Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost by Erin OsmonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I knew little of Molina's music, but I was interested in his story since I'm also from Northern Ohio. Osmon's book is well written and provides a clear enough portrait of Molina, but he remains somewhat mysterious at the end. Although his music was never "commercial" it certainly inspired many other artists who went on to greater success. The final part of the book covering his descent into alcoholism is horrific and really sad, an all too familiar story of addiction. I only wish there had been more context on his relationship to the music scene of the 1990s and 2000s: Was Molina merely a regional phenomenon? Was he part of some larger folk revival? Or an iconoclast showing a new generation of musicians a way forward? Riding with the Ghost is a step above most rock biographies, neither a hagiography nor loaded with overheated criticism, just good solid journalism.
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