Tom BryantNot the Life It Seems: The True Lives of My Chemical Romance

Back cover has burn marks.

Book came damaged but they replaced it asap! It's a great read so far, really enjoying it!

The book is written without any flourishes of prose. Instead, it read like a blow-by-blow of a documentary that follows the band from their very beginnings. This is not the rock and roll story people would expect to hear - it’s not “hookers covered in glitter and drugs” that seem to be the themes of most bands. It’s a slow transition from being underground to finding and working with a real producer.You get to learn about the very normal, and not so “mysterious” origins of all the band members. I remember MCR seemed “mystifying” when they showed up on the scene in the early 2000’s but in reality, they’re just a bunch of guys that liked music. I really enjoyed learning about their lyrics and their process.They did, however, have bad luck with drummers. I found that the book was annoyingly vague about the departures of Matt Pelissier and Bob Bryar and as well as producers. Maybe the fans don’t need to know the truth, but hearing some drama would have been entertaining.The way the book described the band seemed to be:We don’t care if we’re successful! - MCR does well.Rinse and Repeat - Until!We don’t care if we’re successful! - MCR splits up.What I would have loved to see:I would have loved an anthology of a large selection of their songs and for the band to summarize how they felt about the song. Some of the songs were sprinkled here and there in the book but not enough information was provided. The book glossed over the sprinkles of drama and rumors that the band faced over the years, such as the ubiquitous “frerard.” This book is also supposed to be entertainment and sure, gossip is the lowest form of news, but people still enjoy it. Adding a bit of drama and flair wouldn’t have hurt the book.Either way - I still have my MCR tickets for next year!

It’s got a couple pages in the middle of photos which I thought was adorable! Super awesome and exactly what I wanted - hundreds of pages of mcr lore and interviews. Love love love this one :)

If you ever wondered about the early days of Gerard and Mikey Way, the truly rigorous process that was the recording of "The Black Parade", or wanted a closer insight into the break up of My Chemical Romance, then this book is for you.Told almost as a historical piece, Kerrang! reporter Tom Bryant puts together a cohesive history of My Chemical Romance from the early days in New Jersey all the way to what could be construed as the end of their story. Sometimes told from his point of view, as the majority his information comes from multiple interviews with the band, this book is full of humor, heart, drama, and even sorrow that were the twelve years that made up the history of My Chemical Romance.The only complaint I have with the book is with page 128. As I was reading the book and reached that page, I noticed a Florida-shaped black blotch on the bottom corner. It made reading that particular section difficult, though through squinted eyes and the magic of context I was able to figure out what was printed. This issue may only be with my copy of the book, as it was probably a printing error, so don't expect to have the same issue with your copy. Have faith in the publisher.