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Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector
by
Mick Brown
He had a number one hit at eighteen. He was a millionaire with his own record label at twenty-two. He was, according to Tom Wolfe, “the first tycoon of teen.” Phil Spector owned pop music. From the Crystals, the Ronettes (whose lead singer, Ronnie, would become his second wife), and the Righteous Brothers to the Beatles (together and singly) and finally the seventies punk...more
Hardcover, 452 pages
Published
June 5th 2007
by Knopf
(first published 2007)
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(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally here.)
You would think that a person could do no wrong by penning a biography of infamous record producer and gun-brandishing recluse Phil Spector -- after all, the man either wrote or engineered a huge amount of what we now consider the "classic rock" hits of the 1950s and '60s; then near the end of his pra...more
You would think that a person could do no wrong by penning a biography of infamous record producer and gun-brandishing recluse Phil Spector -- after all, the man either wrote or engineered a huge amount of what we now consider the "classic rock" hits of the 1950s and '60s; then near the end of his pra...more
Brilliance, Guns and Harmony. Even before the whole accidental murder of Lana Clarkson there were a handful of stories about how Spector would brandish guns at people, but we mortals only got to hear about the more famous targets: John Lennon, Leonard Cohen, the Ramones. What is truly amazing is that there are a few dozen more stories out there from musicians, houseguests, girlfriends, and random passerbys who got to stare at the little freak aiming a gun at them. It would be easy for someone to...more
Tearing Down the Wall of Sound, by Nick Brown, Narrated by Ray Porter, Produced by Blackstone Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
This is the strange story of Phil Spector, in some ways a musical genius, who developed what was referred to as “the wall of sound” which resulted in such monster hits as “You’ve Lost that Luvvin Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers. He was a millionaire by age 21. But he was always very strange. The wall of sound faded into oblivion with the English Invasion. He had som...more
This is the strange story of Phil Spector, in some ways a musical genius, who developed what was referred to as “the wall of sound” which resulted in such monster hits as “You’ve Lost that Luvvin Feeling” by the Righteous Brothers. He was a millionaire by age 21. But he was always very strange. The wall of sound faded into oblivion with the English Invasion. He had som...more
I have a hard time thinking of anyone who makes my skin crawl more than Phil Spector: he was known for his megalomania, outrageous behavior, and for being one of the biggest jerks in an industry where they replicate inconsiderate, soul-sucking assholes in Petri dishes for fun and profit. Author Mick Brown took on a Herculean task, just trying to shovel his way through the Augean stables of Spector's life, where double-dealing in business, betrayed ex-wives and ex-girlfriends, studio machinations...more
Veteran U.K. music journalist Mick Brown was the last reporter to interview Phil Spector before he was arrested and charged with the murder of Lana Clarkson. During their rambling four-hour discussion, the legendary producer tellingly admitted, "I have devils inside that fight me. And I'm my own worst enemy." The story ran in the U.K. Telegraph just two days before Clarkson was found shot to death in Spector's spooky Alhambra mansion, and undoubtedly this book would not exist if it weren't for t...more
May 03, 2009
Jen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who want to know what the heck happened to Phil Spector
Shelves:
2009-read,
lives-of-people,
mental-health,
non-fiction,
twisted,
music,
true-crime,
price-of-fame,
rich-folk
Here's a passage from the book--from 1977 when Phil Spector was in the studio producing a new album for Leonard Cohen--which pretty much sums it up:
"Cohen recognized what Spector himself, and a few around him, were not prepared to acknowledge or admit--that Spector was not merely eccentric but seriously disturbed."
I also found a Newsweek pictorial of his hairstyles over the years, "Hairdo Ron Ron":
http://www.newsweek.com/id/193816
"Cohen recognized what Spector himself, and a few around him, were not prepared to acknowledge or admit--that Spector was not merely eccentric but seriously disturbed."
I also found a Newsweek pictorial of his hairstyles over the years, "Hairdo Ron Ron":
http://www.newsweek.com/id/193816
I am a great fan of Phil Spector's music productions, especially the songs of the Ronettes and the Crystals. When the infamous murder trial became news I was reminded that he had pretty much dropped from sight for a number of years and was curious to find out more about his strange and troubled life. This book fills in most of the blanks.
This was written as the first trial, which ended in a hung jury, was in progress, although I have heard that the book was updated after the second trial resulte...more
This was written as the first trial, which ended in a hung jury, was in progress, although I have heard that the book was updated after the second trial resulte...more
Mick Brown's Tearing Down the Wall of Sound is a well written and engaging story of the arc of Phil Spector's life and musical career. Brown tears down the wall of sound, exposing the man behind the music. The book begins with his early days in tragic detail giving the reader a glimpse of the musical genius as a wounded child of an absent father (who committed suicide when Spector was a boy) and an overbearing mother. Brown is at his best when he traces the early history of rock 'n roll and the...more
I'm a big fan of Spector's work, in particular with the Ronettes and Crystals. This book is a very detailed, anecdote packed account of Spector's life. He achieved such amazing success in his mid-20's that his career was essentially over before he was 30! He had the money to sustain him for the rest of his life and his many foibles seem the excesses of an idle rich person. He clearly had mental health issues culminating in the sad random murder at his castle.
Excellent, balanced insight into a true maver..ick and weirdo. Mick Brown does an amazing job of conveying the "whats", "whys", and "huhs?" that lead to Spector's askew relationship to his world and ours. The chapter about Lenny Bruce was incredibly compassionate and a welcome emotional pause to drive home the point that Spector was more tortured than "evil" (although, he was a big dick).
Another fascinating account of a tortured/disturbed artist. Read by the same performer who did the Bobby Fischer biography I reviewed...and I still cannot decide if I care for his particular style.
There is a disappointingly abrupt end to the book, before the actual trial occurs. I would have enjoyed hearing more about the proceedings that followed between 2007 and today. (2012)
There is a disappointingly abrupt end to the book, before the actual trial occurs. I would have enjoyed hearing more about the proceedings that followed between 2007 and today. (2012)
If you Enjoy reading about truly terrible people, this book will interest you. For me it was a bit like watching a train wreck. When Phil starts waving hiS gun around i really wanted to put it down but found I could not. The beginning of his life was not without pathos. Both horrible and fascinating.
Most of this book shows the evolution of a boy-genius in the music industy in the 50's-60's-70's. It dwells only briefly on his current circumstances(accused of murder). Its a bit of a "downer" at the end bust fascinating non the less. Watch him meet Sonny, Cher, The Beatles and many more.
Indispensable rock and roll history, rich in detail about song making and song makers. Fun scandalous detail, tho the legal royalty battles and sidetracks on other people stretch it out a little. Good Book!
Dense, incredibly detailed book about the history of insane genius Phil Spector, from his first record with the Teddy Bears all the way up to the end of the Lana Clarkson trial. Excellent.
Second warm-up for the 52 musician biographies I plan to read in 2012. Good account of the life of this genius/sociopath, but suffers from repetition.
What a fascinating book. It's especially wonderful as they talk about all these famous people that I know and all those hit songs, that I now am singing again. I'm loving this.
loved this book/ love nonfiction/ loved hearing names/ songs I knew and what a wild and wierd and sad person Phil Spector was, though most of the time I wanted to give him a spanking.
loved this book/ love nonfiction/ loved hearing names/ songs I knew and what a wild and wierd and sad person Phil Spector was, though most of the time I wanted to give him a spanking.
This is a fascinating insight into icon/tragedy/high functioning mad man Phil Spector. The birth of the girl group sound and the "wall of sound" from The Crystals to "Let it Be" and the John Lennon "Rock N' Roll" album get coverage making this a music history entwince witht he true crime tale of the foyer gunshot that brought it all crashing down. When this book was published, Spector has not yet been found guilt, let alone appealed lost and sentenced. However, the near hour-by-hour retelling of...more
Excellent, objective biography of Phil Spector and an amazing 'review' of rock-n-roll history.
I was hooked quickly and couldn't get enough.Fascinating look into behind the scenes.
It was a fascinating read. I have heard whispered stories for years about Spector because I am a fan of John Lennon, The Ramones, Darlene Love and Leonard Cohen.Here are a lot of the stories pieced together in one place. Too bad the book doesn't make it as far as his actual murder trial-that would have been fascinating. Anyway, when it is all said and done, he is responsible for some of the most influential sounds of the 20th century.What a waste of talent. As a woman, I am saddened by his lack...more
Really fascinating read, almost the whole way through. I loved the chapters about the creation of the Wall of Sound and Phil's big hits and famous failures, and the anecdotes detailing the music culture of the '60s and '70s. (The book is worth reading alone for the chapter about Phil's crazy adventures with John Lennon while working on "Rock 'n' Roll.") My interest waned a little as the book moved past the music and onto Phil's descent into almost total lunacy, though I can certainly understand...more
I went from reading about the coolest guy in music (Keith Richards) to maybe the un-coolest.
So obsessed with Phil Spector. So, so obsessed.
While the author does a good job of covering Phil Spector, the actual Phil Spector comes across as a horrible, conniving and uncaring human being, ultimately ruining my reading experience and soiling my love for the great Ronette songs of the 1960s. Some interesting anecdotes -- Brian Wilson idolized Spector and one of his more famous songs is a homage to Spector -- but overall, Spector's personality isn't enough to save this book.
Loved this! The author is Mick Brown.
Mick Brown had written a scathing article on Spector portraying him as crazy. Phil read this article the next day and was infuriated, breaking a year long sobriety streak and getting loaded. Within 24 hours Lana Clarkson was dead.
A must read for anyone who followed the Spector trial or WILL follow the re-trial in the Fall of 2008.
Mick Brown had written a scathing article on Spector portraying him as crazy. Phil read this article the next day and was infuriated, breaking a year long sobriety streak and getting loaded. Within 24 hours Lana Clarkson was dead.
A must read for anyone who followed the Spector trial or WILL follow the re-trial in the Fall of 2008.
Oh, Phil Spector... This book was a little slow, but every bit of information was essential to the understanding of Spector's character. I found it especially interesting, having read Ronnie Spector's autobiography ("Be My Baby") in the past, which paints a pretty different picture.
Aug 03, 2007
Alex
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
geniuses who exist in a constant state of mental agitation
A man supervises the recording of some of the greatest songs of all time, tries to hire the banjo kid from "Deliverance" to play at his birthday party, and then (allegedly) becomes a wig-wearing crazy person. When he is accused of shooting somebody, no one is surprised.
I really liked this. It was a weird mix of the history of rock 'n roll, a study of someone's struggle with mental illness and how that illness manifests itself in a lifestyle where almost anything goes, and a little Court TV thrown in at the end.
A fascinating and in-depth look into the mind and workings of a genius whose tribulations and self-doubt were never eclipsed by his successes in life.
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Mick Brown (born 1950 in London) is a journalist who has written for several British newspapers, including The Guardian and The Sunday Times and for international publications. For many years he has contributed regularly to The Telegraph. He is also a broadcaster and the author of several books
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Jan 02, 2013 06:00pm