Babes in Toyland:: The Making and Selling of a Rock and Roll Band

Minneapolis grunge rockers Babes in Toyland are neither famous nor critically acclaimed, which is why rock journalist Karlen chose them as subjects for this profile of the day-to-day life and career trajectory of a young band whose fate remains uncertain. He follows the band as it appears variously to be on the cusp of either superstardom or disollution in the volatile world of the rock 'n' roll industry, chronicled here at both its most sordid and most exhilarating moments. The Babes's struggles with overbearing record labels, drug-abusing friends, long tours on a shoestring budget and a precarious future represent the experiences of many young bands. Their story is also of interest because they are one of the first all-female bands to play the kind of loud, angry rock 'n' roll which typically has been claimed by male groups. Karlen's often verbatim record of conversations he heard over three years of following the Babes seems occasionally invasive, yet the band members' willingness to reveal themselves so thoroughly to him lends credibility to his account. Author tour. (Aug.)