I am writing this review as I am reading it on the Amazon Kindle. I have completed about 75% of it and will finish it by tomorrow. Chris is best known for being a member of the Byrds. He was members of several other groups:
- Desert Rose Band
- Manassas
- McGuinn, Clark & Hillman
- Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen
- Souther-Hillman-Furay Band
- The Flying Burrito Brothers
- The Hillmen
I have followed his career since The Byrd's famous cover of Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man in 1965. I really think he didn't the recognition he deserved in that group since they were 5 excellent musicians. When most people think of the Byrds Roger McGuinn comes to mind. He stayed with the group until the Sweetheart of the Rodeo album in 1968. I had the pleasure of seeing him in concert at New York's Town Hall celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
The book is an autobiography written without a ghostwriter. Chris is very candid as he outlined his personal and professional lives. Some consider him one of the fathers of country rock. I never read a book or article where a musician was critical of some of his own work. I enjoyed two of his songs on The Byrds, a reunion album of the five original members issued in 1973 (Things will be Better and Borrowing Time) but Chris stated he didn't like them.
I found out much about Chris that I didn't know even though I've heard his music for over 50 years. I didn't know that his father was Jewish and committed suicide when Chris was young.
I highly recommend this book for all fans of folk, folk-rock, country, and country-rock music. Here are a few other relevant websites:
- Interview of Chris on Songcraft Spotlight on Songwriters - done in April 2019
- Wikipedia Entry for Chris Hillman
- Discography of Chris Hillman from Allmusic
Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn, and Marty Stuart singing Time Between
on the Sweetheart of the Rodeo Anniversary Tour.
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