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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
I picked this book up for no other reason than I'm turning 27 soon and I wanted to know what to look out for.
Joking aside, this book is a passable run-through of the most famous of the 27 Club—and unfortunately doesn't reach any new information or insights into these coincidental deaths. I imagine when this was published some of the Amy Winehouse sections were new, but they're covered much better in the documentary "Amy." The Brian Jones section was the most interesting, because he's the least well-known of the Club (at least to me). Therein lies the problem.
Sounes misses the mark in glossing over the vast majority of the rest of the 27 Club—smaller names, for sure, but at least that would have been relatively unexplored territory. Sounes hints at these, mentioning Robert Johnson, Kristen Pfaff, and Pigpen McKernan in passing, but devotes far too little time to what very well could be more interesting stories.
Instead we're left with plodding rehashes of stories everyone knows already, punctuated by weird poetic riffs imagining the spectre of Death haunting these rock stars. Not to mention Sounes devotes pages—far too many pages—to exploring the idea that each one of the book's subjects may have committed suicide, when all evidence points to the contrary (aside from Kurt, but we already knew that).
Joking aside, this book is a passable run-through of the most famous of the 27 Club—and unfortunately doesn't reach any new information or insights into these coincidental deaths. I imagine when this was published some of the Amy Winehouse sections were new, but they're covered much better in the documentary "Amy." The Brian Jones section was the most interesting, because he's the least well-known of the Club (at least to me). Therein lies the problem.
Sounes misses the mark in glossing over the vast majority of the rest of the 27 Club—smaller names, for sure, but at least that would have been relatively unexplored territory. Sounes hints at these, mentioning Robert Johnson, Kristen Pfaff, and Pigpen McKernan in passing, but devotes far too little time to what very well could be more interesting stories.
Instead we're left with plodding rehashes of stories everyone knows already, punctuated by weird poetic riffs imagining the spectre of Death haunting these rock stars. Not to mention Sounes devotes pages—far too many pages—to exploring the idea that each one of the book's subjects may have committed suicide, when all evidence points to the contrary (aside from Kurt, but we already knew that).
Some interesting points but would have liked info on lesser know members of the 27 club.
I was very impressed by the author's thorough research and his sane and balanced viewpoint. He writes well and I found it quite compelling. The stories of the '27' Club's principal members are sobering (quite ironic given the role of alcohol in so many of the stories) and generally sad. Most of them were intelligent, nice people who went through a traumatic childhood and did not have the mental strength to cope with all that fame and fortune brings. Nor we're they served well by family, friends and lovers. When you read just how badly they abused their bodies with drugs and alcohol it's amazing they even reached 27. The author looks at the lives and deaths of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. He moves through a life-phase of each musician-childhood, the struggle for recognition, fame at last, how they handled fame, the descent into serious substance abuse and the very moving final days. Generally he handles this well but just occasionally it seems a bit awkward. Apart from this small thing this is a fantastic insight into the pressures of fame and how dangerous it can be.
This was an ok book about Amy Winehouse and the 5 other musical artists who all died at age 27. Jones, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison and Cobain.
It didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know from reading biographies of each of the subjects...except for Amy. I didn't really know too much about her so that was interesting.
The book was a little jumpy, in my opinion. Each chapter, instead of focusing on each individual, consisted of bits and pieces related to each.
Also, I get fatigued at people who explain away troubled lives of celebrities as "well, their parents were divorced, they suffered from depression etc" as if that were the cause for dying at 27. I don't think it's that simple or correlative. Not that I have any answers, I just feel it's a disservice to try and make cause and effect when there are so many other contributing factors.
(As seen on Sounds of Silva)
There is no other mystery in the music world more prominent than that of the 27 Club, referring to the collection of artists who have passed away at that relatively young age early in their careers. An usual spike at age 27 in the amount of deaths of musicians in the public eye has led to this look by author Howard Sounes into the lives of the six most prominent members of the club, starting with Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones and continuing with the recent passing of troubled British songstress Amy Winehouse.
Sounes does a remarkable job going through the lives of the Big Six, right up until their final moments (and often the controversies surrounding the deaths soon thereafter), while also paying tribute and making connections to the various other members of the 27 Club. While the nature of the book is obviously quite depressing given the topic, the final days and years of these artists’ lives are incredibly fascinating, whether its Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin becoming increasingly aware of their self-image, or Brian Jones and Amy Winehouse suffering from alcohol and drug addiction, or even Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain’s troubled relationships with their family members over the course of their lives.
The main focus of the book is on Amy Winehouse and her tragically short career. Beginning in her late teens as a budding superstar with Frank, then a brief stint at a premiere music school in London, Sounes tracks her every success and every stumble up until her dear bodyguard found her having overdosed on alcohol. While some books might give a quick glance of Amy’s career, Sounes details every show and every cancellation, every fight with her boyfriends, and even every trip to the rehab clinic that Amy reluctantly attended, despite her famous declaration of “they tried to make me go to rehab, I said ‘no, no, no.’”
Sounes argues that it really isn’t true that stardom at such an early age caused these problems or is the direct cause of the 27 Club – it’s more of a coincidence if anything. But because several well-known musicians were unfortunately subject to demise at this young age, greater attention was naturally given.The pressure of being a rock star and the mentally-challenging necessity of touring nevertheless affected these artists in some way, but instead of being seen stereotypically as young and dumb, the book rightfully paints them as lost souls.
These fifty musicians that have passed at the age of 27 have influenced so many future artists with their love of art and selfless personalities, and Amy, 27 is a great tribute.
There is no other mystery in the music world more prominent than that of the 27 Club, referring to the collection of artists who have passed away at that relatively young age early in their careers. An usual spike at age 27 in the amount of deaths of musicians in the public eye has led to this look by author Howard Sounes into the lives of the six most prominent members of the club, starting with Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones and continuing with the recent passing of troubled British songstress Amy Winehouse.
Sounes does a remarkable job going through the lives of the Big Six, right up until their final moments (and often the controversies surrounding the deaths soon thereafter), while also paying tribute and making connections to the various other members of the 27 Club. While the nature of the book is obviously quite depressing given the topic, the final days and years of these artists’ lives are incredibly fascinating, whether its Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin becoming increasingly aware of their self-image, or Brian Jones and Amy Winehouse suffering from alcohol and drug addiction, or even Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain’s troubled relationships with their family members over the course of their lives.
The main focus of the book is on Amy Winehouse and her tragically short career. Beginning in her late teens as a budding superstar with Frank, then a brief stint at a premiere music school in London, Sounes tracks her every success and every stumble up until her dear bodyguard found her having overdosed on alcohol. While some books might give a quick glance of Amy’s career, Sounes details every show and every cancellation, every fight with her boyfriends, and even every trip to the rehab clinic that Amy reluctantly attended, despite her famous declaration of “they tried to make me go to rehab, I said ‘no, no, no.’”
Sounes argues that it really isn’t true that stardom at such an early age caused these problems or is the direct cause of the 27 Club – it’s more of a coincidence if anything. But because several well-known musicians were unfortunately subject to demise at this young age, greater attention was naturally given.The pressure of being a rock star and the mentally-challenging necessity of touring nevertheless affected these artists in some way, but instead of being seen stereotypically as young and dumb, the book rightfully paints them as lost souls.
These fifty musicians that have passed at the age of 27 have influenced so many future artists with their love of art and selfless personalities, and Amy, 27 is a great tribute.
This book felt like reading a tabloid. Instead of staying factual information, the author shared his opinions, many of which skewed negative. There were bits that felt judgmental of mental health issues and there was a line that was transphobic. That's when I stopped reading.
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Enjoyed learning more about these artists (an excuse to read a mini biography of them all). At times the author maybe added a bit more personal opinion re: the artists' characters than I expected, and many of them did not come across very well, but overall I think there was enough nuance and opportunity to "read between the lines" and the project was well-done.
reflective
medium-paced
Very interesting look at the lives of the famous 27 club, Well written with their stories intertwining at certain points and the tragic demise of all their lives to the excess of drugs and alcohol. Thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read
very unimpressed with a book that i had hoped would be insightful but was instead tabloid-y and exploitative