The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
5teverin0's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
If you pick up this book expecting a biography of Billy Holiday (as I did), you will be sorely disappointed. It is, instead, part the "story of" the story if Holiday's life, and part an in-depth analysis of what made her such a unique, enigmatic musician.
The first part of the book chronicles the many attempts that have been made to write and film the story if Billy's life. Unfortunately, not much about her actual life is revealed as a result, and in the end it felt to me like this section was added to give the book some extra length, as it relates only tangentially to the second half.
The last half of the book is given over to a somewhat technical analysis of Holiday's influences and her style, and commentary on how her vocal mannerisms made her so unique. This, in and of itself, is not bad, though I did find it rather dry and somewhat impenetrable in places. I suppose that to a student of music, or to a singer, this information would be interesting and valuable. I, however, was rather disappointed and disinterested. I was turned off by the way the author tried to distill Holiday's essence into almost mathematical terms. He obviously has a lot of respect and reverence for his subject, but so much of what makes her special is intangible, that trying so hard to explain it doesn't make sense to me. I would have much preferred to read the story of Billy's life (even if much of it is conjecture), and form my own ideas about how it shaped her as a performer and as a person.
The first part of the book chronicles the many attempts that have been made to write and film the story if Billy's life. Unfortunately, not much about her actual life is revealed as a result, and in the end it felt to me like this section was added to give the book some extra length, as it relates only tangentially to the second half.
The last half of the book is given over to a somewhat technical analysis of Holiday's influences and her style, and commentary on how her vocal mannerisms made her so unique. This, in and of itself, is not bad, though I did find it rather dry and somewhat impenetrable in places. I suppose that to a student of music, or to a singer, this information would be interesting and valuable. I, however, was rather disappointed and disinterested. I was turned off by the way the author tried to distill Holiday's essence into almost mathematical terms. He obviously has a lot of respect and reverence for his subject, but so much of what makes her special is intangible, that trying so hard to explain it doesn't make sense to me. I would have much preferred to read the story of Billy's life (even if much of it is conjecture), and form my own ideas about how it shaped her as a performer and as a person.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Drug abuse
More...