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Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History
New York Times Bestseller
The definitive biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell, a profound influence on countless artists, including George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and the world of music as a whole.
Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles. He started in the Fifties as a teenager touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, going on to play piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Leon was Elton John’s idol, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Leon also gets credit for altering Willie Nelson’s career, giving us the long-haired, pot-friendly Willie we all know and love today.
In his prime, Leon filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer/performer on both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh . Leon also founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, discovering and releasing the debut albums of Tom Petty, the Gap Band, Phoebe Snow, and J.J. Cale. Leon always assembled wildly diverse bands and performances, fostering creative and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together. He brazenly challenged musical and social barriers. However, Russell also struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul and at times seemed to will himself into obscurity. Now, acclaimed author and founding member of Buffalo Tom, Bill Janovitz shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.
The definitive biography of legendary musician, composer, and performer Leon Russell, a profound influence on countless artists, including George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, and the world of music as a whole.
Leon Russell is an icon, but somehow is still an underappreciated artist. He is spoken of in tones reserved not just for the most talented musicians, but also for the most complex and fascinating. His career is like a roadmap of music history, often intersecting with rock royalty like Bob Dylan, the Stones, and the Beatles. He started in the Fifties as a teenager touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, going on to play piano on records by such giants as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Phil Spector, and on hundreds of classic songs with major recording artists. Leon was Elton John’s idol, and Elton inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Leon also gets credit for altering Willie Nelson’s career, giving us the long-haired, pot-friendly Willie we all know and love today.
In his prime, Leon filled stadiums on solo tours, and was an organizer/performer on both Joe Cocker’s revolutionary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh . Leon also founded Shelter Records in 1969 with producer Denny Cordell, discovering and releasing the debut albums of Tom Petty, the Gap Band, Phoebe Snow, and J.J. Cale. Leon always assembled wildly diverse bands and performances, fostering creative and free atmospheres for musicians to live and work together. He brazenly challenged musical and social barriers. However, Russell also struggled with his demons, including substance abuse, severe depression, and a crippling stage fright that wreaked havoc on his psyche over the long haul and at times seemed to will himself into obscurity. Now, acclaimed author and founding member of Buffalo Tom, Bill Janovitz shines the spotlight on one of the most important music makers of the twentieth century.
592 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
March 2, 2023
Five Stars
A passion of mine is reading rock biographies, particularly about The Beatles and other classic rock figures. An intriguing musical artist kept popping up in the background during these reads: Leon Russell. Mysterious (and a bit scary) in his mirrored aviator shades, long, early gray hair, and audacious top hat. In pictures he rarely smiles, but absolutely commands on concert stages. I had to know more.
A son of Tulsa Oklahoma, born in 1942 with a birth injury that weakened his right side causing a slight limp and the need to over-compensate on piano with his left hand, Leon took the music industry by storm. A lot of people don't know this guy, yet he was a part of so much- playing on major hit records along with The Wrecking Crew, a masterful arranger of songs and musical director/participant of concerts such as the "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" with Joe Cocker. He also performed at George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh". He is the composer of huge classic hits made famous by other people such as "This Masquerade", "A Song for You" and "Superstar"...all these recorded by The Carpenters. I nearly cried when I read that he wrote the song "Lost Inside of You' with Barbra Streisand for her 70s version of the movie "A Star is Born". This movie in which she starred with Kris Kristofferson was one of the movies of my life that made a big impression on me as a teenager, and that song has always been my favorite/buried treasure song from that soundtrack.
This almost 600-page biography is certainly lengthy, but it needed to be. Leon Russell was a multi-faceted talent who was driven totally by musical force and lived it that way. He had a penchant for buying homes in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, California and Tennessee, but would instantly build a new recording studio in each one. These homes became a quasi-commune as he would encourage his musical mates to be live-ins. He also was on the cutting edge of new recording technologies, owning the first drum machine, mellotron, 40-track recording console and mobile video recording unit. As a result he was often in debt, another reason for his relentless touring until the end of his life. Leon was also a suspected bipolar/manic depressive/autistic, an assessment by many close to him. While his talent and innate kindness was undeniable, his social graces were awkward. He had a tendency to trust certain people to do things for him rather than hire more reliable people, and also a penchant for running all things himself. He created Shelter Records in 1969.
A great many icons of the music and entertainment industry graciously participated in interviews for this book. There are also many direct quotes from Leon Russell himself, culled from his writings that made a very short book called Leon Russell In His Own Words. As far as I know, there isn't another mammoth Leon Russell tome out there that covers the breadth of his amazing life so completely as this. I highly recommend this wonderful book to all classic rock fans.
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
A passion of mine is reading rock biographies, particularly about The Beatles and other classic rock figures. An intriguing musical artist kept popping up in the background during these reads: Leon Russell. Mysterious (and a bit scary) in his mirrored aviator shades, long, early gray hair, and audacious top hat. In pictures he rarely smiles, but absolutely commands on concert stages. I had to know more.
A son of Tulsa Oklahoma, born in 1942 with a birth injury that weakened his right side causing a slight limp and the need to over-compensate on piano with his left hand, Leon took the music industry by storm. A lot of people don't know this guy, yet he was a part of so much- playing on major hit records along with The Wrecking Crew, a masterful arranger of songs and musical director/participant of concerts such as the "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" with Joe Cocker. He also performed at George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh". He is the composer of huge classic hits made famous by other people such as "This Masquerade", "A Song for You" and "Superstar"...all these recorded by The Carpenters. I nearly cried when I read that he wrote the song "Lost Inside of You' with Barbra Streisand for her 70s version of the movie "A Star is Born". This movie in which she starred with Kris Kristofferson was one of the movies of my life that made a big impression on me as a teenager, and that song has always been my favorite/buried treasure song from that soundtrack.
This almost 600-page biography is certainly lengthy, but it needed to be. Leon Russell was a multi-faceted talent who was driven totally by musical force and lived it that way. He had a penchant for buying homes in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, California and Tennessee, but would instantly build a new recording studio in each one. These homes became a quasi-commune as he would encourage his musical mates to be live-ins. He also was on the cutting edge of new recording technologies, owning the first drum machine, mellotron, 40-track recording console and mobile video recording unit. As a result he was often in debt, another reason for his relentless touring until the end of his life. Leon was also a suspected bipolar/manic depressive/autistic, an assessment by many close to him. While his talent and innate kindness was undeniable, his social graces were awkward. He had a tendency to trust certain people to do things for him rather than hire more reliable people, and also a penchant for running all things himself. He created Shelter Records in 1969.
A great many icons of the music and entertainment industry graciously participated in interviews for this book. There are also many direct quotes from Leon Russell himself, culled from his writings that made a very short book called Leon Russell In His Own Words. As far as I know, there isn't another mammoth Leon Russell tome out there that covers the breadth of his amazing life so completely as this. I highly recommend this wonderful book to all classic rock fans.
Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
March 20, 2024
There is so much info in this book about the music industry, Leon Russell, his influences, fellow musicians, music tours, recording studios, creative brilliance and eccentricities, you’ll feel like you’re back in the day hanging with him and his music-making commune/family.
Before I go any further, I have to say that the number of people in this book describing Leon as a creative genius is extraordinary. I’ve read a ton of bios about musicians and none of them were lauded by their peers like this.
Because the info is encyclopedic in scope, I made a quick glossary of who’s who about 150 pages into the book. I’m really glad I did because it is a dense web that gets bigger and more intricate as the book progresses. If you blow past people with names you don’t recognize, you’ll get confused later on and miss some of the magic. Making connections between bands, albums and sessions, and discovering how musicians, producers and music morph, intertwine and grow is the whole gist of the book.
Before I end I have to say Leon was a wicked cool musician & person. A prodigy, a talented arranger who could play any style of music, countless instruments, compose, lead a band, and on and on and on, despite growing up with paralysis in his right hand and being bipolar. Leon was also a pioneer in audio equipment, design and acoustics and was one of the first musicians to have a racially integrated band. He married a black woman in 1973, which was a pretty radical thing back then, especially for a guy from Tulsa.
This is an engrossing book. Everybody and their brother is in it. Grab a copy.
Before I go any further, I have to say that the number of people in this book describing Leon as a creative genius is extraordinary. I’ve read a ton of bios about musicians and none of them were lauded by their peers like this.
Because the info is encyclopedic in scope, I made a quick glossary of who’s who about 150 pages into the book. I’m really glad I did because it is a dense web that gets bigger and more intricate as the book progresses. If you blow past people with names you don’t recognize, you’ll get confused later on and miss some of the magic. Making connections between bands, albums and sessions, and discovering how musicians, producers and music morph, intertwine and grow is the whole gist of the book.
Before I end I have to say Leon was a wicked cool musician & person. A prodigy, a talented arranger who could play any style of music, countless instruments, compose, lead a band, and on and on and on, despite growing up with paralysis in his right hand and being bipolar. Leon was also a pioneer in audio equipment, design and acoustics and was one of the first musicians to have a racially integrated band. He married a black woman in 1973, which was a pretty radical thing back then, especially for a guy from Tulsa.
This is an engrossing book. Everybody and their brother is in it. Grab a copy.
December 25, 2022
Leon Russell was one of the seminal musical influences of the 60's and 70's. He was from Tulsa OK, and started playing the piano at a very young age.in the 60's he moved to California and made his mark with his bluesy, country rock vibe. This book brings Leon Russell's fascinating life to the page, and will be a delight to his many fans
February 24, 2023
Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History will be published on March 14, 2023. Hachette Books provided an early galley for review.
This one of those names in music history I recognize, but it is a story about which I know very little. Ask me to name some of his songs and all I can give you is "Tight Rope" from 1972. But as a huge music nerd, I realized that this a biography I needed to check out.
Janovitz is very thorough in his documenting Russell's life. As a musician himself, he provides an accurate account of studio and tour activities in a very understandable, reader-friendly way. He makes sure that every known detail is told.
A couple facts from Russell's life jumped out at me that I really appreciated. He had his hand in the Gary Lewis and the Playboys' hit "This Diamond Ring" which happened to be number 1 on the US Billboard charts the day I was born. He was very much the "Kevin Bacon" of the music world in the 60's and 70's; so many artists and industry folks can be connected to Russell by a few if not one degree of separation. For example, I did not know about his relationship with Rita Collidge, a singer whose songs I enjoyed in the 70's. Also, the Carpenters had major hits covering songs he wrote or co-wrote.
In the end, this is a stark look at the life of someone had major impact on the world of popular music and who, tragically, ended up in a very real, very relatable way. This book will serve well to remind people of his legacy.
This one of those names in music history I recognize, but it is a story about which I know very little. Ask me to name some of his songs and all I can give you is "Tight Rope" from 1972. But as a huge music nerd, I realized that this a biography I needed to check out.
Janovitz is very thorough in his documenting Russell's life. As a musician himself, he provides an accurate account of studio and tour activities in a very understandable, reader-friendly way. He makes sure that every known detail is told.
A couple facts from Russell's life jumped out at me that I really appreciated. He had his hand in the Gary Lewis and the Playboys' hit "This Diamond Ring" which happened to be number 1 on the US Billboard charts the day I was born. He was very much the "Kevin Bacon" of the music world in the 60's and 70's; so many artists and industry folks can be connected to Russell by a few if not one degree of separation. For example, I did not know about his relationship with Rita Collidge, a singer whose songs I enjoyed in the 70's. Also, the Carpenters had major hits covering songs he wrote or co-wrote.
In the end, this is a stark look at the life of someone had major impact on the world of popular music and who, tragically, ended up in a very real, very relatable way. This book will serve well to remind people of his legacy.
April 27, 2023
When I was 13, I saw The Concert for Bangla-Desh film and excitedly went home, found a picture of Leon Russell, and scared the living daylights out of my mom by telling her that was what I wanted to look like when I got older. He comes out of that movie with the most charisma of a bunch of really charismatic and talented rock stars.
As I grew older, my desire to ape his look faded, but I loved his music, especially those first three solo albums. Then I learned of his role as a session musician on all those Phil Spector records and many more. When I saw Bill Janovitz, former member of Jordan Catalano's favorite band Buffalo Tom and author of my favorite 33 1/3 book, Exile on Main Street, had written a book on Leon Russell, I had to snap it up.
Janovitz did a heavy amount of research, reading almost every interview Russell ever gave, talking to as many family and band members as he could round up (which was virtually all of them), and listening to all of the music he could find, including the many lesser records Russell made during his very long career. The book is clearly written, endlessly entertaining, and full of tidbits about the ways Russell created strokes of genius and the ways he shot himself in the foot. Speculation that Russell was bipolar and/or autistic seems believable, considering the times he was not so perfectly connected to people around him. Music was his best method of communication, and Janovitz provides all the context needed to further appreciate Leon Russell's contributions to pop music history
As I grew older, my desire to ape his look faded, but I loved his music, especially those first three solo albums. Then I learned of his role as a session musician on all those Phil Spector records and many more. When I saw Bill Janovitz, former member of Jordan Catalano's favorite band Buffalo Tom and author of my favorite 33 1/3 book, Exile on Main Street, had written a book on Leon Russell, I had to snap it up.
Janovitz did a heavy amount of research, reading almost every interview Russell ever gave, talking to as many family and band members as he could round up (which was virtually all of them), and listening to all of the music he could find, including the many lesser records Russell made during his very long career. The book is clearly written, endlessly entertaining, and full of tidbits about the ways Russell created strokes of genius and the ways he shot himself in the foot. Speculation that Russell was bipolar and/or autistic seems believable, considering the times he was not so perfectly connected to people around him. Music was his best method of communication, and Janovitz provides all the context needed to further appreciate Leon Russell's contributions to pop music history
November 22, 2022
Leon Russell, by Bill Janovitz, is the type of biography I love: informative, well-written, and one long trip down memory lane. Admittedly the nostalgia part only pertains to people from the last sixty years or so, but this book is right in that area.
I knew a little about Russell's career before 1970 or so but not much. What an amazing life and career even before hitting the pop and country charts. I think Tight Rope was probably when I first really paid attention to his music. From Phil Spector, the Wrecking Crew, through Willie Nelson and so many behind the scenes roles, this is almost a who's who of music, multi-genre, of the period.
Learning about his personal trials and tribulations gives a lot more depth to some of his lyrics and certainly illustrates just how much we don't know about our stars, even in the age of social media. It may be harder for them to keep their personal lives out of the public eye, but they all have things that would surprise us.
I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in music history, particularly during the "rock era." Fans of Russell's will learn a lot and take a wonderful stroll down memory lane, while those only partly familiar with him will get some great suggestions for songs and musicians to listen to.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
I knew a little about Russell's career before 1970 or so but not much. What an amazing life and career even before hitting the pop and country charts. I think Tight Rope was probably when I first really paid attention to his music. From Phil Spector, the Wrecking Crew, through Willie Nelson and so many behind the scenes roles, this is almost a who's who of music, multi-genre, of the period.
Learning about his personal trials and tribulations gives a lot more depth to some of his lyrics and certainly illustrates just how much we don't know about our stars, even in the age of social media. It may be harder for them to keep their personal lives out of the public eye, but they all have things that would surprise us.
I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in music history, particularly during the "rock era." Fans of Russell's will learn a lot and take a wonderful stroll down memory lane, while those only partly familiar with him will get some great suggestions for songs and musicians to listen to.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
April 17, 2023
I love Leon Russell's music and it was interesting to see how some of my favorite songs were made. I did catch Leon live well past his famous days and it was a bit depressing seeing him come in on an electric scooter. But after reading about his health issues you do understand a bit better.
Beware, the book is long and a bit repetitive. But if you want to know all, and I mean all, the folks that contributed to Leon's music and life this book is for you. It has inspired me to go back and checkout some of his videos mentioned in the book. So I am not sorry a read the whole book.
Beware, the book is long and a bit repetitive. But if you want to know all, and I mean all, the folks that contributed to Leon's music and life this book is for you. It has inspired me to go back and checkout some of his videos mentioned in the book. So I am not sorry a read the whole book.
July 13, 2023
A true masterpiece
Without question this is one of the best musical biographies I have ever read and I have read quite a few. Exhaustively researched and beautifully written, this is a must-read for any true fan/lover of rock and roll. But really for any fan of great music period. Because this isn’t just a rock biography; this is a portrait of one f America’s great musical composers.
Without question this is one of the best musical biographies I have ever read and I have read quite a few. Exhaustively researched and beautifully written, this is a must-read for any true fan/lover of rock and roll. But really for any fan of great music period. Because this isn’t just a rock biography; this is a portrait of one f America’s great musical composers.
May 29, 2023
Great book! Gave it 4 stars because of a big error (page 192)...Altamont happened in December of 1969...not 1970 and it was metioned to make a supporting point to the narrative, so I hope there are not other errors in the book... but a great book on Leon Russell...always a huge fan and I still learned a lot more on his work and influence in the music world...amazing!
July 17, 2023
This book is worth reading until completion. I am quite pleased that Bill Janovitz included as much detail as he did because with Leon you either love him or you don't know who he is. I was included in the former, with this book only increasing my love for Leon and his music. I hung on every line, every melody.
Read
June 7, 2023Be prepared to be taken down the rabitt hole of space and time! You'll be chasing down documentaries, books, albums, as you rediscover your love of Leon Russell. Any student of classic rock will want to read this book.
May 27, 2023
If you want to know EVERYTHING there is to know about Leon, this is your book. Too detailed for me, but I certainly did learn a lot. I always liked him, but I had no idea how important he was to pop music in the 60s and 70s. Also I had no idea how sad many parts of his life were.
July 5, 2023
[Imported automatically from my blog. Some formatting there may not have translated here.]
One of the major, and unrectifiable, disappointments of my life: I never saw Leon Russell in concert. I had tickets to see him at Jonathan's Ogunquit, first scheduled for October 2016. Due to "unforeseen health complications", the date was pushed back to February 2017. And then cancelled, due to him passing away on November 13, 2016, age 74.
I was kind of a fan back in the 1970s, spurred by seeing his performances in the movies, Mad Dogs & Englishmen and The Concert for Bangladesh. I started buying his records (vinyl in those days)… and after a few years, I tapered off. I bought one more album, CD this time, Will O' the Wisp. (This book informs me that I was not alone in doing that.)
Not that it matters, but his A Song For You might have had Major Influence on my life path.
So I picked up this massive, definitive biography by Bill Janowitz from the Portsmouth Public Library. It's nearly 600 pages, not a weekend read. It goes into voluminous detail on Leon's music, business dealings, career trajectory (many ups and downs), romances, friendships, drug use, health problems.
And on that last bit: probably that notice mentioned above about the postponed concert should not have called the health issues as "unforeseen". They were not. Leon had a long history of problems. Many of them physical: a birth defect gave him a lifelong limp, and a left-right strength asymmetry. (This might have influenced his signature piano style.) There were multiple heart attacks, and brain cavity issues caused leakage of cerebrospinal fluid, occasionally coming out of his nose. (I hear you saying ewwwww. I did too.)
And there were probably mental issues too, although apparently none that were professionally diagnosed. Friends and family offered their own descriptions: manic-depressive, bipolar, Asperger's, autism. Definitely a few sigma off the mean on any number of traits.
His musical career started early in Oklahoma. Memorably, his high school band got a gig backing up Jerry Lee Lewis. Their warm-up playing caused Lewis to come out and exclaim to the audience, "I'm not gonna set down at that piano. He plays a lot better piano than I do!"
And things progressed from there. He moved out to LA, where he became an "overnight success" as a session musician, working both with wall-of-sound Phil Spector and the famed Wrecking Crew. And then…
Well, I could go on. Leon knew, roughly, everybody.
A story about the piano Leon plays on A Song For You: bought by Herb Alpert for his studio, it was also "very likely" the same one you'll hear on Carole King's Tapestry and Joni Mitchell's Blue. (Dude, that piano should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)
Were you wondering if the song "Stranger in a Strange Land" was inspired by the Heinlein novel? Yes it was! Although Janowitz claims the book "has not held up well over the intervening decades." Humph! … well, OK, I kind of see his point there.
And I mentioned drug use. Yeesh, you'll be wondering how Leon could play "Chopsticks", let alone anything more complicated. (Angel dust!?) And that extended to his family and retinue. One telling example: On the way to the hospital to deliver Leon's first (illegitimate) daughter, Blue, the mother Carla McHenry shot up heroin.
If you read this book: we live in the future now, so I strongly suggest you have YouTube and a decent music streaming service at hand. "Alexa, play 'Christmas' by Darlene Love", and listen for the piano at the end. Magic.
March 14, 2023
I listened to the remarkable music of Leon Russell never knowing the price he paid to forever change music, a seminal influence on music and creativity. In LEON Russell, Bill Janovitz shares the story of this multi-talented musician who contributed, shaped, and influenced the music we listened to then, resonating to our current time. While parts of Russell's life were difficult to read, Janovitz shares the events and the outcomes with an even-handed focus on the artist he was and the inspiration he provided. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.
August 10, 2023
I loved, loved, loved this book!! It was a breeze to read at times, and at the end it got a little bit long-winded but all in all it was a great tone of important rock history. Authentic, raw …it reveals all of Leon’s flaws but also the genius and physical hardships he overcame. I savored lines and paragraphs …rereading them over and over again …sometimes because the stories were either so hilarious or so incredibly important to rock ‘n’ roll, minutia it blew my mind. For folks who aren’t familiar with Leon Russell …he was one of the seminal musician/songwriters/arrangers in rock ‘n’ roll. He played with everybody and played on perhaps thousands of sessions. He played with the Wrecking Crew (look them up). He played piano on Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds (which turned Bob Dylan into an electric guitar musician). He founded the back up band for Shindig (the TV show that was a must watch when I was a kid). He did back ups for Frank Sinatra. Ian Hunter said most rockers run around the tree but Leon was the core. His influence spans across Delaney & Bonnie, Joe Cocker, Rolling Stones, Byrds, Bob Dylan and many others. The author does an incredible job pasting pictures of a magical history from hundreds of songs, sessions and singers, including Elton John (who called Leon Russell, his favorite musician) all the members from Muscle Shoals, The Beach Boys the Byrds… pretty much everyone who is someone in rock ‘n’ roll history. The book has its worts with run-on sentences & needed a good copy editor to smooth out parts, but I couldn’t put it down and loved reading it. I preferred reading the incredible history and background which gave me such joy…and brought back so many great memories.
November 27, 2022
I had a huge stack of books to read and I dropped them all when I received the advance review copy from Netgalley. Leon Russell was at the height of his career on the early 1970s, while I was still in high school and I spent my first earnings on his albums. I was fortunate to see him play with Willie Nelson at some of the "picnic" outdoor concerts in Texas. Russell was a gifted songwriter and piano player, with almost evangelical style of performing. He was a musical protégé from Tulsa, OK who started his career touring with Jerry Lee Lewis, who I am sure greatly informed Russell's style. He worked in California record studios as a session musician in a group informally called the Wrecking Crew. Russell was a session musician on many albums recorded during that era including everyone from the Beach Boys to Frank Sinatra. He learned to arrange music and built his own music studio. He recorded and published other artists as well as his own music. Russell had a strange presence and swagger that many emulated and few matched.. The pentacle of his career came during the Concert for Bangladesh where he joined George Harrison singing "Beware of Darkness" and the crowd went crazy. He had many musical partners including Joe Crocker, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles and Elton John. Russell overcame neurological difficulties from a birth injury, but he succumbed to poor health and passed away in 2016. He left a rich legacy to his fans and fellow musicians including "A Song for You" which was recorded more than 40 times. Many thanks to author for the meticulous research on this extremely talented performer.
July 2, 2023
I came away a little sad after reading this book and hearing about so many of the troubles that Leon carried with him in his later years. I almost gave the book three stars instead of four because of it. This book is expansive and answered a lot of questions I had after seeing Leon well past his prime around 2001/2002 at The Neighborhood Theater in Charlotte. The bottom line is that his music is unique and his songs will continue to be played and enjoyed by many. The Master if Space and Time carved out his place in popular music.
April 8, 2023
Master of Space and Time Revealed....excellent bio of the mysterious and elusive Russell Claude Bridges. He was a brilliant, influential, respected musician who deliberately shunned/avoided "the big time". His unparalleled musicianship is even more astonishing, when taking his health struggles into account (cerebral palsy, bipolar, autism, three brain surgeries, heart problems). Fun tidbit: his IQ was 144 :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2023
Russell was a giant for me from ‘68 to ‘73. So I was very excited to read this a Md it was great fun
I created a Spotify playlist as I read. The book slowed after the 75 period with a career slide and a remaining life of many poor decisions. So that took a 4-5 star to my rating. Not that I don’t empathize. Just not as enjoyable. Great read for a Leon fan
I created a Spotify playlist as I read. The book slowed after the 75 period with a career slide and a remaining life of many poor decisions. So that took a 4-5 star to my rating. Not that I don’t empathize. Just not as enjoyable. Great read for a Leon fan
March 14, 2023
Leon Russell was everywhere and then nowhere. This excellent biography details his life, struggles, and successes. It’s a shame that he’s not more well-known to the world of music.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for an ARC of this book.
May 20, 2023
Fitfully interesting account of Russell's career. Almost every artist of every consequence in the '70s shows up, and the tales of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll occasionally boggle the mind. But Russell himself is not a likable character, unfortunately.
October 10, 2023
As much detail as you could want about a giant of American music. I have work to do and that’s just to listen to the really good stuff. I have some
movies to watch too.
movies to watch too.
March 23, 2023
A messy life recounted in exhaustive detail is just plain exhausting to wade through.
June 8, 2023
Time well spent. More of a fan of Leon’s than ever after reading this. Very thankful to have seen him perform in a smaller venue, ever the showman !
August 8, 2023
This explained everything I needed to know.
Leon was an amazing and troubled soul.
Leon was an amazing and troubled soul.
February 8, 2023
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of the biography on one of the unheralded stars of music that might whose songs, works and arrangements still fill the radio waves today.
Even rock stars have heroes, and even the biggest rock star can be a groupie. There are people the biggest stars still want to jam with, work with, party with and be a part of their scene. People who rock stars sit and go, dang how did they do that, how do they get that sound, what is their magic, and how do I get some. Members of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Elton John especially loved one performer, one whose ear they admired, one whose arrangements they wanted to steal, and whose albums they wanted to be on, and that was Leon Russell. As a pianist Elton John loved his style and wanted to play like him. As an arranger and composer woodwinds, Randy Newman couldn't believe what he could do without training. 2 Beatles played on his first solo album, and John Lennon watched from the control room. These are only some of the remarkable stories that Bill Janovitz relates in his masterwork of a biography on the enigmatic musician Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History, which offers a comprehensive view of this complicated music maker, his demons, ability, loss and recovery, and of course a lot of songs.
Leon Russell was born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1942. The doctor delivering him was a little quick with the forceps, leaving Russell with a limp and some problems on his right side, and causing his left hand to be stronger. This gave him a distinctive style of playing piano which he started playing before the age of five, learning to play other instruments as he got older. Russell became a professional musician at 14 with his own band that soon was backing Jerry Lee Lewis on his first comeback tour, the "comeback from marrying his cousin" as Russell called it. Soon Russell went to California where he began working in studios after faking a union card, being too young to get on legally. Soon he was playing for the Brian Wilson, Frank Sinatra, and he became a part of the famed Wrecking Crew who backed so many musicians on hundreds of classic songs. Russell was part of a few different record labels, his own studio, built in his home and he gained a steady reputation as the guy with an ear, slightly moody, but with gifts. Soon he was arranging for Joe Cocker's tour of America, while playing songs from his first album, and the spotlight was soon where he wanted to be
A monumental study of a musician who really did play with everyone and everyone wanted to play with him. Not as well known as he should be, the songs that he worked on, or just appeared on are some of the biggest songs of sixty years. Bill Janovitz does a great job of keeping track of all of them. The book is full of interviews, all revealing, sometimes to the people being interviewed. Health issues, mental issues, physical issues, all were a part of this man, and in seeing all that he accomplished makes his work rate even more impressive. The book is really very well written, sourced, and never drags even as it covers the life of Russell in full. I don't think is a part of his life that isn't examined or explained, but the book never drags. The names, the people involved all the work that Russell, and in turn Janovitz did in covering him, is just amazing. I learned a lot about music, and about an era of music I thought I knew alot about. Just a wonderful book.
Recommended for music fans especially. The songs, the names, the interviews, this is a goldmine of information and facts that will make anyone with a love of music just go crazy and geek out. Even the most casual of music fans will get something from this book, and a lot of songs to listen to or buy on vinyl. This is the second book by Bill Janovitz I have read, and I really can not wait to see what subject he covers next.
Even rock stars have heroes, and even the biggest rock star can be a groupie. There are people the biggest stars still want to jam with, work with, party with and be a part of their scene. People who rock stars sit and go, dang how did they do that, how do they get that sound, what is their magic, and how do I get some. Members of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Elton John especially loved one performer, one whose ear they admired, one whose arrangements they wanted to steal, and whose albums they wanted to be on, and that was Leon Russell. As a pianist Elton John loved his style and wanted to play like him. As an arranger and composer woodwinds, Randy Newman couldn't believe what he could do without training. 2 Beatles played on his first solo album, and John Lennon watched from the control room. These are only some of the remarkable stories that Bill Janovitz relates in his masterwork of a biography on the enigmatic musician Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History, which offers a comprehensive view of this complicated music maker, his demons, ability, loss and recovery, and of course a lot of songs.
Leon Russell was born Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1942. The doctor delivering him was a little quick with the forceps, leaving Russell with a limp and some problems on his right side, and causing his left hand to be stronger. This gave him a distinctive style of playing piano which he started playing before the age of five, learning to play other instruments as he got older. Russell became a professional musician at 14 with his own band that soon was backing Jerry Lee Lewis on his first comeback tour, the "comeback from marrying his cousin" as Russell called it. Soon Russell went to California where he began working in studios after faking a union card, being too young to get on legally. Soon he was playing for the Brian Wilson, Frank Sinatra, and he became a part of the famed Wrecking Crew who backed so many musicians on hundreds of classic songs. Russell was part of a few different record labels, his own studio, built in his home and he gained a steady reputation as the guy with an ear, slightly moody, but with gifts. Soon he was arranging for Joe Cocker's tour of America, while playing songs from his first album, and the spotlight was soon where he wanted to be
A monumental study of a musician who really did play with everyone and everyone wanted to play with him. Not as well known as he should be, the songs that he worked on, or just appeared on are some of the biggest songs of sixty years. Bill Janovitz does a great job of keeping track of all of them. The book is full of interviews, all revealing, sometimes to the people being interviewed. Health issues, mental issues, physical issues, all were a part of this man, and in seeing all that he accomplished makes his work rate even more impressive. The book is really very well written, sourced, and never drags even as it covers the life of Russell in full. I don't think is a part of his life that isn't examined or explained, but the book never drags. The names, the people involved all the work that Russell, and in turn Janovitz did in covering him, is just amazing. I learned a lot about music, and about an era of music I thought I knew alot about. Just a wonderful book.
Recommended for music fans especially. The songs, the names, the interviews, this is a goldmine of information and facts that will make anyone with a love of music just go crazy and geek out. Even the most casual of music fans will get something from this book, and a lot of songs to listen to or buy on vinyl. This is the second book by Bill Janovitz I have read, and I really can not wait to see what subject he covers next.
December 2, 2023
Author Bill Janovitz has done his homework. From approximately 137 interviews, a large number of printed primary and secondary sources and recordings (albums, concerts and other material) he has assembled this bio of a large life.
I’ve long wondered what happened to Leon Russell, once a top rock and roller, who faded away. As fake news (emanating from Leon himself) would have it, Elton John “found him in a ditch” and brought him back to life. That was how Leon felt but in reality, Leon was in debt, in poor health and in a creative slump but living well..
There is not here much on Russell Bridges’ (Leon Russell's) youth. The book essentially begins with Leon in his teens when he began his adult career. He played local and regional gigs, (notably for Jerry Lee Lewis) and traveled to California where he easily found work as a studio musician. He was in demand as a piano player before he was old enough for a union card.
There is a lot of detail on whom he played for and with. He also became known as an arranger, and here there are lots of names and songs on that output too. As he went off on his own, there are descriptions of TV gigs and his promotion of Gary Lewis and the Playboys. You follow his growing solo career through the dizzying mentions of performances, band members, back up singers, quasi-managers and hangers on. It becomes like a reference book.
His communal life style evolves with his career. It is documented through first hand accounts. Large scale touring culminates with the Mad Dog and Englishmen Tour where you learn about career jealousies, Leon's conducting skills and Rita Coolidge's bad experience. After it, you watch Leon buy houses, land and a church and set up one studio after another in CA, OK and TN. He continues to tour, and this is, again, like a reference book of his reduced entourage and venues.
There is a good description of how he fell from the career high… where the money went (no one issue) and didn’t come in (slump in creative output; gigs at small venues) and how he responded, then, how the happenstance of Elton John’s mentorship lifted him up personally and somewhat financially.
I came away with a greater appreciation of Leon Russell. Here are some areas where, besides the great music, Janovitz shows that Leon deserves credit:
- promoting the careers of many young artists. (He gave young Elton John exposure in the US when he needed it, and you later see this consideration coming back to him) and paying talent well.
- Being the first to have a home recording studio
- Foreseeing music video and pioneering mobile units.
- Attempting to develop a mechanical system of drumming which today is provided by readily accessible software.
- Standing up on race. Hiring Black talent and supporting them in the face of overt racism.
For me, it seemed that the book had two styles. The text of the first 2/3 is heavy on interviews, quotes, anecdotes and music reviews such that they often seem strung together. There are a lot of names of who played on what cut, album, tour or who was living where. The never ending strings of names bogs down the text.
In the later 1/3, where Leon is in a downward trend and begins to reemerge, the text is more alive. For instance, the writer doesn’t quote others describing Leon’s financial troubles, he gives the reader a digest of his research. Quotes amplify the story, not tell it. The same is true as he describes how Elton "found" Leon, the logistics of getting the "Union" album made and getting Leon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Here are some areas where I would have (and I presume other readers too) liked more depth. Note they are all from the first 2/3:
- How did his partial paralysis happen at birth (a defect or medical error)? The “overcoming” story needs examples, who encouraged him? What steps did he take? How long did it take to get to various milestones. This could be a very inspirational story.
- What of the absent father? The difficult mother? The rift with the brother?
- Why is X-wife, Mary, so bitter? Why does she keep their children from him … and why do they flee her as soon as they are 18?
- What other entertainers run multi-million dollar operations like a mom and pop shop? (Publishing – Producing – “non-marketing” – Booking – Bookkeeping/Managing cash) consolidated by the main performer? The only one I can think of is Frank Zappa, but his operation was not so large or complex.
I recently read I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen where Leonard Cohen, by necessity, at a mature age, revived a somewhat dormant career. Russell, with age and health issues was in a similar boat. Neither Russell nor Cohen played a blame game. Neither sought pity from colleagues or fans. Neither took revenge on those who cheated them. Both worked at what they knew and "came back". Had Leon lived long enough (Cohen did) he would have met his goals.
If you are a Leon Russell fan you will want to read this book. The truest fans will love every word, (but I expect they will want more on the items listed above). Casual fans may get bogged down in a seeming catalog of information and not finish the book.
I appreciate this work, but withheld a star for over reliance on detail in the first part.
I’ve long wondered what happened to Leon Russell, once a top rock and roller, who faded away. As fake news (emanating from Leon himself) would have it, Elton John “found him in a ditch” and brought him back to life. That was how Leon felt but in reality, Leon was in debt, in poor health and in a creative slump but living well..
There is not here much on Russell Bridges’ (Leon Russell's) youth. The book essentially begins with Leon in his teens when he began his adult career. He played local and regional gigs, (notably for Jerry Lee Lewis) and traveled to California where he easily found work as a studio musician. He was in demand as a piano player before he was old enough for a union card.
There is a lot of detail on whom he played for and with. He also became known as an arranger, and here there are lots of names and songs on that output too. As he went off on his own, there are descriptions of TV gigs and his promotion of Gary Lewis and the Playboys. You follow his growing solo career through the dizzying mentions of performances, band members, back up singers, quasi-managers and hangers on. It becomes like a reference book.
His communal life style evolves with his career. It is documented through first hand accounts. Large scale touring culminates with the Mad Dog and Englishmen Tour where you learn about career jealousies, Leon's conducting skills and Rita Coolidge's bad experience. After it, you watch Leon buy houses, land and a church and set up one studio after another in CA, OK and TN. He continues to tour, and this is, again, like a reference book of his reduced entourage and venues.
There is a good description of how he fell from the career high… where the money went (no one issue) and didn’t come in (slump in creative output; gigs at small venues) and how he responded, then, how the happenstance of Elton John’s mentorship lifted him up personally and somewhat financially.
I came away with a greater appreciation of Leon Russell. Here are some areas where, besides the great music, Janovitz shows that Leon deserves credit:
- promoting the careers of many young artists. (He gave young Elton John exposure in the US when he needed it, and you later see this consideration coming back to him) and paying talent well.
- Being the first to have a home recording studio
- Foreseeing music video and pioneering mobile units.
- Attempting to develop a mechanical system of drumming which today is provided by readily accessible software.
- Standing up on race. Hiring Black talent and supporting them in the face of overt racism.
For me, it seemed that the book had two styles. The text of the first 2/3 is heavy on interviews, quotes, anecdotes and music reviews such that they often seem strung together. There are a lot of names of who played on what cut, album, tour or who was living where. The never ending strings of names bogs down the text.
In the later 1/3, where Leon is in a downward trend and begins to reemerge, the text is more alive. For instance, the writer doesn’t quote others describing Leon’s financial troubles, he gives the reader a digest of his research. Quotes amplify the story, not tell it. The same is true as he describes how Elton "found" Leon, the logistics of getting the "Union" album made and getting Leon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Here are some areas where I would have (and I presume other readers too) liked more depth. Note they are all from the first 2/3:
- How did his partial paralysis happen at birth (a defect or medical error)? The “overcoming” story needs examples, who encouraged him? What steps did he take? How long did it take to get to various milestones. This could be a very inspirational story.
- What of the absent father? The difficult mother? The rift with the brother?
- Why is X-wife, Mary, so bitter? Why does she keep their children from him … and why do they flee her as soon as they are 18?
- What other entertainers run multi-million dollar operations like a mom and pop shop? (Publishing – Producing – “non-marketing” – Booking – Bookkeeping/Managing cash) consolidated by the main performer? The only one I can think of is Frank Zappa, but his operation was not so large or complex.
I recently read I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen where Leonard Cohen, by necessity, at a mature age, revived a somewhat dormant career. Russell, with age and health issues was in a similar boat. Neither Russell nor Cohen played a blame game. Neither sought pity from colleagues or fans. Neither took revenge on those who cheated them. Both worked at what they knew and "came back". Had Leon lived long enough (Cohen did) he would have met his goals.
If you are a Leon Russell fan you will want to read this book. The truest fans will love every word, (but I expect they will want more on the items listed above). Casual fans may get bogged down in a seeming catalog of information and not finish the book.
I appreciate this work, but withheld a star for over reliance on detail in the first part.
January 3, 2024
Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History by Bill Janovitz (Hachette Books 2023) (780.92) (3904).
Leon Russell was a legendary rock and roll piano player, bandleader, and songwriter who rose to fame in the 1970s. I have loved Leon Russell’s music since the first time I heard his newly-released concert album Leon Live in 1973 when I was fourteen years old. I had never heard anything like it! That recording (along with The Grateful Dead’s Europe ‘72, the Allman Brothers At Fillmore East, and Little Feat’s Waiting for Columbus) is one of the very few albums which I’ve worn out and replaced multiple times with new copies in various formats over the intervening years.
I also loved (and owned) several of Leon’s other recordings including Hank Wilson’s Back (Vol. 1), Will O’the Wisp, and One For the Road (with Willie Nelson)
So I’ve considered myself a huge Leon Russell fan for over fifty years. When I saw that Bill Janovitz had written a book about Leon, it went straight to the top of my reading material.
When I opened this book, I realized that while I knew quite a bit about Leon Russell the musical artist (aka “The Master of Space and Time”), I actually knew very little about Leon Russell the human being. Author Bill Janovitz has done his best to fill the gaps in my knowledge, for his book recites every fact known and every rumor ever concocted about Leon Russell. I believe that Bill Janovitz loves Leon’s music as much as I do.
Prior to reading this, I knew that Leon Russell had been born Claude Russell Bridges in Oklahoma. I also knew that Leon had become a legend during the “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” tour with Joe Cocker and the Asylum Choir. Here’s the best of the new info I gleaned from this book:
Leon Russell and future Miss America Anita Bryant were high school classmates in Oklahoma.
Leon was born with a physical handicap that left him with a lifetime limp and a weak right hand.
He was apparently bipolar.
Leon was a prickly Type A personality with an uncanny (and unhealthy) ability to hold a grudge.
Leon and Gram Parsons were once running buddies. Leon hung out with Gram at the Joshua Tree Inn - a location which figured prominently in the events surrounding Parsons’ death. Gram and Leon shared a taste for the deliriant PCP (“Angel Dust”).
Leon once shared PCP with Willie Nelson. Leon liked the drug so much that for a time he was thought to be a PCP addict.
Actor Gary Busey was once a close friend and bandmate of Leon’s. Busey actually played drums on Leon’s album Will O’ the Wisp. Busey is credited on the album cover as “Teddy Jack Eddy.” He and Leon brought out the worst of each other’s tastes in drugs, according to the author.
This was a densely-packed book of information about a legendary bandleader and songwriter. I’m glad to have read it; I recommend this to old hippies and to others with an interest in rock and roll's history.
My rating: 7.25/10, finished 01/02/24 (3904).
February 4, 2024
A more accurate title would be "The Rise and Fall of Leon Russell." The grandiose spiritual title doesn't reflect the contents.
Russell was kind of a tragic figure: he worked extremely hard to overcome his numerous physical problems and was apparently also bipolar and on the spectrum, but so very gifted musically. He played on, wrote, and/or produced hundreds of records in the 1960s that we all thought were being performed by the Byrds, the Beach Boys, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, or the Monkees, and made a lot of money. He went on to make records under his own name and at first he was very successful. But through a series of bad choices, musically and in his business and personal life, he peaked by his mid-30s and began a slow slide into near-obscurity and debt.
You can't say the author didn't do his research. He apparently interviewed everyone Leon Russell ever met who would talk to him and quoted all of them, or at least it felt like it. It is impossible to keep track of all the characters and after a while, I stopped caring whether the person being quoted was an ex-drummer or ex-bass player or the guy who lived across the street. I keep thinking of Dylan Jones's biography of David Bowie, which is composed entirely of quotes and the speaker clearly identified, and how smoothly that narrative flowed. This is not like that.
I'll give the author credit: everything you could possibly want to know about Leon Russell is covered here. This is also the main flaw in the book: there is a lot about his personal life and that of others I did not wish to know.
The making of Mad Dogs & Englishmen (tour, record, and film) as well as the Concert for Bangladesh are described in great detail. The endless spending on houses, buses, soon-to-be-obsolete recording equipment, ex-wives, antiques, cars, and general squandering of his money is also recorded on the pages. As Russell ages, the author likes to point out (many times) that he put on weight. For every person who just loved Leon, there was an equal number who didn't have kind words about him.
I don't know if anyone could have written a biography of Russell in wholly sympathetic terms and the author didn't make that his mission. There's some clumsy writing in here - lines that should have been footnotes and difficult-to-follow narratives - and a certain amount of personal opinion injected.
This is a long slog of reading and not all of it is riveting. For those who want to know absolutely everything about Leon Russell.
Russell was kind of a tragic figure: he worked extremely hard to overcome his numerous physical problems and was apparently also bipolar and on the spectrum, but so very gifted musically. He played on, wrote, and/or produced hundreds of records in the 1960s that we all thought were being performed by the Byrds, the Beach Boys, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, or the Monkees, and made a lot of money. He went on to make records under his own name and at first he was very successful. But through a series of bad choices, musically and in his business and personal life, he peaked by his mid-30s and began a slow slide into near-obscurity and debt.
You can't say the author didn't do his research. He apparently interviewed everyone Leon Russell ever met who would talk to him and quoted all of them, or at least it felt like it. It is impossible to keep track of all the characters and after a while, I stopped caring whether the person being quoted was an ex-drummer or ex-bass player or the guy who lived across the street. I keep thinking of Dylan Jones's biography of David Bowie, which is composed entirely of quotes and the speaker clearly identified, and how smoothly that narrative flowed. This is not like that.
I'll give the author credit: everything you could possibly want to know about Leon Russell is covered here. This is also the main flaw in the book: there is a lot about his personal life and that of others I did not wish to know.
The making of Mad Dogs & Englishmen (tour, record, and film) as well as the Concert for Bangladesh are described in great detail. The endless spending on houses, buses, soon-to-be-obsolete recording equipment, ex-wives, antiques, cars, and general squandering of his money is also recorded on the pages. As Russell ages, the author likes to point out (many times) that he put on weight. For every person who just loved Leon, there was an equal number who didn't have kind words about him.
I don't know if anyone could have written a biography of Russell in wholly sympathetic terms and the author didn't make that his mission. There's some clumsy writing in here - lines that should have been footnotes and difficult-to-follow narratives - and a certain amount of personal opinion injected.
This is a long slog of reading and not all of it is riveting. For those who want to know absolutely everything about Leon Russell.
September 3, 2023
Ask anyone today to name a Leon Russell song, album, or even guest appearance, and you will be met with a blank stare. Presently Russell exists more as a top-hatted Zelig-presence in any early 70's rock bio. He had a voice that would sound more at home in a Popeye's Chicken commercial and indeed, you would be forgiven for mixing him up with Dr. John. You can make the case -- and Bill Janovitz does -- that Leon Russell was the center of the rock universe from 1970-73. He recorded with Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Clapton, Willie Nelson, among others. He inspired Elton John, who credits him with creating the template that propelled him to superstardom. Russell was a shape shifter who transcended genre. Hell, he even help launch The Gap Band, if you believe it. He was a session man who could headline national tours, recruit and rehearse dozen+ member orchestras to back the likes of Joe Cocker and even help organize the Concert for Bangladesh. He was also probably bipolar, or at least given to bouts of severe depression. He could be generous and petty. Shrewd in certain business dealings, he could fitter away riches like his hero, Elvis. In short, he was what some in the South would call " a character."
In "Master of Space and Time," Janovitz reminds us of Russell's genius. Janovitz's rehabilitation efforts are undermined by two annoying tendencies. First, he gets bogged down in the minutiae of Russell's career at the expense of helping the reader place his actions in context. From 1964-1974, Russell was a hyper-prolific session musician, arranger, performer, record label owner and producer, and studio engineer. Janovitz feels compelled to list almost anyone who came into Russell's orbit, which makes "War and Peace" seem like a two-hander. Second, he feels compelled to proceed in strict chronological order, which fractures narrative threads in a way that makes them difficult to follow. For example, Russell's experience with filmmaker Les Blanks is interspersed with stories about touring, real estate purchases, recording, etc. such that it is hard to make sense of how that relationship soured so thoroughly. This book would have been better served by a compartmentalization of each aspect Russell's multi-faceted career.
In "Master of Space and Time," Janovitz reminds us of Russell's genius. Janovitz's rehabilitation efforts are undermined by two annoying tendencies. First, he gets bogged down in the minutiae of Russell's career at the expense of helping the reader place his actions in context. From 1964-1974, Russell was a hyper-prolific session musician, arranger, performer, record label owner and producer, and studio engineer. Janovitz feels compelled to list almost anyone who came into Russell's orbit, which makes "War and Peace" seem like a two-hander. Second, he feels compelled to proceed in strict chronological order, which fractures narrative threads in a way that makes them difficult to follow. For example, Russell's experience with filmmaker Les Blanks is interspersed with stories about touring, real estate purchases, recording, etc. such that it is hard to make sense of how that relationship soured so thoroughly. This book would have been better served by a compartmentalization of each aspect Russell's multi-faceted career.
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