Rebel Heart: An American Rock 'n' Roll Journey by Bebe Buell, Victor Bockris
|
Our Price: $49.20 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $14.52 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Rebel Heart: An American Rock 'n' Roll Journey
Book Review: The "TRUTH" about "Rebel Heart"(AAR&RJ)
Summary: 4 Stars
I recently read an article in the New York Times about fellow authors, exes, and peers that come on here JUST to trash the products of people and authors they don't like. I see this happen with "Rebel Heart" on a steady basis. For those of us who have read the book, enjoyed it and reveled in it, I want to lend my critique. As an author myself and a reader of all things "pop culture" geared, I was overjoyed by this book. Victor Bockris has had his hand in many of these types of tomes. Everyone from Ali to Andy Warhol. His pairing with Bebe Buell was a soulful choice. Maybe not a perfect one.
What I got from the tone of RH was a woman with confidence but also demons and pain. It revealed itself in many ways. What I DID NOT get was any tone of conceit or self service. I found the honesty sometimes damning and yet it was touching too. Bebe Buell touched many a heart not excluding my own.
I feel that most of the reviews on here, with the exception of a few, depict an almost "highschool" childishness veiled by envy and extreme jealousy. I would not rule out a scorned ex penning the more ridiculous assertions. It reeks of that.
In a nutshell RH is a joyous read coupled with a quick study in the music of the 70's and 80's. It explores one woman's quest to be loved and NEEDED. If Bebe Buell had been born just twenty years later she would be an icon herself in music. Her talent is rare and true. But being part of the era of which she was raised, most of those opportunities were devoured by the times. When she finally did find her "voice" she had already done things that branded her for life. She posed for Playboy, was a fashion model, the other half of some of the biggest names in music, a muse, and then a mother- all before she was 24 years old!
As Cameron Crowe says about her, she absolutely DOES transcend the word "groupie". That is a very LAZY description if you ask me. Bebe Buell was important to the times and the music of the eras addressed in RH. Anyone who can look past their envy and hatred can observe that and digest it. She should NEVER be put in the same catagory as Pam Des Barres or any of those ladies.
It was hard to put the darn book down. I was glued to it and even read it again just to relive some of the tales. Front row seat is an understatement.
As an editor for a national magazine, I feel that I am in a position to review Rebel Heart honestly. It was not a "perfect" book but it was a damn good one. I was drawn to pen my review after reading some of the obviously "made-up" ones. A lot of the annoying ones don't even discuss the book but Bebe herself. As a journalist I try to review the actual "book" and not the person. That is a dead giveaway if you ask me. It shows that 80% of the people that THINK they have read something have not really read anything at all.
If it had actually been READ by some of you, you would know first hand that Bebe does not credit herself as the subject of any Prince songs nor does she claim to be the topic of "all the best songs written" in the 70's and 80's. That is an extreme exaggeration and not true at all. She puts herself where she WAS and where she IS. Nothing more or less.
To sum up the importance of a book like this, I want to give Rebel Heart an almost perfect score. There were some "little" things that got on my nerves but not enough to warrent criticism. Bebe Buell has a great "spirit" and outlook that is enchanting. Not to mention she is one of the most beautiful women on earth. She passed her legacy onto her equally enchanting daughter, the actress Liv Tyler. If any of the so called "groupies" in the world could do as good of a job parenting as Bebe Buell did, there would not be so many lost souls. Does it matter that she enlisted the help of "family" to help her rear Liv? Not in my estimation- she was a single, working YOUNG mother. It was common sense for her to reach out and nothing wrong with it. Perhaps that is why Liv turned out so well- there was no shortage of love and attention in that young lady's life and it shows. She says it herself and has always credited her mother with her success and level head.
I do not think we have heard the last of Bebe Buell nor do I think we should. There is a lot to give and a lot to explore. She knows her stuff and her endorsement can guarantee any new band or talent sure recognition. I wish she would write for me. Stay tuned.
Book Review: An Interesting Read, but BeBe is a Legend Only in Her Mind
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed reading this book, however, the subject's take on herself is unrealistic at best. She certainly had sex with an impressive (and long) list of mainly famous rock stars, with a couple movie stars tossed in briefly. She literally was a groupie which is nothing to be proud of actually. None of these stars married her, she wasn't their girlfriend except for Todd Rundgren off and on for 5 yrs & he marries someone else. She eventually married at 37 and yet carried on about this unrequited love for Elvis Costello. I don't see how she saw herself as a muse for him or that he was dedicating his songs to her memory or that he loved her. This man would literally RUN from her when he saw her coming. He would surround himself with bodyguards so she couldn't acost him backstage. He never answered any of her numerous calls, letters or public interviews to entice him to contact her over many years. She writes how her husband Coyote, needed a green card to become a U.S. citizen from Canada, which he obtained by marrying her. That made me wonder about his true intentions.
She also sounded stalkerish with Costello and Tyler. I thought there might be alot more mentioned with Steven Tyler, which is what prompted me to read the book. I was disappointed to see there wasn't a whole lot there on Tyler's part for her and she thought she was pregnant 3 weeks after they met. Preconceived? This would prove to be the smartest and most profitable event BeBe would do with her life. I found it interesting on a VH1 Behind The Music interview with Tyler, he specifically makes it a point to state he broke up with BeBe.
It irked me when she compares herself frequently to what she has accomplished in her life being equal to Liv and Steven, which is preposterous to me. I had never heard of BeBe, her band or her as a model until Tyler was linked to being Liv's father. Liv Tyler made herself very wealthy by becoming a highly successful actress and model. Tyler made his fortune and fame by becoming a legendary singer & having one of the greatest bands in the world for 40+ yrs. BeBe made her money by having sex with alot of celebrities and living off other people. She made a very good living by managing her rich and famous daughter's careers coupled with Tyler's more than adequate child support. Liv eventually fires her when she becomes an adult.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but I see nothing impressive that BeBe Buell did in her life to write such a glowing rendition of herself and to compare herself to immensely successful people that achieved greatness on their own. There's no doubt from all the pictures that BeBe was very pretty in her youth and still attractive on the cover of the book, but certainly not the special mind blowing beauty she kept reminding us over and over and over. Does she really think "Almost Famous" was written about her? Really? And I had to actually laugh when I read how she thinks Prince's "Little Red Corvette" is about her. "baby you're much too fast" are lyrics in the song and he's pronouncing baby like bebe. If you listen to alot of Prince which I did in the 80's, it's how this man says the word, "baby". Add to that she freely admits they've never known each other.
I found this woman irritating yet abit amusing too. With her vast self love of herself and frequent boasting of how special she was to these lovers, how much she helped them with their music, I believed it to be mostly in her head. She's a legend in her own mind. I think BeBe had to look at her life through large rose colored glasses in order to be able to accept the way things always turned out for her with men. Perhaps she was much more attractive on the outside than on the inside and too vain and self absorbed for a lasting relationship. If you can stand the conceit and irrationality of the way she looked at herself and her life, you will enjoy this book. I finished it in a couple days and it was a very interesting read. Why I gave it 4 stars.
Book Review: Rock on, Bebe
Summary: 4 Stars
Bebe Buell's "Rebel Heart" is a book that, I think, has to be read multiple times to be fully appreciated. It's a nice peephole into the 1970s and 1980s rock scenes, and glimpses of the human sides of the larger-than-life people of that era. Not to mention that Bebe's own recollections are colorful and endearing.Bebe starts off with her teenage years growing up on a military base, where it became evident quickly that she was not going to be the typical traditional girlie. She went to New York to become a model, and there met rocker Todd Rundgren, with whom she fell in love and moved in with. Now immersed in the rock'n'roll scene, Bebe became friends with people like Debbie Harry, David Bowie, Paul and Linda McCartney, John Lennon, Ron Wood, Rick and Liz Derringer, Keith Richardson, and Anita Pallenberg. She also became involved with rockers like Iggy Pop, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and perhaps most famously with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, with whom she had a daughter, Liv.
Bebe covers her acrimonious breakup with Todd Rundgren and her struggle as a single mother (who had a modeling stigma by that time, because she had posed for Playboy). She embarked in a heartbreaking romance with Elvis Costello and led two bands (The B-Sides and the Gargoyles). And then the truth about Liv's paternity came into the open, then Liv became a famous model and actress. And then Bebe crashed into a terrible depression, only to rise up stronger and happier than before.
I really don't know what the wild'n'crazy rock scene of the 70s was like, because I wasn't alive in the seventies. But Bebe gives a pretty good idea of what it was like to be where Mick Jagger could wander up to the front door and announce "I have yogurt!" She focuses less on the much-publicized stuff that went on, than her personal experiences; one example is the month she spent with the Rolling Stones and Ron Wood at a house in the country, which is one of the funniest parts of the book. ("I've come for a cuddle") And she gives some humanity to rock figures like Keith Richards, Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger, who are often portrayed just as rock animals and not as human beings.
One interesting thing is what a likeable person Bebe Buell is. A lot of rock biographies from that era are bitter and full of old grudges, but Bebe has something positive to say about almost everyone. She doesn't skimp on the flaws and addictions of those around her, but she counterbalances with positive stuff. She comes across as an immensely nice, generous, sweet person; it's pretty easy to see why these guys liked having her around, and why she seems to have made friends all around. Moreover, she's willing to admit when she did things she shouldn't have, when she messed up, and to admit some humiliating things as well.
The photographs mostly focus on Bebe, both modelling and personal photos. There are also pictures of her boyfriends, pals, and daughter Liv (as a baby, no less!) The tone of the book is pleasantly conversational, as if you were chitchatting. That's one of the flaws of it; occasionally anecdotes include some repetitive stuff or awkward phrasing. This isn't a book for kids (are ANY good rock bios for kids?), because it includes some nude pictures and details of Bebe's romantic liaisons. Nothing too graphic, but she's pretty clear on what went on.
Though initially I wasn't too crazy about this book, I think I can honestly now call myself a fan of Bebe Buell as well as her daughter Liv. It's a great glimpse into the classic rock scene, as well as an enjoyable (and never-boring) biography by a very nice lady. Definitely worth the read.
Book Review: Another "Almost Famous" fan
Summary: 4 Stars
Yes everyone, do buy "Almost Famous: The Bootleg Cut" dvd! It's the reason I bought "Rebel Heart". Despite the assertions of an un-informed reviewer, Cameron Crowe talks about Bebe Buell a few times in the un-cut version of the dvd. Crowe tells his audience the "real" Pennie Lane is based on three girls he met in the early 1970's. He mentions two by name: Penny Trumble and BEBE BUELL. It's not false advertising for anyone in Bebe's camp to mention "Almost Famous". Cameron Crowe mentions Bebe HIMSELF, in his own director's commentary no less. I promptly looked for everything I could on these two ladies. I found interviews where Penny Trumble says Crowe called her up and said he had a character that was "loosely based on her", and he wanted to name it after her. Bebe Buell inspired a "larger than life" persona in the "Penny Lane" character, according to Crowe in his director's commentary. I'm not sure why anyone who watched "Almost Famous" would say it's false advertising Buell inspired Crowe in any way. At one point during the director's commentary, "Penny Lane" is talking about something, and Cameron Crowe jumps in to say "that was something I got from Bebe Buell". He quoted her in his own movie, and said so himself. Cameron Crowe met Buell in 1973 and wrote "Almost Famous" with her picture taped to his wall. That ought to tell you something.
Bebe's book gave me a lot of joy. Her life certainly reads like a good movie. It's full of exactly the kind of stories I would expect after watching "Almost Famous", only more jet-set. Forget the bus, Bebe flies first class....with her pet racoon, in Led Zeppelin's plane! I loved the story about the racoon wreaking havoc in Jimmy Page's hotel room! Jimmy Page even invites her to England and they look for faeries in his garden. Can you imagine that scene on film?! The only people who will be bored by anecdotes like this are people who have been around the block too many times. If you don't have a sense of humour, you won't find this book funny. The book can ramble at times, the way people talk when they try to convey so much at once, but I was hanging onto every word myself. She only names two artists she inspired. "Muse" is the way Bebe Buell saw herself because she wasn't interested in simply "scoring" with musicians, which is how most people see a groupie. A girl with another notch on her lipstick case! I'll take it from Cameron Crowe, his exact quote in Newsweek, "I think she was 19 then, and she was, like, the queen," he told NEWSWEEK. "That was my first dose of girlfriend-as-muse---the girl who transcends 'groupie.'" I'm quoting Cameron directly from the article I found online. I found Bebe's book to be almost as fun as "Almost Famous". I could see why Cameron never forgot her and says the things he does about her.
Book Review: Blame Bebe's Rebel Heart
Summary: 4 Stars
This is my kind of book. A tell-all centered around the wild life of a woman who's been with famous rockers from the 1970's. I was prepared to endure Bebe saying she's hot stuff every other page, just to get the dish. Apparently Bebe doesn't just toot her own horn. I noticed the compliments Bebe gives to other women throughout---Debbie Harry, Patti D'Arbanville, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithful, Linda McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Patti Smith, even Lori Maddox (teen groupie) is described as "the most beautiful girl in L.A."--just thought I'd mention that to be fair. While reading I couldn't help but compare Bebe's experiences with Pamela Des Barres'. These two have "had" some of the same famous guys, and Pamela wrote her own memoir in the 80's. I noticed Jimmy Page used the same "My relationship with Charlotte is souring" sob-story line on them, and left both of them "hanging" at the airport, while he took off back to England! Mick Jagger takes Bebe to meet John Lennon on her birthday, and Lennon sings "Happy Birthday" to Bebe. Bebe's best memory ever!
While she does come off more like a "trophy model girlfriend" to rockstars than a "groupie", you will only be interested in her "muse" tales if you like Elvis Costello or Todd Rundgren. I don't know them from Adam. Bebe over-analysing various lyrics (especially with Costello!)put me to sleep. But the majority of the book had me amused. She's running around with all these rockers, trying to keep up with her boyfriend Rundgren, so there's a lot of drama. It managed to crack me up several times. I almost choked on my lunch while reading about Tommy Smothers trying to seduce Bebe at the Playboy Mansion. It was comical. Bernardo Bertolucci directs her daughter Liv Tyler in "Stealing Beauty", and is under the false impression Bebe was a "Plaster Caster" (groupie girls who used to cast the private parts of rock stars!). That's what happens when you've tried to keep up with the Rundgrens, the Jaggers, the Bowies, the Stewarts, and the Tylers!