Fascinating information, easy to listen

I bought this because I graduated from high school in '70 and began college- and couldn't remember a whole lot of details from that year. The author has researched it meticulously, giving quotes from members of the bands and setting political backdrops. The narrator is also very good. I have a very hard time putting it down- it is as if you have someone in your living room with you, telling you about what was going on as if he knew these people well, and remembered it perfectly. I have told several people about this book and may give it as a gift, along with some of the music. I find myself playing the songs he describes-

21 people found this helpful

The Original VH1 Behind the Music

An insightful look at the classic rock star arc: poor, some success, a bunch of excess then immortality after losing touch. Some B-side and bottom of the album references were meaningless but a real, heavy-duty fan of the bands would understand. There is a bit of innocence throughout and a ton of sex/drugs...did they really not know the long-term effects or did they not care? Well, sex, drugs and rock-n-roll had to start somewhere. I was not aware of the inter mingling between the groups and that made the book even more interesting. Not a short book. The reader does not imitate the singer's voices but does an admirable job of reflecting the intonation. Hard core, classic rock lovers will love it. Casual fans with an interest in history will like it. You'll still enjoy it if you like to hear about rags to riches to not-so rags stories.

15 people found this helpful

End of an Era

Like the author, as he confesses in his foreword, I felt like I just missed out on the 60s. I was 13 when Woodstock took place just ten miles from where I spent my summers, but my parents wouldn't let me go, especially when they saw the parade of hippies going down our street. I had just transitioned from 45s to LPs and was listening to some the very albums this book discusses in detail -- Abbey Road, Deja Vu, Sweet Baby James, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Let it Be, and many of the solo albums that followed.

Fire & Rain posits that the end of the 60s era was heralded by the break-up of the biggest acts of the moment -- the Beatles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and Simon & Garfunkel -- rather than the more common watershed moments (the deaths of Hendrix, Joplin, and Jim Morrison, in addition to the universally accepted Beatles break-up, or Altamont). These break-ups, this theory says, reflect the shift from the collective attitudes of the 60s to the "me" generation of the 70s -- they were the result of that shift as well as emblematic of it at the highest level of musical pop culture.

What weakens the argument is the introduction of the fourth artist, James Taylor, who was just emerging at the same time the others were breaking up. Taylor represents the transition away from the group form of the 1960s to the solo singer-songwriter of the 70s, away from the politics of 60s music to lyrical introspection, which was the case too with the solo work of the former Beatles, CSNY, and Paul Simon.

That angle makes sense to an extent, but there was too much going on to put it all on JT. He didn't start that movement, he wasn't its only big name, his brand of mellow music didn't ruin things like some others (think: Seals & Croft), and there was a lot more going on besides mellow rock -- for example, a new group that came in second to CSN as best new band in the 1970 Grammies, a band that didn't break up by the end of the year like CSNY, you might have heard of them, Led Zeppelin. And lots more.

Not to mention that the solo work of two of the Beatles (Lennon and Harrison), most of CSNY (especially C and Y), and Paul Simon was quite notable in and of itself, especially the very albums released or started in 1970 in the immediate aftermath of the break-ups, retaining much of the collective consciousness and pointed politics of the groups -- yes, there was the same type of personal reflection that you see in James Taylor, Carole King, et.al., but those songs were always there, the mix was similar to what it always was.

What is so key to the author's case and the reader's ability to enjoy the book and learn something from it is how he ties in the political and social moments and movements that rocked the world during 1970, making a good case of how they contributed to the end of the era and the start of a new one. On the other hand, the events of 1970, like its music, did not happen in a vacuum -- they were part of a continuum that started much earlier and continued for quite some time. The author overlooks some of the larger trends to amplify the impact of his own argument.

Completely outside of the greater theme, there is a lot of inside baseball about how these groups imploded, professionally and personally, individually and collectively, during this volatile year. But the stories do start to get repetitious, the clashes of drug-addled sex-crazed egos starting to sound like a broken record after a while.

I have listened to several similar works about my favorite forms of pop culture -- music (The Wrecking Crew), film (Easy Riders Raging Bulls), TV (Difficult Men), comedy (7 Dirty Words), sports (Fever Pitch) -- as well as history (American Nations) and politics (Double Down). Fire & Rain is far from perfect, taking perhaps too strong a view on the importance of its central thesis. But being a big fan of the musicians that are the central focus, having come of age at that time, and being a fan of this type of non-fiction, I definitely feel it's worth a listen.

8 people found this helpful

One Pivotal Year

1970 was a pivotal year musically as the Beatles, and Simon and Garfunkel broke up, CSNY flowed together and apart, and James Taylor emerged.

Browne discusses individuals, drug abuse, albums, lyrics against the back-drop of this year with the memory of asassinations and the current setting of Vietnam, the Manson family, Weather Underground, Kent State and the beginnings of Earth Day and Green Peace.

I started the book because these groups were my favorites, and it brought back and connected many things that happened during my mid-teens. It does cover the chaos of the time.

7 people found this helpful

1970 In The History of Music

This is a romp through the wild and crazy world of the Beatles breaking up, Simon & Garfunkel rising to dominance (and breaking up), CSNY rising to be the “American Beatles” (and breaking up) while James Taylor rose to dominance and shot heroin – all against a backdrop of Nixon’s America. I had always understood that the 60s happened in Greenwich Village and the Haight. I was delighted to learn the rest of the story in Michael Walkers 2007 book Laurel Canyon. I had hoped Fire and Rain would fill in more of the blanks since many of my favorite acts of that period were LA based. This book was actually all over the globe connecting the break-up of the Beatles in London to the Simon and Garfunkel in New York to CSNY forming in Laurel Canyon. The social significance, business and musical connections of these acts along with Joni Mitchel and Carol King are not surprising, but in fascinating none the less.

Being me, I hear the songs as they are referenced and see the album covers and photo shoots and in many cases, I remember my first listen. This was a special time for anyone who grew up in the 70s and I don’t think it gets enough coverage. Excellent book, though it may not have as much significance for not 70s Folk/Rock fans.

6 people found this helpful

These are the stories behind the hits.

Would you consider the audio edition of Fire and Rain to be better than the print version?

At times there were details missed that I wanted to go back to. With a book it would take the turn of a page for that detail to be found and appreciated. In any event, this only makes you want to listen to the audio book once more. Otherwise this audio version of Fire and Rain would equal its printed version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fire and Rain?

There many memorable moments that stood out in Fire and Rain. All the stories revealed the triumphs and pitfalls of each group- Having lived the 70's years as a young boy, I relished the origins of songs like Judy Blue Eyes and Fire and Rain. I understood more the dynamics that led to the break-ups of CSNY, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Beatles;and why certain friendships remain true to this day as in the case of James Taylor and Carole King. Well researched, it filled in whatever facts were hidden from the fans.

What about Sean Runnette’s performance did you like?

Mr. Sean Runnette's reading was appropriate for the book. He was like a friend sharing an anecdote or two about our favorite singing groups. His voice is mature, credible, and appropriate for the age group who would patronize the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At the end of the last page, the book tied up all the loose ends, but like the lives it mirrored some stories were left unfinished (we all knew what happened next). Some break-ups made me regret because all that was needed was open communication. However, like one attending a school reunion, the book left me satisfied because it made me vicariously revisit the period, the clothes, the places, and the hit makers who shared their music with us.

5 people found this helpful

Rock history

If you were alive and experienced music in 1970 this is a must read. I have purchased copies of this book for all of my friends who turned 60 last year and this year - all of them loved it. A great story about great musicians. I wish I were 17 again..... and I wish they made music like that today....anyway this book is a great time travel.

4 people found this helpful

Fire and Rain

Focusing on four of popular music most influential groups to tell the story of 1970 draws the music junkie into a history lesson of one of the most turbulent times in recent American history. Mr Browne is able to focus on the groups while giving an over all background history of the end of the sixties and the beginning what some refer to as the desert of the seventies. In an effort to maintain focus on the chosen subject he gives cursory or no attention to the other forms which also developed during this time (prog rock-Jethro Tull Yes Pink Floyd King Crimson et al, the horn bands-Chicago Blood Sweat and Tears, the rise of funk-Earth Wind and Fire Tower of Power) which leaves the listener with the feeling that we were only bound for the land of Disco. Overall, the nit picking aside, this is a very informative and enjoyable book.

4 people found this helpful

You Had to Be There

Being of an age, it is hard for me to imagine how this expansive review of the year 1970 would read for a younger person. My kids do seem to be interested in the era, but I suspect it is because 1) the first ones there mined that musical vein out; and 2) nothing better has come along since. In any event, I was there and this multi-biography/social history gets it just right. The narrative is balanced and if anything gives The
Beatles less attention than the other three acts. If you were paying attention all those years ago (and since) not a whole lot new is here, but its fun and entertaining to reminisce. One remarkable fact the book brought out was the radicalism of the times, with respect to bombings and social turmoil. We tend to forget the nastiness of it all. The narrator is very good and the text flows elegantly. Nothing challenging here, but for those who were there, a fun rewind.

12 people found this helpful

Excellent!

I lived through that time. He nailed it! The reader does a great job too. Excellent.

11 people found this helpful