The Lives of Lennon

rickboy88 · Post by **rickboy88** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:46 am

Was just wondering if anyone has read this book? It came out in the late 80's. I just did, getting it from Amazon. It's a high quality (trade) paperback now.
It was a *long* read, but it was hard to put down. Yoko comes over pretty badly, but John doesn't fair much better. It looks to have been well researched with lots of interviews. It is lunch at work, so I need to make this short, but will probably comment more.
I *will* note that everything I was aware of about Lennon from other sources (bullying, bad temper, heroin use, etc., etc.) was confirmed. There were some shockers in there. Even though it's been polarizing for fans I think every fan should read it. I had saved that old Playboy interview after all those years, but now it appears that much of the "story" from the late 70's was made up.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:54 am

Actually, this book in Beatles collector's circles is generally panned and avoided - For a lot of the reasons you mentioned. Goldman was showboating when he wrote this, going for a tabloid view. Much of what he wrote is made up. Save your money.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:14 am

Yes, very controversial book when it came out.
Made up or not, don't know.

westtexasrickenbacker · Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:40 am

I didn't like the book, either! I do not know how factual it is. I'm like you, I read the entire thing and it is depressing reading for a Beatles fan

David, does Yoko ever come across very well?

It's difficult to make a dark color wash out to white!

jt10824 · Post by **jt10824** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:45 pm

Y'know, it's interesting: Yoko came off not too badly in Geoff Emerick's book. Lots of stories about how she insinuated herself into the later sessions (including the infamous bed-in-the-studio story) but overall Emerick seems pretty well-disposed towards her, saying that, in his opinion, she was exactly what John needed at that stage in his life: a wake-up call. It's one of the few Beatles books where Yoko seems to get a fair shake.

nattiep · Post by **nattiep** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:17 pm

I loved it. Great read. Who cares if John and Yoko came off badly? People aren't perfect.

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:58 pm

I got that book in hardback when it came out. Definitely not a book that paints pretty pictures. I don't doubt that John and Yoko were very difficult people to be around. It doesn't diminish his work in my eyes. I learned to separate the artist from the art a long time ago.

rickboy88 · Post by **rickboy88** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:00 pm

Me again. The glaring thing I noticed with this book (as opposed to the Emerick book) was that it was almost completely negative. The Emerick book "Here, There, and Everywhere" - which I'd read maybe 7 or 8 months ago - was a bit more balanced, noting that Lennon could at times be one of the kindest & generous people you'd met. Conversely, he could be very hard to be around. I guess I'll still hang onto that Playboy interview, but in hindsight John baking bread and being the house mom sounds a bit far fetched, especially when under the influence of all those drugs. People with that kind of money have live-in nannies who completely take care of the kid(s) and cook most of the meals.

The insight to the competitive relationship between Paul and John was very interesting. You'd think that they'd room together to write songs during the tours, but Paul roomed with Ringo, and John with George. Paul and John apparently very rarely socialized together. The relationship seems all business from an early stage.

The story of the ousting of Pete Best in the book is also likely the true one. The fans were very upset when he was canned. The official line is that Ringo was a much better player than Pete, but Ringo had to sit out the initial recording session (Love Me Do?) for playing issues - stuff that Best was slammed for in the official saga.

I do firmly believe that you'll only really start to get close to what happened when a bio is written by an outsider. Autobiographies (for instance) will always leave out the unpleasant things.

If you haven't read "A Twist of Lennon" I'd recommend that as well, understanding that it is Cynthia's version of things. I bought that paperback when it first came out over 20 years ago, although Lennon tried to block it. His lawyer termed it "a grubby little book," which it wasn't at all. She of course leaves out things that don't make her look good...

gregga41 · Post by **gregga41** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:05 am

David, you give a very interesting "take" on Cynthia's book, ATOL, but what amazes me is, that in her latest book,"John", almost everything she wrote in the first book,is now totally different in the latest!
She has completely changed her story on many issues, not least being the night she found John and Yoko together at her home,then went to bed with Magic Alex! 2 very different accounts of the same incident,by the same person!
Personally, I found "John" a complete waste of paper!

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:51 am

I noticed the same inconsistancies in Cynthia's books. I think it's safe to say that John felt smothered in that relationship. He spent a lot of time by himself on the sofa staring at the TV. It shouldn't be surprising to read many accounts of John spending a lot of time by himself on his bed staring at the TV at the Dakota. I don't buy into the devoted, bread baking house-husband story that seems to be an invention.

lennonon · Post by **lennonon** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:01 pm

I think Bono said it best for me in God Pt. 2:

"Don't believe in Goldman
His type like a curse
Instant Karma's gonna get him
If I don't get him first"

Goldman was trying to inject some controversy into a fledgling career by kicking the ***** out of a beloved target, who, coincidentally, wasn't around to respond. Nearly every Lennon insider has repudiated the book.

larrywassgren · Post by **larrywassgren** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:11 pm

The Goldman book is a piece of **** as far as I'm concerned. Didn't he do the same thing to Elvis Presley? I wouldn't buy it but borrowed it from the library. He even tries to make the Cavern look bad! I talked to Paddy Delaney who was the doorman at The Cavern and he told me not to believe all the bad stuff written about those days, it was mainly a lot of good times. Now there's a guy that's qualified to write a book about the early Beatles. He was actually there.

admin · Post by **admin** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:23 pm

I found Goldman to be very dark throughout and as such it lacked credibility.

It is sad to say that almost anything with John Lennon's name on it will command attention, often times even when it is poorly written and deviates substantially from the reality of his life.

I agree that there a number of people who could write a fantastic book based on their firsthand experiences with the Beatles. This number is quickly diminishing, however, as the aging process takes its toll.

jt10824 · Post by **jt10824** » Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:00 am

I haven't heard much lately about the book that Norman Smith was supposed to be writing. That should be fascinating. Now, if only Neil Aspinall would write his memoir!!

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:59 am

Anything Yoko and Eliott (sp?) Mintz have to say about John would have to be the absolute truth, wouldn't it?