Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible and Fried

Publisher's Summary

When hardcore industrial rocker and Ministry supremo Al Jourgensen recruited Chris Connelly as a singer for the Revolting Cocks, the young Scottish lad could hardly have imagined the mayhem that was about to ensue.

As an integral part of Jourgensen's Mad Max-like mutant family of musicians, Connelly joined a drug-crazed travelling circus. Live shows were transformed into an ear-splitting redneck disco from hell, under the influence of a mind-boggling cocktail of every conceivable narcotic, with sleazy strippers and even reports of live cattle on stage.

As well as Jourgensen and all the Wax Trax! crew, the book features cameo appearances by Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Killing Joke, Jah Wobble, and Cabaret Voltaire.

Despite the unrelenting chaos, both Ministry and the Revolting Cocks have been immensely successful; Connelly appeared on two US gold albums (The Land of Rape and Honey and The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste) and worked as songwriter on the million-plus selling platinum album Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs.

Connelly's superbly written, funny, irreverent, and sometimes downright scary memoir is one of the finest portrayals of a man trapped in the eye of a post-punk industrial storm this side of Armageddon.

Chris Connelly was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and now lives in Chicago where he has pursued a successful solo career.

©2007, 2014 Christopher John Connelly (P)2014 Christopher John Connelly

The Debauch Fantastic!

Any additional comments?

It would be easy to dismiss this collection of hazy, drug fueled tales from the glory days of Industrial music if it weren't for the wonderfully likable, and self deprecating, tone of Chris Connelly.

Now, I don't even know the works of Ministry, Pigface or the Cocks, but none of that matters in my appreciation of this book.

What makes this read so enjoyable is Connelly's unrepentant celebration of the abstract Rock reality, where he dreamily lived ( in a bus bunk, from tour to tour, indiscriminately pounding narcotics (of all levels) and mounting everything that moved) until "something" snapped..

Connelly also is also refreshing in his willingness to dish the dirt and happily reveal the failings of ego driven, drug addeled "rock stars" as they celebrated the chase of The Big Dumb.

Call it good old Scottish self deprecation, but It also should be noted that Connelly never let's himself off the hook. Sure, this book is a unfettered hit piece on Ministry's Al Jourgensen, but who cares! Hit pieces are fun! And, let's face it, Al Jourgensen really needs a literary kick to the bait and tackle.

Connelly delivers!

And he NAILS the reading. Also, the production of this book is very interesting, as the tight comical edits help convey the manic pace of the times. This one made me laugh out loud many times.

Super fun!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Revolting!!! .... (In the best way)

What made the experience of listening to Concrete, Bulletproof, Invisible and Fried the most enjoyable?

Connelly's wit and sincerity:
That is right. Connelly narrates his own book. (In case you missed that part.) It is as if you (the listener) are sitting in a room with Connelly as he invites you to unravel the dingy infested era of industrial music.The listener is immediately charmed by Chris Connelly's Scottish accent and honesty.

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that I am such a fan of industrial music:
Connelly shares many great (and sometimes tragic) stories of the various key names that made up the rusted mud pit that was 90's industrial/Alternative. Examples are (but not limited to): Pigface, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Lydia Lunch, PTP, Skinny Puppy and of course Ministry, Revolting Cocks, and the Finitribe.

Which character – as performed by Chris Connelly – was your favorite?

Connelly as Al Jorgensen:
Connelly's impression of Al Jorgensen is more sincere then perhaps a conversation with Al Jorgensen. I will just leave it at that.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

An extreme reaction? Not really:
This book was highly entertaining. I would look forward to moments of downtime so I could pop in my earbuds and laugh along with the narrator. I like the fact that if Connelly found a memory funny he did not hold back his own laughter. (Though, Sometimes it seemed forced for the sake of story telling.)

Any additional comments?

Al Jorgensen credits himself as saying "If you remember the 90's, you were not really there." Or some such thing. The fact is Al credits himself over and over and over and over and over again for things. So, If you want another side of the tale of industrial music (Aka the entertaining bastard child that the music industry has tried so hard to forget.) and you want the story to not be told by the loudest voice in the room; give this book a go.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

stories of life on the road and in the studio

If you're a fan and/or musician (or just like listening to Scottish accents), you'll love it. This will give you a first hand look at what's involved with touring and recording in a rock band of Herculean excess, albeit from a safe and sanitary distance. Just when you think that's it, you also find out it's a story of humanity, love and friendship.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Chris Connelly - The Man

If you know Chris Connelly and are interested in his time as a Revolting Cock then this is the book for you. The Audiobook is pretty great because he cracks himself up and has to get reset to keep reading. Good times.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Connelly is very very good at this

He really should write books more often. The book itself is highly entertaining and the narration is hilarious. This book also confirmed everything I always suspected about Ministry. Thanks for a great book Chris.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

More than a bio

This book is the closer we will get to an oral history of industrial rock in US. Beautifully delivered by Chris.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Pure entertainment with a heavy dash of nostalgia.

Connelly delivers a great performance reading through his memoir. The pace stays pretty good throughout taking you through the musical up and down down downs with a sordid adventure or two. Perfect for those that were there or wish they were.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Who's your favorite cock?

Love to hear stories straight from the (acid) horse's mouth (see what I did there?). Like this better than Jourgensen's inebriated accounts of what happened at the time. Plus, Connelly's impressions of the cast of industrial characters, help move the story and are hilarious to boot!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

One of my favorites!

I was so excited to see that one of my favorite artists in the Wax Trax / industrial music scene, one who was an important member of a few of my favorite bands, wrote a memoir. I still have a lubricated, ribbed Trojan condom he threw in the audience the first time I saw Pigface. This book is juicy, fun, and absolutely hilarious! It is even more so read aloud in the author's voice accompanied by many throaty laughs. This book was a joy, and I highly recommend it. it really made me a bit nostalgic for a few wonderful times and a few wonderful places.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

An alternative side of the RevCo/Ministry story

I'm a big fan of the band Ministry & I've enjoyed every era of music that has been made under that band name. I was unaware of RevCo until I read Al Jourgensen's book talking about his other bands. long story short I got turned onto RevCo & found out the fact that Chris was the vocalist for so many Ministry songs that I enjoyed so much. I had a hard time justifying paying 25+ for a used copy,but I'm a die hard fan. So I was turned into audio books. let me tell you,this being my first audio book,this 1 was perfect. you hear Chris regale you with stories of the past,both on and off stage,all the while he breaks out laughing at some of the stories he is telling,and to me that just adds extra feeling to it.Its like Chris is telling me the story personally. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I enjoy hearing his side of how things went. it definitely seems like RevCo & Ministry was the party band for psychos crazies and druggies .
All in all it is well worth the time and money to read this book. it gives a more detailed look at the recording process which seemed to be lacking in some areas of All's book.
regardless I dig em all. & I enjoy Chris' solo work as well,it's a totally different style.

Great destruction of rock'n'roll myths!

Chris Connelly may not be a well-known name in rock circles but he certainly experienced a lot of the thrills, spills and bellyaches.

His disdain for Al Jourgensen is obvious and he deals with it really in a humorous way. I especially liked his piss-taking of bands like Sepultura and obscure European noiseniks.

Connelly's Edinburgh accent is easy on the ears and I'm glad I bought this over the book version.

5 stars easily awarded.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful