Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
What is it about?
There was a time when everyone knew Daisy Jones & The Six and their hit album Aurora: their unique sound, fueled by the undeniable chemistry and connection between Billy Dunne and Daisy Jones, defined a whole era. But what about the rumors that Billy and Daisy actually can’t stand each other? And what actually happened in July 1979, when the band suddenly split and was never heard of again?
Is it any good?
Ever since I joined Bookstagram a few months ago, I have seen Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books everywhere, specifically Daisy Jones & The Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and, more recently, Malibu Rising. To be honest, I wasn’t too interested at first – it just didn’t seem like my cup of tea, and when books are extremely hyped, I always fear that I end up disappointed. But Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo received so much praise that I decided to take the plunge after all.
So, Daisy Jones & The Six is my first Taylor Jenkins Reid novel – and it instantly reminded me of two of my favorite music-related books by Greg Prato (Grunge is Dead and A Devil on One Shoulder and an Angel on the Other), which are written in the exact same style as Daisy Jones: oral history. Of course, with the difference, that Daisy Jones & The Six is a fictional band, while the Seattle grunge movement and Blind Melon very much existed.
But you would never guess if you didn’t already know: Daisy Jones & The Six might as well be a real band, with real people that face real struggles and carry real burdens. I was so enthralled by the band’s beginnings, rise and inevitable downfall that I devoured this book over one short weekend.
It was highly addictive, particularly because this format works so well when you want to tell a story through the eyes of those who were involved with Daisy Jones & The Six, be it as a band member, a journalist, a roadie or a sound engineer. When you have so many different people telling you the same story, you get a more comprehensive, layered picture of what happened – but also different versions of the truth. It’s fascinating to see how the memories of each interviewed person are strikingly similar and come together to create the big picture, but still vary when it comes to the details.
The dynamics between the band members are incredible – and even though the characters may come off as a little stereotypical at first (the talented, yet torn frontman, the overlooked and jealous guitarist, the out-of-this-world beautiful, drug-addled singer), as a reader you can feel the growing tension on every page: you know that this band is doomed, that everything will painfully fall apart, and yet, you go on this ride so willingly and never regret that you did.
Favorite character?
I was especially fascinated by the female characters in this book: Daisy Jones, of course, is the star of the show, but I found Camila, Billy’s wife, equally interesting: always supportive of Billy’s career, a pillar of strength who is keeping the family together with grit, determination and an abundance of patience despite the obstacles thrown in her way – without losing herself in the process. I also loved finding out more about the band’s drummer, Karen, who shares compelling insights on fulfilling her dream of becoming a rock star as a woman in the 1970s, often taking a backseat in a world dominated by men, and yet playing such an integral part in the story (and the songs).
Most memorable quote?
This is another tough one – there’s basically a marvelous quote on every single page of this book. I have narrowed it down to these two:
“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.”
“Passion is… it’s fire. And fire is great, man. But we’re made of water. Water is how we keep living. Water is what we need to survive. My family was my water. I picked water. I’ll pick water every time. And I wanted Daisy to find her water. Because I couldn’t be it.”
Conclusion?
I may be late to the Taylor Jenkins Reid party, but I’m ready to go all in (I have since moved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo up on my to-be-read pile). I honestly didn’t expect to like Daisy Jones & The Six as much as I did. Now I’m wondering: what was I thinking? Why WOULDN’T I like it? The glamorous 70s vibe, the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll spirit, the L.A. music scene, but mainly, the changing aspects and underlying forces of the relationships within the band – put together, they make a wonderful story, sprung from the clever mastermind and incredible penmanship of Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’m on board, people. I’m on board!
I also found out that there will be a limited TV series based on Daisy Jones & The Six, which will hopefully help to erase the only downside of this book: I found myself desperate to listen to the band’s music – the author has even included the lyrics to all the songs! – only to remember that it’s all fictional and “Honeycomb”, “Aurora”, “Impossible Woman”, “Please” etc. don’t exist in real life, so I’m very excited about the upcoming show’s soundtrack. Please, please, please, let it be as good as it sounds in my head!
Trigger warning: drug abuse, alcoholism
AT A GLANCE
Title: Daisy Jones & The Six
By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published by: Arrow (2020)
Pages: 432
Language: English