|
Dan O.
|
 |
« Reply #20 on: July 06, 2010, 12:50:50 AM » |
|
By coincidence, was talking about Clinton Heylin to some Dylan-ologist friends over the weekend, and he is not considered popular in those circles. I re-read No More Sad Refrains recently, and in some respects it is a bit of a hatchet job ; Heylin never seems to let exaggerations or sensationalisms get in the way of a good yarn, and some portions of the book are not entirely believeable.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
koho (Koen)
Can be! Not will be!
Sr. Member
 Offline
Posts: 395
Loc: Zaandam, The Netherlands
|
|
« Reply #21 on: July 06, 2010, 08:28:31 AM » |
|
Heylin's portrayal of Trevor Lucas is also unbelievably negative and leaves a foul taste. Now, I never knew the guy so who am I, but I believe he's held in high regard among many in the FC camp. To portray him as a talentless parasite is rather questionable to me. It's been years since I read the book, but I do recall being amazed at the posthumous butchering of Trevor. Whereas he was a key person in getting Fairport out of the guess-the-lineup gutter, was the main man for Nine and I love his role in Fotheringay.
Maybe in his slagging-off-digging-up-dirt way of journalism, Clinton Heylin would be a good journalist for The Sun.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #22 on: July 06, 2010, 09:03:01 AM » |
|
By coincidence, was talking about Clinton Heylin to some Dylan-ologist friends over the weekend, and he is not considered popular in those circles.
Tell me more. What do the Dylan fans say? Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #23 on: July 06, 2010, 09:04:09 AM » |
|
Maybe in his slagging-off-digging-up-dirt way of journalism, Clinton Heylin would be a good journalist for The Sun.
Nah. Despite everything, he does actually have a brain and some semblence of sophistication.  Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Dan O.
|
|
« Reply #24 on: July 06, 2010, 09:30:18 AM » |
|
By coincidence, was talking about Clinton Heylin to some Dylan-ologist friends over the weekend, and he is not considered popular in those circles.
Tell me more. What do the Dylan fans say? Jules Again, they think he's far too sensationalist. Apparently he is spotted outside Dylan concerts slagging off Bob, slagging off his band, and trying to encourage people not to go in to the show. There's also the feud between Clinton and Clive Gregson, via open letters in Dirty Linen magazine. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #25 on: July 06, 2010, 09:40:51 AM » |
|
Again, they think he's far too sensationalist. Apparently he is spotted outside Dylan concerts slagging off Bob, slagging off his band, and trying to encourage people not to go in to the show. There's also the feud between Clinton and Clive Gregson, via open letters in Dirty Linen magazine.
Heylin sure likes feuding (he had a small one with my brother once). Sounds like he's a bit 'on the edge of reality'.  Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #26 on: July 06, 2010, 09:45:54 AM » |
|
Just read this on a Dylan forum:-
"I'm only in a couple of pages and already he has attacked Sheldon and Michael Krogsgaard, whose excellent work he uses anyway in the book. Why does Heylin always seem to come across as an absolute wanker with a personality disorder?"
Heh heh.
Jules
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
Philip W
forgiving of the rhetorical flourish
Sr. Member
Offline
Posts: 444
Loc: Cambs
|
|
« Reply #27 on: July 06, 2010, 10:20:47 AM » |
|
By coincidence, was talking about Clinton Heylin to some Dylan-ologist friends over the weekend, and he is not considered popular in those circles.
Tell me more. What do the Dylan fans say? Jules This review from The Independent of his latest Dylan book is particularly good: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/still-on-the-road-the-songs-of-bob-dylan-vol-2-19742008-by-clinton-heylin-1996796.htmlEvidently marred by the same faults as his Sandy biography. I was also irritated by the way, in his potboiler on Sgt Pepper, he lashed out at the late Ian MacDonald, a music writer who had more talent in his little finger than... well, I won't go on. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Dan O.
|
|
« Reply #28 on: July 06, 2010, 10:44:31 AM » |
|
Brilliant quote from the first paragraph "Dylan might have been there – but only Heylin knows what actually happened." Says it all ! I haven't read the whole Sgt Pepper book yet, but on taking a cursory glance, a lot of the book is spent seemingly discussing anything except Sgt Pepper. Of particular concern to me was his negativity towards Brian Wilson and his work on the Smile album that never was (albeit in a revised version in 2004). |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #29 on: July 06, 2010, 10:56:01 AM » |
|
I was also irritated by the way, in his potboiler on Sgt Pepper, he lashed out at the late Ian MacDonald, a music writer who had more talent in his little finger than... well, I won't go on.
Well that's ludicrous - MacDonald was one of the best. Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #30 on: July 06, 2010, 10:58:27 AM » |
|
Of particular concern to me was his negativity towards Brian Wilson and his work on the Smile album that never was (albeit in a revised version in 2004).
I didn't read that. I do have some reservations about Brian Wilson's recent work, and how much of it is actually done by the man himself. And it's plain as day that the man is terribly brain damaged, and that some writers handle him with kid gloves accordingly, but I still think the reworked Smile album was largely successful. Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Malcolm
|
|
« Reply #31 on: July 06, 2010, 11:01:33 AM » |
|
For subjects whom one would assume required a very great deal of research, he does seem to churn out books at rather a fast rate.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #32 on: July 06, 2010, 11:03:58 AM » |
|
For subjects whom one would assume required a very great deal of research, he does seem to churn out books at rather a fast rate.
One of his strengths used to be his meticulous research. Maybe that's slipping. And that Independent review pemward sent a link to seems to suggest he's almost as much of a magpie as Dylan himself! Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Dan O.
|
|
« Reply #33 on: July 06, 2010, 11:22:23 AM » |
|
Of particular concern to me was his negativity towards Brian Wilson and his work on the Smile album that never was (albeit in a revised version in 2004).
I didn't read that. I do have some reservations about Brian Wilson's recent work, and how much of it is actually done by the man himself. And it's plain as day that the man is terribly brain damaged, and that some writers handle him with kid gloves accordingly, but I still think the reworked Smile album was largely successful. Jules Agreed. Having had Smile bootlegs for years, and hearing the officially released pieces on the Good Vibrations box set, seeing the 2004 Smile tour and then getting the album, it was fascinating to see how the puzzle might've fitted together. Are we veering slightly off-thread here ? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #34 on: July 06, 2010, 11:47:55 AM » |
|
Are we veering slightly off-thread here ?
Life's like that too, I find. Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
|
|
davidmjs
|
|
« Reply #36 on: July 06, 2010, 07:21:34 PM » |
|
Lol. "lets all wish him unremitting trots and warts on his chopper." T-shirts should be printed...  |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Link to Bluesky (Twitter for normal people) profile by web button on left
|
|
|
|
Jules Gray
|
|
« Reply #37 on: July 07, 2010, 10:03:53 AM » |
|
Lol. "lets all wish him unremitting trots and warts on his chopper." T-shirts should be printed... I've just been laughing at that again too. Jules |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Now be thankful for good things below
|
|
|
|
Col D
|
|
« Reply #38 on: July 07, 2010, 05:44:47 PM » |
|
It's a few years since I read the book, I can recall a few mean-spirited comments but can't say I remember being that offended by it, a second read is obviously in order.
I met Clinton Heylin a few years ago at a record fair in Manchester. This was before the Sandy book, but I knew of him from the two self-published books on Sandy and RT he did in the late 80s/early 90s. A mutual friend introduced us and I seem to remember we spent a fair amount of time discussing Fairport live recordings and bootlegs, of which he seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge, he obviously had a great passion for the band, or at least the period when Sandy and Richard were in it.
The only other book of his I've bought is 'Great White Wonders', his history of rock music bootlegs, which was very well researched and a good read if you can live with his writing style which can often make him seem more than a touch opinionated and dogmatic.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Mike Wilson
Jr. Member
Offline
Posts: 22
Loc: North Wales
|
|
« Reply #39 on: July 10, 2010, 06:30:54 PM » |
|
I read Heylin's book when it was first published, and I must say I found it quite upsetting and negative. I thought it dwelled too much on ill-informed conclusions about Sandy's personal life and skirted round the actual music somewhat. It's my ambition (truly!) to one day write a book about Sandy that celebrates her contribution to music, and from the comments here and on older threads, it would seem there might not be a shortage of different people to interview.
I understand the Heylin book may be reprinted to coincide with the release of the box-set later in the year.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
