Smile, You're Traveling (Black Coffee Blues Part 3) | 
| Author: Henry Rollins
Publisher: 2.13.61
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $6.20
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Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 198184
Media: Paperback
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 1880985691
Dewey Decimal Number: 818.5403
EAN: 9781880985694
ASIN: 1880985691
Publication Date: October 2000
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Condition: 2.13.61; 2000; 0.66 x 9.01 x 6.01 Inches; Paperback; New with no dust jacket; Brand new book. Mint condition; 304 Pages
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Product Description
Henry Rollins's thought-provoking pieces about the life and times of a world-traveling entertainer are always intense and often humorous. In this book he chronicles a year spent rehearsing, recording, and touring for the Rollins Band's last-ever album, Come in and Burn, and shares travel stories from his trip around the world.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 Great Stories by great writer June 19, 2008
Gitti Menzer (Utah where else?)
A great addition to your library of Rollins books and if you do not have a library yet GET ONE!!!
 Short on prose, big on content. February 11, 2007
T. Barnes
Rollins could learn a few things from some English classes. He may be a weak writer technicaly, but he's strong on content and character. His words are not poetic or even well arranged, but the overall impact of his related experiences is quite profound and often moving. I find his lack of detail and poor sense of pacing to be frustrating, but he has the rare ability to make his stories your own as only an everyman can. "I listened to some of it and it was pretty great and he asked me if I would like to sing on a track. I heard this one track that was intense as hell and asked him if I could work out on that one." (12) "I got back here just tripping on the awesomeness of this day." (13) Rollins has produced a massive amount of work very similar to this. For that reason, he will forever remain an Alternative Icon and will probably never reach mainstream literary success. This shouldn't stop most readers from learning from his trials and tribulations. The world will always need a Rollins; A lonely man who chooses to relate to us his view of the world so that we may sharpen our own.
Henry doth whine too much! July 24, 2006
Nicole Miller (New York City)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Smile You're Traveling"(particularly the Appendix), and I love Rollins and his work, but I can't help but gripe a bit about what he has written here overall. Sometimes, especially towards the end of the Appendix as he details his trip to Bankok, Thailand, he just sounds like such a typical spoiled-rotten American CHILD! That's right, I said it: Rollins sounded just like a spoiled brat. It was more or less like, "Oh, Bankok is such a stinkhole! It's fascinating and all but I'm just bored and I want OUTTA here!! I wanna go see the next thing, I'm just so TIRED and BORED of seeing these pathetic people living in squalor! Next!" All Rollins does throughout the book is complain about the living conditions of the people in various poor countries, but not once has he even considered the possibility of using his popularity and influence to try and make at least a small difference. Which brings me to his snapping on Bono: Now I'm not a big fan of U2 either, but I do admire the extensive humanitarian work that Bono has done in Africa. Yet Bono is the favored target of Rollins' barbs, but what the hell is Rollins doing? At least Bono is doing something; all Rollins does is whine and COMPLAIN,COMPLAIN,COMPLAIN. What's up with that, Rollins?
And then there is the depression. When you read his journal entries about the extensive bouts with loneliness and depression, you just feel so bad for him, not only because he struggles so hard with these things, but because the answers he seeks on how to deal with it is right in front of him. It's like you just want to smack him one and then give him a big hug and tell him it's going to be alright, that is, with the help of a therapist or counselor. I'm serious. Another thing: the subject of wife and kids. Now, I actually agree for the most part about what Rollins says about being a loner, that you get more things done, that certain things take on such profound meaning when you and ONLY you are there to revel in said things. His experience in Madagascar, for one, under the moon and stars. Of course such instances wouldn't be the same if he were sharing that experience with someone else. It wouldn't have had the same impact. Now with that said, I find it rather striking how Rollins reiterates, over and over, how he will never ever ever bother with having a wife and/or kids. His reasons are flimsy at best. Not that I blame him overall, a spouse and kids are rather cumbersome, but still, here is my observation: if Rollins was SO adamant about that, he wouldn't feel the need to keep stressing it. You can't help but think to yourself, "Just who are you trying to convince, Henry?"
All in all, it's a good book. It has the unique effect of putting you in this man's head and seeing the world through his eyes. I would highly recommend it to someone who's ever thought about ditching his/her job to do what he/she really wants to do in life, or at the very least, to someone who is seriously considering(or planning)extensive world travel, as I am. I actually hope to meet Rollins someday; perhaps we may cross paths while I'm on my own travels.
Reality Check August 16, 2003
David (Northern Illinois, United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In his third installment of the Black Coffee Blues series (Black Coffee Blues and Do I come here Often?) Our favorite American boy (Henry Rollins) uses frequent flyer miles to visit Africa after his stay in England to see a reunited Black Sabbath.
"I WAS A SPAZ" quotes Rollins.
His journal entries on the serenity of Africa will make you envision what he saw on his journey.
His use of language to describe everything is excellent.
A must have series for anyone that has an intellect.Simply amazing.
That One Observation July 3, 2003
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I am beginning to wonder if a fan of Henry Rollins can give an objective review of his work. Like Rollins himself, his fans seem to portray an intensity that leaves them blind to their idol. I learned quite a bit by reading this book. I learned that Rollins plagues me. It isn't the volumes of contradictions and ridiculousness that bother me. It is that one stinging observation, the one that makes me stop and realize his vision and clarity, that makes me insane. Many times while reading this book I found myself wanting to drive to LA, find Rollins, grab his shoulders and shake him. I wanted more, yet I couldn't take it. I finished this book rather quickly, and I have been contemplating since then whether or not to start another of his books. As it is, I sit and watch VH-1 countdowns and say to the television, "where is Rollins' commentary?". I check his website like a silly obsessed groupie. I don't know that I can call this an enjoyable book. It is tolerable, at best. And anyone who thinks about reading it should make sure they are ready to commit to the long haul. Henry Rollins has a way of attaching himself to your synapses, leaving you not knowing if you love or hate him.
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