Book Review: Steven Tyler’s Autobiography Shapes Up to Be a Fun Ride

Steven Tyler is a Rock Star — capital R, capital S. He understands that being a Rock Star is about more than just selling records. You have to live The Life, and if you write a memoir about The Life, certain conventions have to be respected — band fights have to be detailed, partying catalogued, hookups listed, regrets stated, a sensitive inner side revealed, redemption found — and because Tyler understands what it means to be a Rock Star, he delivers the goods in Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? Written with Rolling Stone founding editor David Dalton (James Dean: The Mutant King, El Sid: Saint Vicious, the forthcoming Bob’s Brain: Decoding Dylan), Tyler’s surprisingly insightful and entertaining voice brings the familiar contours of this story alive. It’s not the most original rock memoir, but it is a fun read.