Tearing Down The Wall Of Sound: The Rise And Fall Of Phil Spector (2007) - Plot & Excerpts
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally here.)You would think that a person could do no wrong by penning a biography of infamous record producer and gun-brandishing recluse Phil Spector -- after all, the man either wrote or engineered a huge amount of what we now consider the "classic rock" hits of the 1950s and '60s; then near the end of his practical career produced such one-off masterpieces as the Beatles' Let It Be and the first Ramones album; then apparently went batsh-t crazy starting in the '80s, eventually facing murder charges last year over the mysterious death of a starlet at one of his notorious private parties. But as evidenced in the much-hyped yet ultimately disappointing Tearing Down the Wall of Sound by Mick Brown, it turns out that tales about someone fiddling with studio knobs for days on end simply don't make for very compelling literature, even if they do end with the person becoming a batsh-t crazy gun-brandishing recluse.In fact, if anything can be called most fascinating about the roots of the rock industry, the period when Spector had his greatest successes, it's of how much the entire thing used to be like any other corporate office back in the day; and by "corporate office," I mean literal skyscrapers in Manhattan full of nice young suit-wearing jazz-loving Jews, sitting around desks in cubicles all day writing songs, while yet other executives handled all the administrative work of matching those songs up with specific musicians, specific studio engineers and specific labels. So yes, in other words, the beginning history of rock 'n roll is a real snooze -- a time when singing and songwriting were two distinctly different jobs, when artists were treated no better than hired help, when the industry was literally like a factory, churning out hits for white teens by poor black musicians like other factories churned out toothbrushes.The only way to get ahead in such an environment, then, was to become an executive and intellectual-property owner yourself; and that's what the vast majority of this book is about, is simply the masterful way Spector was able to play the weasely game of office politics back then, was able to superficially suck up to the exact right people who could help him the most at the exact right moments, the way he was able to sociopathically cut these people out of his life again when they had nothing else to offer. And frankly, unless you actually lived through these times, unless you're already familiar with Spector's hits and have always been curious about what was happening behind the scenes at the time, most people will simply not find this an engaging read; damnit, I picked up this book to read about a crazy rock idol, not a minor character from "Dilbert!" This is no fault of Brown himself, a seasoned journalist who turns in a fine account of the subject at hand yet again; no, it's the subject itself, which by its definition is heavy on unfair business contracts and scheming middle-managers, light on drug-abuse tales and trashed hotel rooms. It's a great book for seeing how the sausage was made in the 1950s and '60s music industry; but unless you're already a fan of that sausage, I recommend skipping the book altogether.Out of 10: 7.4, or 8.4 for fans of classic rock
Veteran U.K. music journalist Mick Brown was the last reporter to interview Phil Spector before he was arrested and charged with the murder of Lana Clarkson. During their rambling four-hour discussion, the legendary producer tellingly admitted, "I have devils inside that fight me. And I'm my own worst enemy." The story ran in the U.K. Telegraph just two days before Clarkson was found shot to death in Spector's spooky Alhambra mansion, and undoubtedly this book would not exist if it weren't for that bizarre incident. Still, Brown's sympathetic story traces Spector's incredible rise in the early '60s, with a real understanding of how the producer turned the three-minute pop song into works of art like "Be My Baby," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "River Deep, Mountain High," only to inspire the very same British Invasion that would, at first, replace him on the charts, then ultimately give him a second chance through his work on The Beatles' Let It Be and the solo albums of John Lennon and George Harrison. It's easy to compare Spector's career trajectory to that of Orson Welles, another youthful phenom never able to top himself, whose own Citizen Kane provides a convenient parallel to the producer's eventual self-exile from the world behind the gates of his gothic manse, with his Rosebud the early suicide of his father and the constant hectoring of an overbearing mother. But that doesn't begin to explain the combination of obsession, stubbornness and unbridled ambition that led Spector to create pop masterpieces that took teen angst to mythic heights. Brown leaves little doubt that Spector's continuing fascination with guns, and his penchant for waving them around to get his way, would eventually lead to a tragedy like this, without necessarily condemning him. What we're left with is a feeling of tremendous waste. For all of Spector's accomplishments, for all his desire to create a larger-than-life image of himself that would effectively shadow his intense vulnerability and feeling of insecurity, he will undoubtedly be remembered for those final pathetic images, of a wigged nut job brought down by his own Achilles' heel. To know him is not to love him, but rather to feel sorry for him...which is something Phil Spector spent his life running from. - Roy Trakin - Blog on Books
What do You think about Tearing Down The Wall Of Sound: The Rise And Fall Of Phil Spector (2007)?
It was a fascinating read. I have heard whispered stories for years about Spector because I am a fan of John Lennon, The Ramones, Darlene Love and Leonard Cohen.Here are a lot of the stories pieced together in one place. Too bad the book doesn't make it as far as his actual murder trial-that would have been fascinating. Anyway, when it is all said and done, he is responsible for some of the most influential sounds of the 20th century.What a waste of talent. As a woman, I am saddened by his lack of respect and empathy of my sisters. What a waste of a human being.
—Vanessa
I have a hard time thinking of anyone who makes my skin crawl more than Phil Spector: he was known for his megalomania, outrageous behavior, and for being one of the biggest jerks in an industry where they replicate inconsiderate, soul-sucking assholes in Petri dishes for fun and profit. Author Mick Brown took on a Herculean task, just trying to shovel his way through the Augean stables of Spector's life, where double-dealing in business, betrayed ex-wives and ex-girlfriends, studio machinations, and the like were the order of the day. Brown does a particularly good job in recounting Spector's early life. Many seeds were sown there that burst into smarmy fruition later on. Spector may have been a genius in the recording studio, but he failed to make the grade as a human being. In many ways the story of his life resembles a Greek tragedy. Separating the art from the artist is rarely an easy task. In this case, though, it is made more necessary because so many of the records he produced were so sublime. At the same time, it is hard not to want to vilify someone who ultimately betrayed virtually every friend or business associate he ever had. I think it is safe to say that Spector suffers from some form of mental illness My guess would be that he is bipolar with other related conditions. Perhaps in jail, separated from the hangers-on whom he seemed to collect and with proper medication, Spector may yet be able to discover his humanity. I found much of what I read within these pages to be of interest. Although many readers may not find the sections about business dealings to be especially riveting, they are essential to the story, and chronicle how many musicians have been badly served by the music industry. I wish that the book had not ended quite so abruptly. A few more pages on the trial and its outcome would have made for a more satisfying conclusion to what is overall a well done explication of a most difficult subject.
—Maureen
Mick Brown's Tearing Down the Wall of Sound is a well written and engaging story of the arc of Phil Spector's life and musical career. Brown tears down the wall of sound, exposing the man behind the music. The book begins with his early days in tragic detail giving the reader a glimpse of the musical genius as a wounded child of an absent father (who committed suicide when Spector was a boy) and an overbearing mother. Brown is at his best when he traces the early history of rock 'n roll and the music industry. Through Spector's life story, the reader gets a tour through the inner sanctum of the Brill Building and its cadre of songwriters and into the recording studio's where Spector crafted what came to be known as "the Wall of Sound" -- a bigger than life ensemble of layered sound that characterized his contribution to pop music. The last third of the book follows Spector's spiral into madness and ultimate up to the moment a young actress, Lana Clarkson, is found dead of a gunshot to the face in his home. It stops short of the resolution of the trial and sentencing. Overall, this book is highly recommended. It is filled with behind-the-scenes tidbits and anecdotes of the history of pop music in the second half of the twentieth century through the lens of "the rise and fall of Phil Spector."
—Jennie
