Hit Hard audiobook

Joey Kramer's book is all about him - surprise surprise, right? It's an autobiography, of course it's about him! But it's about his struggles through life, it's not just a name-dropping, I'm a kick-ass rock star type of book. Joey Kramer tells you everything. He tells you about frequently crying like a baby as a grown man, he tells you about shitting his pants because he was so strung out, he tells you about the guilt he feels for missing out on his son's childhood because of drugs. He shoulders some of the blame for his marriage ending, instead of pushing it off onto his ex-wife, who wouldn't be able to defend herself. One of the most emotional parts was when he went to see his abusive father, who was wasting away from Alzheimer's. "His face was like a mask. The disease had taken everything, even his ability to smile or talk. This big strong guy, this soldier who had stormed the beaches at Normandy to fight the Nazis was now helpless, stiff and hunched over, his muscles wasted away from not being used. It broke my heart, and I thought, This is the raging monster who had terrorized me when I was growing up?"Throughout the book, Joey delves deeply into the complicated relationship with his dad, even sharing the letter he wrote after his father's death, forgiving him. I won't lie - I bawled uncontrollably during those sections. My heart went out to Joey for what he went through with his father, but then I was so proud and inspired that he forgave his dad.Joey's battle with depression is very common, but it's always hard to believe that other people know how you're feeling. "...this depression was just one big hole, and I was right at the edge, looking down into the darkness, and the darkness had a gravitational pull all its own. I didn't want to go down there, and yet I couldn't pull away."The book is about Aerosmith too, of course - he is the drummer. But it's not bragging about what he had, lost, and got back. It's about trying to define himself in another way: "'Who are you, Joey Kramer? Who are you without Aerosmith?' I was forty-five years old, and it was time for me to have an answer."It's not a self-help book, but there are a lot of nuggets of advice in there that I had to make note of. Here are a couple:+ "I was learning to recognize that the minute I assumed something about what someone else was thinking or feeling about me and I got into defending against that assumption, not only was I giving life to a committee of enemies in my head, but I was the 'chairman' of that committee. Maybe most important, I began to hear the concept that we are not what other people feel about us or think about us."+ "...that okay feeling has to be independent of how others might try to make me feel. ... The trick for me is having the right kind of boundaries - knowing which feelings belong to me and which are yours."Disclaimer: Yes, I love Joey Kramer. But I'm not biased - I hate musicians that complain they never ever wanted to be famous, that they just wanted to play music - even when all they wrote about in their journals was how to book more shows, how to get in with this agent, how to get more public exposure (coughKurtCobaincough). I hate celebrities who use their fame to bring attention to themselves for any little thing, as a soapbox to force their views on the public. It's easy to read a review from someone who is biased and think it's all bullshit. And true, maybe you wouldn't like this book, and maybe you think Aerosmith is a shitty, money-grubbing band. That's fine. But this is an honest story, and a powerful one, and it's clear to see the point of the book is not to make Joey look cool. I know he made money from signing the book deal, writing the manuscript, and from each copy sold. But I honestly think that he wanted to get his story out there. "You don't have to be a rock star to crash and burn. The details of our stories may be different, but as humans, our pain is the same. ... I tried to convey a story that - while uniquely mine - is so relatable that it serves to deliver a universal message of hope and the process of healing." And that's refreshing to hear from any celebrity.

A really good book about Aerosmith's longtime drummer. This book provides a look into depression and abuse. Aerosmith fans will be fascinated by Kramer's relationship with Steven Tyler. It's obvious Joey Kramer idolizes the singer, and yet sometimes Tyler is the reason for most of his problems. I think this is a must read book for Aerosmith fans.

For the casual or die-hard Aerosmith fan alike. Joey goes deeper than most autobiographies I've read with his drug use, personal problems and childhood. Most of these books tend to gloss over it in a chapter or two to lay the groundwork for why they acted the way they did. In this one he's constantly learning and re-learning how to deal with these pressures and his life to this point. I enjoyed it!

I hear the percussion differently nowI've been an Aerosmith fan since the seventies but have only recently begun to learn about the band as the human beings they are. Joey shares stories of his own life as well as a lot of band history. As an interesting side effect, I catch myself listening to old favorites differently now and can pick up subtleties in the percussion sounds. Great book!

Joey dug deep. Standing in the shadows of the Toxic Twins for 50+ years hasn't been easy and Joey is forthright and cut wide open throughout this read. Yeah, tales of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll are present, but it's the tales of his childhood and his fight to reclaim his sanity in an insane industry that turns these pages.

Joey Kramer is the man!I love Aerosmith and I knew they had a rough go but this book was a very insightful look at the hardships Joey Kramer went through to crawl back to the top of his game. An excellent read for anyone who was in need of finding themselves and recovering from pain.

Joey Kramer's book is an interesting account of his years growing up with his abusive dad, who he loved until the end. Even in Aerosmith, he didn't gain the friendship of Joe Perry early on and found the other guys to be hypocritical of their insistence that he go to rehab later. But Steven Tyler did help make him a better drummer and with the others, they made great music. A good read.

I wish a 3.5 star rating were possible here. Anyway. Very good book. Makes me wish I remembered Steven Tyler and Joe Perry's autobiographies better. Heavy on the therapy, mental abuse and dysfunction. Still, good stories, some insight into the band. I could do without 70% of the pictures because they’re almost all just him. Interestingly.

I read this book after reading Steven and Joe’s autobiographies, both of which provided more band history. By reading Joey’s book last, I had a greater appreciation for the lens through which he views controversial figures such as Tim Collins. This book is so personal and raw.

R&R lifestyleJoey does not hold back in his life story. I enjoyed learning more about the man and his band, a story full of adventures that he has experienced and he comes out a better man.

GrestThis is a veryRaw and real look into the world of depression. I felt like he described the disease and it's symptoms as I felt them perfectly. I wish he went into more detail on what therapy sessions were like.

Only the drummer of Aerosmith, but has a great story to tell that is honest, insightful, and fucken rock and roll.

tell-all story of the drumer of Aerosmith(I can only wonder how did the other band members receive it :D )

I enjoyed how real this book was. He made a real effort to make this book relatable and you can realy tell he is hoping you learn from his mistakes. I did however hate the horrible font changes .

Loved it!!! Def shines a light on addiction and mental health!!!

First I read Joe Perry's book, then I read Steven Tyler's book. I am finishing my Aerosmith series with Joey Kramer's side of the story. I really loved hearing the perspective of one of the "lesser three". Joey is a guy who loves to play drums and has lived in the shadows of the front men and his demons of life. I really appreciated his honesty with his mental health battles. He seems like he's lived, learned and become a more humble man as the years have gone by. The three books obviously told three different stories. I'm not sure who had it right. One thing is for sure, it is nothing short of a miracle that I got to see Aerosmith perform live in 2014. It's incredible all five have lived this long considering all the drugs and addictions that have held them down. I am so glad that after all the fighting and differences they can continue to come together and keep all of us fans entertained.

As the drummer for Aerosmith Joey Kramer has done things and met people most of us never will. He has made a lot of money and felt the overwhelming adoration of thousands of people at one time. He has been lauded for his musical ability and loved as a son, brother, father, husband and band mate. But because he is human, none of this shields him from a bone-crushing depression and wondering what life is all about.Hit Hard is Kramer’s life story from an abusive upbringing in the Bronx, to the drug-fueled early years of Aerosmith’s success through their downfall and resurgence sober for the first time. Kramer lays bare all his travails, not in a way that asks for sympathy, merely saying this is what happened, why it happened and how it helped keep his life screwed up for so long.Hit Hard pulls no punches in telling Kramer’s story and does an excellent job of illustrating how we mess each other up with our behavior but with hard work and help you can change your circumstances.