Customer Reviews

The Elton John Scrapbook

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently bought the Elton John Scrapbook by Mary Anne Cassata. I have been a loyal fan since the early Seventies and this book is everything a fan could ever want in one BIG scrapbook setting; loads of color pics (many rare), fascinating bits of information, extensive album reviews, memorabilia, trivia, concert highlights and even an extensive chapter on Bernie Taupin. The Elton John Scrapbook is absolutely a delightful and a respectable tribute to Elton and his fans (SEE the East End Lights, Fan Survey and Collecting Elton John chapters). Finally, an Elton John book that is not another rehash biography, but a celebration of the man, his music, his life and his fans. Bravo Miss Cassata!

Like David above, I also had a small hand in this one. I have mixed feelings about the first edition. It's a potpourri of Elton fandom--it gives one an overview of Elton's career while paying special attention to the 1990s. Too many books focus on Elton's hey day in the 1970s without paying attention to his rebirth in the 1990s stirred unparalleled excitement for his fans. This book does an admirable job of addressing today's Elton John.

The downside to this first edition is that it is riddled with mistakes and typos. Those fans frustrated by the mistakes and inaccuracies in MCA's first edition of the "To Be Continued..." box set will have a similar reaction to this book. That's unfortunate because several respected Elton experts were recruited to contribute to this book and it doesn't reflect their talents.

WAIT FOR THE NEXT EDITION BEFORE PURCHASING. Looking forward to a newer edition with corrections, so I can give it more stars. Until then, there are several other Elton pictorial books that are more worthy of your purchase.

Jim McKay

Another great piece by author Mary Anne Cassata. I have been reading her Elton and Bernie Taupin stories for two decades in national music magazines, and she is considered a reliable source for her hard-to-get information. I especially enjoyed the rare photographs and interview material, as well as the lengthy chapter on Bernie. As an Elton fan, I delighted in this scrapbook and I flip through it often. It's a fun, easy read and it's informative as well. Bravo!

No, the title's not a spelling error. The two star rating was for the pictures, which were impressive, not the book! This book had the potential to be a great source of information for all Elton Fans, but just turned out to be a feast of second-hand facts, gathered from 'various sources'. There is not one piece of original information in here. eg. In a section called 'Fascinating facts' there is this; 'Elton filmed 2 television commercials for diet coke'. Now, people who buy books about Elton John want to know about him and his music, not things like that.

The worst things by far though are the careless errors. This book cannot have been proof read. Here is an excerpt from the 'Just the Sats and Facts section';

Sports; tennis and soccer. In 1971 Elton was the vice-president of the Watford Hornets. [Not the 'Watford Hornets'. The team is Watford. Its nickname is 'The Hornets'.]From 1976 to 1990 he owned the team and his cousin Roy Dwight was a national star.[Brace yourself, because I am not making this up. This is exactly how the book was written. Here goes...] In 1971 Elton became the vice-president of the Watford Hornets [!]. He owned the team from 1976-1990...

Now, maybe Mary-Anne Cassata finds this information exciting but is it really necessary to write it twice within the same paragraph? The punctuation is also terrible.

However many errors there are, though, the author deserves credit for the amount of effort that went in to this work. She obviously worked hard collecting information and pictures.

So, everybody out there thinking of buying this book, here are a few words of advice; STICK TO PHILIP NORMAN!!!!

I bought this book for my 12 yr old sister, an extreme Elton fan. She proceeded to recite facts during dinner and make Elton references for the next few months. This was a well put-together book and informative. While you can get some of the info in other places, nothing is organized so well with so much information all in one spot. Any Elton fan would not be disappointed!

I gave it a star for the info (though no original info that you can't find in any other Elton bio) and the great pictures. However, as an editor, I found it very difficult to read this book (and did so only by wincing repeatedly on each page). I even looked, after only a few pages into the book, in the back to see if an editor was listed. Unfortunately, there is. I hope she is no longer editing professionally as she clearly does not have the skills to do so. I could list many examples, but I will spare you. If you read this book, you can see them for yourself. Most high school and college students could edit better than she. Ms. Cassata, I suggest you get a new editor for your next book.

The Elton John Scrapbook is a very entertaining book that manages to balance the music and man. While this book focuses on the more lighthearted aspects of his career with many highlights, you'll find a good 'ol fashion bio as well. A light read but worth exploring to get a different perspective on the entertainer's music over the last 3 decades. Also, an indepth profile of lyricist Bernie Taupin, terrific album reviews and tons of pictures. There's a section on fans as well and what his music has meant to them. Yours truly contributed a couple of segments as well so I'm a little biased! Worth the money and a must for Elton die hards.

"The Elton John Scrapbook" is an insightful look at the amazing career of Elton John. It spans 224 pages and has chapters on each decade of his career. It includes photos, scraps of what other entertainers think of him, a list of rare and highly collectable items, and detailed album reviews that are a plageurist's dream. This is must for any Elton John fan.