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Talking Smack: Honest Conversations about Drugs by [Andrew McMillen]

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Andrew McMillen

Talking Smack: Honest Conversations about Drugs Kindle Edition

by Andrew McMillen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Of all the creative industries, the most distinct link between drug use and creativity lies within music. The two elements seem to be intertwined, inseparable; that mythical phrase “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” has been bandied about with a wink and a grin for decades. In this fascinating book, journalist Andrew McMillen talks with Australian musicians about their thoughts on—and experiences with—illicit, prescription, and legal drugs. Through a series of in-depth and intimate interviews, he tells the stories of those who have bitten into the forbidden fruit and avoided choking. By having conversations about something that’s rarely discussed in public, and much less often dealt with honestly, McMillen explores the truths and realities of a contentious topic that isn’t going away. Talking Smack is a timely, thought-provoking must-read that takes readers inside the highs and lows of some of our most successful and creative musicians.

Length: 272 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Language: English

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Product description

About the Author

Andrew McMillen is a freelance journalist based in Brisbane, Australia. His work has been published in numerous places, including the "Australian," "BuzzFeed," and "Rolling Sto"ne.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN : B00LKBSZDW
Publisher : University of Queensland Press (1 August 2014)
Language : English
File size : 14261 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 272 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 457,932 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 260 in Music History & Criticism (Kindle Store)
- 311 in Substance Abuse
- 637 in Popular Culture

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18 ratings

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Top reviews from Australia

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Simone

Really boring

Reviewed in Australia on 22 March 2021

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I had high expectations for this book but it was utterly boring. It starts off well with Steve Kilbey and there are a few good chapters but I skipped many. It needn't have been that way except for the author who seems self-absorbed with his own superficial observations. He comes across as a private school boy who has not had much to do with drugs, even dropping into conversation that he'd only just experienced his first hallucinogen on the weekend and then casting judgement - in writing- that one of his subjects drove his car after the interview and a few drinks! But he's now uber cool because he wrote a book about musician's experiences with drugs. Zzzzzzz.

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Lisa Mack

Confronting but a great read, stories presented really well

Reviewed in Australia on 18 August 2014

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Confronting but a great read , stories presented really well.

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Miss Christina L Ongley

A book that shifts the drug conversation

Reviewed in Australia on 27 November 2014

Depending on your viewpoint on drugs, Talking Smack doesn't always make for comfortable reading - recounting tales such as the steady spiral downwards for artists including The Church's Steve Kilbey and Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson. But it does contain many interesting viewpoints, not just from author Andrew McMillen but also from the articulate musicians he has interviewed. Some of the most interesting perspectives are from people such as Wally de Backer (Gotye) and Tina Arena, who care a great deal about what they put into their bodies and drugs don't happen to fit with the way they choose to live. And there are those in between, who believe it is possible to take drugs and not become addicted; to still be upstanding, contributing, responsible members of society who happen to use drugs occasionally. Whatever you come away from this book thinking, McMillen will almost certainly have achieved his purpose of trying to shift the conversation about drugs slightly and encouraging a more balanced discussion on the issue.

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Stuart

Good concept, great book. Quality of writing sets this above the pack.

Reviewed in Australia on 15 October 2014

I am a fan of Australian music, as well as someone who encourages a sensible public dialogue around drug use, so I was always going to enjoy Talking Smack.

Yet despite my anticipation, "Talking Smack: Honest Conversations About Drugs" managed to exceed my expectations.

It was the writing that allowed the book to surpass my expectations. Andrew McMillen's writing style was very crisp, clear and readable. The 14 musicians were given their own chapters, with McMillen writing a mini-biography of the artist's career, as viewed through the lens of their drug-taking.

I liked the sense of place that McMillen conveyed in the pieces. He spoke to each of the musicians face-to-face, and the environmental conditions of that meeting shines through in the writing. I could imagine what Steve Kilbey's flat was like, and what Brisbane was like on the Anzac Day when he talked to Jon Toogood. McMillen also tastefully intertwined his personal stories of drug-taking with the artists', allowing himself to come into the picture when it supported, or contrasted with the views of the artist.

Talking Smack comes highly recommended.

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Sarah Elks

but it doesn't unnecessarily demonise it

Reviewed in Australia on 29 December 2014

This is young Brisbane writer Andrew McMillen's first book. He interviewed 14 Australian musicians about drugs - whether they use drugs, why, their substances of choice, their experiences. The book doesn't glorify drug use, but it doesn't unnecessarily demonise it, either. As someone who is completely straight-edge and naive about these things, it's fascinating to read about something so foreign. Plus, the musicians - Paul Kelly, Gotye/Wally De Backer, Holly Throsby, Phil Jamieson, Tina Arena etc - really open up about their lives, and that's rewarding in itself. Highly recommended.

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Scott Mercer

Fantastic, compelling from cover to cover

Reviewed in Australia on 28 September 2015

A refreshingly frank, non-judgemental look at drug use in the Australian music scene. So many different stories ranging from the mild to the harrowing. Who would have thought that in a collection of interviews ranging from the decades-long heroin habits of Paul Kelly and Steve Kilbey to the depressing everyman alcohol dependency of Jake Stone, it would be perky Tina Arena who steals the show with her digressions about eating healthy? Fantastic, compelling from cover to cover.

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Thom Cutler

Honest and thought-provoking

Reviewed in Australia on 3 December 2014

Andrew McMillen has a knack for getting his subjects to talk openly about their experiences. I loved the way "Talking Smack" took no particular line about drugs. It doesn't glorify them -- far from it. But it doesn't treat them as an off-limits topic either. If everybody was as adult as this on the subject of drugs, our "debate" would be in a far better place. If you think you already have an opinion about drugs, read this book. Even if it doesn't change your opinions, it will improve them -- it will give them substance and nuance.

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Nigel

Highly recommended

Reviewed in Australia on 17 February 2015

This is a great read and one I enjoyed more than I expected. McMillen has interviewed a diverse bunch of musicians whose stories all help to shine a refreshingly honest light on drug use. And you don't need to be familiar with all of the interviewees to engage with their stories. McMillen's own candour regarding his personal drug experiences also add a great deal to the appeal of this book. His writing is articulate and intelligent and he's done a great job in discussing a contentious issue.

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francis c

great execution and has it sense of humour intact

Reviewed in the United States on 30 January 2015

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honest writing on a difficult subject...great execution and has it sense of humour intact...

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