From the Bookshelf of Aussie Readers…

How to Make Gravy

Paul Kelly

Why we're reading this: AS the man said, from little things big things grow. What began as some inter-song patter at Paul Kelly's…more
[close] AS the man said, from little things big things grow. What began as some inter-song patter at Paul Kelly's acoustic shows grew into a 500-page book ranging across shopping lists, family anecdotes, confessions, travel stories and history lessons. The singer-songwriter's first book is less memoir than almanac. And at the end of it you still won't have a recipe for gravy.
Kelly has followed Jean-Luc Godard's dictum that a good story needs "a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order". This book runs like a concert, shifting moods, tempos and subject matter as Kelly discusses 105 songs, each with lyrics reprinted alongside the story of their conception.

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What Members Thought

Oct 21, 2011 Terri added it

Well it didn't surprise me in the least that I'm giving 5 stars to a book penned by one of my favourite songwriters but damn, this was better than I'd hoped.

I'm disappointed that it's finished. I started reading it back in October and even though it weighted about a kilo I've been carrying it around the country wherever I've gone. It was easy to pick up and read a few chapters then pick up something else knowing I could go back to it. I'm going to miss having it there.

One thing this books makes Well it didn't surprise me in the least that I'm giving 5 stars to a book penned by one of my favourite songwriters but damn, this was better than I'd hoped.

I'm disappointed that it's finished. I started reading it back in October and even though it weighted about a kilo I've been carrying it around the country wherever I've gone. It was easy to pick up and read a few chapters then pick up something else knowing I could go back to it. I'm going to miss having it there.

One thing this books makes clear - I screwed up, I should've been a rock star. What an amazing life.

I can't remember ever having read a book like this. Each chapter is titled by one of the hundreds of songs that he's written. And every chapter is a surprise. Some called up experiences of life on the road, others retelling his family history and recalling stories from summers of old in 1960's Australia, incredible stories about Aboriginals and refugees he's met during his travels, letters, lists, chapters about love, cricket, seasons, drugs, sadness, friends, authors and books and so much music. No chapter is the same. You may turn to a chapter hoping to get insight on the roots of one of your favourite songs, only to find something completely different.

This book proves that once an artist releases an album the songs are no longer theirs. Kelly tries telling me that Leaps and Bounds is a song about nothing. (Untrue. It sums up the 4 bracing cold winters I spent in Melbourne). He passes off How To Make Gravy as a joke song. (Wrong again, I play it every christmas when I can't be home with family and wet-eyed I identify with the prisoner who will miss his dysfunctional family on that particular day.)

The one biggest surprise for me in this book was about one of my favourite songs, Sweet Guy, which I've listened to countless times. How had I ever missed the fact that it's written from a woman's perspective?

I don't want to think about how much this book has cost me. After the initial purchase I simply had to cough up for the companion A-Z recording. Then there were so many songs referenced throughout the book that I hardly knew or didn't know at all which I had to immediately download. Quite a few books and authors were mentioned too, many of whom are now on my to-be-read list. So be warned, it will probably cost you much more than the cover price.

I've toted this book around and read it in so many places with the accompanying album playing in the background; a cold rainy Saturday afternoon in a Melbourne hotel, various flights and Qantas club lounges, a hot Andamooka night when the sandman didn't drop by, in my old bedroom at my folks place in Sydney and in the shade of the gum trees on the banks of the Murray river at Yarrawonga to name a few. Now those days will be firmly entreched in my memory whenever I hear the corresponding songs.

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Dec 27, 2010 PattyMacDotComma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites-adult, australian-author, bio-memoir

UPDATE 2024
Kelly's song, "How To Make Gravy", has become a firm Aussie Christmas favourite, as it tells the story of a guy in jail, missing his family, and the story of the song has just been made into a movie.

But this is Kelly's memoir, which I have not re-read, but I remember loving it all. It's about his life, not the story of they guy in the song. If you'd like to see a great old clip of him and his mates performing, YouTube has this one with the lyrics so you can sing along. Great stuff!
htt ...more

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Aug 17, 2020 Kim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-read, non-fiction, australian-author, australian, memoir

Not surprisingly this audiobook memoir of Australian Great singer/song writer, Paul Kelly, is delightfully lyrical with a wonderful conversational tone.
Fabulous discussion of his collaborations, inspirations and tours.
Highly enjoyable to listen to.
Finally decided to listen to this memoir after reading Paul's favourite poetry collection in "Love is as Strong as Death". Glad I did.
Quite a long memoir at over 14 hours listening time. ...more

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Aug 16, 2013 Magdalena added it

I just loved this book. Paul Kelly is so lucid and interesting and the result is a fascinating hybrid that provides insights into the making of Kelly's own songs, analysis of many other artist including brilliant explorations of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and David Bowie among many others, gossip, memoir, and the entire nature of the artistic process. This book is a joy right to its Foster inspired last line. ...more

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Sep 21, 2010 Velvetink marked it as to-read

Shelves: music-musicians-singers-etc, australia-new-zealand, autobiography-memoir, wishlist

Memoir of Paul Kelly. It's $49.95 so won't be buying it. Probably sit in Borders with a coffee and read it. ;0 ...more

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Nov 17, 2024 Kerry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It has some flat spots but generally this was a really interesting read. Paul Kelly and I are of an age but the resemblance ends there. You would probably need to be a Kelly fan to get the most out of this book but the musical memoir idea is a fascinating one. Took me a long time and a number of revisits but worth it in the end. I have always liked the music and this brought it alive for me. If you are a fan, this is a worthwhile exercise for you.

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