Galadrielle Allman went to her first concert as an infant in diapers, held in her teenage mother’s arms. Playing was her father—Duane Allman, who would become one of the most influential and sought-after musicians of his time. Just a few short years into his remarkable career, he was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of twenty-four. His daughter was two years old.
Galadrielle was raised in the shadow of his loss and his fame. Her mother sought solace in a bohemian life. Friends and family found it too painful to talk about Duane. Galadrielle listened intently to his music, read articles about him, steeped herself in the mythic stories, and yet the spotlight rendered him too simple and too perfect to know. She felt a strange kinship to the fans who longed for him, but she needed to know more. It took her many years to accept that his life and his legacy were hers, and when she did, she began to ask for stories—from family, fellow musicians, friends—and they began to flow.
Galadrielle Allman’s memoir is at once a rapturous, riveting, and intimate account of one of the greatest guitar prodigies of all time, the story of the birth of a band that redefined the American musical landscape, and a tender inquiry of a daughter searching for her father in the memories of others.
- Print Length: 400 pages
- Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (March 4, 2014)
- ASIN: B00F1W0RCS
AUTHOR BIO:
Galadrielle Allman is the producer of Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective (Rounder Records). She lives in Berkeley, California. This is her first book.
REVIEW:
I'm not a die-hard fan of the Allman Brothers, but I know and enjoy a few of their songs. Still, when I saw this book I couldn't resist my curiosity. I knew Duane was the one that had died. Other than he was in the band and passed on, I knew nothing else about him. I didn't even know he had a daughter.
I'm not a die-hard fan of the Allman Brothers, but I know and enjoy a few of their songs. Still, when I saw this book I couldn't resist my curiosity. I knew Duane was the one that had died. Other than he was in the band and passed on, I knew nothing else about him. I didn't even know he had a daughter.
I'm on the fence about this 'memoir'.
Duane died when Galadrielle was 2. At that age, there is not much you remember about anyone or anything. All of her memories consist of outings taken with her mother to concerts and such, or stories through another's experiences. When I was reading the stories she had heard from other people, I wondered how much of the telephone wire game came into play. Somehow little things always change. Over the years people remember things differently too. For me, it was hard to buy into the stories. Even if they were entertaining.
So that's my advice. If you just want to be entertained, and treat it more like fiction, it could be a great story. If you are a lover of personal memoirs, like me, you might be put off by the second-hand accounts too. Then again, maybe not. To each his own, right?!
2.5/5
Thanks for your honest opinion. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteGiven your honest opinion, I'd still be interested in reading this book. I have no expectations so I might be pleasantly surprized. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBesos, Sarah
Blogger at Journeys of The Zoo
helpful review
ReplyDelete