Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top by Joey Kramer, William Patrick (With), Keith Garde (With), Nikki Sixx (Foreword by)

From the Publisher

"I'd played my drums in front of eighty thousand screaming fans and passed out in my own puke. I'd toured in private jets, rode in limos, and had just about any girl, at any time, for any thing. I also lived in rat-infested, shithole apartments, got caught in a burning car where I sustained third-degree burns all over my body, racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, and watched my father die a slow, agonizing death. But I had never felt anything like this depression that brought me to Steps. . . . This time, there was only me and my pain, and I didn't see any way out." —from the Introduction

In 1997, amid Aerosmith's sold-out world tour and number one album release, word about Joey’s troubles was reported in the press. Despite the advice he had received to play it down, Joey revealed in an interview his ongoing struggles with depression. The response from fans and people battling those same internal demons was overwhelming. Joey—who has been the drummer in Aerosmith since it was founded in 1970 and is the first member of the band to release his own book—now tells the complete story: the early days of the band, glamorous drug-addled events leading up to their eventual sobriety, battles within his family and among bandmates, and the explosive internal dynamics in Aerosmith that continue to unleash a fury of endless creativity.

This is not just another rock 'n' roll memoir. In addition to the never-before-told Aerosmith war stories that abound in the book, Hit Hard unpacks the history of a rock star who was both fragile and tough, who after years of insane wildness became willing to accept help and finally kick a seriousalcohol and drug addiction, only to find that the real terrors and hard work were still ahead. It's the story of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. It's about years of depression and the nervous breakdown at the height of the band's comeback success. Ultimately, Hit Hard is about how Joey recognized his confusion between love and abuse, awakening to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that make relationships possible in the "real world" as a member of the biggest band in American history.

Publishers Weekly

Being a rock star in the music business oftentimes is not all it's cracked up to be, as Aerosmith drummer Kramer aptly shares in his memoir. Much of the story centers on his drug and alcohol abuse, and his love/hate relationship with his father, his wife and bandmember Steven Tyler. He delves sporadically into the discovery of his own musicianship and creation of his sound, but the main theme is recovery-as an addict and again as a sober but emotionally unhealed man who suffers a nervous breakdown: "I felt like someone was peeling back my skin, ripping off scar tissue." Having been with Aerosmith since its inception and naming the band himself, Kramer recounts climbing to the top of the musical ladder, the fall from grace and virtual disappearance of the band to the climb back up, but this is not an autobiography of the band. It's a sideman taking front and center. If "sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll' is what you want, it's what you'll get in these photo-laden pages. Although the tale is a predictable one, Kramer's style is honest, straightforward and pulls no punches. (July)

Jim Collins - Library Journal

The story of Kramer, drummer of the legendary rock band Aerosmith, follows the familiar rock star trajectory of childhood musical talent, struggling early years, a stratospheric rise to fame, spiraling drug addiction, and the inevitable comeback and sobriety in middle age. Kramer's tale is somewhat distinctive in that during Aerosmith's resurgent years, he fell into a deep depression. Kramer focuses on his personal life—a difficult relationship with his father, dealing with fame and riches, and the near breakdown that he suffered in the late 1990s. Using the language of therapy and recovery, he writes about the "gift of desperation" that eventually led to healing and happiness and his wish to share his story with others who might be suffering from similar issues. VERDICT Readers hoping for a more comprehensive discussion of Aerosmith's songs, albums, and concerts may want to start with Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith, but devoted fans of the band will certainly want to read Kramer's book, as he is the first member to publish his own memoir (lead singer Steven Tyler's is scheduled for this fall).—Jim Collins, Morristown-Morris Twp. P.L., NJ

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