Then It Fell Apart

By: Moby

Narrated by: Moby

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

What do you do when you realise you have everything you think you've ever wanted but still feel completely empty? What do you do when it all starts to fall apart?

The second volume of Moby's extraordinary life story is a journey into the dark heart of fame and the demons that lurk just beneath the bling and bluster of the celebrity lifestyle.

In summer 1999, Moby released the album that defined the millennium, PLAY. Like generation-defining albums before it, PLAY was ubiquitous, and catapulted Moby to superstardom. Suddenly he was hanging out with David Bowie and Lou Reed, Christina Ricci and Madonna, taking esctasy for breakfast (most days), drinking litres of vodka (every day), and sleeping with super models (infrequently).

It was a diet that couldn't last. And then it fell apart.

The second volume of Moby's memoir is a classic about the banality of fame. It is shocking, riotously entertaining, extreme, and unforgiving.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Moby (P)2019 Faber & Faber Ltd

The Real Story

Of COURSE no aspiring artist can ever fully believe it, Moby has laid it out: poetically, starkly, with heart, humor and pathos. It’s true in EVERY endeavor: success does NOT make a person happy. I theorize that, of one is unhappy before fame and success, ‘making it’ can be DISASTROUS. Up to that point, one always claims, ‘if I only had (fame, fortune, sex) I’d be happy.’ When one arrives at the top and finds that NONE of this has done the trick, panic sets in.

I don’t know how I know this since I’ve spent fifty years in the aspiring phase, but I can’t thank you enough, Mobes, for telling it like it really is.

Maybe the best review comes from my wife. She wasn’t interested (different age, musical tastes, whatever), but she was in my car and heard a bit of it, she couldn’t get enough: ‘it’s HYPNOTIC!’

A truly sincere thanks from the author of Cry A Little Longer and Let’s Talk About Girls (just in case your tastes run to sixties garage rock). I read BOTH Fell and Porcelain. I enjoyed both tremendously and learned much.

Manny Freiser

Another great book by Moby

More dark and twisted stories from the New York underbelly of a by-gone era with a sentimental bent. When this book came out it was fodder for TMZ obsessed virtue signalers, but it has a lot of merit beyond their cynical chattering. These stories of debauchery and sadness and losing are great introspective on the flashy American high class lifestyle. Moby's pairing of timeline swaps illustrate a yin/yang effect, the equivalence of poverty of wealth and poverty of spirituality. The book is well written, Moby's subtle narration is great from beginning to end. I couldn't ask for more.

Dark, dark, dark

Every book has it's moment, the specific circumstances under which it should be read. This one is the perfect accompaniment for a journey through self loathing. Narrower in appeal than Porcelain-- it is exactly right for someone who seeking to explore dark energy. Hence, my rating: it's a 4.5 if you're in that season of your life and 1.5 if you're not.
Cheers.

Not a dull moment, makes one think about life

What an engaging narration; intense and entertaining. Inspiring story of what life throws at you and what to make of it.

WOW, great work.

I hope this man finds peace and happiness and someday can understand that he is and always was worthwhile. He has made amazing contribution to this world.

I tried

I can appreciate the attempt, did make it as far as I could through this. This is the most self indulgent thing I have ever listened to.
I am a naturally empathetic person, & actually find a charm to Moby.
none in the work. just self indulgent name dropping & feel for me bits self righteousness.

love it!

I do not love Moby's music, but I like him. Both books are very good. Well read, well written, and a wonderful look inside a persons life.

at least I know it...

I listened to this book because I like Moby's music and wanted a better insight into the mental health issues he has struggled with.

The parts about his childhood were difficult. He had a tough childhood, no doubt.

Most of his adult stories were just sad, and not always in a pitying way.

When he was young, he did drugs, drank gallons of liquor, chased tail non-stop because, he says, he was unable to have real relationships because they caused him anxiety, but somehow living in drug addled oblivion was going to make himself feel better.

Later, when he was famous, he did drugs, drank gallons of liquor, chased tail non-stop because, he says, that is what rock stars were supposed to do.

It was difficult for me to accept the "poor me" side of the story because the narcissistic side just looms so large. The key story was when he admitted he burst into a room he thought was being withheld from him saying, "don't you don't who I am?". Followed by a narrative "oh my did I really say that? let me tell you about a washed up rock star I heard say that one time. but i'm not washed up."

His constant name dropping (yes, we know that David Bowie was your neighbor) grew tiresome. Yes, we know you are famous.

The narrative seems to want to be ironically or (tongue in cheek?) unironically self aware. "I am a drug addled narcissistic vegan but at least I know it."

Sad...

Reading the first one made this one better. Sad story, but well written.

Moby gave a good read.

Dark, depressing yet captivating

Like watching a train wreck, you just can't keep from staring in disbelief. Although, if your going to live the rock star life, Moby set the bar!

Shockingly good!

Wow, what can I say. I have no interest in Moby and was scratching around Audible for a good autobiography. As I''m not American and prefer English narrators I didn't hold out much hope for this, but bloody hell what a book! Its over 10 hours and seemed to last 1 hour. I was glued. This was the best autobiography I've ever listened to. Well done Moby, and probably the best ending to an auto ever.

Moby the legend

Couldn't stop listening.. hanged on every word. And epic its read by Moby, such a soft smoothing voice. Lovely insight into his world.. his journey... his up's and downs. Always been a fan of Moby, With multiple albums in my ownership(11). Enjoyed this immensely thank you Moby.

Depressing!

What a peculiar man. I get that he was born that way but this is basically a dive into depression, bad choices, alcoholism and drugs. Be strong. This brought me right down.

Left wanting more....again.

Part 2 of Moby's autobiography continues on from where Porcelain ends in 1999 and take us up to 2008.

He tells you at the start the format of this book is different in that he uses chapters to jump back and forth to two different timelines one being his early childhood onwards, and the other from 1999 onwards. I felt this background helps us to understand issues that Moby has suffered with his whole life. And I am sure a lot of people will connect with him due to this.

I have always loved Moby's music, and I feel privileged that he has allowed us to get to know him even when a lot of it isn't very nice at all. That he is just a flawed human like everyone else.


This book was much more open than the first, and the first was pretty open too. it made me smile at times and cringe at other times. I wish I could be as honest and open with my flaws as Moby has been with his.

To me he seems like a pretty cool guy.

Brilliant book.

i Identified With So Much of This Story

Because I'm an alcoholic myself I devoured this book over one weekend.

Moby's honesty is breathtaking and I just let out a huge sigh when he got to the last line of the book.

Having him read the book makes it so personal. I laughed out loud at his parenthesesed internal comments that he never actually speaks.

I've never been the hugest fan of Moby's music though I've always respected his work. I'll listen to this again with his music as the soundtrack.

sex drugs and rock n roll

sex drugs and rock n roll and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat - it makes " the dirt " look like the *Anne frank diaries"...

Great story

I seen Moby at Glastonbury performing Play. I was completely unaware of the craziness in his life. The book is entertaining and openly honest to the point where it feels like a confession. If you like music history and New York it is also a great read. Thanks Moby.

You will loathe Moby just as much as he does way before the end

I had no idea how odious and self loathing Moby was until I had the misfortune to purchase this memoir. If you can make it to the end you will likely end up loathing him as much as he does

It is torture getting to the finish due to the interminable and repetitive nature of each chapter along with Moby’s lifeless droning robotic delivery

Goodness knows what happened to the editor. Was there one? Did Moby say “thanks, but I’m leaving it all in?"

The repetition is so painfully bleak and dull, you feel like you’ve listened to a 30 minute audiobook on repeat for 17 hours. Yes…17 hours

The sad thing about all this, is he clearly has learnt very little about his horrible attitude to life. See his tone deaf response to Natalie Portman after she called him out for lying about “their relationship”

Avoid. Avoid. Avoid

Gripping and insanely well written

Incredible insight, for a book that is 10 hours long, I listened to the whole thing in a day and a half. When I think of millionaires in fancy apartments, I think of them as self actualised and having it all. Moby tells the dark truth of his reality in a way that you can’t help loving him for it, even when he freely admits he lost all of his friends and at times would have been unbearable to be around. If there was a follow up book, I’d read it in an instant.

Alright

Good and easy to listen too but nothing too exciting....a lot of just drink, drugs & sex and that gets tiresome very quickly....if ur fan of his give it a go if ur not then skip it!!