April 10, 2022 · 9:05 am

OT Book Review: “Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted” by Sulieka Jaouad

Between Two Kingdoms Sulieka JaouadI made a trip to Target for a couple things and as I perused the book section, I came across Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Sulieka Jaouad. It’s far, far away from being anything music related, let alone Beatles related. Though, she does mention dancing with her circle of follow cancer patient friends to Beatles music at one point. It brought me a warm feeling to know that the Beatles could bring a bright moment into the lives of several people dealing with cancer, chemo and radiation.

Imagine being 22 years old, out of college with a new boyfriend and having just moved to Paris with your whole life ahead of you…when you’re diagnosed with leukemia. Suddenly, all those dreams, plans and the freedom you thought you had are taken away in a flash.

I could feel her pain, and I could feel the pain of her caregivers throughout this book. There were moments when I got angry with her and her selfish attitude towards those who were caring for her as she demanded their time and attention or didn’t stop to realize what they were giving up in their own lives to take care of her. I was the caregiver to both my parents during their cancer battles (which happened simultaneously) and it cost me. I developed panic attacks that would plague me for the rest of my life.

Then there were the moments while reading this book when I wanted to say out loud, “I get ya…I completely understand.” Those moments when you go through the ‘why me’ and ‘where do I go from here’…just like when I (yes ME!) was diagnosed with smoldering multiple myeloma. I will never go through what Suleika has gone through, but I could relate to lying on a table while having the bone marrow biopsy, the bloodwork that reminds you constantly that there is something inside of you that’s not right, and that feeling you get when you go to get a tattoo because it feels like you get to reclaim your body from the parasite within you. And that feeling of living between two kingdoms…the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick.

After her long battle with not only cancer, but a failed love relationship, Suleika sets out on a 15K mile road trip to visit some of the people who wrote to her during treatment…cancer patients, caregivers and even a man on death row in a Texas prison, journaling her trip along the way to create Part II of this book. But after publication of her story, Suleika Jaouad’s leukemia returned and she’s currently back in the hospital going through treatment again while watching her boyfriend Jon Batiste take home four Grammys in Las Vegas.

I wish her well…and I hope she writes a new book on this new chapter and what’s she’s learned about life so far. And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

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March 28, 2022 · 5:00 am

Book Review: “The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family” by Ron Howard and Clint Howard

The Boys Ron Howard Clint HowardI’m always on the lookout for a Beatles related book that can hold my attention. I’m a huge fan of biographies and first hand experiences as compared to academic studies of the Beatles work and catalog. I’ve been lucky in the fact that Amy Hughes came along and asked if she could review books for this blog since she seems to excel at not only writing reviews, but she also likes reading those books that I can’t seem to get into. Thank you Amy!

About two weeks ago, I saw The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard and Clint Howard on Amazon and knowing that Ron had directed the documentary – The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, I ordered a copy for myself. And lucky me…there was a used SIGNED First Edition for just $11 available!

The best way to describe this book written by Ron and his younger brother Clint is to imagine if the cast of Leave It to Beaver were a real family in Hollywood! We all know that in his younger years, little Ronny Howard played Opie on the Andy Griffith Show and..

a lot of first generation Beatles fans may remember Clint Howard as the adorable little boy with a pet bear on the TV show Gentle Ben. Star Trek fans will also know Clint from a first season episode where he played a 600 year old alien named Balok (Clint was 7 years old at the time).

And who can forget Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days! Well, these two were actually that cute as children growing up with parents who both put their own acting careers aside to support their two sons’ stardom. Not as stage parents…but as loving, supportive parents who were always there as they juggled auditions, rehearsals and stage time while maintaining a normal, all-American family life. It wasn’t always easy, but Ron and Clint tell the story honestly and with undying love and respect for their parents.

Only twice is the word “Beatles” uttered in this book, once when Ron admits to having donned a Beatles wig in his youth and once when he mentions that he was a fan in the 1960’s, but the lack of mentions of the Fab Four doesn’t stop it from being an exciting story of two brothers who were both the same and very different at the same time…but have a never-ending tight bond. It’s a true tribute to the American family and the more beautiful side of Hollywood fame. And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beatles!

 

 

 

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March 14, 2022 · 5:00 am

Book Review: “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music” by David Grohl

The Storyteller tales of life and music david grohlUnfortunately, I didn’t give The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music (Dey St. Publishing, October 2021) by Dave Grohl the respect that it deserves. I actually let it sit HALF READ on the end table next to my couch for a month! Oh…the humanity…I hang my head in shame. But now that my load has been lifted (I work as a temp, but have decided not to take any new jobs this month), I finished it in two days…something that any sane person could have done with the entire book!

Is this book everything you think and expect it to be? Well…yes and no!

Does it contain:

The grungy little details about Kurt Cobain?…no.

When and who Dave lost his virginity too?…no.

Details of his first marriage?…no.

The suggestion that he may have been abducted by aliens?…yes!

The gory details of him falling off the stage and breaking his leg?…yes!

For those of my readers that may are not aware, Dave Grohl was the original drummer for Nirvana and the founder of the Foo Fighters and he is a huge Beatles and Paul McCartney fan. So, if you’re looking for Paul McCartney stories, he doesn’t disappoint. The book is filled with stories of meeting his musical idols and how he himself turns into a ‘fan’ upon coming face to face with them.

As a doting father, Dave also tells of the excitement he feels when he gets to introduce his daughters to rock royalty. Imagine Paul McCartney playing piano with your three year old or Joan Jett reading her a bedtime story! And Dave tells the stories so humbly that (unlike other rocker memoirs) it doesn’t come off as bragging. Along those same lines, you won’t be forced to read through endless tales of his sexual conquests, but you’ll learn how much he loves and respects his mother.

In 375 pages, Grohl covers a lot of ground, but leaves so many things untold. This book will definitely leave you wanting more. And I have a feeling there will be at least one more book to follow this one. After spending much of the book telling stories about being the father of three daughters, the youngest two don’t get their fair share of page worthy stories. Also, in the credits, he thanks his publisher Liate Stehlik, “who allowed me the honor of telling my story (or at least a tenth of it) to the world. Thank you. Someday I’ll have to tell you the rest.” I look forward to hearing them too!

And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

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February 7, 2022 · 6:21 am

I Saw The Beatles – Episode 45 with guest Jay Mark 

Jay: “Should I turn the sound up?”

His boss: “Don’t bother — you’ll only blow the speakers out.”

Welcome back to episode 45 of I Saw The Beatles! This week’s guest is Jay Mark who worked at Convention Hall in Atlantic City, NJ and was there when the Beatles played on August 30, 1964.

Source: I Saw The Beatles – Episode 45 with guest Jay Mark 02/02 by I Saw The Beatles | Pop Culture

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January 10, 2022 · 6:45 am

Book Review: “Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson” by Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow

Up Jumped the Devil Robert Johnson Conforth Wardlow“Robert Johnson”

“World’s greatest blues guitarist”

“Went to the crossroads and sold his soul to the devil to play the blues.”

These are the things I had heard over the years, but not being into the blues, I had no idea who Robert Johnson was…and this lead me to buy Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson by Bruce Conforth and Gayle Dean Wardlow last week and read it in 3 days. It was published in 2021 and just 270 pages (without including bibliography and index).

I’ll admit, I’ve never been a fan of the blues, though a lot of people will say it’s the roots of rock n roll. But after spending years hearing about a mysterious blues artist from the Mississippi Delta that was so good, people said he had to have gotten his skills by hoodoo or the Devil, the only way to find out for myself was to find the best book written about him. And from this list of awards this book has won, I think this one is it.

The Mississippi Delta wasn’t an easy place to grow up in the 1920’s and 30’s. Most black families were sharecroppers working for plantation owners. On the weekends, though, these hard working people would find their release at balls or jukes (without or with alcohol, respectively), dancing and listening to music. This is where Robert Johnson was born in 1911. But he wanted no part of farming, he just wanted to play music. He’d sneak out and sit outside jukes at night just to hear the music. At 11, he built himself a diddly bow on the side of the family shack (strings connected between 2 nails on the side of a house), just so he could play.  Not long afterward, his sister bought him his first guitar and from that moment on, he study and played wherever he could, learning from anyone who could teach him.

How good was Robert Johnson? Listen to Dead Shrimp Blues….a song that people have insisted there was no way one man was playing…there had to be 2 guitar players, they said. But there wasn’t….this was Robert Johnson:

Robert Johnson loved women almost as much his guitar. Families would hide their daughters when they saw Robert coming…”He plays that devil music!” He would be married twice and widowed twice by the age of 25. And just when the time had come for him to become a major musical force at age 27, he was poisoned by the husband of one of his lovers.

Did he sell his soul at the crossroads? Well, this book sets out to find out the true story behind this legend…a man who influenced Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin. Well researched, the authors have found more details about this man of mystery…a man who they say would turn his back when playing his guitar, so no one could see how he formed his chords. Now, it’s your turn to decide…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

 

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January 1, 2022 · 8:00 am

And the winner is…

Before I disclose the winner, I have to tell you that a funny thing happened on my way to the poll results this a.m. As I’m drinking my coffee and wiping the sand from my eyes, I notice an email with the subject line “Winner?” in my inbox. The email starts off with “Dead Beatles Freak,” Ummm…err…I think they meant “Dear Beatles Freak”, but then again, I could be wrong. After wishing me a happy new year, this person informs me that my poll did not close at 11:59 p.m. and included a snapshot of the results at oo:oo hours! The interesting thing was that the email itself was time stamped at 7:06 p.m.! LOL Sorry, Dead Follower, that’s not how these things work. The poll was set to close, and did close, at 11:59 p.m. (ET).

It was a tight race and a real nail biter over the past several weeks, but here are the results:

A Women's History of the beatles Christine Feldman-BarrettCongratulations to Christine Feldman-Barrett and her book A Women’s History of the Beatles! If you’re curious about this book, Amy Hughes reviewed it earlier this year…you can read it here.

And congratulations to all the authors who put out such fantastic books this year about the Fab Four.

If you’re curious as to what “Other” books were nominated, here’s the list:

The Lyrics by Paul McCartney

Get Back by The Beatles

Mach Schau! : Die Beatles in Hamburg by Thomas Rehwagen

Rivals of the Beatles by Martin Orkin

Little Wing by Paul Salley

It’s All in the Mind: Inside the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine by Robert R Hieronimus

All Things Must Pass Away: Harrison, Clapton, and Other Assorted Love Songs by Kenneth Womack

 

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December 27, 2021 · 5:00 am

OT Book Review: “DeadStar: Who the Hell was Garth Tyson?” by Nick Griffiths

Deadstar Who the hell was Garth Tyson Nick GriffithsA couple times a year, I get emails from authors asking me to review their book. Most of the time the book has nothing to do with music, let alone the Beatles and I graciously decline for those reasons. As a part-time publicist, I understand how hard it is to get someone to notice your book, especially if it’s self-published. So when the request came to read DeadStar: Who the Hell was Garth Tyson? by Nick Griffiths, I accepted the opportunity. And hell, the author was very charming…even via email!

This book is due to be released on January 25, 2022 and I really hope it becomes a hit. It’s the oral history of a fictional defunct Punk/New Wave band who’s lead singer/songwriter, Garth Tyson, disappeared decades ago after walking off the stage at the Glastonbury Festival in the mid 1980s. (And just a heads-up: the Beatles are mentioned several times throughout and Garth shares his birthday with George Harrison.) The characters are quite amusing and you can’t help but see a resemblance between some of them to the members of Spinal Tap (Yeah, it’s that funny) as they tell a reporter the band’s history up until Garth’s disappearance.

It took me several pages to get the gist of the way this book is constructed into its conversational format…sometimes getting confused between the reporter’s inner dialog, thoughts, and the conversation with those he’s interviewing. But once you get used to it along with the various British accents and idioms, the story will flow and you’ll have a hard time putting it down until you find out…What happened to Garth Tyson?! And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

 

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December 20, 2021 · 5:00 am

OT Book Review: “Brat: An ’80s Story” by Andrew McCarthy

Brat an 80s story Andrew McCarthyAgain, while on Amazon, I was taken in by another of their suggestions. I was just a couple years younger than Andrew McCarthy and the rest of the Brat Pack in their heyday! So of course I had to buy a (used) copy of Brat: An ’80s Story by Andrew McCarthy and I also sent a new copy to by my bestie Lisa (we’ve been friends since 8th grade math class!). Who among my generation of young women of the ’80s didn’t have a crush on Andrew?!

This 215 page memoir was released May 2021. It’s takes a bit to get going and I had my doubts about it for the first 40 or so pages. For some people Andrew’s growing up in the burbs of New Jersey may be interesting, but as a former Jersey girl it was a bit of a yawn for me. Dysfunctional family? 🗹 Bad grades? 🗹 Pain in ass the brothers? 🗹 Middle child? 🗹

But Andrew did something I didn’t do…left home for college. Despite his father’s objections, he set out to become an actor…and well, we all know how that turned out. I wouldn’t call his life story dramatic or different in anyway for other famous people. He did the drugs and drinking like many youngsters of the ’80s when everything was BIG and done to excess (I mean seriously, I tell every young person, “It was the best decade. So. Much. Fun!”), but Andrew did it with an aloofness, loneliness and no real desire to ‘fit in’ despite being labelled as one of the Brat Pack. He preferred New York City to Hollywood, but is still able to tell some really amazing insider stories during his time in Tinsel Town and behind the scene info on Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo’s Fire, Less Than Zero and Weekend at Bernie’s. And…of course, as is required of all books by the rich and famous, we get to hear how he lost his virginity! (Has anyone written a book yet with all the lost virginity stories of the rich and famous?)

I swoon every time he appears on screen…and making me kinda sorry I didn’t get a signed copy of this book at Premier Collectibles, but I think my children would have a “Who the hell is Andrew McCarthy?” moment after I pass I away! He belongs to my generation…it was the ’80s…we were all BRATS!

andrew mccarthy and James Spader pretty in pink | Andrew mccarthy, James spader movies, James spaderMcCarthy has moved on to TV directing in shows such as Orange is the New Black and Blacklist. (The Blacklist connection with his old pal James Spader from Pretty in Pink is interesting because unlike McCarthy, Spader will not talk about that film!) If you’re interested (maybe not?), Andrew McCarthy has actually written two other books (one on travel and one a young adult novel) that were New York Times bestsellers (who knew?!). You can find them on Amazon.

Ya know…who cares about the book…

I rate Andrew McCarthy, 4 Beetles + the Golden Beetle!

 

 

 

 

 

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December 6, 2021 · 8:06 am

OT Book Review: “A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe” by John Isaac Jones

A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe" by John Isaac Jones

It’s been a while since I did a Beatles related review, but I just couldn’t resist buying and reading A Quiet Madness: A Biographical Novel of Edgar Allan Poe by John Isaac Jones when I heard about it! I had to put down my Beatles book and dive into this.

If I haven’t said it before (and I’m sure I have), I have a strange addiction to biographical fiction written about Edgar Allan Poe. At the end of this review, I’ll list the books I’ve read in case any of you are interested. And if any of you know of any good ones, I’d love to hear about them.

Unlike a lot of the novels about Poe, this one is more focused on Poe himself. The others have mostly been stories that fit his life into their fictitious story. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. While keeping 99% of the dates correct for major occurrences, it leaves the reader to guess what’s fact and what’s fiction. Obviously, the conversations are conjecture, but how about the characters?

Author John Isaac Jones portrays Virginia Poe as a healthy and happy girl while others have said she was a gangly, sickly girl. He kills off Edgar’s friend/colleague Rufus Griswold before Poe dies, even though history tells us that Rufus wrote a scathing obituary of after Edgar’s death. When you change history, misinformation and rumors are spread.

Note: this book is also self-published and could have used a really good editor to fix the typos!

Even though I couldn’t put this book down because I’m such a Poe addict, it did leave me scratching my head a bit. I’m all for historical fiction, until you change history. Then it becomes fan fiction…of which I’m no fan! And for that reason…

I rate this book, 2 out of 4 Beetles!

 

 

 

Edgar Allan Poe historical fiction books that I would recommend:

The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard

Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen

The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

For Edgar by Sheldon Rusch

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November 29, 2021 · 10:51 am

2021 Beatles Freak Holiday Wish List…

Tis the season…

The reviewers at Beatles Freak Reviews thought we’d try something new for the season of giving! We’ve thought long and hard and come up with our own Bealtely lists of Want, Need, Wear, Read – the idea being that you limit your giving to just four items from each category: Something you Want, Something you Need, Something you Wear and Something you Read. Here are my and Amy’s lists…

…and if you leave your own Want, Need, Wear, Read list in the comments, you’ll be entered to win a $25 Amazon gift card and a Beatles Freak Reviews t-shirt! Winner will be chosen at 7 a.m. (et) Wednesday, December 15, 2021. One entry per person.

Jenn’s list:

Want: A Paul McCartney signature tattoo. (This could actually fit into all four categories!) This is a rare item now that Paul has decided that he’s no longer giving autographs, but before I die, I’d really love to have him sign me!

Need: To go to Liverpool! How can I really consider myself a Beatles aficionado when I haven’t been to Liverpool. But right now, between the pandemic and the price to fly into John Lennon Airport, it’s really not feasible.

Wear: I’m all about being cozy-comfy. And what better way to spend my leisure time than in a pair of Beatles themed loungewear pants! And I just love the placement of the Fab Four on these Sgt. Pepper pants! And there is a matching image place appropriately on the arse too!

Read: I actually tend to avoid the obvious books that everyone else feels the need to buy, read and review. I like to find older books or lesser known authors to read. But The Lyrics by Paul McCartney is absolutely the exception to this rule. I can’t wait to get my hands on my own copy to display proudly with my Beatles book collection!

Amy’s List:

Want – Paul McCartney to tour in support of ‘The Lyrics’. Sure these books weigh more than 2 planets combined, but to have these volumes of work (from a perspective that is all HIS own), is definitely worth a want.

Need – More hours in the day to read all the Beatles and Beatles-related books that are published! I never foresaw how many authors pour out the fabness since I started reviewing. It’s a labor of love for everybody and every word that goes out to the page. I truly appreciate all the work – when I can find another couple of days to make it happen – that would be a miracle and need.

Wear – John Lennon’s rainbow-striped shirt from the ‘Get Back’ docuseries. Since Peter Jackson upped the vibrancy, every single frame jumps out. Lennon’s shirt was literally the first thing I became addicted to from the ‘Get Back’ series.
***Note from Jenn: Someone created a replica of it…here!

 

Read – Every single Beatles and Beatles-related book publishing in 2022! Yep, another wish list I could just kick back with for another 365 days. I have no qualms with length or depth. Just that ole time factor… I’d love to wring out every second if I could!
***A note from Jenn: Well Amy…here’s a list of Beatles books that you and everyone else can look forward to reading in 2022 according to Amazon!

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