Daisy Jones & The Six
- Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Albany, WA
- February 16, 2023
GOODREADS BOOK BLURB:
Everyone knows Daisy Jones and The Six.
Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split.
Nobody ever knew why. Until now.
The only thing that’s certain is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked, barefoot, on to the stage at the Whisky, the band were irrevocably changed…
This is the story of their incredible rise and fall. The ambition, the desire, the heartbreak, and the music.
Everyone was there.
Everyone remembers it differently.
Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split.
Nobody ever knew why. Until now.
The only thing that’s certain is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked, barefoot, on to the stage at the Whisky, the band were irrevocably changed…
This is the story of their incredible rise and fall. The ambition, the desire, the heartbreak, and the music.
Everyone was there.
Everyone remembers it differently.
GENRES:
FIRST WORDS:
This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of how the renowned 1970s rock band Daisy Jones & The Six rose to fame—as well as what led to their abrupt and infamous split while on tour in Chicago on July 12, 1979.
MY REVIEW:
enjoyable/easy to read:
☆☆☆☆☆ 3.5/5
Sadly, Daisy Jones & The Six did not live up to the hype for me. I’m not sure it would be possible – this book has had so. much. hype. But I was left wondering why?
TJR is a captivating writer. It would be difficult not to get caught up in this story because it is a good one. Daisy’s desire to be taken seriously as a musician and a writer in a male-dominated industry, Billy’s struggle between addiction and family, Camila’s faith in her husband and her trust in their relationship, Karen’s need to remain independent – I found something to appreciate from all of their stories.
Unfortunately, Daisy spends most of her life doing drugs and shirking responsibility. She’s wildly talented, but it’s not something she’s ever worked at, and her annoyance at not being taken seriously is, unfortunately, justifiable. By the time she does start putting actual effort into her writing, she’s already stumbled into the right place to make it happen.
I don’t think I understood Billy and Camila’s relationship. Camila’s dedication to this man who, besides providing a pretty good life for her, hasn’t been great with the actual relationship parts. But from the beginning, she stands by his side, no matter how unfaithful or dangerous he acts. At least Billy made sense – he’s not actively making these bad decisions; he’s struggling with addiction while being in a position that means he’s constantly surrounded by drugs, alcohol, and women. But it’s hard to see how their relationship makes sense when they spend so little time together and pretend not to know each other’s secrets.
TJR is a captivating writer. It would be difficult not to get caught up in this story because it is a good one. Daisy’s desire to be taken seriously as a musician and a writer in a male-dominated industry, Billy’s struggle between addiction and family, Camila’s faith in her husband and her trust in their relationship, Karen’s need to remain independent – I found something to appreciate from all of their stories.
Unfortunately, Daisy spends most of her life doing drugs and shirking responsibility. She’s wildly talented, but it’s not something she’s ever worked at, and her annoyance at not being taken seriously is, unfortunately, justifiable. By the time she does start putting actual effort into her writing, she’s already stumbled into the right place to make it happen.
I don’t think I understood Billy and Camila’s relationship. Camila’s dedication to this man who, besides providing a pretty good life for her, hasn’t been great with the actual relationship parts. But from the beginning, she stands by his side, no matter how unfaithful or dangerous he acts. At least Billy made sense – he’s not actively making these bad decisions; he’s struggling with addiction while being in a position that means he’s constantly surrounded by drugs, alcohol, and women. But it’s hard to see how their relationship makes sense when they spend so little time together and pretend not to know each other’s secrets.
I just could not believe that the big climax of this book is just Daisy and Billy having feelings for each other and having to break up the band because of it. It was obviously the right thing to do – no one seemed to be very happy in this band – but I didn’t really buy into the Daisy and Billy love story. It was fuelled by a shared love of music, insane talent, and one person constantly using while the other constantly thinks about using. They may have brought the best out of each other when it comes to songwriting, but they brought the worst out of each other as people.
I guess because of how big this book became and all of the fuss about it, I expected there to be something bigger. Something more than just a group of rich, entitled people doing drugs and talking about ‘how important the music is’. If I had gone into this book without any expectations, I probably would have enjoyed it; it’s a fun, easy read. But it’s not a story that sticks with you, and most of the band was forgettable even as I was reading.
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