Jerry A. Lang - Black Heart Fades Blue books
Jerry A. Lang - Black Heart Fades Blue Volumes 1-3 Books
Volume 1
Publisher: Rare Bird Books; Year: 2022; Format: Book
Don't ask me why Jerry A's memoir was published in three parts but in the end I liked the idea as each Volume has its beginning and end while leading up to the next chapter in Jerry's life so to speak. A neat move by the publisher that worked pretty well if you ask me. Alright, so if you are asking yourself who the hell Jerry A is then think Poison Idea and Kings of Punk and you'll figure it out. For the losers reading my crappy little blog I have the feeling most of you will be familiar with the crazy Portland based outfit. Volume 1 deals mainly with Jerry's upbringing in Montana and Oregon which must have been hell judging from what I have read. Still, out of everything bad and miserable comes something good and while Jerry suffered immensely at the hands of his parents he eventually found his way in life with music always having played a big role from a very young age.
Volume 2
Publisher: Rare Bird Books; Year: 2022; Format: Book
As you can see from the cover of Volume 2 this middle volume takes you back in time to the Portland, Oregon of the '80s and '90s and into the drug- and alcohol fueled world of Poison Idea. I was lucky enough to see Poison Idea twice during the '90s and Jerry's account of how crazy things were just reaffirms what I always thought it must have been like in mind. What I did not know is how deep the drugs ran and dictated Jerry's life. Addiction is a nasty thing and many of us know or knew someone that has struggled through it, or maybe even died of it. While some of this volume is of great interest to people like myself who are always hungry for music history please do not expect a record by record account of Poison Idea's vast back catalogue. It is really Jerry's personal journey through time, and drugs and music played a major role, that's for sure.
Volume 3
Publisher: Rare Bird Books; Year: 2022; Format: Book
The last volume in this three-part memoir brings us all the way into the current time, well pre pandemic that is when Jerry finished writing this. If you follow Jerry's Facebook page you will have come to the conclusion that he had found happiness and is leading a much quieter life now, away from touring and partying. This volume focuses on Jerry's journey to said point and deals with a lot of pain while realizing that the only way going forward in life is a life with as little drugs as possible. It is in this volume where we learn about the sad details of Jerry's best friend and former Poison Idea guitarist Tom Roberts (RIP) and many more heartbreaking stories. Still, the end is a happy one, and I for one am immensely happy for Jerry to have found a way out of the world of drugs and addiction. Maybe there will be a Volume 4 at some point and we shall stay tuned.
