What readers are saying
Jake Brennan is writing from a crossroads- the junction of music and crime. One road leads to the Elysian Fields, the other, to the Underworld. Some of these magicians have been down both.
―T Bone Burnett, Oscar and Grammy winning musician and producer
Through his gritty and powerful stories, Brennan breathes new life into the music and musicians we've known all our lives.
Mix the true crime mythology of rock 'n' roll with a dash of transgressive fiction, then add 10 cc of adrenaline and twice that in anabolic steroids. Employing due caution, enter Jake Brennan's brain as translated in Disgraceland to observe the dark results--Elvis locked in unholy union with the parasitic Colonel Tom Parker, why Jerry Lee Lewis was called the Killer, Altamont. Axl Rose. Chuck Berry. And, of course, the truly twisted Phil Spector. It all works brilliantly because Jake genuinely loves rock 'n' roll just as much as he enjoys indulging his imagination and wickedly stylish sense of humor.
―Dennis McNally, author of A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead
Following on from the addictive podcast, this book is an absolute treasure trove of fascinating fun facts, salacious gossip, hilarious anecdotes and sober reflections on the darker corners of human behavior and art. I devoured it, and it left me wanting more."
This book is a real page turner.
Brennan’s unique blend of humor and horror generates very entertaining stories about some of the most shocking crimes committed by various icons of rock, pop and punk music.
This account is sure to fascinate music fans and crime lovers.
Brennan has carved himself a fascinating niche, telling engaging, bloody, and occasionally uproarious stories of true crime from the annals of rock 'n roll. There's no shortage of epic material, and Brennan is a skilled storyteller.
A fantastic retelling of their stories based on facts injected with the author's stylized interpretation. Readers open to a bit of fact-based fiction about the bad behaviour of pop-music iconswill enjoy the book.
Disgraceland was a podcast and then became a book. It’s a must-read.
Disgraceland compiles some of the best (or worst, depending on your perspective) stories from the music industry’s seedy underbelly.”