Picture of author.
13+ Works 1,448 Members 24 Reviews

About the Author

Steven Gaines is known for writing about one of America's pastimes: celebrities and pop culture icons. His works include The Love You Make (about the Beatles), Heroes and Villains (about the Beach Boys), Obsession: The Life and Times of Calvin Klein, and Philistines in the Hedgerow: Passion and show more Property in the Hamptons. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Works by Steven Gaines

Associated Works

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Other names
Granit, Robert
Birthdate
1946
Gender
male
Nationality
USA
Occupations
journalist
Organizations
Circus
Daily News (New York)
New York

Members

Reviews

Steven Gaines shows his hand at the outset of his detailed group biography of The Beach Boys when he opens his narrative with a blow-by-blow account of the drowning death of Dennis Wilson, the middle brother, the group's drummer, dissipated by years of drug and alcohol abuse, diving time and again beneath his friend's boat in an LA marina, looking for an imaginary box of old coins, while his friends call to him from on deck to stop diving and come back aboard. This biography, we learn, is going to emphasize greatly the band's (and individual band members') troubles and disputes. And, in fact, that's what we get, with consideration of The Beach Boys' iconic music mostly relegated to brief mentions. It's all telling instead of showing when it comes to the creation, recording and onstage performances of the group, but we get shown and shown again the squabbles, alliances, dalliances, lawsuits and individual troubles of the band members, as they fight to hold the group together and continue to create in the face of a myriad of problems.

The Beach Boys were three Wilson brothers, Brian, Dennis and Carl, their cousin, Mike Love, and childhood friend, Al Jardine. The Wilson boys began life solidly behind the 8-ball, psychologically, despite their enormous musical talent, thanks to their domineering, demanding and abusive (both psychologically and physically) father, Murray. Brian, the oldest, came in particularly for the abuse, and was the brother who could never be good enough in Murray's judgement. And he certainly developed the most acute psychological problems. Carl, the youngest, was his mother's favorite, thereby receiving her protection from Murray, and, whether coincidentally or not, maintained the most emotional equilibrium throughout his career and life.

It's a sad tale, and the fact that these men were able to create so much fabulous and iconic music over, more or less, a 15-year recording career, is an amazing testament. Sadly, in this book, that creative process is mostly glossed over. I was a young boy with a transistor radio when The Beach Boys were at their early peak with songs like "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda" on the charts. Later, in my early and middle teens, I loved their more progressive albums like "Surf's Up" (still a favorite of mine) and "Holland." And then there's the tour de force that is "Pet Sounds," which I did not come to really appreciate until much later.

Gaines does describe well, in particular, Brian Wilson's struggles. His schizophrenia was, for a long time, hidden under his heavy drug use (considered more or less normal for rock stars at the time), his abnormal and reclusive behavior put down as the understandable eccentricity of the artistic genius. Even that "genius" appellation, settled on Brian after the release of "Pet Sounds" (and enhanced by the Beatles' avowed admiration for that album), became a heavy element in Brian Wilson's emotional burdens. And while Brian did have people trying to look out for him and keep him on an even keel (especially his wife, Marilyn), he was also surrounded by "drainers," sycophants always happy to gain acceptance into Brian's orbit by sneaking him drugs and booze.

And so on. All the members of the band, individually and collectively, come in for this sort of examination (with the exception of Jardine, the quite, calm one). Bad business decisions, money-wasting, fly-by-night schemes, Dennis Wilson's extended dalliance with Charles Manson and crew, we read about them all. But we spend precious little time with the musicians in the studio or onstage. It's amazing to realize that The Beach Boys (sans Brian, whose mental troubles early on caused him to stop performing live) remained one of the world's most popular and largest grossing live acts well into the 1980s. This is even though, by the end, the band was broken into two factions who, for the most part, hated each other. So we get told, of some important individual concert, that the band gave a great performance that brought down the house, there was evidently no attempt to find somebody describe what it was like to be at a Beach Boys concert at that time (let alone what it was like to be onstage during one).

A funny thing, though. By the end of the book, I actually did feel like I had a strong perception of what these people where like, and who they were. I'd even gained an affection for them. Who knows how accurate a perception that is, but still, I do feel like this book provides an effective description of a dysfunctional musical family, trying desperately to overcome that dysfunction and to emphasize the "love" element of their love-hate relationship with their father, their talent, their fame, and each other. There are dark sides to their behavior, to put it mildly. None of them were equipped emotionality for committed romantic relationships. Dennis, in particular, the good-looking one, reveled in his "playboy" behavior, even during his three or four (I lost count) marriages. Racism peeks through the narrative a few times, one of their business managers is fired when it's discovered that he's gay, and none of them thought twice about leveling anti-Semetic slurs when riled for one reason or another. So it's the old question of whether one is willing/able and/or desirous of separating the artists from the art. So this isn't the book to go to for a proper examination of The Beach Boys' music and creative process. But it's a pretty strong portrait of their lives (as far as I know), warts and all.
… (more)
 
Flagged
rocketjk | 4 other reviews | Apr 7, 2023 |
The Hamptons — money – old and new, privilege, notoriety, fame — the history of the iconic Hamptons from its early rural beginnings to it’s becoming home to extravagant home and eccentric residents.

The author profiles fifteen different figures who have resided in the Hamptons –

Robert David Lion Gardiner, descended from the first family to settle in the Hamptons. Also the owner of a 3,500 acre island off the coast, named Gardiner Island. Visiting there is like a step back in time.

Alfonso Ossorio, heir to Domino Sugar, well-educated and well-known as an artist and collector, and his partner Ted Dragon. Dragon had been a dancer with the New York City Ballet. They purchased a property named The Creeks and restored it to grandeur. It was a gathering place for artists and other creative types.

Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, artists of international fame. He a man of mood swings. She keeping it all together.

This is a look into a world and people I’ve heard of over time. People with extravagant life styles good and bad.

Very interesting!
… (more)
 
Flagged
ChazziFrazz | 2 other reviews | Feb 19, 2023 |
A very biography of little depth and virtually no deep background. Too many individuals are given "aliases"; you either figure out who they are, or you don't. A straightforward read; what an abrupt ending,
 
Flagged
Huba.Library | Jul 10, 2022 |
I'm not sure how to begin when explaining this book. I watched the Netflix episode, and then bought the book from Amazon.

Roy Halson Frowick was born in the Midwest, Des Moines, Iowa. His father was abusive in his temper was uncontrollable. Unable to keep a job, his family moved frequently, increasingly to down and out dumps.

To help his mother's sadness, at an early age, he made hats for her. When an adult, he moved to Manhattan, where he was known as a hat designer. When Jackie Kennedy wore a dress by Cassini, and a hat by Halston, it was a terrific outfit and brought attention to Halston.

Difficult to make the transition from hat making when the industry closed as a result of changing ways in which women wanted to be dressed. Halston's hats were out, but soon, his incredible designs of women's clothing were the rage. His clothes were simplistically beautiful. in the 1070's, he became the king of women's couturier., and gained international fame as well. his minimalist, clean designs were made of ultrasuede and or cashmere. At the top of his success, his jumpers, evening gowns and reader to wear clothing dresses the rich and famous. In 1984 he was a four-time Coty fashion award recipient.

He clothed the famous such as Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli, Babe Paley, Bianca Jagger, to name a few. He was selling clothes and an image.

Bergdorf Goodman carried both his perfume and his dresses. At the height of his fame in the 1970's, all too soon the gay Halston became very much a part of Studio 54, where cocaine and various drugs were frequent. Not only dancing, but sex was exhibited in a sensational manner.

His personal life became out of control. Taking limos for just one block, it was not unusual for the accounting books to reflect thousands of dollars per month for this habit. This was not the only habit that Halston had. His cocaine habit was out of control.

In the mid 80's his ego was like the prince with no clothes. He was not uncontrollable. When his cocaine habit interfered with his ability to produce on time, his company was bought by those much larger than he. An accountant who had a reputation of turning companies around and cutting expenses to the minimum, Halston's ego would not allow anyone to tell him what to do.

Friend of the iconic fashion designer, Charles James, and the well-known artist Andy Warhol, he loved the lavish life style.

He was promiscuous in the time when AID first was discovered to cause death, and the knowledge it was transmitted thought unprotected sex, Halston paid no mind to caution.

He openly ordered men from telephone services. Never spending the night, he only wanted sex.

Sex, drinking, smoking and and ego that was sky high, alll too soon caused the company to crash. The 80's were the time of business take overs, and Halston's poorly run company all too soon was bought out by much larger companies who knew how to control their assets. He sold not only the company, but his name as well.

When he contracted aids n 1988, Halston's life was soon to be over. His long-term, incredibly decadent boy friend Victor Hugo a sex worker from Venezuela, by his own admission, had sexual contact with "thousands."

His relationship with a very out of touch, sadistic man, was his undoing. When the cash dried up and Hugo could no longer get the money he needed for his habits, he decided that he could blackmail Halston with sex tapes he recorded.

Halston's life was ending, and he moved to California where his brother and sister took care of him and forbid Hugo to be a part of his life, and then death.

Andy Warhol, was also part of the part of sex, love and drugs scene. Also a play mate of Victor Hugo, when Warhol died, his diaries were found, in them were salacious descriptions of the wild life of Halston. At the time of publication, Halston was struggling
to stay alive. The Warhol publications were the end of Halston.

He died in March of 1990, a short two years after the discovery that he carried AIDS.
He died of Kaposi's carcinoma, an AIDS-defining illness, at the Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in San Francisco.

His star shone brightly, and faded as result of changing styles in the fashion industry, and his out of control addictions to drugs and sex.
… (more)
 
Flagged
Whisper1 | 1 other review | Oct 13, 2021 |

Awards

You May Also Like

Associated Authors

Statistics

Works
13
Also by
1
Members
1,448
Popularity
#17,749
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
24
ISBNs
53
Languages
2

Charts & Graphs