Lesley-Ann Jones

In this saucy biography, rock chronicler Lesley-Ann Jones writes about the life of her friend (probably more like acquaintance), singer-songwriter Christine McVie (1943-2022) of Fleetwood Mac.

Despite her band's enormous successes, McVie preferred a quiet life over rock star indulgence. As Jones writes, she spent her life chasing the myth of One True Love. McVie endured many unsatisfying relationships, including two broken marriages and a disastrous liaison with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson show more (Jones repeatedly insists that the "poorly educated, inarticulate" and incorrigibly unfaithful Wilson was "the love of [McVie's] life"). Ultimately, McVie retired to the English countryside, where she cooked, gardened, and made occasional music until her death in 2022.

Jones's cheeky, digressive writing style is meant to be lively but comes across as merely annoying. There's also a lot of speculation, including gratuitous and inappropriate commentary from an alleged psychotherapist. Jones and McVie may have known each other, but it doesn't seem like the privacy-loving musician confided in Jones very much, which was probably wise.

Christine McVie deserves a better book. Better still, her music should be her legacy. show less

DISCLAIMER *This is a bit of a book vs movie review*
A real emotional rollercoaster without a dull moment. I have read many biographies and autobiographies in the past. They all have a bit you skim through at some point when the details get too long and arduous to read. Not this! It was very easy to read and full of quotations from friends, family, music industry bigwigs and even psychiatrists.
"It was the perfect stage for Freddie Mercury: the whole world." Bob Geldof
"It wasn't even dark, show more he was whipping up all this magic in daylight." Dave Hogan (photographer at Live Aid)
The explosive start with Live Aid in chapter one mirrors the movie Bohemian Rhapsody to a tee (although the book predates, obviously). Although the main focus is how Queen outperformed everyone that day, there is also a lot of other information like when and how Bob Geldof came up with the whole idea (I did not know that Queens had not been invited to sing in Do They Know It's Christmas!)
The book then delves deeply into Freddie's childhood and time in Zanzibar and India. The writer even goes on an expedition to find his birth certificate (which is apparently missing - suspected to have been bought illegally and in someone's private collection now). Her interviews with friends and family shed so much light on Freddie's background and upbringing. (He was called Bucky!)
The next thing that struck me were the many differences with the movie - too many to name! How he met and joined the band, how they got their first album recorded, the truth is so different I was wondering if I had watched an adaptation or fictionalisation of the truth at the cinema the day before reading the book (For example, they had a VERY hard time being picked up by radio DJs in the UK and could not get onto playlists at the beginning). However, I felt that his relationship with Mary Austin came across better on screen (although, again, there were many conflicts like, she did not abandon him as portrayed in BR)
The wild parties... Oh my God! Jaw dropping! I can understand why those were left out of the movie!
I also learned about Peter Freeman, Barbara Valentin and others who were so close to him but did not get a mention in the movie. And Jim Hutton - the true story of how they met is so different!
The book has a total of 25 chapters that take the reader from place to place and event to event. Freddie's multi-faceted, almost chameleon-like character came out very well in the story. You follow his as he goes from sleeping on the floor to super rockstardom. You feel each betrayal, each hurdle he had to overcome. There are moments you are cheering him on and moments you find the hedonistic OTT life too much to comprehend. There is also a lot of commentary into what the songs and lyrics mean - the writer's own take on Bo Rap is that Scaramouche (a clown from the commedia dell'arte) was Freddie himself, Galileo the 16th century astronomer is obviously Brian May, and Beelzebub (prince of demons) is Roger Taylor who was the wildest party animal at the beginning. I don't know how much water that holds, to be honest, but back stories to why and how the songs came about is definitely interesting.
And the final chapters - I was in tears. There was so much empathy and emotion in the description of his final year, death, funeral and the aftermath, all fans MUST read this. The wealth of information also lead me to some fantastic old videos (like Freddie's performance with the Royal Ballet) that are hidden away on Youtube.
Here are some of the titbits that have stayed with me...Did you know - Brian May developed gangrene in his arm after a routine inoculation and there was a real fear of amputation?
that Freddie was aerophobic?
that after their first appearance of Top of the Pops in 1974 Freddie ran along Oxford St to watch their appearance on a TV in a shop window because he didn't own one himself?
that Freddie and Roger ran a market stall in Kensington and were as thick as thieves? (I thought their relationship on BR was actually quite strained)
that when they landed in Argentina for the tour in 1981 the flight announcements all stopped and they started playing Queen music instead!
There was one comment in earlier reviews that this is a mash-up of all the interviews and books that have come before, with no new material. I disagree. Yes, there were a lot of quotes from various sources, but there were also many insights from the author herself and personal interviews / conversations too. Of course, I have not read all the other biographies of Freddie and Queen out there, but I am sure there is a lot of overlapping bound to happen when you write about the same subject!
My only criticism is, because the chapters were broken by personalities and events there was a lot of jumping back and forth in the timeline when you read from one chapter to another - where you stop and go 'wasn't that mentioned earlier?' However, if you are a fan of Queen, or if you have just watched Bohemian Rhapsody, this is a book which would fascinate you. show less

Mercury by Lesley-Ann Jones is the first biography I've listened to on audio. I wasn't quite sure what to expect-performance wise. I was pleasantly surprised. Jane Collingwood is the main narrator, but there are other voices that chime in for various interviews by various people. I liked this aspect of listening to a biography on audio. I think it broke up what could have been a potentially tiresome reading of another person's life. Not that Freddie Mercury's life was boring at all, just show more someone reading the details of his life might be tiresome.
The title of this book indicates that it holds several intimate details of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer in Queen. Before I 'read' this book, I knew a few things about Mercury, and the life he led. After reading this book I think only a few people really knew the real Freddie. The books begins in Freddie Mercury's childhood. Jones spends a brief time in this area of his life before going on to the years when he met fellow band members and forming their band, Queen. Freddie was a larger-than-life personality on stage, and a brilliant musician. Off the stage, he was a more private person. He led the extraordinary life of a rock star. He worked with some of rock's greatest performers such as Michael Jackson, Elton John, and David Bowie. The book travels through these professional years with a closer look at Freddie's personal life. It takes you through to the end of his life, when he died from AIDS.
I enjoyed listening to this book and the different accounts taken from the people in his life. I think there is a side to Freddie that he only revealed to a few people. While this book goes into detail about Freddie's life, I don't think it paints a completely accurate picture of who Freddie Mercury really was. Freddie Mercury was and still is an enigma. show less

An intimate complex portrait of an "unmatched songwriter-showman"
A carefully documented look (realistic yet not sensational) at Queens" outrageous" frontman

"An unvarnished look at the extreme highs and lows of life in the fast lane.
At the heart of this story is a man . . . and the music he loved."

It felt almost dangerous to immerse myself in this reading.
The many photos available added a quality of realism to the outrageous tone of the bio.
As Queen rose in fame, Freddie descended further show more into pleasure seeking excesses.

His persona developed with flamboyance and melodrama.
It was quite interesting to see more clearly the man behind the glittering facade.

4*

Of course, not for everyone.....

But if you choose to read this, it is well presented and was enlightening to me. show less