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Too Late To Stop Now

More Rock’n’Roll War Stories

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Too Late To Stop Now

By: Allan Jones
Narrated by: Matt Bates
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Bloomsbury presents Too Late To Stop Now by Allan Jones, read by Matt Bates.

More than 40 stories from the glory days of rock’n’roll, featuring Lou Reed, Elton John, Sting and The Clash.

Allan Jones brings stories – many previously unpublished – from the golden days of music reporting. Long nights of booze, drugs and unguarded conversations which include anecdotes, experiences and extravagant behaviour.

- A band's aftershow party in San Francisco being gatecrashed by cocaine-hungry Hells Angels
- Chrissie Hynde on how rock'n'roll killed The Pretenders
- What happened when Nick Lowe and 20 of his mates flew off to Texas to join the Confederate Air Force
- John Cale on his dark alliance with Lou Reed

Allan Jones remembers a world that once was – one of dark excess and excitement, outrageous deeds and extraordinary talent, featuring legends at both the beginnings and ends of their careers.©2023 Allan Jones (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Entertainment & Celebrities History & Criticism Music San Francisco
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Critic reviews

Music fans looking for more vintage fare will enjoy Too Late To Stop Now.
The old-school drinking and industrial drug abuse remain, as does the author's decisive indiscretion... many of the chapters unfold at greater length, leaving room for more nuanced reflection on the consequences of all the excessive ribaldry... But mostly, there is comedy... It's ridiculous fun.
This unputdownable book ... is rammed with finely recounted anecdotes. This is a first-class Rolls Royce Phantom of a book. (Paul Davies)
That the book’s subtitle is More Rock’N’Roll War Stories speaks volumes. Because if you want blood, Allan Jones has got it.
Jones turns it up to 11 with his latest collection. These are captivating and absolutely delightful tales of rock’s wonder and power.
There's unexpected music in Jones's sentences. (Genesis reminded him "less of a rock band than the bell-bottomed equivalent of the school chess team on an outing to an owl sanctuary.") Also unexpected: the disclosure that concludes Too Late to Stop Now. It's 2021, and Jones is invited to tag along on one last gig but realizes that, although "[f]orty-five years ago... I would have jumped on the bus without a second thought," he would prefer to go home to his memories. How lucky for rock diehards that he shares those memories here.
[Jones] knows when to joyfully exploit a glib moment and when to relent to the darkness, like when he goes into extensive detail with Chrissie Hynde about the tragic collapse of the original Pretenders. And there are times when he dead centers the bullseye while taking the measure of his subject. [... If you are looking for a book that gives] a real sense of what real rock and roll was like on either side of the Punk detonation, then look no further. (Joe Silva)
Seldom has a rock ’n’ roll memoir been so falling-down funny. Jones doesn’t sit there politely with his notebook and write down the same rote publicist-approved quotes. He waits until they’re completely sloshed, without inhibitions, and then the truth comes out. (Jim Motavalli)
[The book’s best pieces] combine Jones’ intimate interactions with his interview subjects over time with the sodden interviews recounting them to create insightful portraits of individuals and informed histories of their bands. (Charles Caramello)
All stars
Most relevant
Loved the characters in this book and also in "Can't stand up for falling down". it was a fascinating era for RocknRoll with fantastic musicians, their brilliant and innovative bands and extraordinary characters. Alcohol and drug taking is a major theme for this book and I guess linked heavily with that world at the time. The end does leave you with a sense of loss of this era and of the myriad of characters from it. This book doesn't ridicules the characters (and the author) as much as the first book, but rather also his admiration and weaknesses of the great characters he examines. So much the better I feel. The story and the chacters are narrated brilliantly. A great listen and very much enjoyable.

Fascinating view of inside the world of rocknroll

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I was there, still there, still here, always will be as the encores call again and again.........excellent

Memories

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well written ,comical and engaging.must read for any music fan
.the narrator does a brilliant job with the accents bringing the famous characters to life

great stories from the world of music

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I discovered Allan Jones with his last book, catch stand up for falling down . Both this, and that will keep you amused and talking for days.

The greatest rock story teller ever

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