A review by aasplund
Change of Seasons: A Memoir by Chris Epting, John Oates
3.0
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't ever been a huge Hall & Oates fan - it's not that I didn't like them. I just hadn't listened to anything beyond their biggest hits and I'd only heard those on the radio. So I wasn't really sure what to expect.
The first half of this book was so dull. It was a bit long-winded, the information was your typical pre-rock star in the 1960's and 1970's - traveling around doing drugs and playing in various bands. So it was fun to learn about, but didn't feel special. Even when Hall & Oates got started, the information presented wasn't that interesting to me. There were a few accounts of why they had written certain songs and some information about people who helped, but a lot of the information was very dull and not well-written. I didn't feel like I was getting a sense of what made Hall & Oates what they were and I definitely wasn't getting a sense for who John Oates was - besides that he really liked cars.
The second half of the book got much more interesting and I honestly had a difficult time putting it down. I feel like I got a better feel for who John Oates is and how his life was impacted by his partnership with Daryl Hall and that was so interesting. It was cool to see how he handled difficult financial situations and how he came back from that. I especially liked hearing about John having a somewhat normal (though eccentric) life after Hall & Oates' big heyday.
Also, this book led me to listen to a lot more Hall & Oates and that has been fun. Abandoned Luncheonette is absolutely fantastic and I would not have tried it out if not for this book.
I haven't ever been a huge Hall & Oates fan - it's not that I didn't like them. I just hadn't listened to anything beyond their biggest hits and I'd only heard those on the radio. So I wasn't really sure what to expect.
The first half of this book was so dull. It was a bit long-winded, the information was your typical pre-rock star in the 1960's and 1970's - traveling around doing drugs and playing in various bands. So it was fun to learn about, but didn't feel special. Even when Hall & Oates got started, the information presented wasn't that interesting to me. There were a few accounts of why they had written certain songs and some information about people who helped, but a lot of the information was very dull and not well-written. I didn't feel like I was getting a sense of what made Hall & Oates what they were and I definitely wasn't getting a sense for who John Oates was - besides that he really liked cars.
The second half of the book got much more interesting and I honestly had a difficult time putting it down. I feel like I got a better feel for who John Oates is and how his life was impacted by his partnership with Daryl Hall and that was so interesting. It was cool to see how he handled difficult financial situations and how he came back from that. I especially liked hearing about John having a somewhat normal (though eccentric) life after Hall & Oates' big heyday.
Also, this book led me to listen to a lot more Hall & Oates and that has been fun. Abandoned Luncheonette is absolutely fantastic and I would not have tried it out if not for this book.