Under the Radar, Spring 2013 and#147;In the colorful and often highly amusing anecdotes recounting his years as a musician, Jourgensen covers his time with Ministry and Revolting Cocks in high-flying detail.and#8221;
Revolver, June/July 2013
and#147;A tale of outlandish debauchery and mayhemand#133;Like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas crossed with The Dirt, itand#8217;s both insanely compelling and compellingly insane.and#8221;
Texas Monthly, July 2013
and#147;Jourgensen [is] poised to forever raise the bar on tales of rock star excess with a new memoir, Ministryand#133;The book offers a laundry list of degenerate behavior and near-death experiences. But where most rock and roll biographies and memoirs end in the subjectand#8217;s demise or redemption, the arc of this one is a lot murkier.and#8221;
Examiner.com, 7/1/13
and#147;One neednand#8217;t be intimately familiar with Ministryand#8217;s musical mayhem to enjoy Ministryand#133;Entertaining, enlighteningand#151;even inspirationaland#133;A riotously revealing retrospective that cements Jourgensenand#8217;s place in the modern rock lexicon while chronicling the decades-long descent into drug addiction that nearly cost the Ministry maverick his life.and#8221;
RollingStone.com, 7/8/13
and#147;Few musicians have indulged in the sex, drugs and rock and roll lifestyle with such death-defying fervorand#151;and over such a long period of timeand#151;as longtime Ministry leader Al Jourgensen. Now, his tale is on display for the whole world to readand#133;A roller-coaster read. In addition to going behind the scenes for the creation of such industrial-metal classics as The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste and Psalm 69, Jourgensen dishes dirt on many renowned names whom he's crossed paths with throughout his career.and#8221;
MTV Hive, 7/10/13
and#147;Just open the book and throw your finger on any given page, and youand#8217;re liable to hit a sentence that makes you thank god you lived long enough on this planet to read something this batshit crazyand#133;The most entertaining rock memoir Iand#8217;ve ever read.and#8221;
Loudwire.com, 7/11/13
and#147;The and#145;back-asswardsand#8217; life of Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen has finally been documented with incredible detail.and#8221;
USA Today (website), 7/8/13
and#147;When it comes to sex, drugs and rock and roll, you just can't have too much of them, at least if you're reading about it. To live that lifestyle, a long one, is quite a feat, one that begs for a memoir, Ministry, in stores now.and#8221;
Examiner.com, 7/6/13
and#147;[An] unflinching account of his life and careerand#133;For someone who has lived his life as an open book, free of pretense and with complete apathy as to others' opinions of him, Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen still manages to surpriseand#133;Ministry's lone constant member tells it like he sees it with all the gory details dripping throughoutand#133;No stone unturned and no vein left untapped, Jourgensen recites events of a life lived (and ended a few times) to its unconscionable excesses in a funny, wildly entertaining, and gleefully repulsive memoir.and#8221;
Blogcritics.org, 7/9/13
and#147;A rock and roll tale that is dirtier than that of Motley Crueand#8217;s The Dirtand#133;Open and honestand#133;Fans of Ministry will undoubtedly snap this right up.and#8221;
The Front Row Report, 7/9/13
and#147;[He] doesnand#8217;t hold back one bitand#133;Jourgensen digs down into the deepest, darkest crevices of his memory and presents us with a very blunt, honest and revealing trip through his life and careerand#133;The epitomic picture of the life of a rocker and artist and Jourgensen at his best. Any Ministry or metal fan will be captivated for hours and hoursand#133;and anyone who isnand#8217;t familiar with Ministry or Jourgensen will find everything they need to know in this book.and#8221;
Ave Noctum, 7/8/13
and#147;A compelling readand#133;Al is amusing and wry throughout and this is a real warts and all tale that has a jaw dropping fact or story on virtually every pageand#133;Even if you are not a fan of the music this is still a compulsive readand#133;This really is not far off from the sort of biographical great American novels told by the likes of them, Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowskiand#133;An absolute gem and a real treat of a book.and#8221;
Caught in the Carousel, 7/10/13
and#147;What Ministry brings to light is Aland#8217;s sense of humor and his rollicking way of spinning a yarn. In other words, the guyand#8217;s hilariousand#151;and Ministry provides a brilliant, dark comedic take on the very stuff that inspired Ministryand#8217;s greatest albumsand#133;Aland#8217;s book reads like a more accessible version of Burroughsand#8217; Junkie, Naked Lunch, and the and#145;Nova Trilogyand#8217;and#133;His deadpan humor and smart philosophical and political insights (heand#8217;s one of the most politically aware and truly progressive musicians on the planet) save the book from being a downerand#133;Aland#8217;s Ministry is so good that youand#8217;ll just have to read it for yourself to have your side split and your thoughts provoked. Just go out and grab a copy!and#8221;
The National (United Arab Emirates), 7/6/13
and#147;Ministry is charming and offputting all at onceand#133;Proof, if more was needed, that being a rock star, like playing professional contact sports, takes a permanent toll on its most dedicated practitioners.and#8221;
TheGauntlet.com, 7/19/13
and#147;The book is both riveting and horrifying at the same timeand#133;No gory detail is left out as Al recounts the debauchery and extreme drug use that fueled his life. What sets Al's autobiography apart from others is he admits to every last bit of the shocking tragedy almost as if it were his final confession to a priest and he was trying to sneak into Heaven. Nobody said rock n' roll wasn't ugly.and#8221;
Dallas Observer, 7/16/13
and#147;[A] harrowing tale of drugs, sex and, of course, rock 'n' roll, inspired by the artist who influenced a generation of musical pioneers like Nine Inch Nails to take metal to the next level.and#8221;
and#147;Rock Star Radio Show,and#8221; KCLB Radio (Palm Springs, CA), 7/18/13
and#147;One of the best music based pieces of literature, or any literature, that I have set my eyes on. Read the book. Youand#8217;re going to love it.and#8221;
Intravenous Magazine (UK), 7/3/13
and#147;A warts and all picture of life as one of the godfathers of the industrial rock sceneand#133;Where memoirs like Marilyn Manson's Long Hard Road Out Of Hell and Mand#246;tley Crand#252;e's The Dirt pull their punches and gloss over the more graphic scenes, Jourgensen goes into heavy and often uncomfortable detailand#133;Compulsive reading. Jourgensen is a great storyteller and the sheer insanity of his stories will no doubt keep people turning the pages. It is definitely up there with the likes of Iggy Pop's I Need More, Mand#246;tley Crand#252;e's The Dirt and even William Burroughs' Junkie.and#8221;
The Weeklings, 7/20/13
and#147;The most over-the-top, full-on decadent, absolute gonzo rock and roll biography ever.and#8221;
GenerationGBooks, 7/14/13
and#147;Iand#8217;ve said for many years now that I would find it difficult to find a music biography that would top Motley Crueand#8217;s and#160;The Dirt. Consider it done.and#8221;
Billboard.com, 8/6/13
and#147;[A] frank and revealing tome.and#8221;
HollywoodReporter.com, 8/16/13
and#147;The man who refers to himself as and#145;Alienand#160;Jourgensenand#8217; is a really funny guy and this comes out in his recently released autobiographyand#133;Heand#8217;s a danger-level genius and whatever his demons may be, or may have been, he remains wonderfully entertaining as everand#133;His book has the makings of a great biopic.and#8221;
Record Collector, September 2013
and#147;An intelligent take on the filthy rock underbellyand#133;[It] pulls no punchesand#133;A brilliant read.and#8221;
MediaMikes.com, 8/19/13
and#147;Take[s] you on a roller coaster ride of sex, drugs, drugs and even more drugs mixed with a sprinkling of rock and rolland#133;This is not your typical tell all memoir as Al Jourgensen gives you that and then someand#133;The book consisted of stories that were so far out there that they had to be true due to the fact that it would be hard for someone to make up some of these experiences and, be able tell them with the in-depth conviction Jourgensen does. The book keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you want more.and#8221;
South China Morning Post, 8/18/13
and#147;You'll care if you're at all interested in first-hand encounters with a who's who of pop culture.and#8221;
Curled Up with a Good Book, 8/29/2013
and#147;It is a stark retelling of the musician's life, and no rock is left unturnedand#133;You will be appalled, shocked and disturbed, but you won't put this down until the last page.and#8221;
New Noise, 8/29/2013
and#147;Horrific and nauseatingly awesome.and#8221;
BackstageAxxess.com, 8/25/13
and#147;Al takes us on an exciting journey through his career in the music industry as he truly tells it all; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Jourgensenand#8217;s tale is funny, frightening, and oftentimes disturbing as he offers frank accounts of the business side of the industry, his wild life on the road, and his personal battles with drug and alcohol abuseand#133;You donand#8217;t have to be a Ministry fan to enjoy this bookand#133;A very interesting read.and#8221;
Classic Rock (UK), October 2013
and#147;[A] roaringly entertaining read.and#8221;
HeavyMetalICU.com, 9/13/13
and#147;Al gives you all of the sleaze you could hope for and more in this harshly real bookand#133;they should pass this book out to kids instead of a and#145;D.A.R.E.and#8217; pamphlet or and#145;Just Say Noand#8217; crapand#133;The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen is ANOTHER homerun from the publishers Da Capo Press. They are becoming by far my favorite publishers of all books music! Too many of these autobiographies are nothing more than cash grabs filled with major errors, flawed editing and worse, itand#8217;s great to see a publisher care as much about the reader as it does about their own wallets.and#8221;
Side-Line, 9/16/13
and#147;An absolutely must-have for the fans of Ministry.and#8221;
Phoenix New Times, 9/23/13
and#147;Any page you open up to ensures entertainment.and#8221;
CaughtintheCarousel.com, 9/20/13
and#147;Quite simply one of the best rock autobiographies ever written.and#8221;
Washington Times, 9/5/13
and#147;In the book, Jourgensen is brutally honest regarding his drug-fueled lifestyle, one that would make even Keith Richards cringe. His tale is as much shocking as it is cautionary.and#8221;
HighWireDaze.com, 10/5/13
and#147;Al Jourgensenand#8217;s story is a testament to the strangeness and beauty of the universe as well as an example of the human condition.and#8221;
John Shelton Ivany Top 21, Issue 432
and#147;A memoir both ugly and captivating, revealing Al Jourgensen as a man who lived a hard life his own way without making compromises.and#8221;
WomanAroundTown.com, 10/26/13
and#147;Not for the faint of heartand#133;The producer/songwriter/ vocalist and guitarist tells his story unflinchingly; this may be difficult for more sensitive readers to stomach, but it is pure Al Jourgensen.and#8221;
Chicago Sun-Times, 12/26/2013
and#147;Itand#8217;s almost impossible to believe this is a work of non-fiction. As Jourgensenand#8217;s first official biography, the Ministry singerand#8217;s torrid life is recapped in colorful and uncensored anecdotes of Timothy Leary experiments, near-death experiences, FBI raids and alien encounters, many of which are set against the background of Chicago in the glory days of the Wax Trax! industrial machine.and#8221;
BookNews.com, December 2013
and#147;A unique memoirand#133;Uncompromising gritty, sometimes brutaland#151;this is an unflinching self-portrait of a and#145;cranky and roughand#8217; individual, full of anecdotes of drug abuse and touring life and meetings with iconic individuals like William S. Burroughs and Timothy Learyand#133;Jourgensen's health battles, political involvement, personal rants, it's all here.and#8221;
Eternal Terror, 10/29/14
and#147;One hell of an interesting biography that beautifully captures and chronicles the turbulent, chaotic, and downright insane life of Ministry mainman Al Jourgensenand#133;Some of it makes that Motley Crue biography entitled The Dirt look like a Sunday picnicand#133;Hauntingly dark and strangely uplifting at the same timeand#133;Excellent.and#8221;
The high-octane, no-holds-barred memoir by the legendary godfather of industrial music and Ministry founder Al Jourgensen