Rock & Roll, Sex, And Fools …The Slow Fade to Black of Mr. Joe Kool Jack written by Paul Bibbins is a novel that is exactly what the catchy title suggests. It’s all about rock & roll, sex, and the foolishness of Joe Kool Jack and how he completely manages (through a series of rash decisions and situational variables out of his control) to fuck himself out of millions…literally and figuratively.
In the broad scope, Rock & Roll is actually a history of how the musical genre came to be and changed America…with the assistance of Joe Kool, a guitar player kicked out of his house at eighteen. It takes you through the metamorphosis of rhythm and blues being played by the likes of Chuck Berry to Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley, who is discovered and refined by Joe.
In fact, all of the big shakers and movers of rock & roll were assisted by Joe: Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, The Beatles…he even engineered Mr. Spock!
It also touches on the free love and hippie revolution. Copious amounts of sex for Joe (which made the book borderline erotica, I think), many acid trips and lots of weed. All of those, however, played into just how Joe managed to accomplish everything he insists he did…he even saved The Monterey Pop which later gave way to Woodstock.
Other than some clunky dialogue, Rock & Roll was an interesting tale told through the eyes of a narcissistic man who’s had one too many tabs of LSD. It slipped in a history lesson without you really knowing and tied in several of the racial elements experienced during the 50’s and 60’s.
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