James Greene Jr., “This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story of the Misfits” (Scarecrow Press, 2013)

New Jersey. Home to Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Yo La Tango. . .and the Misfits, a hardcore metal horror rock band from Lodi. In This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story of the Misfits (Scarecrow Press, 2013), James Greene Jr. let’s us in on the career of the band and of the various people who have claimed membership within it. The focus, of course, is on the “classic” Walk Among Us version of the band consisting of Jerry Only (the member with the longest tenure in the band), his brother Doyle, Arthur Googy and, arguably the most famous member, Glenn Danzig. Greene’s story highlights the ongoing personal conflicts within the Misfits, conflicts that broke-up some versions of the band only to create new ones. Along the way, Danzig becomes a certified rock star with his eponymously-named band, Danzig, Jerry and Doyle continue on with the Misfits until a rift sends Doyle out of the band, with Jerry continuing on to this day with the Misfits band, music, and (significantly) iconography.

James Greene Jr. is a freelance writer who has contribure to Crawdaddy!, Splitsider, and Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, among others. He is a graduate of the University of Central Florida.

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