January 1970: the Beatles assemble one more time to put the finishing touches on Let It Be ; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young are wrapping up Déjà Vu ; Simon and Garfunkel are unveiling Bridge Over Troubled Water ; James Taylor is an upstart singer-songwriter who’s just completed Sweet Baby James. Over the course of the next twelve months, their lives--and the world around them--will change irrevocably. Fire and Rain tells the story of four iconic albums of 1970 and the lives, times, and constantly intertwining personal ties of the remarkable artists who made them. Acclaimed journalist David Browne sets these stories against an increasingly chaotic backdrop of events that sent the world spinning throughout that tumultuous year: Kent State, the Apollo 13 debacle, ongoing bombings by radical left-wing groups, the diffusion of the antiwar movement, and much more.
Featuring candid interviews with more than 100 luminaries, including some of the artists themselves, Browne's vivid narrative tells the incredible story of how--over the course of twelve turbulent months--the '60s effectively ended and the '70s began.
Review
Named one of the “Best Rock Books of the Year” by Rolling Stone
** Kirkus Reviews , 5/15/11**
“Through the lens of four fabulously successful musical acts, a Rolling Stone contributing editor looks at the moment 1960s idealism “began surrendering to the buzz-kill comedown of the decade ahead…A vivid freeze-frame of Hall of Fame musicians, some of whom would go on to make fine records, none ever again as central to the culture.”
** Cityview Magazine , June 2011**
“Browne has penned a classic.”
** BookPage , June 2011
**“Eminently readable….Browne’s engrossing account of this fertile but volatile period sets the standard by which comprehensive musical histories should be judged.”
** Parade , 5/27/11**
“This juicy, fascinating read transports you back to a turbulent year…Browne artfully describes the creation of these classic songs in a way that makes them seem brand-new.”
** New York**** Daily News , 5/27/11**
“Through rich anecdotes and incisive analysis…the book threads traces of politics, but music remains its worthy focus. The form of the book, told chronologically over four seasons, lends it the compacted, real-time drama of an episode of ‘24’.”
** New York**** Post , 5/29/11**
“Behind-the-scenes, fly-on-the-wall looks at [the artists] make it a worthwhile read.”
** Associated Press , 6/1/11**
"Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970 is a worthy addition to anyone's collection of such music histories…the nuanced account of the struggles inherent in making music is more than enough to satisfy, as are the delightful surprise connections and asides scattered throughout the book. . . . I couldn't help but be riveted by the account of this group of immensely talented people who also, when they weren't at each other's throats, seemed like they'd be cool to hang out with.”
** Entertainment Weekly , 6/10/11**
A “Best New Summer Read”
** Vineyard Gazette , 5/20/11**
“A social commentary, a fan’s look, an evolution of a generation and an up-close view of backstage dynamics in the music business, it’s also a book that will revive personal and social memories for anyone who ever lived their life to these songs.”
** SecondAct.com , 5/25/11**
“Both fresh and revelatory … Browne's work reminds me of the late Otto Friedrich's classic book about Hollywood in the 1940s, City of Nets.”
** Chicago**** Reader , 5/26/11**
“Its principal task is to dive into the 60s hangover on a day-to-day level, describing the tensions that drove U.S./UK rock culture—emblematized by the four artists in the subtitle—toward the sweet, consoling embrace of Let It Be, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sweet Baby James, and Deja Vu, … Browne renders this somnambulant period with such care that he makes it seem alive.”
** Mojo , June 2011**
“Highly readable … shifts between the key points smoothly. He unearths some little-told stories along the way.”
** BookPage , 6/1/11
**“It wasn’t obvious as it was happening, but, as David Browne shows in Fire and Rain , 1970 turned out to be a watershed year in popular music. … Browne’s engrossing account of this fertile but volatile period sets the standard by which comprehensive musical histories should be judged.”
**Library Journal, 6/8/11
**“ Browne engagingly illuminates many overlooked stories that may not be familiar to even dedicated rock enthusiasts. Highly recommended.”
Bookforum.com, Summer 2011
“Exhilarating and meticulously researched…Browne is a superb chronicler of popular music and a fine social historian.”
HollywoodReporter.com, 6/6/11
“An irresistible page-turner, a gossipy, scholarly account of an explosive rock moment, as organized as the times were chaotic— as well-crafted as a Beatles tune. The book is a brilliant lens on a time you only thought you knew.”
** St. Petersburg**** Times , 6/5/11**
“If you liked Life , then try Fire and Rain.”
Indiewire.com**, 6/7/11**
“Totally entertaining…There are drugs, love affairs and infighting behind the music, a story Browne smartly sets against the backdrop of a culture emerging from the turbulent 60’s. I can’t say I’m a big music person, but I was hooked from the minute I opened it.”
UGO, 6/7/11
“ The big picture that Browne paints throughout Fire and Rain , is a thoroughly fascinating and entertaining one.”
**Music Tap, 6/7/11
** “Compelling new tome… By placing the music in the context of time, but never letting the time overwhelm the subject of his book, Browne strips away that mythic quality of each release and makes them seem fresh and new again.”
** Blurt! Magazine, 6/13/11**
“[An] interesting and sometimes surprisingly informative book.”
** Boston**** Globe, 6/13/11**
“Absorbing…Browne avoids sentimentality and nostalgia, aiming instead at a fresh look at the bands and their milieu. Some of the period details are almost astonishingly apt.”
Blogcritics.org, 6/16/11
“David Browne's masterfully researched and written Fire And Rain is the sort of book that should have come along much sooner than it actually did…[A] compelling, thought provoking read…Fascinating.”
** New York**** Times, 6/24/11**
“As a reporter [Browne] is dogged and earnest; as a profile writer, crisp and professional. As “Fire and Rain” jaunts from London to Laurel Canyon, Mr. Browne drops in memorable details…very readable.”
** People Magazine, 7/4/11**
“A fascinating look at a pivotal year in the lives of James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beatles, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.”
NPR.org, 6/20/11
“Browne is an incredibly intelligent writer…His considerable narrative skills make Fire and Rainone of the most entertaining and informative books of the year**.** It's bound to be enjoyed not only by rock fans, but by anyone interested in popular culture and social change.”
** New York**** Magazine, 6/20/11**
“[A] juicy history of 1970 in rock.”
** Miami**** Herald, 6/24/11**
“[An] intriguing new book… Fire and Rain works as a history lesson but is foremost a fast-paced music fan’s appreciation of the brilliance of that era’s artists.”
Showbiz411.com, 6/24/11
“A beautifully wrought compelling recounting of a key year in pop music…full of great tidbits”
** San Antonio**** Express News, 6/23/11**
“One of the truly great rock books”
** Christian Science Monitor, 6/21/11**
“Dishes the drama and details how it all went down”
** Record Collector(UK), July 2011**
“Browne is an excellent writer and tells this story very well.”
** Metro(UK), 6/22/11**
“Engaging”
Demetri Martin , 7/1/11
“ It’s a fun read”
** Miami**** Herald, 6/30/11**
“Intriguing new book… Fire and Rain works as a history lesson but is foremost a fast-paced music fan’s appreciation of the brilliance of that era’s artists.”
** _Financial Times,6/26/11
_ *“[Browne’s] attention to detail lends this compelling book a depth and richness rarely found in rock biography.”**
** Publishers Weekly****, 7/18**
“A fascinating look at an era when an artist's reputation was built not on social media sites, but on the music itself.”
** Publishers Weekly , 7/18/11**
“Using new interviews with the artists and their colleagues, as well as access to rare documents and recordings from the period, Browne employs a smart narrative style to make such well-worn stories as the Beatles' breakup fresh again…This book will appeal to classic rock fans, as well as younger readers who may find this to be a fascinating look at an era when an artist's reputation was built not on social media sites, but on the music itself.”
NPR.org, 7/20/11
“The book offers a refreshed view of the moment w...
About the Author
David Browne is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and the author of three books: Dream Brother (2001), Amped (2004), and Goodbye 20th Century (2008). He also contributes to the New York Times , NPR, and other outlets. He lives in New York City.