Customer Reviews

Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

As a Springsteen junkie (more than 100 shows under my belt starting with No Nukes in 1979) I buy lots of these books. Most I scan through and never get to reading all the way through. Even as one who would find what Springsteen eats for breakfast entertaining, I get bored. Not the case with Big Man! I read it in one day. It is truly enjoyable, funny and well written. Clarence's tales are so convincing, I found myself googling Englebert Humperdinck to see if he was still alive! As a black man, that on a given night may perform in front of 50,000 white people and on a good night maybe a dozen black people, he did not set out to prove anything. (Damon Wayons, a friend of Don Reo's comments at his first show that Bruce must be a Sopranos fan since he just spotted Stevie Van Zandt backstage!) Clarence is immensely talented, incredibly likable and really funny. And, he gets 50,000 white people pay money to see him! His stories come off as honest and straight forward. Clarence doesn't offer inside gossip on Bruce and the other band members; he doesn't have to; his stories are more than enough entertainment. There are really great photos that you don't want to miss, so don't opt for the Kindle version. As larger than life as Springsteen is, The Big Man never plays second fiddle. He doesn't do this with ego, but with talent, presence, likeability and a smile that can light up a stadium.

Don Reo's additions are really amusing. He is obviously a very successful man in his on right, and surely has met and hung out with many a celebrity, but offers his observations from a very humble perspective. He gets as excited by the private planes with the band, the backstage access, the inside scoop as any die hard fan would. In many cases he is the fly on the wall that we would all like to be. His perspective on Clarence is that of an old dear friend; by no means a ghost writer.

This book is a really good read, that even a less than obsessed fan could enjoy. I hope Clarence's new knees keep him pain free and performing for many years to come. Springsteen without the Big Man would never be the same!

I've always been a big fan of Clarence, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Come on everyone who's buying the book are. I was excited to read Clarence's book. There is absolutely no question in reading this book that The Big Man is a very intelligent and witty guy. The book is really three books in one. The first book is written by Clarence about Clarence, his life and experiences. The second book is written by Clarence and is partially true and partially fiction. The third is written by the co-author, Clarence's good friend (groupie?) Don Rio. All three books are mixed together. This seems to work for a while and then it stops working quite abruptly.
Here are the problems as I see them: Problem number one is the part of the book that is written by the co-author. I didn't know who Don Rio was, but I sure do now. The thing is, this is a book about Clarence Clemons. Let Mr. Reo write his own book! It's not that I don't care about Mr. Reo, just not in this book. He also goes on and on about how wonderful Clarence is, oh yes, on and on. We already knew this or we probably wouldn't be reading the book. Mind you this is a full third of the book! I becomes quite painful and not just a little annoying. If you do purchase the book, a word of advise, skip the chapters that start with, "Don." The second problem is the "Tall Tales." They are amusing at first and then the name dropping really gets on your nerves and it's not just people in the music business, really odd references and they seem to get longer and longer and your mind starts to wander and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. The biggest problem with the book is the part that Clarence wrote about his experiences. It's too short. We don't really learn much about him at all. He tells us very little about his childhood. He tells us very little about his relationships or his children. And come on, most of us want to know about his history with Bruce and the E Street band. We get very little of this. I'm not even certain that he mentions everybody by name. Maybe I'm wrong, but there's precious little about the band. What he does tell us about all this stuff just made the situation worse because it was like the first bite of a cookie, but you get no more!
This guy could have written a brilliant autobiography. He really does have a way with words. I certainly don't think he needed help doing so by using a co-author. Or, if he wanted to, he could have written a work of fiction. Maybe he can put out another book called "Big Man, Take 2," and tell us all the things we had hoped to learn about him in this book. I'm really, really disappointed, but I still love the Big Man! See you 11/18!

Very enjoyable, well written, fresh, laugh out funny. I was hoping it would not be a typical tell all. Having read many tell all books they are stupid and boring. I don't care to know how many chicks the guy screwed our how much he drank or snorted. Big deal, I get it man. Enough already. This is different. It cleverly weaves strories with famous people in and of Big Man's life. Some are true some are not. He tells you that before you read the story. His point being, having already met (or maybe not) the person,-example: Robert DeNiro,Norman Mailer,Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, he paints a picture of what they would say and act in a given situation.It's called storytelling.That's what Bruce Springsteen is, a storyteller. Many have told me they don't "get" Bruce. I tell them he tells stories thats it. Don't think to hard. The stories of he and the E Street Band are wonderful, funny, poignant and refreshing. Don Reo gives great insight as an outsider privileged to "tag along". Buy this book, try not to read it all in one sitting. You will feel empty when it's over.

What I learned from this book:

1) Don Reo is some hollywood jerk that I never heard of, who is best friends with Clarence, and who I now no more than I would ever want to about him.

2) How the E Street Band got it's name.

3) That Clarence fishes, eats and drinks and rides around in Limos and has his own entourage.

4) Clarence has found true love at 70 with a twenty something Russian girl after being married four other times.

5) That I should have gotten this book out of the library.

I've been a fan of Bruce and the band for as long as I can remember. In fact, my yearbook ambition back in the early 80's was to be roadie for the E Street band. Having read this book I feel like I've been given a small glimpse of what that life might be like. Beautifully written, insightful and often downright hilarious this book takes the reader back stage and gives us an insider's view of what is arguably the greatest rock and roll band of all time.


This book is not only about rock and roll but more importantly about friendship. The kind of friendship that comes along very rarely, lasts a lifetime and is a blessing to all those who experience it.

I'll be fortunate enough to attend two more shows in the upcoming week and I can hardly wait! After reading about what Clarence has to go through to get himself up there to perform night after night, I have a whole new respect for him. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to attend a show knows that the "Big Man" is in a class all by himself. His musical talent and stage presence are beyond compare, and now he can hopefully add bestselling author to his list of accomplishments.

This is the most rockin', raunchy, soulful rock book I've read since Rock Scully's Living With The Dead. Yah, so every word may not be true. Springsteen's Santa Claus rap during Santa Claus is Coming to Town isn't true either -- does that make it any less rock 'n roll?

F*(% the negative reviews -- get this book dammit! It's a blast, and you'll love The Big Man even more after you read it.

This is a fantastic read, hard to put down. I think anyone will enjoy this book, especially those of us who are diehard Springsteen and E Street fans. It gives a wonderful insight into the Big Man and his relationship with the Boss and the fantastic journey he has traveled.

This book is really an enjoyable read. It can be picked up and put down and it's full of amusing and amazing stories about the life of Clarence Clemons. Told in a stream-of-consciousness style, with different colored pages for the "real life" and "tall tales" segments, it's a really fun read. The life of a larger-than-life person is very well suited to this style. Who can really tell what is real and what is a tall tale?

The book is packed with laugh-out-loud incidents. I gained a new appreciation for The Big Man and his role in the history of the E Street Band. The mutual appreciation between Bruce, Clarence and other band members shines clear and true.

We are left with the impression that The Boss is a closet philanthropist and a hero to the Big Man, and that the Big Man is firstly a professional musician and then an intelligent dabbler in life. But, to paraphrase the Big Man, "WTF, it's all rock and roll".

I purchased the "Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales" after Clarence passed away. There was a need to know more about this man that brought such enjoyment to so many people around the world. The book is titled perfectly for it is just that, his real life and the stories about the adventures with Bruce and the Band. If you are a lover of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, I would recommend this easy, fun reading for your book collection.

This book is so good! Hard to put it down. So many interesting stories. It will have you laughing and crying with a big ole smile on my face! Clarence was one awesome man! If you are a fan, than you really need to read this book!