Legs McNeil

Legs McNeil is an American music journalist and author best known for co-founding Punk magazine in 1975 and popularizing the term "punk" to describe the emerging music genre and cultural movement. McNeil's most influential work is the 1996 book "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk," co-authored with Gillian McCain, which documented the early American punk scene through first-hand accounts and interviews. The book became a defining historical record of punk rock's origins and development in New York City during the 1970s. McNeil's writing career has included contributions to various music publications, including Spin and Vice. His other notable works include "I Slept with Joey Ramone" (2009), co-written with Mickey Leigh, and "The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry" (2005). Through his journalism and books, McNeil has established himself as a primary chronicler of American counterculture, particularly focusing on the intersection of music, art, and social movements of the late 20th century. His oral history approach to documentation has influenced subsequent music journalists and historians.

Readers consistently praise McNeil's oral history style in "Please Kill Me," noting how the raw, unfiltered interviews capture punk's chaos and energy. Many appreciate the book's chronological flow and first-hand perspectives from key figures in the scene. What readers liked: - Direct quotes create an immersive experience - Reveals unknown details about punk's origins - Maintains neutrality while presenting multiple viewpoints - Effective organization of complex historical material What readers disliked: - Some find the interview format repetitive - Occasional confusion about who's speaking - Focus primarily on New York scene - Claims of selective editing to fit certain narratives Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.2/5 from 24,000+ ratings Amazon: 4.7/5 from 1,200+ reviews "The Other Hollywood" receives lower scores (3.8/5 on Goodreads) with readers citing excessive length and scattered narrative structure. One reviewer noted: "McNeil lets the scenes unfold through real voices rather than trying to analyze everything to death." Another wrote: "The format perfectly matches the DIY ethos of punk itself."

Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk (1996) A compilation of first-hand accounts documenting the emergence and evolution of punk rock, featuring interviews with musicians, artists, and scene figures from the 1960s-1970s.

The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry (2005) An oral history of the American pornography industry from the 1970s through the 1990s, told through interviews with performers, directors, and industry figures.

I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir (2009) A biography of Joey Ramone co-written with Mickey Leigh, Joey's brother, detailing the Ramones frontman's life and career through personal memories and accounts.

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose (2014) A compilation of diary entries from a teenage girl named Mary Rose, edited by McNeil and Gillian McCain, chronicling her struggles with cystic fibrosis and addiction.

Jim Carroll documented the 1970s New York punk and art scene through his autobiographical works, including "The Basketball Diaries." His raw accounts of addiction, street life, and the underground music world parallel McNeil's oral histories.

Victor Bockris wrote biographical accounts of Lou Reed, Andy Warhol, and other figures from the New York underground culture of the 1960s-80s. His interview-based approach to documenting counterculture resembles McNeil's methodology.

Caroline Coon covered the British punk movement as a journalist and wrote "1988: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion." Her firsthand documentation of punk's emergence in London provides a UK counterpart to McNeil's American punk histories.

Jon Savage authored "England's Dreaming," chronicling punk rock through interviews and primary sources. His work focuses on the social and cultural context of punk, similar to McNeil's examination of the movement's origins.

Brendan Mullen chronicled the Los Angeles punk scene through oral histories in "We Got the Neutron Bomb." His documentation of West Coast punk culture complements McNeil's focus on the East Coast scene.