Dreaming Japanese

By: Marty Friedman, Jon Wiederhorn

Narrated by: Marty Friedman, Eric Michael Summerer

Marty Friedman's upbringing was as atypical as his career. Growing up in a Jewish household in Maryland, the son of an NSA executive, he lacked motivation until he discovered the guitar. Enjoying a hazy adolescence overflowing with partying, music, and teen antics, he achieved local stardom in Deuce, then burst onto the national scene by pioneering a radically new style of playing, bringing attention to the guitar aficionado label, Shrapnel Records. Friedman moved to California and scored a gig in Megadeth.

His exotic, innovating style helped define the sound of their biggest albums, and while it elevated him to guitar hero status with all the accompanying perks, it came at a cost. As the only clean and sober member, Friedman recalls the triumphs and trials of each album cycle. His complicated relationship with frontman Dave Mustaine was symbolic of the band's dynamic, and Marty poignantly shares his experiences within the band's inner sanctum.

But Dreaming Japanese is more than a memoir about Friedman's multi-Platinum years in Megadeth. The riveting narrative captures his perseverance as he struggles to start again. In fascinating detail, Marty shares how he made inroads into the Japanese entertainment industry, becoming a household name and fixture on mainstream television and earning respect as a highly influential artist.

©2024 Marty Friedman (P)2024 Tantor Media

love marty and this book!

i am a HUGE megadeth fan and i have been for almost a year now. and ive been waiting for this book to come out on audible. when i found out it was coming out in late june, it was about mid march for me. i was ECSTATIC. and i immediately preordered it. i waited for months in anticipation and excitement. and when it finally came, i was over the moon. i immediately started listening to it the day it came out and i was instantly hooked. marty’s storytelling, jokes, and everything about this book made it so fun to listen to and very entertaining! i found myself audibly gasping at so many things. i learned great things from him as well throughout the book! the narrator was amazing and delivered the story very well. love love LOVE this book! marty is such a huge inspiration and loved by so many. including me. i will be listening to this again! 💖

Finally

I have been waiting for this story for over 30 years, since the first time I seen Marty perform. Not just the falling out with Megadave, but mostly the story of the guy with huge hair behind the guitar. I love how Marty shares his story in a way that shows respect to other artists.

Hearing Japanese

Have always been a huge Marty Friedman fan really enjoyed this book. If you are a Marty fan you will enjoy this book!!

Candid and Enlightening

I've been a fan of his guitar playing style since Cacophony, and have even met him backstage at Megadeth. I also love Japanese culture, and totally got why he loves it too. I went into this book thinking I'd know most of his tale, but man, I was wrong!

Marty is very candid, sometimes self-effacing, but isn't afraid to brag a bit too. I really felt i was getting the whole story - highs and lows alike. His sense of humor made me smile and laugh many times. What a crazy life he's had, and I'm grateful he was willing to share it.

What I expected and (and what I didn't)

Looked forward to this and had it pre ordered. Was expecting Marty to narrate but for some reason he only did the intro and the rest was left to a just ok narrator. To be perfectly honest, this was one of the better music bio's I've read, and I have read many. Marty doesn't shy away from making his feelings known which is refreshing, especially with regard to Megadeth. I'm not Megadeth's biggest fan, nor Marty's, but Rust in Peace is classic and worthy of deference. I also know a lot about Megadeth from years of reading mags and watching drama unfold. I'd say there's more than enough meat to chew for the gossip hound to put up with the more mundane aspects of his story. I mean who really cares about his pre and post Megadeth stuff? Some stuff that put him in a different light for me is that he kinda comes across as an arrogant jerk. You get the feeling he was spoiled his entire life and catered to. He also goes out of his way to take credit for stuff that makes me question his integrity. And finally, jeez, you'd think his editor or PR person would have told him to tone down on the sex stuff. Way too much about him f*cking anything that moved and bragging about it almost begging for a #metoo claim.