Rock 'n' Roll Babylon, by Gary Herman (Softback, 1988)

Drawing parallels to Hollywood Babylon's exposé of cinema, this book peels back the glamorous veneer to reveal the raw reality of rock stardom—its triumphs, catastrophes, and contradictions. Through firsthand accounts and intimate narratives, explore the lives of legendary musicians from Elvis Presley and John Lennon to Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and Patti Smith. Spanning from the 1950s onwards, the narrative delves into the decadence, excess, and darker dimensions of the music industry: groupies, substance abuse, commercial machinations, and media manipulation. Enriched with 150 striking photographs, this unflinching chronicle captures both the allure and the squalid truth of rock 'n' roll's most compelling era.

sold as seen - please see photos for detailed visual description