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snapplespice's review against another edition
4.0
I saved this to read during the Spice World 2019 tour and found a lot of truth in what David Sinclair writes about the reputation of the Spice Girls. While traveling from NYC to different parts of the UK in order to attend this tour, I was constantly stopped by strangers who noticed my tour shirt and wanted to offer their opinions on the band. Almost everyone (outside of the shows) had something negative to say about the credibility of the Spice Girls ("They can't sing!" "Sellouts!") and yet in these conversations it was obvious that despite the many flaws they did/do have, they also had fantastic success and are by all accounts, wildly popular. You don't sell out multiple dates at huge stadiums 20+ years after releasing popular material without being talented and loved. This read as the biggest takeaway from this book, although of course the final chapter was published several years before their last reunion in 2007/2008. The legacy seems to hold strong over time, ignoring the criticism of straight, middle aged men.
As someone with zero knowledge about the pop/music industry, I found many parts of this book to be informative, although at times, dry. I am not interested in learning the ins and outs of celebrity management, but I got a lot of that in this book. There are also many moments of repetition. I suppose I enjoyed learning a more in depth history of the Spice Girls, but what this book really left me craving is an autobiography by Melanie C. One day!
As someone with zero knowledge about the pop/music industry, I found many parts of this book to be informative, although at times, dry. I am not interested in learning the ins and outs of celebrity management, but I got a lot of that in this book. There are also many moments of repetition. I suppose I enjoyed learning a more in depth history of the Spice Girls, but what this book really left me craving is an autobiography by Melanie C. One day!
knobbyknees's review
5.0
(4.5 stars) I was in middle/high school when the Spice Girls phenomenon went down, and to be honest I didn't realize what a juggernaut this group was at the time. They were popular and everywhere, but I wasn't aware of their entire cultural impact. This book is really good -- biased as all get out, since the author is half in love with the ladies of the group -- but still incredibly informative. Sinclair describes facets of the Girls' story, from how they got together, the machine behind their management, dispelling rumors, explaining what went wrong, and a "where are they now" look several years after the group's breakup (this book was published in 2004, so that's as far as it goes). Extremely helpful if you're interested in how the music industry may have worked around the turn of the millennium, and how it was changing at the time as well. Interesting! Absorbing!
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