I am going to try and review this book by Sheila Weller without giving too much away in case you have not read it - because you should! This is the bio of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon that I have been talking about for a couple of months and finally got to read. I could not put it down - all 525 pages on a Saturday and rainy Sunday.
I saw Weller give an interview where she explained this is not the book she set out to write, and it shows. Better at research that at prose, her original goal was to write an in depth analysis on the counterculture revolution. Can't do that without the history of rock and roll, and she got sidetracked by that and eventually changed her focus. This is the counterculture revolution, the feminist movement, celebrity, gossip, music, and lets not forget sex, drug, and rock and roll told through the eyes of three very different women. This is a meticulously researched book, at times told in excruciating detail (that I loved and hung on every word but if it is not your liking you can skip) and very much of an oral history. It struck me how many of the people that she interviewed in the course of writing the book died before she got it published.
The most interesting thing to me was the inspiration behind all of the songs that you know and love so well. It makes you want to go back and listen to all of them, and to re-listen to some artists you may have forgotten about. A good example is Laura Nyro. Search her on itunes. Others made huge hits out of her songs but there is nothing like hearing her sing them in her own distinctive voice. I was also touched by the story of her erroneously thinking she got booed at Monterey - footage was discovered that showed she misheard the crowd noises that night but she died before it could be played for her. It was an event that had tortured her throughout her career and caused her to retire from music for many years. Yes, the tortured artist story is rampant in this book.
Speaking of Itunes, my slightly OCD perfect songlist thing has kicked in so naturally I am attempting to make the perfect Girls Like Us song list - I am up to 22 songs now and re-reading the book for anything I missed. Not just the girls but their lovers, husbands, and inspirations. I am also polling people about which of the three is their favorite and wondering what that tells me about them. For me, it is Carol King. For at least one of the chix on this blog, I know it is Joni Mitchell. That is my brother's favorite too, and my mom has always loved Carly Simon. DH isn't sure he could distinguish one from the other but I think he is yanking me on that because I caught him reading it last night.
What do you think? Have you read it or are you reading it? Which one is your favorite?
So grateful for your recommendation of "Girls Like Us." After being number 32 on the library waiting list, I got my hands on it and devoured every page. I went through all my teenage angst-ridden years with these artists' songs as the backdrop--each time I hear the songs now I relive moments from high school and college. What a trip down memory lane! Great details and tidbits about the artists, insights into their very different upbringings and social milieu--from Brooklyn to Saskatchewan. I feel like an "insider" now while listening to "Blue" or "For the Roses" and knowing which lovers Joni is singing about. I remember seeing Carole King on a rare Late Night with David Letterman appearance during her Rick II Idaho years, talking about raising goats. The PBS tribute to Joni Mitchell was also a highlight from a few years ago. The book is definitely on my list for reading again--so much detail to absorb.
Again, my thanks for bringing it to my attention. Great read!
Posted by: Denise Suttle | November 03, 2008 at 06:20 PM