Daisy Jones & The Six

I know I’m late getting on this bandwagon - no pun intended - but now that Daisy Jones & The Six has been made into an Amazon Prime series, I thought I’d better get up to speed!  As always, Taylor Jenkins Reid delivers fascinating characters, an immersive sense of the times and all the drama you would expect from a story revolving around a 70’s rock band. 

Did I like it? Yes! I was a child of the 70’s, so the inspiration drawn from Fleetwood Mac and musicians of that time was a warm dose of nostalgia. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite movies - Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous - which also chronicles that era of music and the general zeitgeist of that time. The difference is that Almost Famous had the visuals and music to actually put me in the scene, so to speak. I would’ve loved to hear the songs from this story!

Did I LOVE it? Hmm. It’s a very good story, but the documentary style kept me more distanced from the scene. The characters are telling me their story, but I wasn’t living it with them, so I didn’t feel particularly attached to their experiences. Also, because of the sheer number of voices: Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones (lead singers), Eddie, Graham and Pete (guitarists), Warren (drummer), Karen (keyboardist), Camilla Dunne (Billy’s wife), and a slew of others, I could never get into the flow of one narrative before it shifted to someone else’s. As an introvert, it felt a bit like being in a room where everyone is talking at once!

That said, TJR wrote a story that feels genuine. I could understand the demons that musicians wrestle with, I could sense the confusion of artists blurring the lines between art and reality, I could feel the pain of a wife trying to build some sense of normalcy for her family in a lifestyle that is anything but normal, and I could sympathize with all the band members when the wheels started coming off.  Daisy and Billy were particularly compelling characters, but honestly the standout for me was Billy’s wife, Camilla. She’s the wife every rockstar needs!

I listened to this on audiobook with a full-cast narration, all of whom did a fantastic job with TJR’s skillful writing. I’m looking forward to watching the series and seeing these characters come to life and HEARING the music!

★★★ ½