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  • The Storyteller

  • Tales of Life and Music
  • By: Dave Grohl
  • Narrated by: Dave Grohl
  • Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (8,813 ratings)

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The Storyteller

By: Dave Grohl
Narrated by: Dave Grohl
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Summary

Read by Dave Grohl. Features excerpts from five never-before-heard demos performed by Dave Grohl and an original story exclusive to The Storyteller audiobook.

So, I’ve written a book.

Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities (‘It’s a piece of cake! Just do four hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!’), I have decided to tell these stories just as I have always done, in my own voice. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I’ve recorded and can’t wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child.

This certainly doesn’t mean that I’m quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it’s like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.
©2021 Dave Grohl (P)2021 Simon & Schuster UK
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Critic reviews

'Thoroughly entertaining... His tone remains unwavering: good-natured, self-deprecating and eternally positive. He reads as if he’s bouncing on the spot. It’s impossible not to be won over by him… With the flair of a natural raconteur, Grohl broadly makes the job of a rock superstar out to be tremendous fun… Sometimes the good guys do win.' (Paul Rees)
'His incredible memoir is packed with extraordinary anecdotes about Nirvana, Iggy Pop, and even Sir Paul McCartney. Oh my, what a wonderful read this is – the man has lived a million lives.' (Natasha Harding)
'For anyone interested in how a hyperactive misfit from Virginia became a third of Nirvana and went on to become a stadium-filling star with his own Foo Fighters, The Storyteller lives up to its billing... Those years spent crammed into vans, living off fumes and the kindness of female mud wrestlers are some of the most vivid here. The camaraderie and sudden violence of the international punk ecosystem is beautifully evoked... Grohl is a lively and thoughtful writer.' (Kitty Empire)
'Just strap yourself in for smooth, well-told tales by a man for whom "dumb luck seems to be my speciality".' (Tony Clayton-Lea)
'Dave Grohl has plenty of tales of musical obsession, dizzying highs and dreadful lows. But more than the music, this memoir is an ode to family, both biological and chosen... A warm, funny and natural storyteller, Grohl spins a fine yarn, self-deprecating and pinging from subject to subject before circling back to his original point.' (Emma Johnston)
'He writes brilliantly and candidly about the runaway train that was Nirvana, and watching Kurt Cobain fading away before his eyes on the set of the "Come As You Are" video. Most like Bruce Springsteen's autobiography in terms of its author's honesty, drive and self-deprecating humour, Grohl's inherent constancy and resilience comes across on every page.' (Tom Doyle)

What listeners say about The Storyteller

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You Are Not Dave

I have finished listening to THE BOOK.

Forgive me my friends and family; I shall now stay in my dark - padded, silent, upholstered by the softest velvet - corner, rocking forever.

My dark corner will have the state of the art coffee machine - sorry, Dave, I am a coffee snob -, an endless supply of thought provoking podcasts and audio books, more coffee and endless videos and books on Dave.

I will stay there because… one simply cannot go back to normal life after such a force of life

My husband will, from now on, forever be called: You Are Not Dave.

I absolutely loved it. I laughed and cried and had goosebumps many, many times throughout the book.

Ah, Dave. Thank you. I too was a misfit, and I too am not Dave.

Thank you.

Aaahhhhhhhhhhh! What a book!

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73 people found this helpful

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In his own words

The energy of the book really telegraphs Dave's spirit. Sad, exhilarating, bittersweet, schmaltzy, triumphant and funny by turns. He's a talented narrator and this is an engaging listen. Great job 🤘

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16 people found this helpful

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Dave Grohl is god

Great stories told by an absolute master, so amazing to hear stories of the back stage from a legend of rock

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Thanks Dave

That was one of the best audio books I have listened to. Thanks Dave

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A fabulously humble tale of a truly amazing life

This collection of stories, compiled and narrated by the great man himself, is a wonderful tale of a truly remarkable life told with exceptional humility and humanity. It's clear to see how the struggles of his early life have kept him (mostly) grounded as he's grown, and the genuine awe with which he speaks of his musical heroes both alive and dead is inspiring. His kindness and unconditional love for his family is wonderful to hear, interspersed with astonishing stories of chance meetings and lucky breaks.

A really great listen, recommended to any fan of music even if you're not a fan of Dave Grohl's particular genre.

Listen to the book, then head to YouTube and check out his performances with his eldest daughter, Violet. The future of the music industry is in safe hands, and one day soon we will be queuing at the doors of arenas to watch her perform, I'm sure of it. Maybe Harper will be there too, beating the drums in her father's footsteps.

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Epic Stories

Brilliantly naratored no mention of Glastonbury unless there's going to be another book? But Dave Group just sounds like the nicest man/father...absolutely loved this one

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Almost great story

Dave Grohl's life story is overall a very good listen. The audiobook is massively improved by the author taking the time and effort to read the book, which he does with sincerity and warmth. His life story up to the early years of the Foo Fighters (1998) is riveting. Grohl had incredible determination and passion for music, and took many risks on his lifelong journey to success and happiness, which is reflected in the retelling of his life story up to the late Nineties. But the last section, over the last 25 years where he and his band became the most famous rock stars/band in the world - badly lets down the rest of the book. Far too much name dropping - the "dinner with AC/DC and Paul McCartney" stories are actually quite grating and smug- and constantly talking about how great and smart his kids are gets irritating. Yes we get it Dave, you love them very much and you're proud of them.

He has of course reached a stage in life where he has achieved everything that would make most men happy - very successful, happy family life, loved and respected by millions, a huge number of friends, and still only in his early fifties - and that is also reflected in the lack of exciting or inspiring stories in the 2000-2021 years of his life. Save for one of course - his 2015 leg break in Gothenburg - told early on in the book, in excruciating detail. Strangely he doesn't mention the breakdown of his first marriage, or Courtney Love, at all - both uncomfortable subjects but addressing them would have made the book more rounded than the last, long and drawn out, happily ever after section.

Overall, a very good and worthy read - but could have been a classic.

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Moving, witty and very well written

Although I’ve always loved Nirvana I have never been a great foo fighters fan, however, after seeing Dave on the Graham Norton show I decided to give it a go. This not the usual rock and roll tale of excess and wild living ( although there’s a bit of that). It’s a very well written collection of personal stories which give a real insight into his love of music family and friends. It details the amazing experiences, incredible hard work, luck, coincidences and sacrifices that have made him one of the most respected musicians on the planet. At times laugh out loud funny at times moving but always totally entertaining. I loved it

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What an insight into Dave's full life.

I definitely loved Nirvana but not as much as my Fav bands. I never connected with the Foo Fighters. I don't read biographies either. But I loved listening to how a young lad with a passion and an engaged adult (his Mum) both encouraged Dave to follow his gut and learn from others. What an amazing and unconventional early adult time with of course Nirvana, but other bands that I knew nothing about. I enjoyed, although not as much about how he transitioned into a rock legend with the Foo Fighters and balanced a semi conventional live. Maybe we love Dave because he's still got a regular guy part of him and isn't afraid to share that.

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Brilliant

Dave is great story teller the great construction and I was could believe when he said he struggled for years with the his first band and second band can't he did not give up and go home what strong man he, and still remains nice and kind to people

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