September 13, 2012

The Book of Drugs


i know very little about Soul Coughing, other than the one or two songs that Matt's cover band would play from time to time. i became a Mike Doughty fan post-Soul Coughing, which- according to this memoir of his- means that i am Mike Doughty's favorite kind of fan.

the book has a pretty linear narrative- beginning with early home life, school, musical beginnings, the entire arc of Soul Coughing, a very detailed account of his life as an addict, and ends with his recovery and blossoming solo career. this book is sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. or more accurately- Sex! DRUGSDRUGSDRUGSDRUGS. rock'n'roll. he's a good writer though, and each segment is an entertaining ride. Soul Coughing fans will be interested to read his take on those years (spoiler alert- they were not good years) and his attempts to distance himself from the band in order to establish as a solo artist. fans of his solo work will be interested to read some of the inspiration behind his songs on Haughty Melodic (spoiler alert- mostly girls, drugs, and a lowercase "g" god). it's the only album of his that i really know, and i love it. here's one of my favorite songs from the album:


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