Did you ever wonder how all of those Hair Metal bands of the 80s became so popular so quickly back then? Do you think it could've been because they followed a super-secret manual that provided them with the pathway to fame and fortune? Is it possible that this manual provided such advice as "Embrace spandex" or "All lead singers should look like a chick from behind" or "The album's cover shot is always more important than its content" or "Each music video must contain one slow-motion split kick off the drum platform"? A manual as such does seem like a reasonable explanation or at least as good as any other.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Steel Rainbow: The Legendary Underground Guide to Becoming an 80s Rock Star in which author Jordan Hart proposes and recreates just such a manual. The book is a satirical look at some of the outlandishness and absurdity that came with the popularity explosion for the hair metal genre. Each chapter entertains you with rules on how to dress, how to act, how to write music, how to perform music, how to behave on tour or in music videos and more. Each rule seems silly until you remember at least one hair metal band (usually many) that successfully employed that technique or instruction. You might chuckle when you read through each page, but then you remember the video for Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" and then you might chuckle even harder because dozens of them are demonstrated right there alone . Steel Rainbow will definitely make you ask the question, "What were we/they thinking?" more than a few times. Could this manual be the actual driving force behind the popularity achieved by such bands as Poison, Cinderella, W.A.S.P., Stryper, Hanoi Rocks or Europe among countless others?

In addition to Hart's keen observations regarding the commonalities shared by numerous glam rock bands, he also provides the unique and amusing illustrations that grace many of the pages. Steel Rainbow reminds me a little bit of the Blue Man Group's "How to be a MegaStar Tour" which included their humorous Rock Concert Instruction Manual (if not familiar, look it up on YouTube), but far more detailed and taken to a whole other level. Every stereotype you'd expect is accounted for as well as several more less obvious that you might not have recognized before. If you lived through the Hair Metal Era, you will likely agree with me that Steel Rainbow is parody at its finest. In case you couldn't tell, I highly recommend it to you all. This book will definitely find a home on our coffee table for a good long time to come. It is quite the conversation starter which will take you back to the 80s and certainly often evoke the question, "What were they thinking?"

If you've heard enough and are ready to add Steel Rainbow: The Legendary Underground Guide to Becoming an 80s Rock Star to your own coffee table, then you can scroll down towards the bottom for links to purchase it or visit www.steel-rainbow.com. I also had the opportunity for an interview with author and illustrator Jordan Hart. Residing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Hart is the creator and writer/editor of the website 10percentnerd.com and you can find out more about him and Steel Rainbow first-hand. Since his new book spoofs some of the awesomeness of the 80s, I say that makes him pretty awesome himself. Here are some selections from my interview with Jordan Hart...

Q: Is this your first book? Other than writer now, what is your regular job? Did you grow up in the 80s?

Jordan: Steel Rainbow is my first book. I'm a self-employed graphic designer (which allowed me to create all of the illustrations and the book's logo) and writer/editor for the 10% Nerd website. And yes, I am a child of the 80s.

Q: What gave you the idea for and when did you begin writing Steel Rainbow? What was your writing process? How long did it take for you to write the whole thing? How long did it take to get published?

Jordan: My dad was a huge rock fan, so when I was a kid I grew up listening to his Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Queen albums. Back then, Hair Metal dominated rock radio stations, so I became familiar with all of the genre's bands like Motley Crue, Whitesnake, The Scorpions and so on.

When I was in college, I would occasionally fire up some Van Halen or Motley Crue, which everyone thought I was doing to be funny. Little did they know, I actually loved those bands. It was at that point that I realized a guidebook to becoming an 80s rock star would be hilarious, since everyone seemed to laugh whenever the music was played.

That original idea came in January 2006, but I never had time to write the book when I was in school. Once I graduated, I worked as a young Art Director in advertising, which resulted in long hours every day. The idea was always in the back of my mind, but I never had time to get to it. Finally, in February 2011, I decided it was time to write it and see what happens.

Steel Rainbow took me about five months to complete. The illustrations actually took more time to create than the text. In May 2011, I created a 64-page preview book and mailed it to a couple of publishers. Two months later, it had interest from Globe Peqout Press and after a couple of weeks they made me an offer.

Q: What inspired the book's title, Steel Rainbow?

Jordan: When I originally came up with the idea in 2006, the book was named "Steel Diva: the Guide to Becoming an 80s Rock Star". I kept this as the title when I began to write the book in February 2011. "Steel" is probably the most common word associated with 80s rock, so I knew I had to have it in the title for people to instantly know it's a book about Hair Metal.

Strangely, a few weeks after I began writing, Lifetime premiered a show about women's bodybuilding titled Steel Divas. I couldn't believe it. No one had used the name for five years, and then when finally I started writing the book it was taken. I was kind of mad at myself for waiting so long.

A month later, I changed the name to Steel Rainbow because the word "Rainbow" has some weird coincidences with my birthday. I share my birthday with rock legend Ronnie James Dio, who got his big break as the vocalist of the band Rainbow. Secondly, the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior" was sabotaged and sunken on my birthday in the 80s. Pretty weird.

I was having so much trouble trying to find a word to replace "Diva" for the longest time, so I just went with "Rainbow". I also thought it sounded like a great band name from the period.

Q: Who do you feel will enjoy reading this book and why?

Jordan: I think anyone who has seen an 80s music video or heard an 80s Hair Metal song will enjoy reading Steel Rainbow. The people who actually lived through the period, bought the albums and went to shows will probably like it the most. I tried to write it in a matter that anyone could understand, even if they knew nothing about the genre.

However, from what I've been told so far, musicians are really connecting with Steel Rainbow because of the musical references throughout and instrumental techniques chapter.

Q: The book almost seems like a "roast" of glam rock and hair metal. As they often say, "we only roast those that we love." Is it your intention that this book parodies those rock bands as a playful tribute and not as mean-spirited ridicule? Were you worried about offending the fans of that era of rock bands?

Jordan: I wrote Steel Rainbow as a playful tribute to Hair Metal. I mean, towards the late 80s a lot of the antics and music got kind of over-the-top and not particularly to my taste, but I never intended this to be a mean-spirited book.

It's like when you look back at an old picture from 20 years ago with your friends and say "What the hell were we wearing?" or "Why did I ever think that haircut looked good?" That's the feeling I wanted Steel Rainbow to give readers; to maybe bring back memories of how they were in the 80s and laugh at themselves.

Q: There are many rock fans who look at the glam rock and hair metal bands with no respect and diminish their talent and achievements. What are your thoughts in that regard? Then the hardcore fans of hair metal hold deep resentment to the grunge movement which put an effective end to their run. Any thoughts in that regard as well?

Jordan: I think Van Halen is one of the greatest American rock bands in history. When I look at the period, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Whitesnake and The Scorpions were the real deal. Their music has aged and they've become legends of rock and roll.

That being said, I think America's other greatest band was Nirvana. As much as I thought I loved Hair Metal, the first time I heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" my mind was blown and I was hooked on Grunge. I think everyone knew change was coming and was inevitable. Glam Rock had run its course and it was time for something new. I think both periods are important to rock history and true fans of rock and roll appreciate things from both of them.

Q: Do you have a couple pages from the book which are your personal favorites? If so, which are they and why?

Jordan: So hard to pick. Personally, I think the full-page illustrations from the book are my favorites... I had a blast creating those. Otherwise, I really like the "Guitarists: Pick Two" and "Lead Singer Solo Ideas" rules. They crack me up whenever I read them.

Q: The illustrations are great and really help the book come alive! Did you do those all yourself?

Jordan: Yep, I did all of the illustrations myself. I graduated from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design with a degree in Communication Design, so creating the illustrations was the easy part for me, writing was the hard part. I'm a graphic designer by trade, so I had to brush up my grammar skills big time before I started writing.

Q: Would you want guys from the bands you parody to read your book? What do you think the guys from Poison, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Cinderella and even Bon Jovi or Van Halen would say about Steel Rainbow if they read it?

Jordan: I hope that if those guys read it, they get a good laugh. Again, it's supposed to be a lighthearted joke, not mean-spirited attack. Out of all the bands, Van Halen and Motley Crue shouldn't be offended. They really didn't get too crazy with all of the outfits and antics. They both cared more about making good music than putting on a show, which is why they are the two legends to come out of the period, in my opinion. Other, less-legendary bands might get offended by the content, but I hope they can realize it's just a joke.

Q: I read that your favorite song to this day is "Panama" by Van Halen. I assume that means that you're a big fan of Eddie Van Halen's guitar work. Who are some of your favorite 80s guitarists and your favorite examples of what makes them great?

Jordan: My all-time favorite guitarist is Jimi Hendrix, but Eddie Van Halen is my extremely close second. My dad and I used to air guitar the hell out of "Eruption" when it came on the radio in the 80s. I think the way he revolutionized the guitar in the late 70s can only be outdone by the advancements Hendrix made in the 60s. Those two guys changed guitar playing forever. His playing is so fast, so all over the place, and so original that Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest living guitarists to me. Other than Eddie, from the period, I'm a big of Mick Mars from the Crue and Rudolf Schenker from The Scorpions.

Q:  You've mentioned some already, but which were your favorite hair metal/glam rock bands from the 80s and why?  Do you still like that same music today or music from the 80s in general?

Jordan: If I'd have to put them in order, I'd go: Van Halen, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, The Scorpions. Those are about the only four bands I still listen to from the period. They're the best of the best in my opinion. For some reason, I love "Lick it Up" by Kiss. The song is so ridiculous it just cracks me up every time I hear it. And no disrespect to Kiss, they're one of the greatest rock bands in history.

These days I listen to all genres of music across the spectrum. On a normal day, my playlist could go from Merle Haggard to Skrillex to ZZ Top to Broken Bells. I'm all over the place. Even though rock is my favorite, I enjoy all types of musical expression.

Q: Are there any rock concerts that you wish you could go back in time and see live in person?

Jordan: If I could go back in time, I'd want to see Hendrix in 1968, Led Zeppelin in 1973 and Van Halen in 1982. That would be amazing.

Q: Speaking of going back in time, what's the story about your picture in front of the Delorean?

Jordan: The DeLorean has been my dream car since childhood. I thought it was fitting to use it in my "About the Author" photo because of that and, even more so, because Steel Rainbow is about the 80s. I had to drive about 54 miles to find the closet DeLorean. I spent a few hours shooting with it; it was amazing and worth the drive.

Q: Tell us a little about your website 10percentnerd.com. Do you consider yourself a nerd and do you consider "nerd" to be a negative description?

Jordan: I am a HUGE nerd, but most people would never know that about me. It's like some big secret. When I was a kid, all I listened to was rock music, but all I read were comic books. When I was younger, I always dreamed of being a comic book artist. Things changed, but I still love comic books. In addition, I'm a huge video gamer. Basically everything on the site is something I think is awesome, and stuff I think secret nerds like myself, aka 10% nerds, would like too.

Q: What's next for Jordan Hart?

Jordan: This is a good question. Hopefully a sequel... and meeting David Lee Roth in person!

I think we'd all like that.  You can find out more you can visit the official website at www.steel-rainbow.com and follow Jordan on Twitter at @Jordan_Hart or if you are already convinced you want to order Steel Rainbow, then below are some direct links below that will allow you to do so at a very reasonable price. For the record, I have no direct affiliation with Jordan Hart other than our state of residence and a mutual admiration of 80s pop culture, but I was so impressed with his work and wanted to be sure to share it with all of you. Hope you are inclined to support it, too.

Amazon paperback: www.amazon.com/Steel-Rainbow-Legenda ry-Underground-ecoming/dp /0762780738/

Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/steel-rainbow-jorda n-hart/1111322885?ean=978 0762780730

That's all for this special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading and hope these book recommendations are enjoyable. If you want a summary of all of my Back to the 80s Interviews posted thus far, please click on that link. Be sure you haven't missed any of them. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. If you're on Google+, you can find us there, too. Let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Quote of the day: "We believed that anything that was worth doing was worth overdoing." -Steven Tyler

+Bonus Quote of the day:
"When I die, sprinkle my ashes over the 80s." -David Lee Roth

This time that awesomeness is Albert Hammond. He is a British singer, songwriter and producer who had a hit of his own in the early-70s with "It Never Rains in Southern California" but is probably better known for the songs he has written for other artists. Among so many timeless classics, he has co-written such 80s hits as "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and "One Moment in Time". Hammond's achievements were officially rewarded in 2000, when he received the OBE (Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II in London and, in 2008, when he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Find out a little more about him and those 80s hits as we get on to some selections from my interview with Albert Hammond...

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a professional musician? When and how did you get your own start in the music industry?

Albert: I knew what I wanted to do in life when I was eight years old. In fact, I had the opportunity to make a recording and I did. And I still have that recording of which I will probably make it a part of my show in the future. Then in 1960, I won I rock and roll contest in Madrid, Spain. The first prize was a recording contract with RCA. I imagine you can call this the beginning of my professional career.

Q: Please discuss any of your personal musical influences and who molded and inspired the artist you have become.

Albert: I was inspired by many artists, such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones... But the main artist that inspired me from the very beginning is a guy by the name of Buddy Holly. Because it was Buddy in 1955, 1956 and in fact until the day he died, who I idolized and who I wanted to be like.

Q: When and how did you end up moving into a career of writing songs for other artists to perform? Do you prefer or excel more writing the lyrics or music? Is there a particular song that you wrote which really caused your career to take off?

Albert: I always wrote hoping that other artists would record and perform my songs. I like writing music and lyrics and I do both, but I think I excel more in the music than the lyrics. Even though I had quite a few hits before, "It Never Rains In Southern California" is probably the song I feel made my career take off as a singer, songwriter and producer.

Hammond co-wrote "It Never Rains In Southern California" with Mike Hazlewood which he recorded himself and released in 1972. It became a big radio hit and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. For that same album, Hammond and Hazlewood also wrote the song "The Air That I Breathe" which would become a hit when The Hollies covered it in 1974. Then in 1976, Hammond recorded and co-wrote the song "When I Need You" with Carole Bayer Sager. Leo Sayer would cover this song the following year and have a massive hit reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May of 1977. This was only the beginning of Hammond writing songs that would become big hits for other artists.

Q: You co-wrote the 1984 hit single "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" with Hal David. How did you hook up with David to write this song? Please take us back to when the song was written. What is the back story about how that song was conceived and written? What inspired it? How long did it take to write? Did you write it specifically for Iglesias and Nelson to sing?

Albert: I hooked up with Hal David in 1973 not thinking that I was going to write "To All the Girls I've Loved Before". We were just going to write an album for myself. It just so happened that "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" was written way back then. By the way, it took only an hour to write it and I always thought it was a hit. So when Julio [Iglesias] asked me to produce his record in 1983, I thought this song would be perfect for him. I sang the song to him with my guitar and told him it was a new song, he fell in love with it. But it was 11 years old by that time.

Julio Iglesias recorded "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" as a duet with Willie Nelson and released it in February of 1984. The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year and reached #1 on the Country chart in May. It was a breakthrough for Iglesias in the English language market and also Nelson's highest charting single on the pop charts. Here is the video from a live performance of "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson...

Q: You co-wrote the 1987 smash hit "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" with Diane Warren. Please take us back to when the song was written. What is the back story about how that song was conceived and written? I read that it was at least in part due to your personal feelings about finally getting to marry your long-time girlfriend.

Albert: The movie director [Michael Gottlieb] gave Diane and I a script for a movie he was doing called Mannequin. At the end of the movie, Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall's characters were getting married. I was also planning on marrying my long-time girlfriend, so Diane and I thought let's write a song about two people getting married. According to the script everyone was doing everything possible for them not to marry and my situation with my long-time girlfriend was so similar to the movie. That's how the song came about and I even used it at my own wedding.

"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" became a smash hit for Starship in 1987 and was featured in the film Mannequin. It went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April of 1987 and held the top spot for two weeks. Then later it would hold the top spot on the UK chart for four weeks. Here is the video for "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship...

Q: Did you write it specifically for Starship to perform? Did you ever have any feeling that this song might be as huge as it would be when you wrote it?

Albert: We didn't write it for Starship and I didn't know that the song was going to be such a big hit. That one was a bit of a surprise.

Q: What were your feelings when you heard the final recording of your song by Starship? What are your feelings regarding "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" today 25 years later?

Albert: It was actually very similar to the demo that Diane and I did. It feels great to know that the song is such a hit after 25 years.

Q: What can you tell us about Diane Warren and your experiences working with her?

Albert: She's a terrific songwriter, a great friend and a very talented person and someone that I admire greatly.

Q: You then teamed with Warren again when you co-wrote the 1988 hit "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" for Chicago. Any interesting facts or memories you can let us in on from creating this hit? Did you write this song specifically for Chicago?

Albert: Not really. Diane and I wrote for four or five years together. We wrote a lot of songs, some of them were hits; some of them could still be if someone decides to record them. Chicago was never on our minds when we wrote it.

Chicago would release "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" in May of 1988 from their Chicago 19 album featuring Bill Champlin on lead vocals. The ballad was another hit reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. Here is a video for "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" by Chicago...

Q: You went on to co-write the theme song for the 1988 Summer Olympics, "One Moment in Time", with John Bettis. How did it come about that you two were commissioned to write this amazingly inspirational song? Did you know before writing the song that it would definitely be used for the Olympics or was it chosen among other candidates?

Albert: Yes, John Bettis and I were commissioned to write the song for the Olympics. We didn't know if there were other candidates. John and I simply wrote the best song we could for that kind of a situation.

Q: Please take us back to when you wrote the song. What helped inspire the stirring lyrics and style? I read that Elvis Presley was influential? Did you know that it would be Whitney Houston who would perform your song ahead of time. If not, when and how was that decided?

Albert: As I said above, we wanted to write the best song and the artist in my mind was Elvis Presley (even though he was dead) as the person who I could hear sing and represent the U.S. in the Olympics. I didn't know it was Whitney who would sing it. I sent it off to Clive Davis and he made that decision.

"One Moment in Time" was recorded by Whitney Houston and she performed it live during the opening ceremonies for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea and then again at the opening of the 31^st Grammy Awards in February of 1989. Even though Hammond imagined Elvis singing it, I cannot envision anybody other than Whitney making it as majestic and special as it ended up being. It was used throughout the Olympics broadcasts and then released as a single in late August of 1988 becoming a worldwide hit. The incredibly inspirational record peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November and reached the top 5 in at least nine other countries. Here is the video for "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston...

Q: What were your feelings when you heard the final recording of your song by Houston? You had to be very proud hearing it used during the Olympics broadcast. What are your feelings regarding "One Moment In Time" today 24 years later?

Albert: When I heard the final recording, I had tears in my eyes. I am extremely proud of this song. I think it should be the Olympics song in every Olympics. It stands up there with my best songs not for just the 24 years it has been around but for the rest of my life and beyond.

Q: Were there any songs that you wrote during your career that never became hits that you felt should have or could have? If so, which songs and why?

Albert: There are certainly songs I've written that haven't found their home yet, but I'm sure they will in the future. I just can't remember any specifically right now.

Q: Is it difficult as a song-writer to relinquish your song to another artist who will undoubtedly take artistic liberties and/or put their own spin on you work?

Albert: No, not really difficult. I think artists should be allowed to take some liberties in songs to make them their own.

Q: What do you remember best about the decade of 80s music? What lasting impact do you feel music from the 80s has made (if any)?

Albert: Like in every decade, there are good songs and not so good songs. The 80s are no exception.

Q: Please tell us a little about where your music career has taken you since the 80s. How have your priorities or goals changed over the years? What are some of your proudest professional accomplishments?

Albert: My career has always flourished with time and I have been very fortunate in my life. My priorities and goals are still to be a good person and write classic songs. And the one thing I have learned is that music heals and I try to put that across to the world. One of my proudest professional accomplishments in my life is being inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

In addition to those already mentioned, the list of artists to record songs written by Albert Hammond is quite long and distinguished including: Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow, Joe Cocker, Dolly Parton, Celine Dion, Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Air Supply, Bonnie Tyler, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams, Jr., Agnetha Faltskog (of ABBA), Phil Everly, Bill Medley, k.d. lang and Johnny Cash among others. Hammond and Diane Warren also wrote the song "Don't Turn Around" which was originally recorded by Tina Turner, but then later became a UK hit for Aswad in 1988 and then a worldwide hit in 1994 for the Swedish pop group Ace of Base. He continues to write and record music. His son, Albert Hammond, Jr., is a successful solo musician and also a member of The Strokes.

Q: What else is Albert Hammond up to nowadays? Musically and otherwise? What can we expect in the future? Any remaining ambitions or regrets?

Albert: I still feel I haven't written my best song yet. Hopefully more great music and records to come. And I will always have dreams that I know will come true as long as I have the patience.

If he hasn't written his best song yet, then I can't wait to hear that one when he does! I am extremely honored that Albert was able to take some time to answer my questions so I could share them with you here. I always think it is especially cool to hear from those who wrote those memorable songs from my favorite decade. You can find out a lot more and keep up with him at his official website www.alberthammond.net . I want to take this opportunity to again thank Albert Hammond for his contributions to 80s pop culture especially through his songwriting and, even more, for going back to the 80s with us here for a little while as well.

That'll wrap up another special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading and hope you are enjoying the interviews as much as I am. If you want a summary of all of my Back to the 80s Interviews posted thus far, please click on that link. Be sure you haven't missed any of them. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Quote of the day: "Give me one moment in time
When I'm more than I thought I could be
When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away
And the answers are all up to me
Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will be free." - from "One Moment in Time" written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis

Before most of us ever heard of Motley Crue or Poison or Guns N' Roses, they were rocking it out on Hollywood's Sunset Strip in places like the Whisky or the Roxy or the Troubadour. By the 80s, among other things, the Sunset Strip became almost a subculture and the center of the glam rock and hair metal universe. And, at the end of the decade, Amy Asbury was there to witness it herself. She documented much of what was going on around her in journals for her school newspaper. Amy saved those journals and decided to share her experiences with us in her memoir, The Sunset Strip Diaries, which I recently had the chance to read.

As one might expect, I was attracted to her book to read her first-hand account of the music scene happening on the Strip during the late-80s when she was there. I wanted to read about Bret Michaels and Axl Rose and Tommy Lee and Riki Rachtman. The Sunset Strip Diaries gives you some of that as well as a personal recounting of the revelry, indulgence and debauchery that was so prolific with the rock and roll lifestyle at that time. Reading her book, you certainly get Asbury's unique perspective on the later years of the glam rock and hair metal era, but there's more. As the book's synopsis reads, "It is not just a fascinating look into an amusing time in pop culture, but also details the mindset of a young woman trying to find confidence and self-worth in a life full of pain and chaos."

The Sunset Strip Diaries describes the factors that led the author to seek refuge in the club scene on the Strip in West Hollywood. She does this in a very real, candid and sometimes intense manner which allows the reader to really connect on a personal level. Asbury takes you along on her thrilling, and sometimes chilling, journey to rediscover normal and, if you're like me, you cheer for her to find it. All the while, you get peppered with genuine stories about partying and rocking out on the Sunset Strip during the late-80s into the early-90s. If I had to pick one work to describe this book it would be "authentic". You get it all; the good and the bad whether you're ready or not. And it's difficult to put down because you want more stories and you want to find out what happens next and hope that everything is going to turn out alright. That's the best endorsement that I can give The Sunset Strip Diaries and its courageous author. [If you're ready to give it a read, you can scroll to the bottom for links to purchase the book now.]

Speaking of the author, I also had the opportunity for an interview with Amy Asbury, the author of The Sunset Strip Diaries. After reading her first book, I had so many questions for her. Her memoir chronicles some of the awesomeness of the 80s, so I say that (among other reasons) makes her pretty awesome herself. Here are some selections from my interview with Amy Asbury...

Q: Why did you decide to write The Sunset Strip Diaries? How long did it take to get it published? What reaction have you received since it has been published?

Amy: I had journals from my teen years in a box- when I was writing them back 20 years ago, I knew they would be a book one day. But as I matured, I thought, "These stories are too personal- I could never put them out to the world."  Then I got breast cancer three and a half years ago (at age 35) and, as they say, sometimes it takes thinking you are going to die to start living. After going through strong chemo, losing my hair and all of that, suddenly I thought, "What am I waiting for?" Nothing really scared me after that- I was more brave. I took out the journals and typed up the rest of the story while going through chemo. I thought, I could die and these stories would never be told. Who cares what people think? It didn't take long to get it published- it took about a year. The reaction I have had has been great. A lot of people absolutely love it and appreciate the honesty- but there are some people who think I was a total jerk in the book and they can't believe I behaved the way I did. I tell them, "You're right! I was a total jerk." I am not disagreeing! *laughs*

Q: Was it a painful experience or was it therapeutic and/or cathartic? Were you ever hesitant about sharing so much and letting people in at such a personal level? Did you ever consider not sharing so much personal experience and focus more on what was going on around you?

Amy: It was both painful and cathartic at the same time. I considered not sharing so much, but when you're doing a memoir, you have to go big or go home; you have to be honest about your life. Well, that's how I feel anyway. It's funny, I have heard the opposite also: That I was only talking about what was going on around me and not enough about how I felt about it (once I got to Hollywood). I guess people see it in different ways.

Q: Who do you feel will enjoy reading this book and why?

Amy: I think anyone who had a tough time being a teenager will like it, or anyone who wants to be entertained reading about a life completely different from theirs. And there is a certain part of the population who like the 80s hair bands- I did a lot of name dropping, so that should be fun for them.

Q: Give us a quick description of Hollywood and the Sunset Strip area during the late-80s and early-90s which is when most of your book takes place. It sounds like it was not only a rockin' excessively good time, but was also quite chaotic and even dangerous. This line seems to capture it for me, "things like that were just normal in that town".

Amy: Yes- a lot of very bizarre things happened every time I was there. It was a huge street party underneath the backlit marquees of the Hollywood clubs. Violent, colorful, glittery, aggressive, over the top. Eight by ten pieces of neon paper were stapled to every phone pole and littered the ground like huge chunks of confetti in hot pink, acid green, lemon yellow and bright turquoise blue. Fights were breaking out, people were making out, rock stars would wander by... It was a freak show combined with a rock video combined with a beauty pageant. I had never laid eyes on so many creative, extraordinary people doing so many strange and crazy things.

Q: Who were some of the biggest bands that 80s fans will recognize that you saw live back then and partied with? Any that you saw before they hit it big? Any bands you saw that you are surprised that never did make it big time that should have or could have?

Amy: I saw a lot of 80s band members randomly partying around town: the guys from Guns n Roses, Motley Crue (There is a crazy story about Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson in the sequel, Confetti Covered Quicksand), the guys in Poison- either my friends were dating them or I ran into them at The Rainbow. I saw the guys from Sugar Ray all over the place back then (they were called the Shrinky Dinx) and I partied a lot with Buckcherry, who were called Slamhound back then. As far as who should have made it big time: Swingin' Thing and Glamour Punks- both of who just played a reunion show at The Roxy this June, with another great band called Blackboard Jungle. And they still had it- they sounded awesome.

Q: Sounds like Riki Rachtman (and his girlfriend) were crucial in your infusion to the Strip. I remember him as he became a MTV personality (around 1990 I think) on Headbangers Ball. What can you tell us about Rachtman? Also, what were your feelings about Headbangers Ball back in the day?

Amy: He was a scene maker initially- the person who dictated what was cool and what wasn't, the person who led the flock, the host of the party. He reminds me of Steve Rubell from Studio 54, he was kind of handpicking a scene and making it into something big. I liked that he was bringing the rock scene, my scene, to MTV. I wasn't really too into Headbangers Ball though because it was too heavy for me; I think I was more about the party, a little fickle maybe.

Q: What was your preferred brand of hair spray? Aqua Net? How high would you get your hair back then?

Amy: You know what? I actually didn't have big hair! I had long straight hair- I was before my time! *laughs* I stopped the hairspray around age 14- but when I did use hairspray it was Aqua Net all the way, baby.

Q: It sounds like you had at least one Motley Crue poster on your wall growing up. Am I right? What other posters were on your wall back in the 80s?

Amy: Of course! Well let's see, I had a Ratt poster too, and my sister had tons of Poison, Cinderella and Bon Jovi posters- she had dibs on them so I couldn't put up their pictures! She used to make out with her life-size Bon Jovi poster.

Q: You obviously loved the hair bands back then (after you got over Wham! breaking up). Do you still like that same music today or music from the 80s in general?

Amy: I am not into the rock stuff anymore really- but I still love my general 80s music! All of it! Duran Duran, the Go-Go's, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, New Edition, Bruce Springsteen- I love all of those old songs. I even love the one hit wonders.

Q: You did a sequel to The Sunset Strip Diaries called Confetti Covered Quicksand. What can we expect from the sequel? Do we find out how you pull off becoming normal?

Amy: YES! You find out how I pull off becoming normal, but before you do, you hear even wilder stories than in The Sunset Strip Diaries. You go with me to the VIP rooms of the 90s L.A. clubs, you go with me to Aspen, the coke capital of the universe, and you listen to me name drop about twenty more 80s/90s stars' names (I am so obnoxious). It is a completely wild book, all true. It is also out on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com now.

Q: What's next for Amy Asbury? More novels? Will future work have any connections to 80s pop culture?

Amy: I am coming out with a book called Valley Girl: Childhood in the 80s, this September.

Here's a teaser blurb: Pop some pink bubblegum and turn up the boom box: It's time to visit the 1980s. Crazy cartoons, wacky food, crackhead-like candy and the most important decision of a pre-teen's life: new wave or heavy metal? Jelly shoes or checkerboard Vans?

Growing up in California's San Fernando Valley in the 80s was chock full of sunshine and skateboards, but author Amy Asbury takes us through the lesser known issues such as creepy pervs in cars and overly sultry sixth graders. Amongst these lively essays are the questions of 80s pop culture: Why did Simon LeBon's sexy stare work straight through the TV? Why did Cabbage Patch Kids start to run out of good names like Jennifer and start coming out with names like Bertha and Edna? Why did we love camel-toe inducing designer jeans? Why did the bass of "Billie Jean" make us stop in our tracks like a dog hearing a silent whistle? Why did a boy's entire social life depend solely on his kickball skills?

Read about fights with neighborhood kids, taking down bullies and trying to fit in with the cool chicks. Slumber party games, crushes, scary teachers, rivals, finding one's talent (double joints, rolling tongue or wonky eye tricks), looking at boobs in the Sears catalog and forays into capitalism by way of lopsided homemade carnivals and melty sno-cone stands.

Jump into the salty waves at Zuma beach, eat your 30-scooped zoo sundae at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor, and get yourself down to the Northridge mall: It's time to dive into the world of the Valley Girl.

Sounds like we'll be doing another review closer to when that new book releases! I can't wait for that one, but in the meantime you can read Amy's first two books. If you want more information on Amy and her books, be sure to visit her website www.sunsetstripdiaries.blogspot.com/ or if you are already convinced you want to order The Sunset Strip Diaries, then here are some direct links below that will allow you to do so at a very reasonable price. For the record, I have no direct affiliation with Amy Asbury other than our mutual admiration of 80s pop culture, but I was captivated with her memoir and wanted to be sure to share it with all of you. Hope you are inclined to support it, too.

Amazon Kindle: www.amazon.com/The-Sunset-Strip-Diar ies-ebook/dp/B004H1U3IW/

Amazon paperback: www.amazon.com/Sunset-Strip-Diaries- Amy-Asbury/dp/B004HLC6GY/

Barnes & Noble Nook: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sunset-strip-di aries-amy-asbury/10296700 37?ean=9780615439877

That's all for this special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Hope you are enjoying the book reviews.  Thanks as always for reading. If you want a summary of all of my Back to the 80s Interviews posted thus far, please click on that link. Be sure you haven't missed any of them. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. Let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Quote of the day: "Rock and Roll: Music for the neck downwards." -Keith Richards

Check this out: I came across this poster which I thought was perfect to share here since it pays tribute to all of the clubs and bands that made the Sunset Strip what it was in the 80s. Unfortunately, I could not find what artist to credit for this incredible piece of work. Either way, hope you enjoy it...