All I Ever Wanted

A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir

By: Kathy Valentine

Narrated by: Kathy Valentine

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

At 21, Kathy Valentine was at the Whisky in Los Angeles when she met a guitarist from a fledgling band called the Go-Go's - and the band needed a bassist. The Go-Go's became the first multi-platinum-selling, all-female band to play instruments themselves, write their own songs, and have a number one album. Their debut, Beauty and the Beat, spent six weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 and featured the hit songs "We Got the Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed". The record's success brought the pressures of a relentless workload and schedule culminating in a wild, hazy, substance-fueled tour that took the band from the club circuit to arenas, where fans, promoters, and crew were more than ready to keep the party going.

For Valentine, the band's success was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream - but it's only part of her story. All I Ever Wanted traces the path that took her from her childhood in Texas - where she all but raised herself - to the height of rock n' roll stardom, devastation after the collapse of the band that had come to define her, and the quest to regain her sense of self after its end. Valentine also speaks candidly about the lasting effects of parental betrayal, abortion, rape, and her struggles with drugs and alcohol - and the music that saved her every step of the way. Populated with vivid portraits of Valentine's interactions during the 1980s with musicians and actors from the Police and Rod Stewart to John Belushi and Rob Lowe, All I Ever Wanted is a deeply personal reflection on a life spent in music.

©2020 Kathy Valentine (P)2020 Hachette Original

Enjoyable listen, with music interludes

Well written, easy to follow, but we seem shortchanged at the end. After AA rehab, we are rushed through an ending that includes Another break-up of the band, a dismissal, assorted adventures, a marriage and child rearing...a paragraph of words. Would read/listen to Part 2, which is given a short shrift

Absolutely enjoyed Kathy's story

Arriving in L.A. in 1982 in my 20s, I loved hearing about the many L.A. clubs and places Kathy highlighted, the rise and fall of this iconic L.A. based band who I got to see perform many times, and the reunion tours they all needed to have in their later years to remember the great legacy of music they left for all to enjoy! Also liked the songs she wrote and performed at the end of several chapters. I know she has another book of stories in her to share even more personal band members experiences!

Amazing

Loved it!. Filled in many blanks of the story of Kathy and the Go Go's .

The message I received is...JUST KEEP GOING!

Thanks Kathy.

Great story and storyteller

I most enjoyed ‘All I Ever Wanted’ as an audio book. With the writer vocalizing the story, I get a much more in-depth feel for it. This is the second Go-Go’s-related book I got into. Kathy does a great job telling her story. It’s interesting to learn about each individual’s band mates perspective. I love the rise and she started playing, writing and performing. Well done.

A cut above

I was expecting a stereotypical rock memoir but this was much better than that. Telling some of the events in both prose and song was very effective. Valentines narration is a bit understated but effective. I didn’t come away completely understanding why a group of people with such success would sabotage it repeatedly, but I did feel like I got a fascinating look at a very creative, vulnerable, and resilient person.

She’s Got The Beat

I love reading and listening to true stories, especially when narrated by the author. They bring deeper emotions to the story. Some of the things she went through are just heartbreaking. I learned things about songs and performers I grew up listening to but didn’t know.

Honest and Heartfelt

I loved Kathy’s bravery to be so honest about her successes, her failures, her thoughts, her emotions, and her childhood. I was also impressed with the quality of her writing. I really enjoyed this story as an audiobook since it included her music throughout.

Good read!

Everyone has a story and Kathy’s is interesting. I really enjoyed it! Especially if you love music and have been around musicians.

My Favorite GoGo!

I was 16 years old when my best friends brother snuck us in to see X at The Whiskey in LA. The punk scene was in full throttle and everybody kept talking about this all girl punk band that was there to see LAs favorite, X! Three weeks later we went to the masque to see The Go-Go’s. A few months later we snuck in again to see The Go-Go’s at the whiskey with their new bass player and I was immediately smitten. She was a fucking rocker and I had a crush!
When the Go-Go’s first album came out I was stunned and surprised by its pop slant but was still enamored by the energy that surrounded this band. You could just tell something special was happening.
Last November I traveled to Cleveland to see the go-gos get inducted with one of my other favorite bands the Foo Fighters. While in Cleveland I heard about Kathy’s book and bought it right away. I have been reading it and listening to it for the last month and finished it tonight. One of my favorite quotes is “the journey is better than inn”. Kathy Valentine’s journey as laid out in this book is extraordinary and her storytelling, writing and voice make you feel like you are there experiencing every detail. I am going to buy this book for all of my friends and especially for my daughters. I loved Kathy Valentine before this book… I cherish her now! Thank you for telling your story Kathy!

Great Ride!

Kathy Valentine was always my favorite Go-Go. She was/is sexy and snarly and has fantastic bass lines that really made a signature Go-Gos sound. While I didn't follow them like I did other bands, I always respected them and as an adult, appreciate them so much more. I'm jealous my brother got to see them on tour in the early 00's with B52's and sad I missed them before they amicably broke up to end it on top after the Rock Hall induction.

I love a good Rock and Roll bio and All I Ever Wanted doesn't disappoint. It's a great ride and a view of an interesting time in both American and music history. The internet has made the Rock and Roll experience fade. Some parts are hard to read and sometimes I wonder how a lot of these people survived. Kathy Valentine doesn't glamorize the experience of the excess -- she tells the story in a matter-of-fact way. This is a woman that learned from every experience. She's honest about her trial and error recovery process. Survival and Victory with some great musical interludes make this such an interesting listen!