Customer Reviews

Sir Elton: The Definitive Biography

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

 

 

W Martin (WMPuppet@aol.com) from United States , January 24, 2001 Only for the casual fan, REAL fans will find this tedious. For the casual fan, there is no better book on the life and career of Sir Elton John than this. However, for any serious fan this "updated" re-issue is a waste. Mr. Norman never did appear to have his heart in writing the original and ten years later all he has managed to add is about a half dozen pages of quotes from Elton's stepmother Edna Dwight, who he secured an interview, following the death of Elton's father Stanley. Mrs. Dwights reflections, including a picture and some letters between father and son, are very interesting. They shed a very different light on her late husband's relationship with Elton, from the version Elton has given through the years. But that's it.

Mr. Norman has come up with NOTHING on Elton's breakup with longtime manager John Reid. He merely includes what has been reported in the tabloid press. (Mr. Norman's idea of research?) While this story is still evolving, as any industry insider will tell you, it's dynamite. A book in and of itself. An author with the ego of Philip Norman's should be ashamed for releasing an updated version without including the REAL story regarding Mr. Reid. But then again, this is the same author who released the book in it's original form without including any information on Elton's multiple addictions that nearly cost him his life. Everyone in the business was fully aware of the situation at the time, yet Mr. Norman's reaction was one of total shock, learning of the condition when Elton went public after the books initial release.

The book in it's first printing, while giving a good overview of Elton's life and career was riddled with errors, including misquotes, wrong dates and fabrications. (In particular, events pertaining to Elton's career in the U.S.) These errors were made known at the time, to both author and publisher. As far as I can tell, NONE have been corrected.

As for Elton's quote "He's got me spot on", that the publisher is so fond of including in ads, well, Elton did say this. However, Elton was referring to what Mr. Norman descrbes as "Elton's little moments", not the book as a whole. At the time he invited Philip Norman to his London residence for tea, Elton had not yet read the entire book. He said at the time that he was only half through it. Elton is also on record as being very angry that Mr. Norman took what was intended to be a private discussion and included the transcript as an additional chapter in the paperback editions that followed. Ironically, it's the only accurate chapter Mr. Norman's tome has.

This is all truly disappointing. At 581 pages and as the title itself promises, this should have been "The Definitive" Sir Elton John bio. Unfortunately, it is not.

I sympathize with those who find the pace of this one troubling. I bought the first edition when it came out twelve years ago; I was only ten years-old but read it with eyes wide-open. I was excited to hear Norman was coming out with a new version including everything that the first edition and second edition originally offered--but with supplemental info that captured the story of his 1990s renaissance. I was, however, disappointed in the following:

A) only one or two additional chapters had been added to cover this significant time of John's career

B) the discography (by leading archivist Mark Lewisohn) had been updated, but nowhere near as comprehensive (the new one is SHORTER)

C) what had once been three extensive sections of color and b&w photos had been compromised into only two

... so, be advised of these differences that make this new version a disappointing replacement for Norman's original.

BUT, make no mistake. I have given 4 stars based on the merits of Norman's extensive research and outstanding writing as a biographer. He paints a fair and honest picture of a superstar based on first hand testimony from John's closest friends, relatives and bandmates. This is, and always will be, the 'definitve' portrait in words.

This book was not "authorized", by the way. However, of the original, Elton John himself was quoted at the time as saying "He's got me spot on" (this quote is printed, of course, on the back of the book). I think that says enough. Enjoy the book.

After having read the entire 500+/- page book I have to appreciate that Mr. Norman is a serious fan of Elton. The book is well researched. If you want to know what color outfit he wore at a particular gig you're probably in luck. If you want to know about Elton and his songwriting/music this is probably not the book for you. So many of Elton classic albums are just brushed off or hardly mentioned. Really. If you're lucky you may get a tracklisting; other albums not even that. While the private lives of musicians can be interesting to a point please don't forget what made them famous in the first place. There is little to no mention of the recordings of several albums (what was the mood, who was there, what inspired the song).

The grim realisation that the last 20 years would be given very superficial treatment dawns when you are several hundred pages in and it's still the early 80's. Very disappointing as Elton had a very popular and successful period during the mid-80's and several top albums and great tours were glossed over. The last 10 years fairs even worse - it appears a superficial update to cash in on EJ's Knighthood status. Even the well publicised friendship with the Princess of Wales is hardly touched. Pity 'cause I enjoyed particularly the coverage of the 70's ...

I've received this book on October 17th, 2011 and now is the 25th.
I'm still at page 148 but I'm already amazed by the richness of details about the pernol and the artist lives Mr. Norman took me to learn so far.
I'm from Brazil and an Elton fan since 1972. I tell you I thought I knew a lot bout him but I'm getting to know we never know nothing in such deepness until someone researches and publishes on a biography like that.
I'm pretty sure this book will get me in awe when I finish it.
Praise, Mr. Norman for teaching the writers how to make a real biography.

This is a very good book. I found it at my local library, and, being a very big fan of Elton John, I decided to give it a read.

It is detailed, and it's very evident that the author went through great pains to make sure he interviewed as many people as possible in order to ensure accuracy, and that's to be commended.

I have only 2 gripes about this book. One is that, rather than continue throughout the years, the author does a lot of jumping back and forth from chapter to chapter. One minute you're reading about Elton in 1971, and, just when you think you're on a straight track, for whatever reasons he deemed necessary, the story suddenly jumps back to several years earlier. It does make for confusion and sheer frustration.

The second is how the author also cites Elton's amazing gift for mimicry when describing his early work playing compilation/cover albums as a session musician. He notes Elton's vocals on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder, "Up Around The Bend" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum as being uncannily close to, and not being able to tell the difference from, the originals.

Well, back in '99 I purchased a CD in Australia called "16 Legendary Covers from 1969/70 As Sung By Elton John". I had completely forgotten about this CD until I read this book, and after giving it another listen, I'm wondering where the author has come up with his inane idea of his that EJ's vocals were amazingly similar to that of the originals. The 3 songs I listed above just happen to be included on that CD, and they don't even sound anywhere in the same vicinity as the originals when it comes to the vocals.

It's a nice CD to own, if you're a major collector like I am, but don't believe what the author has stated in his book regarding EJ's vocal mimicry and early session work. Other than those, the book does make for a nice read. I just wish he had kept everything in chronological order, rather than continually jump back and forth between the years.

The author also makes reference to a documentary that was filmed in 1973, and talks about it extensively, with footage being shot of Elton doing everything from lounging about to goofing off to recording. But, for all the detailed work that went into this book, he fails to mention that the documentary was eventually completed, and released, and entitled "Elton John and Bernie Taupin Say 'Goodbye To Norma Jean' and Other Things...". It wasn't released theatrically, but on television. Why the author chose to disregard this fact is beyond me.

This is beautiful prose covering the life of Elton in intense detail. As far as accuracy goes even autobiographies can choose to hide more embarassing episodes in a life. True the creative process behind the songs takes a back seat to psychological and emotional history. But I found it very interesting to discover the motivations behind the musician. The moral of the story seems to be that money can't buy you love and happiness and that acquiring is more fulfilling than having. Of course the problem with having a near limitless bank account is that you can afford to perpetually keep looking for "greener grass" on the "other side."