Poisoned Heart

June 1, 2009
With an over-reliance on exclamation and cliché, but a proper dose of attitude, King pulls back the curtain on her life with Dee Dee Ramone (1951-2002), founding bassist of the first punk rock band and "the baddest and loudest boy in the room." Born Douglas Colvin, King's Dee Dee is a creature of extremes: obsessed with violence, he spent years collecting knives and martial arts weapons, but also made love to King up to five times a day. Married to Dee Dee from 1978 to 1995, King's adoring account doesn't gloss over the physical and mental abuse she suffered-including the night Dee Dee almost beat her to death-or her husband's multiple drug overdoses (the only episode she does sugarcoat is his ill-conceived foray into rap). She also shares her own struggle with brain cancer, but her focus is on the mayhem, much of which is amusing and highly opinionated; she portrays late guitarist Johnny Ramone as a tyrant and producer Phil Spector as a psychopath. Unfortunately, this quick read misses the opportunity to put the Ramones' significant body of work into greater context. Though her narrative can be compelling, King's amateur style may be too DIY even for Ramones fans. 24 color photos.

May 27, 2009
King's saccharine account of life with her ex-husband Dee Dee Ramone reveals the softer side of the bassist so commonly portrayed as a drug-addicted, hyperactive punk. But her depiction of the marriage feels unbalanced: she lavishes attention on their romantic excursions but glosses over an incident in which Dee Dee beat her in a hotel room. Still, there must be some truth in King's book-the Associated Press reported in April that Ramone's estate is suing to block its release and the juicy bits about Ramone's switchblade obsession and demonic possession while on tour are undeniably compelling. Verdict Only the most diehard Ramones fans will want to read this. Dee Dee's fans are better off reading his own somewhat scattered memoir, Lobotomy.-Robert Morast, Fargo, ND

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2009
If the Ramones offstage and family lives have been underreported, partial redress arrives with Kings heartfelt memoir of life with now-deceased bassist Dee Dee Ramone, n' Douglas Colvin, the bands most prolific songwriter. Given the Ramones seminal role in the recasting of rock that punk effected, any primary source materials treating what their world was like is to be appreciated. Kings testimony, though not particularly introspective, is a fine, matter-of-fact account of the kids from Queens as they persevered to find eventual fame, if not the fortune that youd think might accrue to a band so esteemed in retrospect. Dee Dees and Veras relationship wasnt entirely blissful, either, and in her blow-by-blow commentary on it, she remarks on the notoriously explosive relations between the band members only in passing. John bullied everyone, she says, confirming one major dynamic in the bands life, and thats the main line on the groups mercurial leader. On the other hand, she delves into the details of baby-naming and pet-acquisition with Dee Dee. For Ramonesters and punksters, a must.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)