07 Jun 2011 03:51:51
David Browne's "Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970" is a worthy addition to anyone's collection of such music histories. As the account of a single year in music, Browne weaves the narratives of four bands and artists who each released an album of lasting influence in 1970: The Beatles' "Let It Be"; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Deja Vu"; James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James"; and my favorite, Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
What emerges is a scrutiny of a significant year of transition — the `60s counterculture is rapidly receding in the country's rearview mirror, the singer-songwriter focus of the `70s has yet to take hold — that holds its own against any other year in terms of its dramatic tensions and creative output, not to mention increasingly traumatic national events like the shootings at Kent State University and the government's response to a series of bombings perpetrated by radical fringe anti-war groups.
The one problem with organizing such a detailed account is there tends not to be extreme personal changes over the course of a single year. Bands that are fighting in February are still fighting in November, and over pretty much the same things. But the nuanced account of the struggles inherent in making music is more than enough to satisfy, as are the delightful surprise connections and asides scattered throughout the book.
Browne's detailing of Simon and Garfunkel's dissolution is poignant, and while the sections about CSNY verge on tabloid gossip, I couldn't help but be riveted by the account of this group of immensely talented people who also, when they weren't at each other's throats, seemed like they'd be cool to hang out with. And that's basically why we read books about musicians, right?
