Wonderful Tonight

Wonderful Tonight: An Autobiography by Pattie Boyd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book. The first chapter did not catch my interest but I wanted to know more about this person, mainly because of the time period the story covered, so I pushed on and I am glad I did. Here is a woman who had it all, money, status, not one but two iconic husbands, musical royalty frequented her dinner table, she had three songs written about her that have become classics, yet my heart broke for Pattie Boyd as I turned each page. I could feel the love she had for the men in her life. I cried as she did when she relived betrayals of both spouses. Reading this confirmed something I always believed, it does not matter how much money you have in the bank, what kind of car you drive, or how big your house is; if love is not true the rest is empty.



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Guitar Legend

Clapton: The Autobiography by Eric Clapton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no intention of reading this book but I came across the companion CD which I did want. I had just finished reading Pattie Boyd's (ex-wife of Eric Clapton and George Harrison)"Wonderful Tonight" and I had enjoyed it very much. What better way to see if her story matched that of Clapton, so I bought his book and the CD. Clapton's arrogance is bold and rampant throughout the book, yet as much as his arrogance frustrated me, I believed that insecurity and shyness lay beneath the surface. I found that everytime Clapton reached major success as a solo artist, he sought safety within a band.

His early life is heartbreaking, interesting, and fascinating, the later years not so much. The lack of interest for the latter part of the book could be due to the lack of arrogance that drew me in initially. To his credit, he was true to his opinion of life with Pattie. So kudos to him for being honest and supporting her version of life with Eric.

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I Think We're Alone Now

Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells by Tommy James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have always enjoyed the music of Tommy James and have recently found myself listening to his music more than usual, so when I came across this book I just had to pick it up. If you are looking for an in depth insight to the man behind the music - you will not find it here. The book focuses on his love/hate relationship with Morris Levy, the head of Roulette Records. You get a little bit of Tommy's life in Niles, Michigan and the events that brought him into the world of music but the story is about the mob and the music, mainly the mob's control over Tommy's music and ultimately his personal life.

I found myself wanting to know more about the person and a few tidbits are sprinkled throughout but never given any focus of their own. I could not help but wonder why he as an artist tolerated the manipulation and control the record company had over him. I guess it is one of those things that as an outsider looking in, it is easy to have an opinion but only understood by the person in the situation.

In spite of the lack of a larger story, I did like the book and finished it in two days. However, my question was never answered. What does the title Crimson and Clover mean, and what is the song about?

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