Some Bios and Memoirs I've Read Recently

I love well-written biographies and memoirs. Memoirs, especially, can really give you a sense of time and place, even if the author is unknown. I really like good bios of musicians, artists, and writers, particularly intimate portraits (as opposed to just chronological, "career" bios). Here are some bios and memoirs I'v read recently, and my thoughts on each of them.

1. Jimi Hendrix: The Intimate Story of a Betrayed Musical Legend by Sharon Lawrence
A well-written, mostly credible, albeit not terribly exciting, read. It gives a good glimpse of Hendrix as a person in and of his time--but since the book was published in 2006, it also has the added benefit of hindsight. I must say that, having worked with artists who I've also considered friends, I find it hard to believe that, after nearly 40 years, Lawrence's detailed recall of the events and conversations is completely accurate. I know that writers sometimes take poetic license, but the dialogue just flows too freely to have been drawn from memory. It's a worthwhile read if you're a fan of Hendrix. For me, the bloom is off the Hendrix rose--kind of been there, done that, and I never fell for the super hype to begin with--but I'd recommend it for the unique perspective. Rating: B-

2. A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties by Suze Rotolo

This was a bit of a disappointment for me but, in fairness to Suze, it may be because my expectations were so very high that it could not have met them. When I found out, well over a year ago, that she was penning a memoir, I was really excited. I always liked Suze because I felt that she never sold out Dylan--or herself. And, unlike many of the "I was there" people who've written books about musicians, Suze really was there--at the beginning, and in a very real way. She's intelligent, well-read, an artist and teacher in her own right.

That makes this book doubly disappointing. I was expecting to really feel the zeitgeist of the Village in that era--and, instead what I felt, just a bit, was a woman who needs the money and decided to ride the Dylan train while it's still on the tracks. It's good for what it is--I mean, it can only be so bad, because Suze Rotolo lived the scene, and even if she were just reporting, that in itself would be pretty exciting. Otherwise, though, I found it lightweight, and you can feel Dylan speaking to Suze as she writes with trepidation. "Now, now Suze--don't embarrass me. You know what I like and don't like. Don't reveal anything."

Were it not for Suze's intelligence and zest for life, this would have been the American folk version of Pattie Boyd's Wonderful Tonight. Like Pattie, Suze remains very real and likable--for me, at least. And there are enough tidbits about the Greenwich Village of the day and enough dropping of eminent names to keep someone interested in that era ploughing through with interest. Rating: B

3. Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me by Pattie Boyd

When I was a kid, Pattie Boyd was like a living, breathing Barbie doll to me. At the age of 8 or 9, my friends and I used to "play London"--in which we all put on very bad, South Philly-infused British accents, wore "play dress-up" high heels, and pretended we were mods on Carnaby Street or, alternately, Beatle wives. Of course, this was in the early 70s, not the 60s, but even then we knew the previous decade had been something special. We used to fight each other to be Pattie because she was the prettiest--and the coolest.

I always had an affection for Pattie, and thought she'd been unfairly pissed on by her two husbands. So when I heard that Pattie was finally writing a book, I was thrilled, to say the least. I felt like a 9-year-old. My best friend couldn't wait, either--we were literally counting the weeks "three more weeks," "one more week." Childish, I know. When I finally had the book in hand, I set out to devour it. I did in a couple of hours--and, had I not re-read parts of it, I could have done it quicker.

Pattie came off sounding like a whiny, clueless, somewhat shallow airhead--seems like nary a page goes by when she's not "in tears"--not to mention the doormat of all doormats. There was nothing really new, no revelations, no insight--just a lot of retellings of the dinner parties and drugs and vacations and excess. Nice to have in the bathroom--you can read it in one visit. Rating: C

4. The Mayor of MacDougal Street by Dave Van Ronk and Elijah Wald

Skip Suze Rotolo's welter-weight tome and opt for this instead. Dave Van Ronk not only was there in the midst of the Greenwich Village folk revival--he helped create it. He was on the scene before Dylan, before Phil Ochs, before Tom Paxton, before Eric. He was a true pioneer, a great acoustic blues player (and a walking musical encyclopedia), and a fine songwriter/crafter. It is written in a straightforward, punchy, conversational style--with no wasted words. Sadly, Van Ronk died before the book was completed. Elijah Wald finished it, and did a great job, but he admits that it did not turn out the way it had been planned--to give a broader perspective of the scene with other points of view. Still, I consider this book a must for anyone interested in the folk era of the early 60s. Rating: A-

5. Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrds' Gene Clark by John Einarson

I love this book. I think it is impeccably researched, very well-written in a conversational style with lots of information, first-hand quotes, and anecdotes. It is a great insight into Gene Clark and what I especially like is that the author, while obviously an admirer of Clark's, does not treat him gingerly or put him up on a pedestal, yet he addresses the hard issues (drugs, alchhol, demons) with integrity and empathy, neither evading them nor sensationalizing them. He could have easily humiliated Gene, but chose instead to honor him in a very honest, believable, compelling way. Rating: A

6. Edie: American Girl by Jean Stein with George Plimpton

This is an "oral biography" with many, many voices, none of which are similar. At first, I thought it was going to be a chaotic hodge-podge, but it is a totally compelling read. If you know nothing about Edie Sedgwick, this is a great place to start. I love it and just could not--and still can't--put it down. The format is deceptively simple; it took a lot of great editing to make such a cohesive read. You feel as if you're living it all with her, yet somehow, you're at a safe distance. Rating: A

7. Modigliani: A Life by Jeffrey Meyers

Like many artistic geniuses, Modi was tormented, addicted and, ultimately, tragic. But he had a vulnerability and a wildness that was very appealing--two generations before The Beats, he embodied everything The Beat Generation spoon-fed to the mainstream over the next two. This is worthy of a read if you have any interest in Modi; the artist's story is compelling enough to shine through the somewhat stodgy, pedantic prose. Rating: B-