Porcelain: A Memoir

"With reluctance, I agreed. To be descended from Herman Melville and not try to write my own memoir would seem like a bit of a hereditary affront."Before launching the editor to write up this review, I checked my iTunes library and discovered that I have seven and a half hours of Moby's songs on my laptop, some of which have been played hundreds of times. As an avid listener for nearly two decades now, however, I knew precious little about the musician himself.I didn't know he grew up dirt poor and lived for several years out of an abandoned factory in Stamford, Connecticut with not much more to his name than some assembled DJ equipment and an electric hot plate. I didn't know that he wrestled for most of his life over what it means to be a Christian and whether he was one. I didn't know he released a punk rock album in 1996 that nearly crashed his career. Nor was I aware that he once had a full head of hair and that his losing it, along with the ebb and flow of his early musical career, persistently plagued his wavering self-image.Now I had learned that he declined the usual route of handing your story to a ghostwriter and instead chose to go it alone, earning himself a glowing blurb from none other than Salman Rushdie in the process.This 2016 memoir-cum-bildungsroman covers what I take to be the most pivotal decade of Moby's life (1989-99). It precedes his meteoric rise ushered in with the release of Play, and it was during this interval that a young, David Lynch-obsessed artist living in squalor and struggling to make ends meet put his hopeful ambition to the test. This is Moby at his most raw, the literary counterpart to the brooding lyrics and emotional vulnerability echoed throughout his diverse catalog. His anxieties, frustrations, and patient reflections are all on full display, enabling a clearer image of the life and mind behind such masterpieces as "Honey," "Flower," and "Go."Today Richard Melville Hall—a patronym completely usurped by his familiar stage handle—is uncontroversially regarded on both sides of the pond as among the world's most influential electronic musicians. But reaching such a high point of acclaim and notoriety was hardly preordained, even for one as talented as Moby. Sure, he rubbed elbows with Dream Frequency, 808 State, Underground Resistance, and other toplining acts in the thriving 90s rave scene, and later cut his teeth on international tours with the likes of Soundgarden, The Prodigy, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but his ultimate status as an industry icon was never a guarantee.The transition from quasi-homeless youth with sporadic access to running water to leading DJ for a new nightclub in the heart of Manhattan is a fascinating story in and of itself. When he caught wind of a club soon to open in the Meatpacking District, Moby scraped together the fare to make the trip from his ascetic abode in Connecticut to the anarchic streets of NYC. He waited in the long line of job-seekers, only to learn that busboys, bouncers, and bartenders were being hired, not DJs. He awkwardly left his mixtape with the staff anyway. One day later, he received the call that would change his life forever.In Gotham's rave scene circa the late 80s and early 90s, Moby was as much of an outlier as ever. Electronic music was still underground, and nightclubs of the era featured dancefloors populated almost solely by African Americans, Latinos, and LGBTs. Moby was none of the above. But it was here that he felt most at home, more so than with his Christian friends and at the faith-filled weekend retreats he found himself attending with his on-and-off girlfriend. The self-seeking judgment and mounting internal guilt that so engulfed his religious existence outside the club all but evaporated whilst spinning dancehall records for vibrant non-white crowds until the sun came up.It's no secret that the scent of nostalgia combined with the distance of time can cause one to idealize a complicated past. Moby attests to the dangers of living in New York City in 1989. Ravaged by AIDS and crack and gang violence, the city was infamous for the highest murder rate per capita in the country, with "teenagers running through Times Square and stabbing tourists with infected syringes," ran one story in the Post, where "kids routinely walked through the [subway] cars stabbing people and stealing their watches and wallets and chains and sneakers." Nevertheless, for Moby SoHo, with its quiet lofts and art galleries, was home, part of "a perfect city"—and where DJ genius was born.Perhaps the least surprising pivot in the book concerns his fraught relationship with alcohol and promiscuity, which marked a shift from his deacadeslong spree as a straight-edge, teetotaling animal rights activist. He never drops the veganism, of course, but as with any musical celebrity you can care to name, Moby battled with alcoholism over the years and liberally pursued a wanton sex life. He is straightforward and honest about this, never one to make excuses, even as he describes a series of bleak events in his life such as the loss of his mother and the looming dread that his career as a musician might be over.Moby never renounces his Christian faith outright in his memoir. He does, however, recount his evolving views on religion and belief in God. Growing up in youth group, he vents often about a felt incompatibility between the actions of his fellow Christians on the one hand and living what he believed to be a truly ethical life on the other—one committed to lessening the suffering of others, both of the human and nonhuman variety. He notes that reading Sartre and Camus and exposure to existentialist philosophy in college helped undermine his confidence in theistic traditions. At one point he describes a particularly resonant moment of satori in which the final vestiges of his Judeo-Christian worldview seem to slip away, replaced by a humble sublimity that acknowledges human ignorance in the face of cosmic complexity.Closing ThoughtsMoby's music has always carried with it a spark of inspiration, uniquely capable of catering to just the right mood for almost any occasion. Indeed, he's the only artist I know of whose melodies can calm as effortlessly as they can energize. Though genres and tastes evolve, his recordings, both the more ambient soundscapes as well as the pulsating dance rhythms designed to be played at deafening volumes, have remained relevant through it all. His recent memoir, by turns glum and joyous, provides an unflinching look at Moby's life as an aspiring musician navigating the bedlam of the Big Apple in the 1990s and the thought processes and influences that fed into his work.For me his origin story raised a number of intriguing questions related to determinism versus chance—namely whether Moby's success was shaped my random encounters, or whether musicians of his caliber and in possession of his talents were always destined for greatness at the outset. (I'd be curious to hear other's thoughts on this question.) But in the end, Porcelain is a brooding, anxious, frequently insightful memoir that commemorates an intimate period in the life of a brilliant artist whose timeless music continues to inspire generations of fans around the world.

This is unlike a typical linear autobiography in which an author tells you about his life. Moby instead uses seemingly random stories of events, great & small, in his life to tell the larger story. At first, I didn't think it worked because there seemed to be no themes connecting the stories to the bigger picture. But it turned out that the stories gained continuity through Moby' s sharing of his most intimate thoughts & feelings at the time of each story. He's humble, describing his struggle to be a Christian & his failings in that regard, for example when he finds himself being judgemental of others. Also sharing very honestly his feelings of insecurity, failure, longing to be liked by pretty women, & recurrent panic/anxiety. His writing is intelligent, making use of his vast vocabulary & artistic talent. There are some really interesting stories of meeting other famous musicians including David Bowie, and also celebrities like Robert Downey Jr (a childhood friend!). But overall it takes some patience to read through these somewhat disjointed stories & allow them to speak to you, providing insight into Moby' s life. I guess what I'm saying is that you have to work for it. But I'd say it's worth the effort, especially if you're a fan of Moby' s music.

I've followed Moby for years. I loved listening to him in the 90s. Then as he got popular, I continued to enjoyed his music. This isn't a happy book to read. Moby isn't happy. At least he doesn't seem to be happy when he shares his life story...But it's raw. Really raw. Reading it gave me a sense of catharsis in much the same way I feel it gave Moby as he wrote it.Here's what I like most. Contrast. Reading this book was a fascinating journey and I grew as a result of it. And I couldn't stop reading it.Let me explain.I relate to Moby in a variety of ways. We're one year apart in age. I grew up in Minnesota - and I had lots of anxiety and fear growing up. I married a woman from New York (she grew up in Manhattan) and her family is there. I've learned a lot about humanity by spending lots of time in NYC.I'm a natural-born serial entrepreneur but in my youth I had aspirations of being a musician and artist. I had a MIDI studio and much of the same equipment he did (like the Alesis Drum Machine in his photos).Many of my friends are musicians. They chose their path, I chose capitalism and business. I was too scared to pursue music and afraid of being poor.I've been successful at business. I have a very nice life. When I visit my musician friends, they've had it much harder than me. Now, as they're 50 or so, most have moved on to different things and they struggle. None of them made it "big" - even though many survived full-time on the road.I'm not trying to compare - I just haven't spent time thinking through a lens like this in a long time. This book took me on a meaningful journey. It made me think. And feel. In ways I haven't in quite a while.Moby takes you with him and shares his life in a way that explains what each of the songs from his album "Play" means in a very creative way in the last chapter of the book.I can't give the book 5 stars.. But I gave it 4 stars because I enjoyed the journey. Nice job, Mobe. You made me feel and think. I appreciate your talent.And I'll definitely read your next book if you write another one.

I never cared much for Moby's music (or for any other electronic music artists), but somehow from reading bits of interviews with Moby, he always intrigued me and seemed like a damn cool dude, so I got the book.I'm way too busy, so have very little time to read and unfortunately quite often start a book while I'm on holiday and then don't have the time to finish it, or I lose interest or forget the context... but not here - from the first page I was hooked and I once even found myself reading while waiting for the traffic light to change. The episodes are short, so even when I have a few minutes, I could read a chapter. Even when I had a week break, continuing was easy - the book is magic and I didn't lose interest for a single second. The writing is so fluent and pleasurable and Moby is a wonderful quirky and interesting human being.Moby also mentions in the book a punk album which he did and I actually loved it, so now I can't say that I don't like his music anymore.Highly recommended!

From the first page you are just drawn in to Moby’s world and find yourself wishing that the book will not eventually end, however before it did I did learn that there is going to be a second instalment which made me jump with joy. Even if you’re not a huge Moby fan when he finally hit the big time with Play he has in some way probably touched your life with his music and it’s been a treat revisiting Play again and exploring his other material further. Highly recommended.

I have read the previous Moby biographical work 'Moby Replay his life and times' by James Martin, which was a very good read and interesting in its own right, but this new publication, in Moby's own words is a very entertaining and insightful piece of work indeed. Beginning with his early memories of life with his hapless mother and her poorly chosen partners and moving into his adolescence and desire for some kind of meaningful relationship and always the underlying love for his and others music, the book tells of his struggle to be noticed and how that success finally and suddenly came. As a big fan of Moby, the only thing that concerned me really, was Moby's constant self-deprecation, almost self-loathing at times, but I guess I can sort of understand that and it really does give us a glimpse into the type of person Moby truly is; way beyond mere modesty, constantly in awe of his own personal heroes of the day. Aware as I was that this book only really brings us up to the period immediately prior to the release of 'Play', I was conscious of the fact that this is an historical work and there is much more to tell. Indeed, the book ends before I became interested in Moby's work and I can only hope there will be a further updated volume sometime in the future, as I am sure he has more to give and I will be waiting to soak it up if that is the case! Reading the book, one really does get the feeling that you are living the incidents and adventures with the author, such is this man's seemingly boundless talent.In summary, the best way I can describe my enjoyment of this book is this; I loved reading it and wanted at once to press on and read more and more, but at the same time, struggled with doing just that, because I didn't want to get to the end of it, rather I wanted it to last longer. I am not a huge reader, but when I really enjoy something as much as this I feel that I do not want it to end. If you are a fan of Moby, or even just curious about this intriguing character, I suspect you will feel the same way!Oh, and as for the quality of production; it is a beautifully constructed volume, which oozes quality in it's making. This is a nice book to have in your bookcase, or lying on your coffee table.

Bought and read it but it was ok. Advertised and reviewed as hilarious and funny, Moby's poverty struck early years are quite moving but I found the drink fuelled and dimly lit sexual encounters boring?I will purchase the follow up memoirs to see if he grows up or 'remains a little idiot' forever playing his game of 'knob touch'

A very enjoyable read. Reminded me of so many great times in years gone by.One of the best books I've read this year. I always prefer to read an autobiography from someone who's actually lived an interesting life (moby really has) as opposed to some other musicians or celebs who are hardly remarkable at all!The only slight criticism would be the amount of sex featured in the tales, but I guess if the man got laid A LOT then it maybe justifies it being mentioned A LOT! So fair enough.Nethertheless a really good book. Nice one Mobes!