May 28, 2019

What happens when a band gets so big so fast, and the star begins to be overshadowed by a new member? This book follows the journey of an up and coming rock band that makes it big – and then calls it quits.

This was entertaining, in a “VH1 Behind the Music” kind of way (does that still exist?).

 The book is set up as interviews with members of the band – The Six, Daisy Jones, record execs, and various friends and family.  It kept me entertained, but nothing too surprising as the interviews describe what most people would think of a typical rock band – drugs and sex and more drugs.  But there is something underneath it all, and that’s what kept me reading.   

 It’s more than just fun gossip as everyone’s memories are not quite in sync. People have their own way of remembering things.  Some of the stories are funny, some are sad, and some are downright tragic.  But that’s Rock and Roll!

Looking at the cover, and putting some of the pieces together, it’s easy to see that the author is a Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks fan, which she mentions in the supplemental reading.  As a Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks fan myself it was hard not to make the comparison.  I just hope that they had a lot more fun than Daisy Jones & The Six.

Update: March 21, 2023 – Finally getting to see Reese Witherspoon’s vision of the book come to life for TV.  As a fan of the book it’s always a bit unnerving when you see that someone has decided to bring it to the screen. Surprise! Eight episodes in, with two more to go, I’m happy to say that I’m enjoying it very much.  The transition from book to screen is very well done, and I’m finding it true to the story and overall feel of the book – although it has been a number of years since I read the book.

Kudos to Reese Witherspoon and Amazon Prime for snatching up the book. I hope that fans of the show that have not read the book grab a copy, and see for themselves how well they adapted the source material. Happily, this is one time that I don’t have to abandon a show or movie because some show-runner or producer has decided to butcher the source material….yes, I’m looking at you “Mayfair Witches”.