Ι was eagerly waiting for Jay Jay’s book not in order to get more info on Twisted Sister’s artistic side but mainly to learn more details regarding the business matters of the band and the rough years in between 1973-1982 where Twisted Sister busted their asses without securing a recording contract. So, what I wanted to see upon purchasing the book was more things about the Twisted Sister brand…and this is exactly what I got with “Twisted Business”.
For starters, I want to underline the first thing that you notice when you read the book: you feel like you are in the middle of an audience and you are part of an interactive experience between the author/speaker and his readers/attendees. It’s well-written in such a way that even the seemingly boring details of a business endeavor are described in a very enjoyable way. Jay Jay points out that he personally handled all the business matters of Twisted Sister. And I can vouch for that…you know why? Back in 2005 and 2006 when Twisted Sister was about to perform in Greece for the very first time, Jay Jay called me on my cell phone and wanted to know even the slightest detail regarding the upcoming shows. He was the one who took care of the interviews and the schedules and he didn’t fail to deliver as he was right on time every single day!
“Twisted Business” is both an autobiography (albeit not the typical one) and a motivational book. This means that we get to learn a few things about Jay Jay’s childhood years and his family situation but also how he managed to overcome all those endless obstacles and become one of the most successful artists in the music business. Definite highlights are those intriguing details of the club years, the rough situation after Twisted Sister’s demise, the honest truth about the turbulent relationship among the band members and the emotional excerpt regarding the untimely death of AJ Pero.
All in all, “Twisted Business” falls in between two worlds or more specifically two sides of the same coin: the art and the business. Jay Jay French is adequately equipped on both aspects…plus, he’s a great narrator which doesn’t suck, right? Highly recommended!
