Brad Crisler

Fantastic!

Revisado: 07-29-24

Although occasionally wandering off into the deep science behind the technology, this is a really compelling telling of the astounding story of the men who truly invented the future.

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Excellent, coherent and transparent.....

Revisado: 01-02-21

Unlike many Hollywood bios, this one, by arguably the finest editor of the '80s, is transparent and humble and resonates truthfulness that is refreshing and informative. Hirsch's love and respect of and fascination with his particular field is apparent through the telling of his own interesting narrative while the grudges and bitterness that is usually present in many of these types of bios is noticeably absent. Well worth the time.

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Authentic Narrative of a Musical Genius...

Revisado: 04-10-20

After 32 years of working as a songwriter and producer in the music industry it's pretty easy to sniff out the embellished and self serving bios and narratives that occupy this genre. This is not one of those. Steve Lukather is as close to session player royalty as it gets. He is arguably the most successful and achieved session player in the history of American popular music so his story will be/is interesting to anyone interested in successful musicians. But this particular bio is written with such transparency, truth and humility that it may well be the best glimpse into what music making culture was like during the 80s and 90s that exists. Further, the narration by the author is conversational and not forced; making the experience of the book like sitting at a kitchen table having a beer with Steve as he laughs and tells stories. His sense of humor and timing and storytelling remind me of every truly great session player I've ever worked with (including some of those mentioned in this book); there is a combination of skill with the instrument, musical intuition, a sense of discerning what a producer is really looking for (in spite of how poorly they sometimes communicate it) and just being a great hang that permeates great sessions players. All of that comes out in this bio. The parts about Toto are fantastic (I love Toto) and informative but there are so many bios out there about what it was like to be in a big rock/pop band in the 80s; where this book stands out is the intimate and personal narrative of the life cycle of a great studio musician...an art form and way of making music that is quickly becoming only a memory. I would have loved to hear Steve talk a little more about his thoughts on Muscle Shoals, where I grew up musically and worked for so long. The only mentions seem to hint at disdain (working with Barry Beckett). In any case, I enjoyed this book immensely and am thankful Steve took the time to document his experiences. Rock on.

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Fantastic and possibly definitive

Revisado: 04-29-19

The best written account of this era I know of. Balanced, thoughtful and accurate with a nuanced view that is just enough nostalgia coupled with context to get a helpful understanding of this remarkable period of American entrepreneurship.

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1 part interesting, 1 part self indulgent, 1 part insufferable.

Revisado: 01-08-19

I appreciate the details of what is was like to work for Lucas during the heyday of Lucasfilm and am respectful of the personal narrative of Mr. Kimberlin within the context of the business but the interwoven stories about family history are out of character with the rest of the book and come off as filler.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

An intimate take on this amazing duo

Revisado: 08-06-18

This fantastic biography not only traces the history of the work of these two musical icons, it also weaves the human element into the narrative, warts and all. They were flawed humans who used their artistry as an honest outlet changing American theatre forever. As a lifelong professional commercial songwriter, I was stunned at the astounding level of wealth created by R&H catalog. It makes todays' songwriter royalties pale by comparison in the age of free digital distribution and exploitation. By carefully controlling both the means and terms of distribution of their work, R&H were able to maximize their well deserved compensation for their work; a scenario that unfortunately no longer exists for most songwriters. This bio also is a fantastic parallel history of musical theatre itself along with a healthy dose of NYC history to boot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was sad when it ended.

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Riveting

Revisado: 08-04-18

I listened to the entire book over 3 days. It was absolutely fantastic. About as exciting as corporate intrigue gets.

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Dead Hand is better...

Revisado: 04-27-18

And more detailed. This narrator should stick to his native English accent. He truly has the most annoying, embarrassing and insulting American accent. Ever. Please. Stop.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Great story. Terrible writing.

Revisado: 07-31-17

Fascinating story about an iconic record. Some of filling is hard to stomach and embarrassing . "I smell a Grammy". Really??

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