An interesting look at one of the best and most influential of the 80s era punk bands, Bad Religion. Highly Recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review, "Do What You Want". I had a really hard time getting into this. I really enjoy Bad Religion as a band but this book was just okay. It left a lot to be desired,

I’ve enjoyed Bad Religion’s music for quite sometime! I thought it was very interesting a while back reading NOFX’s autobiography and since then have been on the hunt for other bands books to capture the same amazing feeling. This book did not let down! If you’re looking for an awesome journey with an awesome band then pick up this book immediately. It will NOT disappoint. Bad Religion is just one of those bands that are worth getting to know behind the scenes. This book is honor of their 40th anniversary. Go ahead and celebrate with them!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I always like to look behind the scenes and find out the stories behind real people, but I felt like this book was extremely slow and not that interesting, especially as the band is a punk band. I wanted more livliness.

I first saw Bad Religion in concert in the late 1990s. It may have been at the Warped Tour in 1998, or maybe even before that, I don't remember. I have seen them a few times, most recently as an opening act for the Offspring.

I didn't know any of their story, I just liked their music.

as a fan of Bad Religion, I found the book a bit dry overall. Especially for a band with such a story to tell, it seemed to spread a long history out too far in spots, while glossing over interesting eras.

I'm sure with 4-5 strong personalities in the band, a solid history was difficult, but I hoped for better. Does not stand against other recent music bios.

One of my favorite punk bands !!! Very informative overall. For those interested in early Punk rock this is a must read. It tackles the early years and goes to present day. How the band got together and all the ups and downs that go with it. Addictions to fights and band break ups make for a fantastic read ! The only con is too few pictures.

This is a great and all-encompassing look at the legendary band Bad Religion. There are tons of little tidbits that devoted fans will devour. Highly recommend!

This is the perfect read for any Bad Religion fan. Chronically the band's 40 year career this book starts at their creation and goes up to pretty much present day. It takes an approach that is a little different from other rock memoirs I've read by dealing with only the band, and the elements of the members lives that relate directly to the band's story. An example of this is explaining Greg's commitment to his education, and how that impacted their decision on when to tour. The book also doesn't shy away from the negative facts, clashes in personality, drug and alcohol addiction, and music that didn't live up to standards, and expectations. It is all covered - the good and bad of Bad Religion. It's fascinating to see how much they have been able to accomplish through the years, as well as their connections to other punk bands, and influence. It would have been nice to have comments from Greg Hetson in addition to everyone else, but not much can be done if someone isn't interested in being part of the project. I think the author does a good job including him, and how import he was to the band through the years. The only complaint I have is that I wish it would have included some images. With 40 years of history it would have been really nice to see images of band through the years, and performance or life of the road shots to go with the storytelling. Ultimately, Do What You Want is a fun, and enlightening read for any Bad Religion fan.

This book captures an amazing moment in time in the LA punk rock scene. It's great continuation of the punk scene that John Doe documents in his recent books..

Joe Strummer, Sid Vicious, Joey Ramone, Brett Geurwitz, Greg Graffin

These are just a few undisputed names of people who made the face of punk as it is today. No one can deny the impact that Bad Religion has had on the music scene since the late 80s. Do What You Want follows the many members of Bad Religion throughout the decades cataloguing their work on an impressive resume of work. Jim Ruland has done a great job at making you understand the grind and determination that got Bad Religion to their status. There were many time where a lesser band would have thrown in the towel, but Bad Religion weathered the twists and turns. It's amazing that they are still relevant to music today.

I literally wouldn't be the person that I am today if Bad Religion didn't exist. While I've always been a only casual fan, but their influence has been strong on the music that shaped my beliefs, my personality, my memories and my life since I was a teen. Jim Ruland has clearly and undoubtedly highlighted that legacy. As he says, their album Suffer was "a record that would mark a seismic shift in the punk rock landscape whose aftershocks can still be felt today."

For as much as I enjoyed the story of Bad Religion, Do What You Want was lacking for me. The writing style felt a little dumbed down. Bad Religion is an intelligent band, but this book was missing that part of them. I know it wasn't written by Greg Graffin or anything, but it felt like it was written by an outsider far removed from their circle. I didn't get the personality of any of the members even when they were talking about their toughest moments. It was missing that spark of passion.

Parts of Do What You Want felt like reading a Wikipedia entry. It was so focused on listing who knew who or who played with who that we missing the real stories and gems. It seems like the band has always had a weird and interesting dynamic, but this book didn't make me feel like I know what it's like to be in Bad Religion. Maybe I'm asking too much of it, but when I compare it to other bios I've read recently, there is a personal touch missing.

Despite that I did enjoy Do What You Want. I would only recommend it for a fan who already has some love of the band though. Someone who wasn't invested in the band may not find it as captivating.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ive been a fan of Bad Religion since high school so I probably am not a good unbiased source but I really enjoyed the insights into the band. They're one of those bands that is so on point that its easy to forget they existed years before Id even heard of them.

Its a fantastic read about a much beloved band.

The ultimate chronicle of the seminal punk band. An in-depth look at their formation and storied career, from the perspective of the band. Might get a little tedious towards the end, for those who aren't super fans, but this is the definitive word on Bad Religion. From the relationships to the addictions to the creative process to the fans. Even already knowing as much as I did about the band, I learned so much more. Fantastic rock bio.

This is the story of the band Bad Religion. It was well written, maybe just not for me. They were the precursors to the Punk Rock movement, so there are many interesting facts.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It is a thorough book at one of the most important rock bands of all time. All band members with the exception of Greg Hetson contribute to the book.

The thing I was most impressed with is how even the book is. All albums in the bands 40 year existence are given equal time with new details being provided on the songs, the recording process, where band members were at the time and the bands opinion on the album.

The book does a great job getting across Bad Religion’s importance to punk rock and their influence on Punk Rocks mid 90’s popularity (often falsely credited to Nirvana). The book also does a great job showing Greg Gaffin’s work ethic, Brett Guirewitz’s numerous contributions and how important both members are as songwriters. The book gives a great insight into how popular the band is overseas and how hard the band has worked to maintain that.

I have read many biographies and this is one of the most balanced I have read. The band members do not hold back in talking about their addictions, their problems with other band members or the bands career choices. Again, every album is mentioned, this is very rare as most biographies highlight albums the band is passionate about and gloss over others

There are many new facts brought to light in this book. What matter what part of Bad Religions careers you are interested in I feel you will be satisfied with how it is covered in this book.

The author covers tours, band members other interests, albums and b-sides in and exciting way the weaves into the career of Bad Religion and what was going on in their personal lives at the time
If you have ever been a fan of Bad Religion I highly recommend you read this book. It has me re-listening to all their albums and I now understand the contributions and know the names of all their band members through the years. Highest recommendation in punk rock books, highly recommended in rock biographies

As a big fan of Bad Religion, way back in my elementary school days, this was an awesome book. I'd suggest it for fans of the pan, or those who are really invested in learning more about punk's history.

Bad Religon is one of the godfathers of the Warped punk generation and often overlooked. As a book though the band's history is pretty tame. This isn't The Dirt of punk rock, NOFX already did that. It's a good history of the band, but a pretty boring read that won't be very entertaining for the casual fan or outsider.

I was a punk kid in the 90s and my friends and I listened to Bad Religion but as I grew older and less angry I wasn't as big of a fan, although I do keep a few songs on my nostalgia rotation. This book was a thorough retelling of the band's journey from the middle class wasteland of Southern California through drug addiction and ego battles up to their most recent release. While thorough, it was told with a definite veneer of "all this was totally cool and happening almost as if we planned it." At times I was trying to decide if I was reading a biography or a love letter to the band. Sometimes they break down their lyrics for us knuckle draggers and explain how we didn't really get what they were saying and that's why this or that song didn't work at the time and that seemed condescending. It's a good read if you are a fan of the band, but don't expect a balanced truly introspective look at their career.

This book does a great job of profiling the personalities involved and the band and the times surrounded them as matured from a high school punk bank to one of the leaders of American punk rock.