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Shut Up and Give Me the Mic Paperback – May 28, 2013

by Dee Snider (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 397 ratings
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The wildly entertaining memoir from lead singer and songwriter of Twisted Sister—revealing the real stories behind the crazy makeup, the big hair, and badass hits like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock.”

As lead singer and songwriter of Twisted Sister, Dee Snider worked as hard as he played, avoided the debauched lifestyle that has destroyed lesser rockers, and survived the music industry’s fickle fortunes with his priorities and sense of humor intact. Now, he shares his journey from every parent’s worst nightmare to Renaissance man—with an impressive resume that, along with being rock royalty, includes Broadway performer, film actor, reality television star, radio host, and author of a teenage survival guide that is required reading in Russia!—in this “honest and entertaining memoir” (Publishers Weekly).

Dee tells the real stories behind the crazy makeup, the big hair, and badass hits like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock.” He takes you through good times, personal struggles, and public battles—such as being slapped with a Parental Advisory warning label by Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center, a fight that led him to testify before Congress with Frank Zappa. Throughout his twisted career, Snider stayed strong and focused, and did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of “SMF” (Sick Mother F******) fans.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 28, 2013
  4. Dimensions
    5.88 x 1.3 x 9.06 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1451637403
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1451637403
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dee Snider is the lead singer and songwriter for the multiple-platinum-selling heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is also a noted reality show star, radio personality, and voice-over talent, as well as a screenwriter and author of the book Dee Snider’s Teenage Survival Guide. He has been married to his wife, Suzette, since 1981. Visit Dee.Snider.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books; Reprint edition (May 28, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451637403
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451637403
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.18 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.88 x 1.3 x 9.06 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 397 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
397 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Burke Porter
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Rock 'n Roll Biography Ever Written: By the guy who lived and wrote about it
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2015
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Whether you are, or ever were, a Twisted Sister fan or not? It doesn't matter one bit, in terms of whether or not you will enjoy reading this book. All that matters is that you have at least some sense of empathy for a New York kid who decided to become a "Rock Star" after hearing about the Beatles first performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in '63, then spending the next 20 years desperately holding onto his impossible rock star dreams despite all the odds, a indifferent and sometimes malevolent music industry, youthful laziness and a few unforeseen events that seemed to be working in collusion in order to prevent Dee Snider from ever obtaining his ultimate goal of Rock n' Roll-God Hood as the front-man of Twisted Sister.

Also, you need a descent sense of humor to fully appreciate this biography because, this book is funny, from cover-to-cover and, Dee's sense of humor forces you to, not only laugh with him as he recounts his long (sometimes tortuous) journey to achieving his once imagined idea of a Rock n' Roll Valhallah while still trapped on Earth. Only to become quickly over exposed, then, driven back into musical oblivion once again, with only a mountain of debt to show for years of dedication and success to ones own craft. But, Mr. Snider's razor sharp self-deprecating humor also forces you to laugh at him during the coarse of that same journey. If you have (or know anyone who has) huge dreams of becoming the next big thing in the recording industry? Then definitely read this book before fully committing oneself to realizing the seductive dreams of becoming a "Musical STAR". A dream that has left many thrashing about on the rocks of shattered dreams and disappointing futures. Either that, or joining the countless one hit wonder has-beens, that is, if you're lucky.

Great read, and very informative about what was going on in the uderground Heavy Metal scene on the east coast, and in the UK, during the mid 70's to the early 80's, before Metal went mainstream during the mid-late 80's, and even a little bit into the early 90's. 'Shut Up and Give Me the Mic' should be at the top of the list of anyone's Rock n' Roll Biography collection.
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johnnytrucknuts
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written and a fun read!
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2012
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I must admit I've never been a Twisted Sister fan but after hearing Dee on the radio talking about the book it sounded interesting. He is a good writer with the ability to connect to the reader. You find the stories easy to relate to and his self deprecating humor makes the reader empathize with him as a person. You really start to like Dee, whether you know anything about him or not.
The most interesting part is the rise and fall of his band and how the record business works from that perspective.
This is not the typical rock star book with a collection of "road stories" and self-aggrandizement. It's a true, honest biography and history of Dee's life, loves, triumphs, and tragedies. There are plenty of lessons to be learned and his insight into life is worth the price of the book. A really good read!
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Fabio Santos
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2012
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I absolutely loved this book. I grew up listening to metal bands in the 80s and sitting in front of the TV looking forward to when they'd show Twisted Sister videos. There was so little I knew about this band that I found out through this richly written memoir. Snider writes a lot better than you'd think! And it's all him, too! Not some ghost writer or something. Also, I love the fact that he focuses on how he felt when things happened. He does not try to portray himself like this larger-than-life super hero who knows the answers to everything. On the contrary, he's not afraid to admit his shortcomings, whatever their nature. A great book even if you're not into 80s metal and the like. If you like reading well written, meaningful, fun/funny stuff, this is for you, too.
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Ozweepay
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read, for music and non music fans
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2012
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I was never a huge Twisted Sister fan, but grew up in the 80's and loved the whole metal scene. I bought this book hoping to get an insight to the whole era, and how the music industry worked back then. Dee delivers on that story, but also delves into many other facets of his personal life, family, relationships, band history, and gives a great glimpse into how driven he was in his quest for superstardom, and what boundaries he overstepped to get what he wanted. Not just about the salad days, either. The rise to fame, life at the top, and the downfall of a multi-platinum band is all revealed, warts and all. He's also not afraid to reveal his inner fears and weaknesses, and his candor is something that a lot of other autobiographical authors should take note of. If only every book was this honest. Very well written. You'll either come away hating him, or admire him for his honesty. I'm sure Dee wouldn't have it any other way. Get this book!!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars Die Twisted Sister (Auto-) Biographie
Reviewed in Germany on June 23, 2021
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Wer war denn noch einmal Dee Snider? Ach ja, das war doch der Sänger und Frontmann dieser verrückten Band: Twisted Sister. "I wanna rock" war sicherlich ihr größter Hit, auch wenn man der Band ebenso sicher Unrecht tut, sie als One-Hit-Wonder zu bezeichnen. Wer Mitte der 80er Jahre feiern ging, kam nicht darum herum, zu dem einen oder anderen Hit dieser Band abzutanzen. Daneben verteidigte er die künstlerische Freiheit auf einem PMRC-Hearing gegen Tipper Gore, lebte eine skandalfreie und christliche Ehe mit seiner Frau Suzette, aus der vier Kinder hervorgingen, und widerstand in seiner gesamten Karriere als Rockstar allen Versuchungen von Alkohol und Drogen. Nimmt man allein nur diese Aspekte seines Lebens, dann verspricht die Lektüre seiner Autobiographie alles zu sein nur eines nicht, nämlich klischeehaft.

Was war so besonders an Twisted Sister? Zunächst einmal die Optik. Auf der Bühne zeigten sich die Musiker in betont weiblichen Outfits und in Anlehnung an Frauen geschminkt. 1984 wurde Dee Snider sogar auf Platz zehn der am schlechtesten angezogenen Frauen des Jahres gewählt. In harschem Kontrast zu diesem femininen Erscheinungsbild waren die Shows der Band wild, aggressiv und laut. Twisted Siter waren, wenn man das so sagen darf, die Erzväter des Hair Metal zu einer Zeit, als deren späterer Mainstream-Erfolg noch gar nicht abzusehen war.

Was hat Dee Snider zu erzählen? Man kennt ja die vielen Geschichten von erfolgverwöhnten Bands, die im Rückblick fleißig an ihrer eigenen Legende stricken. Die Geschichte von Twisted Sister ist hingegen eine Geschichte von Underdogs, die sich gegen alle Widerstände zu ihren 15 Minuten Ruhm (wie Andy Warhol es einmal ausgedrückt hat) hochgearbeitet haben. Und diese Geschichte von einem quälend langsamen Aufstieg, plötzlich hereinbrechendem Ruhm und jähem Absturz ist um so berührender, als es Snider gelingt seine Leserinnen und Leser unmittelbar in die Geschichte seines persönlichen Lebens hineinzuziehen.

Kann Dee Snider denn erzählen? Ja, er kann. Und wie er kann! Snider ist ein Meister der fesselnden Erzählung. Dieses Buch sollte man aus reiner Vorsicht nicht als Urlaubslektüre mit auf Reisen nehmen, denn sonst liefe man unmittelbar Gefahr, von seinem Reiseziel gar nichts zu Gesicht zu bekommen, weil man es nicht mehr geschafft hat, das Buch auch nur ein einziges Mal wieder aus der Hand zu legen. So sehr vereinnahmt einen dieses Buch, und so mitreißend versteht es Snider über Ereignisse zu berichten, die von der Lebenswirklichkeit der meisten seiner Leserinnen und Leser nicht weiter entfernt sein könnten. Hier schreibt aber nicht irgendein alternder Superstar, der mit Hilfe eines Ghostwriters seine fünf lustigen Anekdoten zu einem gerade mal hundertseitigen Buch aufblähen muss, um seinen bereits vorhandenen Millionen eine weitere hinzufügen zu können. Hier schreibt sich ein Mensch die Höhen und die Tiefen seines Lebens von der Seele. Und weiß Gott, da hat Snider einiges zu berichten. Nach über vierhundert Seiten wünscht man sich tatsächlich, er hätte über die meisten Ereignisse noch ausführlicher berichtet. Langweilig wird einem beim Lesen ohnehin fast nie, vielleicht einmal über fünf Zeilen hin, wenn einen die gebotenen Informationen aus persönlichem Desinteresse nicht vom Hocker reißen, aber am Ende eines jeden der 49 Kapitel fällt es einem richtig schwer, das Buch aus der Hand zu legen, egal wie spät Nachts es beim Lesen geworden ist oder wie müde man auch sein mag.

Lohnt die Lektüre denn? Das muss letzten Endes jede(r) selbst mit sich ausmachen. Aber wer sich für einen schonungslosen Blick hinter die Kulissen der Musikindustrie, einen Einblick in das Leben einer aktiven Band oder auch noch für die Charaktere der Menschen, denen man auf diesem ganz besonderen Lebensweg begegnet, interessiert, wird dieses Buch mit Gewinn lesen. Snider ist und bleibt der narzisstische Bandleader und Frontmann, der er immer gewesen ist. An vielen Stellen fragt man sich, wieviel Selbstdarstellung die erzählten Ereignisse durchsetzt und überlagert. Aber das ist wohl eher ein Problem des Genres insgesamt, nicht eine besondere Eigenschaft dieses einen Verfassers. Besonders ans Herz lege ich dieses Buch all jenen, die derzeit mit einer Karriere im Musikbusiness liebäugeln. Business ist Business, auch und gerade im Musikbusiness. Wer dieses Buch gelesen hat, weiß wenigstens, worauf er/sie sich einlässt, oder lässt es gleich von Vornherein. Je nachdem.

Wie ist das Buch aufgemacht? Anders als die deutsche Ausgabe, die nicht nur schlecht übersetzt, sondern auch noch schlecht lektoriert wurde, ist diese amerikanische Ausgabe von Gallery Books hervorragend lektoriert worden. Auf den über vierhundert Seiten habe ich gerade einmal einen (!) einzigen Tippfehler finden können. Das soll erst einmal ein Verlag nachmachen. Auch die typographische Gestaltung genügt höchsten Ansprüchen. Was ich allerdings an der Aufmachung des Buches zu bemäkeln habe, ist, dass es zumindest in dieser Paperback-Ausgabe aufgemacht ist wie ein handelsüblicher Roman. Das zeigt sich insbesondere auf den vierzehn Seiten mit Fotos, die das Buch illustrieren sollen. Deren Qualität erinnert so sehr an alte Fotokopien aus den 80ern, dass es einem die ganze Freude nimmt, diese Bilder überhaupt auch nur anzuschauen. Hier hätte es sich gelohnt, die Bilder auf Fotopapier und in Farbe mitzugeben, zumal es ohnehin schon schwierig genug ist, Bilder aus der aktiven Zeit von Twisted Sister (als es noch keine digitale Fotografie gab) im Internet aufzutreiben. Dafür hätte zumindest ich dann auch gerne ein paar Euros mehr hingeblättert.

Warum schreibt Dee Snider dieses Buch? Das Buch ist natürlich besonders aufgrund seiner Dokumentation der Bandgeschichte von Twisted Sister interessant. Tatsächlich ist es aber eher die Autobiographie von Dee Snider. Den größten Raum nehmen daher die Jahre ein, in denen er Sänger bei Twisted Sister war. Die Zeit davor und danach behandelt Snider knapper und vorwiegend autobiographisch. So soll das Buch vermutlich die Bedürfnisse sowohl von dezidierten Dee-Snider-Fans als auch von Twisted-Sister-Fans im Allgemeinen bedienen. Man könnte versucht sein, aus dem Erscheinungsdatum dieses Buches herauszulesen, dass es vor allem darauf abzielt, ergänzend zur kurz zuvor erfolgten Reunion von Twisted Sister Werbung für die wiederaufgelebte Band zu machen. Aber dagegen sprechen allein schon der Umfang des Buches und die darin enthaltene Fülle von Informationen. Einen bloßen Werbe-Gag hätte man mit weitaus geringerem Aufwand zusammenzimmern können. Das Buch bleibt, was es ist: Entwaffnend ehrliche Lebensbeichte, narzisstische Selbstdarstellung und bleibendes Vermächtnis eines Mannes, der sich an der Spitze von Twisted Sister in die Hall of Fame singen wollte - und daran kläglich scheitern musste, weil die Musikindustrie der Band jedwede Unterstützung versagte, wann immer Unterstützung notwendig gewesen wäre - und nichts weniger als ein lesenswertes Plädoyer dafür, im Kampf gegen alle Widerstände dennoch seinen Träumen nachzujagen, koste es, was es wolle.
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Mauro P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Biografia del cantante Americano Dee Snider,fondatore della band Americana TWISTED SISTER.
Reviewed in Italy on April 14, 2019
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Biografia del cantante Americano Dee Snider,fondatore delle band Americane TWISTED SISTER, DESPERADO e WIDOWMAKER.
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Roberto Capisano Filho
5.0 out of 5 stars Vale a leitura
Reviewed in Brazil on January 28, 2017
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Muito bom. Conta detalhes da trajetória de forma interessante. Vale a leitura. Dee Snider sabe contar sua história de forma bem atrativa.
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J reed
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable!!
Reviewed in Canada on May 19, 2014
Verified Purchase
Not a Twisted Sister fan but it's all about the story and this is one good read. And probably a lot more realistic than some of the
so called memoirs in recent years. If you like autobiographies or if you're a musician then you have to read this. Very interesting
details about the ups and downs (more downs) of the whole biz side of things and the bands slow rise to fame. Highly recommended!!!!
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Terrence Hag
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 28, 2014
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This book gets full marks.

Dee is a great and intelligent writer. His story is amazing too. Dee seems to have everything all planned out in advance regarding his life.

The book tells of the early bands of Dee, prior to Twisted - incredibly the UK is responsible for getting Twisted signed.

He then writes of the rise to the top, then of some sneaking suspicion that instead of reaching the heights of Prince or Alice Cooper, things are heading down.

Im a fan of Dee, but in reading this book you can see how irritating he could have been to band members. He mentions within the band there was constant piss taking of eachother and that he upset the others with his snide remarks. Earlier on he mentions a drummer (Tony Petri) throwing a boot at him in the dressing room. Snider says he won't tolerate violence. So tolerating insults is ok but not a flying boot?

At the end of the book, Love is for suckers, Desperado and Widowmaker are sketched over. This is a shame, especially as he says these bands are some of his finest work and I would agree. Maybe there will be a second book on this?

Some history is omitted from the book including the fact that Love is for suckers was all overdubbed by a session guitarist Reb Beech and that Joe Franco played synth drums on it instead of a proper kit.

Anway, my review is all over the place but in short: Dee is a great, hilarious writer. If you're a Twisted or Dee fan, buy this book. It's a real page turner!
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