From Library Journal
Rosenthal, a freelance writer, here attempts only the second serious biography of the bespectacled pianist (after Philip Norman's Elton John, LJ 2/1/92) and the first to include significant critical analysis of the star's music. As a biographer, Rosenthal relies exclusively on secondary sources to cobble together John's story, risking the perpetuation of inaccuracies. She also presents an assembly line of factoids but fails to give the reader a broader understanding of the man. As a critical analysis of John's music, the book is more successful, but here, too, are puzzling inconsistencies. Rosenthal takes pains to discuss every album track John has recorded in his 30-plus-year career, yet she ignores the plethora of nonalbum B-sides that he has released on singles a significant oversight. Oddly, the author devotes considerable space to lesser-known songs and only two sentences to "Your Song," arguably John's most beloved composition. Still, as a secondary selection, Rosenthal's well-meaning work is vastly superior to Susan Crimp and Patricia Burstein's The Many Lives of Elton John (Birch Lane Pr., 1992). Despite being dated, Norman's book remains the most definitive account. Lloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
Documentation rather than biography is the raison d'etre of new books on aging rock superstars.Rosenthal on Elton John details all one could ever want to know about the intricacies of, say, "The Bitch Is Back." Copiously annotated, the dense recording-by-recording study comprises a full discography with some lamentable limitations; all songs and composers are listed, but none of the sidemen who played with John on recordings. Entertaining yet meaningful, disposable yet probably significant, John's continued popularity seems to guarantee readers for this good source of information on the working aspects of a career so voluminous that people will be serious about it, even if most of the songs are little more than Paul McCartney's "silly love songs."
Mike TribbyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
