Guilty of Everything

Description

107 pages
Contains Photos
$16.00
ISBN 0-921586-86-8
DDC 781.66'092

Publisher

Year

2001

Contributor

Reviewed by Tamara Jones

Tamara Jones is a former production operations supervisor in the
Entertainment Department of Paramount Canada’s Wonderland.

Review

It’s a wonder that former punk musician John Armstrong can remember
much at all, let alone recall it with such vivid colors, crisp images,
and harsh reality. His gritty portrayal of the early punk scene on the
West Coast has more than enough music, booze, drugs, and sex to satisfy
any punkophile. Armstrong is unabashedly candid as his narrative moves
from his childhood suburban life in White Rock, British Columbia, in the
early 1970s to the streets of Vancouver, San Francisco, and Seattle in
the early 1980s. His account of the excesses and exploits of Art
Bergman, Mary Jo Kopechne, DOA, and the Subhumans, among others, leaves
little to the imagination.

Which comes first: the lifestyle or the music? After reading this book,
I still can’t decide.

Citation

Armstrong, John., “Guilty of Everything,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed October 14, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/7081.