Black coffee blues overall. But contains many notble parts of merit. Written in much the same style as most of his books, this just continues to expand upon his experiences & give you another look into the mind the man that never seems to rest.

bleak , 14 Feb 2008
This book captures rollins writings from 1989 to 1991 and this is not easy reading by a long shot,this is the work of a man that has seen too much and his heart has imploded,this book feels like torture at times such is its downward spiral into agony,depravity and human sickness,there is little light here,some humour releases itself from time to time but the moral of these writings is really pain and more pain from a creative man who finds it hard to be happy.
The book is broken down into different areas,the first is the traumatic '124 worlds',this is made up stuff (or is it) about 124 stories of murder and death and human nature gone wrong,drug use,suicide ,murder and downright evil,this takes some going to read as your mood changes with it,story after story after story of agony and vile,vile acts,it isnt easy and when i finished i felt i deserved a medal for my bravery but this is still good stuff.
We get a few short poems and then some tour memoirs which always make for interesting reading but again rollins brings the subject matter in on itself with his raging anger and uncaring matter but this is rollins and thats the way he thinks.
Then we get some more short prose ,a poem and then an interesting section called '61 dreams' where he writes down the subject matter of his dreams,these are very interesting and open to debate on what they could mean in a literal sense but usually the matter at hand is one of agony and regret perhaps.
We finish with a work called ' i know you' which is rollins standing baxck from himself and analysing himself and we can all relate to some of what he says although i cant say i relate to it all and im sure thats a blessing but henry rollins is a very interesting and troubled man and this book flew by in no time.
I have seen rollins live telling his stories and we all chuckle along at his tales but here there is little to brighten the day ,its a black book that screams with every page and after you read it you may well be screaming too,great though.

Ouch, 08 Nov 2002
If you've never read Rollins before, it might be better to start with his more accessible stuff like "Smile, You're Travelling", mainly because the first half of this book is a lot of very short stories detailing little acts of violence and suicide carried out by nameless city residents. It's quite admirable really, and you feel like a *trooper* for having got through it, and into the diary section at the end, which is as always interesting to read and leaves you wanting more.
Recommended, then, but not for the weak of stomach.
And it does improve when you go back to it (after your years of THERAPY) to get you through those HARD TIMES, uhuh.

viva Rollins, 04 Nov 2001
Questions....Do you have an occupation that takes you away from home on a regular basis for weeks at a time? When you're at home, does it actually feel like 'home', or how others describe their homes? Are you an authentic human being that loathes mediocrity in all it's forms? Would you rather be working than have 'leisure time'? Are you alienated from your parents and family? Would you prefer to stay in most of the time in your own company, reading excellent literature and listening to music YOU like, rather than listen to pop-pap, and ingrates whingeing and talking bulls**t in most social situations in which you find yourself? Do you always feel painfully lonely and like an 'outsider', no matter how hard you try, and no matter how well you get on with people after having read "HTWFAIP" by Dale Carnegie? If the answer is yes to at least two of the above then you'll find Mr Rollins has no equal in making you feel slightly less lonely in this world and modern times. Buy any of his books,this one for instance, and read them when you inevitably hit the low periods you have (will have) seeing as you answered yes to some of the above questions.

Essential Rollins for the uninitiated and the true fan alike, 02 Jan 2001
Black Coffee Blues is the first book in the Black Coffee trilogy, which now includes the installments "Do I Come Here Often?" and "Smile, You're Traveling". Black Coffee blues can be broken down into colections of essays, tour diaries and short thematic poetry and prose. Henry Rollins writes directly from the heart in an honest and stripped down fashion that immediadely mades the reader forget that this, apart from the tour diaries, is fiction. The first section of Black Coffee Blues is called 124 worlds and is a collection of 124 short insights into peoples lives. Surprisingly, the shortest insights, sometimes only a few lines long, provide the most stark and disturbingly horrific realities. Each "world" provides a new thought provoking reality, and the excellent use of third person naritive allows the stories to be told without resorting to uneccisary explaination or judgement. The second section, Black Coffee Blues is a collection of tour diaries written between 1989 and 1991. Henry Rollins destroys the misconseptions surrounding the glitz of fame and the music industry and allows a deeper insight into the effects of long touring schedules and crushing work loads. Henry talks frankly about the effects of isolation and loneliness while on the road along with the problems of exhustion and the constant movement from show to show. You can almost believe that Henry never intends for any of his tour journals to be read by other people, let alone be published. All of Henry's writing on the road is unbelievably honest and insatiably addictive. Black Coffee Blues drags you on a trip across Europe and lets you see the world in a way very few people could ever hope to achieve. The third section is a collection if longer essays which explore some of the themes identified in the tour diaries. These include loneliness - "invisible Woman Blues", Exhaustion -"Exhaustion Blues" depression - "Monster", and alienation - "I Know You". These essays provide a gateway into the mind and motivation behind Mr Rollins. The forth section is a collection of 61 dreams as recounted by Henry. Once again, Henry resists the temptation to spoil the writing by adding any uneccisry commentary or explaination. The dreams mearly are, and their interpretation is left to the reader. By the end of Black Coffee Blues you feel as if you have made a new best friend who you've accompanied on a great adventure. This book is fantastic as a travelling companion and is a constant source of inspiration and is always thought provoking. This book can be re-read a million times with the same enjoyment as the first as something new can always be taken from it. This book is an excellent travel companion which the reader should never be without on a long trip. Essential Rollins.

Weak writing by someone who clearly suffers from depression, 31 Mar 2008
"I just get things done instead of talking about getting them done. I don't go out and party. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs and I'm not married, that leaves a lot of time for my work."

"I'm 38 and if I met a woman of my own age and married her, I'd also be marrying her former life, her past. It might be OK for some people - I don't want to judge it or anything - but it's not for me. It would destroy my creativity."

Henry Rollins doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs. He travels America with his (spoken word) show and writes books about his thoughts and travels. Here (Do i come here often?) each diary entry Rollins made for every birthday from 25-35 is reprinted. With most people of that age their lives change immeasurably in that time with the arrival of children or other serious responsibilities. Rollins remains largely the same.
His writing smacks of immaturity: "When i open my mouth, i waste my time"...and he refers to people as insects. His writing is evidence that his life is one endless plough of the same lonely,frustrated furrow.

"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine."
This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I once discovered recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.
In conclusion, Shut up Rollins, take some prozac, buy yourself a pint of beer and enjoy a cigarette.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."



This poor book piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

short! great!, 16 Oct 2003
finished this in an afternoon. it contains rollins' diaries from the lollapalooza tour and interviews he conducted with jerry lee lewis, roky erickson and others. funny and observant. he talks about jane's addiction, the trials of playing in front of indifferent audiences, and the frustration of having to get up extra-early so the shared tour bus could take members of nine inch nails into town to get face-paint.
would be good to ease into his writing as it's not as intense as black cofee blues. you might as well get another while you're at it though cause the short length will leave you wanting more, of which there is plenty my friend, oh yes.

excellent, 08 Jun 2002
i bought this book to fly out to america, i just wanted something to keep me interested, and, did i find it! this book is an in depth look at rollins life on the road, its filled with his ups and downs whilst touring, and his outlook on life in general. his writing is very complexed and intense, even more so than i thought before reading it. this book has changed the way i look at things, and i garantee that if you read it, it will change you aswell, for the better. An excellent book, i recommend it to anyone, even if not a fan of his music.

Classic Rollins., 12 Apr 2001
If you liked the first Black Coffee Blues & high adventures in the Great Outdoors, then this one will be right up your alley. Personally I didn't feel that this one was as good as the first Black coffee blues overall. But contains many notble parts of merit. Written in much the same style as most of his books, this just continues to expand upon his experiences & give you another look into the mind the man that never seems to rest.

Turgid, hate-filled prose, 05 May 2008
"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine." H.Rollins.

This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I accessed recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.

Rollins is in the same league as these muppets. Poor ol' Henry ought to take some prozac, and go out and meet a lady.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."

This poor prose piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

Rollins at his worst, 09 Mar 2008
This is Rollins at his most angry, and the results are not pretty. This prose is turgid, hate-filled and self indulgent. I've read most of Henry's work, and this is by far his worst. I found myself slogging away to get to the finish, and didn't feel i'd achieved anything for it. I'd recommend sampling this before you buy- because this really won't be for everyone, even die-hard Rollins fans. File under furious.

Exhaust Fumes, Grit and Blood., 16 Jan 2006
Having read and enjoyed much of Bukowski's work I was pointed in the direction of the muscle bound, tattoo emblazoned power house Rollins.

The similarities between Bukowski and Rollins peek through while reading 'Solopsist'; the cynicism, the pain and lonliness that life sometimes heaps upon the individual, the power in self-sufficiency. In this respect the book serves as a fairly potent lament for modern man and his fading path.

Rollin's has his moments, the raw sections of grit, blood and gravel are enjoyable, 'grit your teeth and bear it' messages of power and survival which certainly offered affirming lessons. On occassion the work descended into pieces that proved irritating, labouring points that were non-productive, tedious and childish.

I would hesitate to recommend this book before the, 'man is lonely' 'low-life' 'hard knocks' 'struggle on' tales that Bukowski can turn out. Rollin's is, in the most part, in other writer's shadows and should therefore be read as an after-thought to those that have been there and done it already.

Just makes you want to think, 31 Jan 2004
This was the first Rollins book i ever read and i can assure you it wasn't the last. I dont really know how best to describe Solipsist to you and perhaps its better if you work it out on your own. What i can say is in those moments when you feel at your lowest ebb and so many things make no sense Henry Rollins words are of comfort. In a world where we are told we must be so many things and behave in so many ways to be considered 'normal' solipsist is invaluable in reinforcing the view that you can do, say, and behave however you feel and if people don't get it then it shows a lack of imagination on their part. They say you grow out of feeling alienated that conformity comes with age and socialising becomes easier, for some of us it doesn't, and maybe thats not always a bad thing. Read it and make up your own mind.

Magnificent, 24 Nov 2001
I've read about five of Rollins books now and while they all show intermittent glimpses into the mind of this self-confessed outsider/loner and his venomous diatribes against the weak, shallow, decadent and flabby, nowhere have I found his vitriol so concentrated and beautifully pure as in "Solipsist". I once considered it sacrilege to write on books and yet I've had to break that taboo here to remind me where all the literary jewels are to be found in this work. It will certainly NOT appeal to some but it would be those who Rollins lashes that wouldn't pick up the book anyway. For the rest of us who prefer our company to that of the herd, there are many offerings here which will catch you nodding in agreement, laughing outright, or just downright happy that there's someone in this world who can externalise your angst if you haven't the literary talent yourself.

bleak , 14 Feb 2008
This book captures rollins writings from 1989 to 1991 and this is not easy reading by a long shot,this is the work of a man that has seen too much and his heart has imploded,this book feels like torture at times such is its downward spiral into agony,depravity and human sickness,there is little light here,some humour releases itself from time to time but the moral of these writings is really pain and more pain from a creative man who finds it hard to be happy.
The book is broken down into different areas,the first is the traumatic '124 worlds',this is made up stuff (or is it) about 124 stories of murder and death and human nature gone wrong,drug use,suicide ,murder and downright evil,this takes some going to read as your mood changes with it,story after story after story of agony and vile,vile acts,it isnt easy and when i finished i felt i deserved a medal for my bravery but this is still good stuff.
We get a few short poems and then some tour memoirs which always make for interesting reading but again rollins brings the subject matter in on itself with his raging anger and uncaring matter but this is rollins and thats the way he thinks.
Then we get some more short prose ,a poem and then an interesting section called '61 dreams' where he writes down the subject matter of his dreams,these are very interesting and open to debate on what they could mean in a literal sense but usually the matter at hand is one of agony and regret perhaps.
We finish with a work called ' i know you' which is rollins standing baxck from himself and analysing himself and we can all relate to some of what he says although i cant say i relate to it all and im sure thats a blessing but henry rollins is a very interesting and troubled man and this book flew by in no time.
I have seen rollins live telling his stories and we all chuckle along at his tales but here there is little to brighten the day ,its a black book that screams with every page and after you read it you may well be screaming too,great though.

Ouch, 08 Nov 2002
If you've never read Rollins before, it might be better to start with his more accessible stuff like "Smile, You're Travelling", mainly because the first half of this book is a lot of very short stories detailing little acts of violence and suicide carried out by nameless city residents. It's quite admirable really, and you feel like a *trooper* for having got through it, and into the diary section at the end, which is as always interesting to read and leaves you wanting more.
Recommended, then, but not for the weak of stomach.
And it does improve when you go back to it (after your years of THERAPY) to get you through those HARD TIMES, uhuh.

viva Rollins, 04 Nov 2001
Questions....Do you have an occupation that takes you away from home on a regular basis for weeks at a time? When you're at home, does it actually feel like 'home', or how others describe their homes? Are you an authentic human being that loathes mediocrity in all it's forms? Would you rather be working than have 'leisure time'? Are you alienated from your parents and family? Would you prefer to stay in most of the time in your own company, reading excellent literature and listening to music YOU like, rather than listen to pop-pap, and ingrates whingeing and talking bulls**t in most social situations in which you find yourself? Do you always feel painfully lonely and like an 'outsider', no matter how hard you try, and no matter how well you get on with people after having read "HTWFAIP" by Dale Carnegie? If the answer is yes to at least two of the above then you'll find Mr Rollins has no equal in making you feel slightly less lonely in this world and modern times. Buy any of his books,this one for instance, and read them when you inevitably hit the low periods you have (will have) seeing as you answered yes to some of the above questions.

Essential Rollins for the uninitiated and the true fan alike, 02 Jan 2001
Black Coffee Blues is the first book in the Black Coffee trilogy, which now includes the installments "Do I Come Here Often?" and "Smile, You're Traveling". Black Coffee blues can be broken down into colections of essays, tour diaries and short thematic poetry and prose. Henry Rollins writes directly from the heart in an honest and stripped down fashion that immediadely mades the reader forget that this, apart from the tour diaries, is fiction. The first section of Black Coffee Blues is called 124 worlds and is a collection of 124 short insights into peoples lives. Surprisingly, the shortest insights, sometimes only a few lines long, provide the most stark and disturbingly horrific realities. Each "world" provides a new thought provoking reality, and the excellent use of third person naritive allows the stories to be told without resorting to uneccisary explaination or judgement. The second section, Black Coffee Blues is a collection of tour diaries written between 1989 and 1991. Henry Rollins destroys the misconseptions surrounding the glitz of fame and the music industry and allows a deeper insight into the effects of long touring schedules and crushing work loads. Henry talks frankly about the effects of isolation and loneliness while on the road along with the problems of exhustion and the constant movement from show to show. You can almost believe that Henry never intends for any of his tour journals to be read by other people, let alone be published. All of Henry's writing on the road is unbelievably honest and insatiably addictive. Black Coffee Blues drags you on a trip across Europe and lets you see the world in a way very few people could ever hope to achieve. The third section is a collection if longer essays which explore some of the themes identified in the tour diaries. These include loneliness - "invisible Woman Blues", Exhaustion -"Exhaustion Blues" depression - "Monster", and alienation - "I Know You". These essays provide a gateway into the mind and motivation behind Mr Rollins. The forth section is a collection of 61 dreams as recounted by Henry. Once again, Henry resists the temptation to spoil the writing by adding any uneccisry commentary or explaination. The dreams mearly are, and their interpretation is left to the reader. By the end of Black Coffee Blues you feel as if you have made a new best friend who you've accompanied on a great adventure. This book is fantastic as a travelling companion and is a constant source of inspiration and is always thought provoking. This book can be re-read a million times with the same enjoyment as the first as something new can always be taken from it. This book is an excellent travel companion which the reader should never be without on a long trip. Essential Rollins.

Weak writing by someone who clearly suffers from depression, 31 Mar 2008
"I just get things done instead of talking about getting them done. I don't go out and party. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs and I'm not married, that leaves a lot of time for my work."

"I'm 38 and if I met a woman of my own age and married her, I'd also be marrying her former life, her past. It might be OK for some people - I don't want to judge it or anything - but it's not for me. It would destroy my creativity."

Henry Rollins doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs. He travels America with his (spoken word) show and writes books about his thoughts and travels. Here (Do i come here often?) each diary entry Rollins made for every birthday from 25-35 is reprinted. With most people of that age their lives change immeasurably in that time with the arrival of children or other serious responsibilities. Rollins remains largely the same.
His writing smacks of immaturity: "When i open my mouth, i waste my time"...and he refers to people as insects. His writing is evidence that his life is one endless plough of the same lonely,frustrated furrow.

"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine."
This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I once discovered recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.
In conclusion, Shut up Rollins, take some prozac, buy yourself a pint of beer and enjoy a cigarette.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."



This poor book piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

short! great!, 16 Oct 2003
finished this in an afternoon. it contains rollins' diaries from the lollapalooza tour and interviews he conducted with jerry lee lewis, roky erickson and others. funny and observant. he talks about jane's addiction, the trials of playing in front of indifferent audiences, and the frustration of having to get up extra-early so the shared tour bus could take members of nine inch nails into town to get face-paint.
would be good to ease into his writing as it's not as intense as black cofee blues. you might as well get another while you're at it though cause the short length will leave you wanting more, of which there is plenty my friend, oh yes.

excellent, 08 Jun 2002
i bought this book to fly out to america, i just wanted something to keep me interested, and, did i find it! this book is an in depth look at rollins life on the road, its filled with his ups and downs whilst touring, and his outlook on life in general. his writing is very complexed and intense, even more so than i thought before reading it. this book has changed the way i look at things, and i garantee that if you read it, it will change you aswell, for the better. An excellent book, i recommend it to anyone, even if not a fan of his music.

Classic Rollins., 12 Apr 2001
If you liked the first Black Coffee Blues & high adventures in the Great Outdoors, then this one will be right up your alley. Personally I didn't feel that this one was as good as the first Black coffee blues overall. But contains many notble parts of merit. Written in much the same style as most of his books, this just continues to expand upon his experiences & give you another look into the mind the man that never seems to rest.

Turgid, hate-filled prose, 05 May 2008
"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine." H.Rollins.

This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I accessed recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.

Rollins is in the same league as these muppets. Poor ol' Henry ought to take some prozac, and go out and meet a lady.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."

This poor prose piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

Rollins at his worst, 09 Mar 2008
This is Rollins at his most angry, and the results are not pretty. This prose is turgid, hate-filled and self indulgent. I've read most of Henry's work, and this is by far his worst. I found myself slogging away to get to the finish, and didn't feel i'd achieved anything for it. I'd recommend sampling this before you buy- because this really won't be for everyone, even die-hard Rollins fans. File under furious.

Exhaust Fumes, Grit and Blood., 16 Jan 2006
Having read and enjoyed much of Bukowski's work I was pointed in the direction of the muscle bound, tattoo emblazoned power house Rollins.

The similarities between Bukowski and Rollins peek through while reading 'Solopsist'; the cynicism, the pain and lonliness that life sometimes heaps upon the individual, the power in self-sufficiency. In this respect the book serves as a fairly potent lament for modern man and his fading path.

Rollin's has his moments, the raw sections of grit, blood and gravel are enjoyable, 'grit your teeth and bear it' messages of power and survival which certainly offered affirming lessons. On occassion the work descended into pieces that proved irritating, labouring points that were non-productive, tedious and childish.

I would hesitate to recommend this book before the, 'man is lonely' 'low-life' 'hard knocks' 'struggle on' tales that Bukowski can turn out. Rollin's is, in the most part, in other writer's shadows and should therefore be read as an after-thought to those that have been there and done it already.

Just makes you want to think, 31 Jan 2004
This was the first Rollins book i ever read and i can assure you it wasn't the last. I dont really know how best to describe Solipsist to you and perhaps its better if you work it out on your own. What i can say is in those moments when you feel at your lowest ebb and so many things make no sense Henry Rollins words are of comfort. In a world where we are told we must be so many things and behave in so many ways to be considered 'normal' solipsist is invaluable in reinforcing the view that you can do, say, and behave however you feel and if people don't get it then it shows a lack of imagination on their part. They say you grow out of feeling alienated that conformity comes with age and socialising becomes easier, for some of us it doesn't, and maybe thats not always a bad thing. Read it and make up your own mind.

Magnificent, 24 Nov 2001
I've read about five of Rollins books now and while they all show intermittent glimpses into the mind of this self-confessed outsider/loner and his venomous diatribes against the weak, shallow, decadent and flabby, nowhere have I found his vitriol so concentrated and beautifully pure as in "Solipsist". I once considered it sacrilege to write on books and yet I've had to break that taboo here to remind me where all the literary jewels are to be found in this work. It will certainly NOT appeal to some but it would be those who Rollins lashes that wouldn't pick up the book anyway. For the rest of us who prefer our company to that of the herd, there are many offerings here which will catch you nodding in agreement, laughing outright, or just downright happy that there's someone in this world who can externalise your angst if you haven't the literary talent yourself.

Total garbage, 07 Apr 2008
The writing, to put it mildly, is weak. The author's style is hardly any style at all, unless you can call watered-down and clichéd a "style." Even the very few moments of the story that threaten to become interesting are dealt with so clumsily and pretentiously that they devolve into the same witless and lackluster mess that surrounds them.



"I don't mind The Boss. I think he's an honest guy. I have some of his records, not all of them. I've met a couple of the E-Street guys, and they seem really cool."
Henry Rollins

"I forged myself out of a vacuum. I crawl along the highway on hacked off stumps year after year. Some wonder how and why. I never do." Rollins.

"I'm 36 and if I met a woman of my own age and married her, I'd also be marrying her former life, her past. It might be OK for some people - I don't want to judge it or anything - but it's not for me. It would destroy my creativity." Ha ha ha....garbage.


This poor book piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

Broken Summers, 04 May 2004
The fourth and in my opinion best installment in Rollins' "Black Coffee Blues" series.
For the uninitiated these books contain excerpts from Rollins' tour diaries from all over the world. Rollins honest, hard working, funny and often very bleak personality is brought sharply into focus in these diaries.
This edition deals with chiefly the recording of and subsequent tour behind the "Rise Above" record. This was a charity album in aid of the West Memphis Three which contained Black Flag covers featuring vocals from Iggy Pop, Lemmy, Queens of the Stone Age and of course Rollins himself.
Rollins descriptions of the recording process is fasinating and one gets a real insight into just how big a music fan he really is.
For anyone with an interest in rock and roll this is the perfect initiation into the world of Rollins and Black Flag.

bleak , 14 Feb 2008
This book captures rollins writings from 1989 to 1991 and this is not easy reading by a long shot,this is the work of a man that has seen too much and his heart has imploded,this book feels like torture at times such is its downward spiral into agony,depravity and human sickness,there is little light here,some humour releases itself from time to time but the moral of these writings is really pain and more pain from a creative man who finds it hard to be happy.
The book is broken down into different areas,the first is the traumatic '124 worlds',this is made up stuff (or is it) about 124 stories of murder and death and human nature gone wrong,drug use,suicide ,murder and downright evil,this takes some going to read as your mood changes with it,story after story after story of agony and vile,vile acts,it isnt easy and when i finished i felt i deserved a medal for my bravery but this is still good stuff.
We get a few short poems and then some tour memoirs which always make for interesting reading but again rollins brings the subject matter in on itself with his raging anger and uncaring matter but this is rollins and thats the way he thinks.
Then we get some more short prose ,a poem and then an interesting section called '61 dreams' where he writes down the subject matter of his dreams,these are very interesting and open to debate on what they could mean in a literal sense but usually the matter at hand is one of agony and regret perhaps.
We finish with a work called ' i know you' which is rollins standing baxck from himself and analysing himself and we can all relate to some of what he says although i cant say i relate to it all and im sure thats a blessing but henry rollins is a very interesting and troubled man and this book flew by in no time.
I have seen rollins live telling his stories and we all chuckle along at his tales but here there is little to brighten the day ,its a black book that screams with every page and after you read it you may well be screaming too,great though.

Ouch, 08 Nov 2002
If you've never read Rollins before, it might be better to start with his more accessible stuff like "Smile, You're Travelling", mainly because the first half of this book is a lot of very short stories detailing little acts of violence and suicide carried out by nameless city residents. It's quite admirable really, and you feel like a *trooper* for having got through it, and into the diary section at the end, which is as always interesting to read and leaves you wanting more.
Recommended, then, but not for the weak of stomach.
And it does improve when you go back to it (after your years of THERAPY) to get you through those HARD TIMES, uhuh.

viva Rollins, 04 Nov 2001
Questions....Do you have an occupation that takes you away from home on a regular basis for weeks at a time? When you're at home, does it actually feel like 'home', or how others describe their homes? Are you an authentic human being that loathes mediocrity in all it's forms? Would you rather be working than have 'leisure time'? Are you alienated from your parents and family? Would you prefer to stay in most of the time in your own company, reading excellent literature and listening to music YOU like, rather than listen to pop-pap, and ingrates whingeing and talking bulls**t in most social situations in which you find yourself? Do you always feel painfully lonely and like an 'outsider', no matter how hard you try, and no matter how well you get on with people after having read "HTWFAIP" by Dale Carnegie? If the answer is yes to at least two of the above then you'll find Mr Rollins has no equal in making you feel slightly less lonely in this world and modern times. Buy any of his books,this one for instance, and read them when you inevitably hit the low periods you have (will have) seeing as you answered yes to some of the above questions.

Essential Rollins for the uninitiated and the true fan alike, 02 Jan 2001
Black Coffee Blues is the first book in the Black Coffee trilogy, which now includes the installments "Do I Come Here Often?" and "Smile, You're Traveling". Black Coffee blues can be broken down into colections of essays, tour diaries and short thematic poetry and prose. Henry Rollins writes directly from the heart in an honest and stripped down fashion that immediadely mades the reader forget that this, apart from the tour diaries, is fiction. The first section of Black Coffee Blues is called 124 worlds and is a collection of 124 short insights into peoples lives. Surprisingly, the shortest insights, sometimes only a few lines long, provide the most stark and disturbingly horrific realities. Each "world" provides a new thought provoking reality, and the excellent use of third person naritive allows the stories to be told without resorting to uneccisary explaination or judgement. The second section, Black Coffee Blues is a collection of tour diaries written between 1989 and 1991. Henry Rollins destroys the misconseptions surrounding the glitz of fame and the music industry and allows a deeper insight into the effects of long touring schedules and crushing work loads. Henry talks frankly about the effects of isolation and loneliness while on the road along with the problems of exhustion and the constant movement from show to show. You can almost believe that Henry never intends for any of his tour journals to be read by other people, let alone be published. All of Henry's writing on the road is unbelievably honest and insatiably addictive. Black Coffee Blues drags you on a trip across Europe and lets you see the world in a way very few people could ever hope to achieve. The third section is a collection if longer essays which explore some of the themes identified in the tour diaries. These include loneliness - "invisible Woman Blues", Exhaustion -"Exhaustion Blues" depression - "Monster", and alienation - "I Know You". These essays provide a gateway into the mind and motivation behind Mr Rollins. The forth section is a collection of 61 dreams as recounted by Henry. Once again, Henry resists the temptation to spoil the writing by adding any uneccisry commentary or explaination. The dreams mearly are, and their interpretation is left to the reader. By the end of Black Coffee Blues you feel as if you have made a new best friend who you've accompanied on a great adventure. This book is fantastic as a travelling companion and is a constant source of inspiration and is always thought provoking. This book can be re-read a million times with the same enjoyment as the first as something new can always be taken from it. This book is an excellent travel companion which the reader should never be without on a long trip. Essential Rollins.

Weak writing by someone who clearly suffers from depression, 31 Mar 2008
"I just get things done instead of talking about getting them done. I don't go out and party. I don't smoke, drink or do drugs and I'm not married, that leaves a lot of time for my work."

"I'm 38 and if I met a woman of my own age and married her, I'd also be marrying her former life, her past. It might be OK for some people - I don't want to judge it or anything - but it's not for me. It would destroy my creativity."

Henry Rollins doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs. He travels America with his (spoken word) show and writes books about his thoughts and travels. Here (Do i come here often?) each diary entry Rollins made for every birthday from 25-35 is reprinted. With most people of that age their lives change immeasurably in that time with the arrival of children or other serious responsibilities. Rollins remains largely the same.
His writing smacks of immaturity: "When i open my mouth, i waste my time"...and he refers to people as insects. His writing is evidence that his life is one endless plough of the same lonely,frustrated furrow.

"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine."
This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I once discovered recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.
In conclusion, Shut up Rollins, take some prozac, buy yourself a pint of beer and enjoy a cigarette.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."



This poor book piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

short! great!, 16 Oct 2003
finished this in an afternoon. it contains rollins' diaries from the lollapalooza tour and interviews he conducted with jerry lee lewis, roky erickson and others. funny and observant. he talks about jane's addiction, the trials of playing in front of indifferent audiences, and the frustration of having to get up extra-early so the shared tour bus could take members of nine inch nails into town to get face-paint.
would be good to ease into his writing as it's not as intense as black cofee blues. you might as well get another while you're at it though cause the short length will leave you wanting more, of which there is plenty my friend, oh yes.

excellent, 08 Jun 2002
i bought this book to fly out to america, i just wanted something to keep me interested, and, did i find it! this book is an in depth look at rollins life on the road, its filled with his ups and downs whilst touring, and his outlook on life in general. his writing is very complexed and intense, even more so than i thought before reading it. this book has changed the way i look at things, and i garantee that if you read it, it will change you aswell, for the better. An excellent book, i recommend it to anyone, even if not a fan of his music.

Classic Rollins., 12 Apr 2001
If you liked the first Black Coffee Blues & high adventures in the Great Outdoors, then this one will be right up your alley. Personally I didn't feel that this one was as good as the first Black coffee blues overall. But contains many notble parts of merit. Written in much the same style as most of his books, this just continues to expand upon his experiences & give you another look into the mind the man that never seems to rest.

Turgid, hate-filled prose, 05 May 2008
"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine." H.Rollins.

This book reminds me of a website (of travel stories) I accessed recently. It was full of poorly written stories penned by young back-packing ego-maniacs who have a misguided belief that what they write is great, and have laboured under the delusion that success at writing was at hand.

Rollins is in the same league as these muppets. Poor ol' Henry ought to take some prozac, and go out and meet a lady.
"Life will not break your heart. It'll crush it."

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.."

This poor prose piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

Rollins at his worst, 09 Mar 2008
This is Rollins at his most angry, and the results are not pretty. This prose is turgid, hate-filled and self indulgent. I've read most of Henry's work, and this is by far his worst. I found myself slogging away to get to the finish, and didn't feel i'd achieved anything for it. I'd recommend sampling this before you buy- because this really won't be for everyone, even die-hard Rollins fans. File under furious.

Exhaust Fumes, Grit and Blood., 16 Jan 2006
Having read and enjoyed much of Bukowski's work I was pointed in the direction of the muscle bound, tattoo emblazoned power house Rollins.

The similarities between Bukowski and Rollins peek through while reading 'Solopsist'; the cynicism, the pain and lonliness that life sometimes heaps upon the individual, the power in self-sufficiency. In this respect the book serves as a fairly potent lament for modern man and his fading path.

Rollin's has his moments, the raw sections of grit, blood and gravel are enjoyable, 'grit your teeth and bear it' messages of power and survival which certainly offered affirming lessons. On occassion the work descended into pieces that proved irritating, labouring points that were non-productive, tedious and childish.

I would hesitate to recommend this book before the, 'man is lonely' 'low-life' 'hard knocks' 'struggle on' tales that Bukowski can turn out. Rollin's is, in the most part, in other writer's shadows and should therefore be read as an after-thought to those that have been there and done it already.

Just makes you want to think, 31 Jan 2004
This was the first Rollins book i ever read and i can assure you it wasn't the last. I dont really know how best to describe Solipsist to you and perhaps its better if you work it out on your own. What i can say is in those moments when you feel at your lowest ebb and so many things make no sense Henry Rollins words are of comfort. In a world where we are told we must be so many things and behave in so many ways to be considered 'normal' solipsist is invaluable in reinforcing the view that you can do, say, and behave however you feel and if people don't get it then it shows a lack of imagination on their part. They say you grow out of feeling alienated that conformity comes with age and socialising becomes easier, for some of us it doesn't, and maybe thats not always a bad thing. Read it and make up your own mind.

Magnificent, 24 Nov 2001
I've read about five of Rollins books now and while they all show intermittent glimpses into the mind of this self-confessed outsider/loner and his venomous diatribes against the weak, shallow, decadent and flabby, nowhere have I found his vitriol so concentrated and beautifully pure as in "Solipsist". I once considered it sacrilege to write on books and yet I've had to break that taboo here to remind me where all the literary jewels are to be found in this work. It will certainly NOT appeal to some but it would be those who Rollins lashes that wouldn't pick up the book anyway. For the rest of us who prefer our company to that of the herd, there are many offerings here which will catch you nodding in agreement, laughing outright, or just downright happy that there's someone in this world who can externalise your angst if you haven't the literary talent yourself.

Total garbage, 07 Apr 2008
The writing, to put it mildly, is weak. The author's style is hardly any style at all, unless you can call watered-down and clichéd a "style." Even the very few moments of the story that threaten to become interesting are dealt with so clumsily and pretentiously that they devolve into the same witless and lackluster mess that surrounds them.



"I don't mind The Boss. I think he's an honest guy. I have some of his records, not all of them. I've met a couple of the E-Street guys, and they seem really cool."
Henry Rollins

"I forged myself out of a vacuum. I crawl along the highway on hacked off stumps year after year. Some wonder how and why. I never do." Rollins.

"I'm 36 and if I met a woman of my own age and married her, I'd also be marrying her former life, her past. It might be OK for some people - I don't want to judge it or anything - but it's not for me. It would destroy my creativity." Ha ha ha....garbage.


This poor book piles cliché upon cliché, and any claims its authors may make to its serving as a parable are undermined by the ludicrously compressed and melodramatic nature of Rollins odyssey. But be thankful it's not longer; at 130 pages, one may still derive some perverse pleasure from the silliness of it all.

Broken Summers, 04 May 2004
The fourth and in my opinion best installment in Rollins' "Black Coffee Blues" series.
For the uninitiated these books contain excerpts from Rollins' tour diaries from all over the world. Rollins honest, hard working, funny and often very bleak personality is brought sharply into focus in these diaries.
This edition deals with chiefly the recording of and subsequent tour behind the "Rise Above" record. This was a charity album in aid of the West Memphis Three which contained Black Flag covers featuring vocals from Iggy Pop, Lemmy, Queens of the Stone Age and of course Rollins himself.
Rollins descriptions of the recording process is fasinating and one gets a real insight into just how big a music fan he really is.
For anyone with an interest in rock and roll this is the perfect initiation into the world of Rollins and Black Flag.

Quality Selection Of Diverse and Eclectic Writers, 02 May 2001
The Best Of 2.13.61 Publications is a great collection of short stories and extracts from what seems to be Rollins friends and colleagues. Inevitably some of the entries are better than others and the book sags in places but the good entries make it really worth reading. Don Bajema and Ian Schoales deserve a mention as the highlights. This book is not really for Rollin's fans but is good in its own right. A great way of reading and discovering new and rough writers.