RaveThe Washington PostMyers is what I call an ‘apprecianist,’ a documenter of the semi-forgotten or undervalued ... His writing tends to be straightforward and simple, meant to root the material in the extensive interviews he uses to make his case ... John Candy: A Life in Comedy...allows us to immerse ourselves in a comic actor who has been largely forgotten since his death ... Myers makes a solid case that Candy’s gravitas was rooted in how much the real man shared with his characters ... The fact that Candy existed in the pre-TMZ era gives Myers ample space to maneuver this material tastefully ... Myers also does an excellent job showing the symbiotic nature of Candy’s relationship with John Hughes ... What A Life in Comedy does best, though, is give us an excuse to luxuriate in YouTube clips and easily streamable films.
RaveThe Washington PostSheff’s most important accomplishment may be taking this reframing a step further. By explaining Ono’s personal history and artistic path, he builds the case that she, not Lennon, was more damaged career-wise by their union ... The first significant biography ... The strength of Sheff’s book is simple journalism, connecting the dots that existed only vaguely before Yoko.
Hanif Abdurraqib
RaveThe Washington PostRiveting and poetic ... Adburraqib’s gift is his ability to flip from a wide angle to a zoom with ease. He is a five-tool writer, slipping out of the timeline to deliver vivid, memoiristic splashes as well as letters he’s crafted to directly address the central players, dead and living. He is a grown man, a cultural critic, an Important Voice, but he’s also an awkward kid huddled in the back seat of the school bus, that \'Beats, Rhymes and Life\' cassette wearing out his Walkman. He brings everything to the game, whether a cosmic vignette about Leonard Cohen or an unexpected curveball that somehow morphs into connective tissue ... The beauty of being both a true fan and a professional is that you can embrace even the low points and yet analyze with pinpoint accuracy when your heroes have fallen short. And as you search for the perfect ending, you’ll realize there seldom is one.
Elvis Costello
RaveThe Washington PostIn a world littered with uneven (and largely ghosted) celebrity memoirs, Unfaithful Music is a beautifully written revelation. Dare I blaspheme by declaring I liked it even more than the excellent memoirs produced by Bob Dylan and Keith Richards? Costello embraces the basic qualities of good storytelling: the use of detail, tension and humor. At 672 pages, Unfaithful Music is actually a breeze.
