BOOK REVIEW: MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY - GREENLIGHTS

  

4/5

All Write, All Write, All Write. 

NOTE TO SELF! Give me the 'Greenlights' like Legend and 3000. Matthew Mcconaughey runs like 'Forrest Gump' or Tom Cruise until he can't run no more. Screaming with lactic acid, euphoric joy in the middle of nowhere. Howling like a wolf. Pointing at the full moon in thanks like when his Jake Brigance 'A Time To Kill' character (the Atticus Ross to John Grisham's Harper Lee 'To Kill A Mockingbird' like courtroom drama) found his lost dog after the Klan burnt down his house. He just got the part in his first big budget movie after future 'True Detective' partner in fighting crime Woody Harrelson's 'Natural Born Killer' was too close to the bone for Grisham...but this is not where our story begins. Dazed and confused? Alright, alright, alright! Let's take it from the top. In fair Austin, Texas is where we lay our scene. Let the man tell it himself. As this amazing autobiography can only be audiobook read and heard in his signature syrupy Southern drawl. It's the only way for your memoirs memory. Besides you can get work done whilst you listen. Your hands are free. Not to do what his 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' character tells you to do a couple times a day, one before lunch. But to work on your dreams, 'Greenlight' goals and life ambitions. The kind that come (no pun intended) to McConaughey in the form of a wet dream (yep, you read it right. You ain't going blind). Or you could just work out as this man in a few quips gives you more exercise tips than influencers Instagram's. You can even read...or well listen whilst "taking a deuce", or I don't know...playing a banjo. It also seems like fans taking the piss at the guy who recently starred in Ritchie's British gangster flick, 'The Gentlemen' are coming up with their own audiobook versions in impression (guilty), which has lead for a game for a laugh McConaughey launching an Instagram story competition for the best, "alright, alright, alright". It's all for a good cause as the man who looks to run for public office just keeps living y'all. And with this hilarious, heartfelt, stream of compelling consciousness memoir that could even bother the noise in Steven Tyler's autobiography (one rocking story from a one-of-a-kind icon deserves another) going head-to-head. Especially with movie autobiographies in general being more rare than steak in a vegan restaurant...or hey, even cinematic releases these days. We need stories like this that inspire these days and are like no other. Let this book of Matthew be your spiritual guide. Take it as gospel. 

BUMPER STICKER! Giving us his life script and time entwined with the Hollywood sign, McConaughey has had more than 'Time To Kill' this quarantined year of COVID-19. He's been working on this 'scribe for years. NOTE TO SELF. I watched the platinum rom-com classic, 'How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days' for the first real time just over a week ago (he's not ashamed of his romantic comedy years and neither should you like the 'Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past' this Christmas). We almost made it to 7 minutes before he took his shirt off. This is more than the movies, but he gets down to the bare essentials for some stripped down stories here. Talking about this 'Larger Than Life', 'Lone Star's' 'Glory Dayz'. Making 'Contact' with Jodie Foster for what ignorantly the industry back then called the "girl role". All before all those rom-com's and 'Failure To Launch' that wasn't his flightplan like...well, Jodie Foster. The man who once buzzed his trademark curls after a close shave with baldness (tell me your secret Matt) for 'Reign Of Fire', headbutting Christian Bale in a close shave ended up turning down 14 Mill to turn his career around. All before 'The Lincoln Lawyer' and Carrey carried on Lincoln commercials changed his life like the 'Mud' of 'Killer Joe'. Than there was the skinny on the muscle bound Hollywood hunk playing Ron Woodroof (a man who suffered from AIDS but changed the medical game) in 'Dallas Buyers Club' and the rest is Best Actor at the Oscars history. One that lead to big pictures on an 'Interstellar' level and slept on indies like his most recent 'White Boy Rick'. But the 'Magic Mike', 'Dark Tower' and underrated 'Gold' like 'Serenity' star who chest thumps so much to get in character that DiCaprio told Scorsese to put it in his 'Wall Street' lunch really had us when he's talking about his most iconic role to date in a one shot. All for the small screen and the Woody to his Buzz in 'True Detective'. How he tells it that he saved the premiere for watching with his wife on home every Sunday like the rest really shows who he is. At the end of the day like all us brothers and sisters, he's just one of us. Just keeping on and living. 

PREEEEESCRIPTION TIME! Even with President Barack Obama's 'Promised Land', rock God, Lenny Kravitz letting love rule in memoir to the release of his debut album, or Alicia Keys showing 'More Myself' in her 'Journey', this is the book you want to find under your tree this Christmas sent from a distance. With 'Notes To Self', 'Bumper Stickers' for your Texas haul em's and 'Prescription's' for you from this actual Professor that is just what the doctor ordered, then what more do you want aside from, 'How To Lose A Guy In 11 Days' (you heard it here first)? Now back to California dreams the reason McConaughey used to wake up with sheets that you could throw against a wall has nothing to do with the fact that he's done multiple movies (call it a couple) with Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway. More so they were dreams about faraway places beyond even this stars head in the clouds that simply said, "come here". Again no pun intended. He'll travelogue these for you in a guide as gregarious as he or maybe even Paul Rudd is. But from Africa like Toto to saying, "G'day" to a room in Australia, there's nothing like the Texas sun of where he came from like Leon Bridges down this yellow brick road. Strewth! And Matthew will tell you all about his upbringing, from fighting in bars to pissing contests with your dad that could pole vault clear most Olympic Stadiums if we had them here in Tokyo this 2020 which he offers advice for as we look for a way out the abyss. This whole "approach" book that this man wrote in a 52 day electricity exile like only he could or would isn't just like the good friend you asked for, but the coolest one you wish you had. Especially during these trying times. One that began at age 14, writing about these "people and places" in poem and prayer form, from the scraps of his notebook and diary entries. Navigating through his life like that car commercial that still cuts him checks, expect these pages to turn into receipts, but the real gift here is one that you can't take back. Wisdom not knowledge. Inspiration not influence. The man not the actor. Amazing, amazing, amazing. Not alright, alright, alright. Got it? Alright? TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

BOOK REVIEW: LENNY KRAVITZ - LET LOVE RULE

  

4/5

Let Words Rule. 

Eluthera, quarantined. Socially isolated at a distance, there's worse places to be locked down in this weary year than the bountiful beauty of the Bahamas and this inspired island. The perfect place to pen your memoirs as Lenny Kravitz's let's his autobiography story by the book rule like love. Quarantined in paradise like stuck in the studio most singers are finding solace in right now in the vision of this terrible 2020 in hindsight, we haven't heard from Kravitz since 2018 when he 'Raised Vibration' with the Eluthera magic hour tide coming in like the night shore of the background, 'Johnny Cash'. Not to mention classic tracks like the drum roll and video for 'Low' which vibrating on another level really took us higher like 'Gold Dust', 'The Majesty Of Love', or 'I'll Always Be Inside Your Soul', because 'Here To Love', 'We Can Get It All Together'. 'It's Enough'. Although we also saw him go all around the world like daft punks can't anymore with the 'Assemblage' of his beautiful black and white Don Perignon perfect portrait collection. Popping bottles with the likes of Harvey Kietel, Susan Sarandon and his own daughter Zoe Kravitz from back home in his New York to here in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan. He's also been quarantined in the Louvre of all places like French act Christine and the Queens performing this years anthem, 'People, I've Been Sad' Live for James Corden's 'Late Night', in love like Paris with his socially distanced muse for this year's video of 'Vibration's' 'Ride'. Getting a minute with Mona, riding with France in all it's hallmark, traditional beauty that will always stand strong and tall like Notre Dame forever. But are you going to go his way again? As the 'American Woman' and 'Fly Away' singer isn't staying away from you now like the 'It Ain't Over' Till It's Over' of 'Stand By My Woman' no matter how many tears you cry this calendar. Sittin' on top of the world, like view from a freedom train for the flower child who let's his story bloom over pages of prose like building this garden for us. Taking it back to 1989 for his debut in the same 12 months Haim's album of the year ('Women In Music Pt. III') features the 'Mr. Cab Driver' like discrimination protest song of 'Man From The Magazine', Lenny 'Let's Love Rule' like we all should for his first book named after his first album. Picture perfect portraying a coming of age story in black and white America like 'The Jeffersons' that leads up to the albums original 90's eve release for the chronicles of his volume one.

"Loooooove!" The audiobook opening sings like the first note of Lenny's signature song this very book is named after. The perfect company to fall through this Autumn like leaves as the pages you leaf through turn as smoothly as 'Black Velveteen', or are just told to you like a bedtime story (ladies!) by the 'It Ain't Over' Till It's Over' man himself. Just like 'Me', this time last years memoir by Elton John, prelude and postscript introduced and closed by the 'Tiny Dancer', before the 'Rocketman' who played him himself, Taron Egerton told the rest of his story like a beautiful, bohemian biopic he starred in. As an aside I wouldn't recommend listening to Sir Elton's autobiography if your apartment as thin walls, as every other chapter your neighbor will think you are telling him to shove something up his arse. Just saying. Right now, 'Let Love Rule' will find itself like life's way on your bookshelf next to Alicia Keys' amazing autobiography, 'More Myself: A Journey' next to her latest, first namesake, self-titled, acclaimed album and the space reserved for the audacity and hopeful fathers dreams of President Barack Obama's latest book, 'A Promised Land' coming soon like the place we as a people are getting to now. Coming of age and of stage, this before they were famous, behind the scenes book look is like 'Acid For The Children' by the bass for your face Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers also released at this time last year just in time for under your tree like away in a manger. The chicken before the egg story before the history. You don't get to this destination of his in concert today without this musical journey. From family to rocking like Sly Stone, all the way to the Hendrix covers of a Rolling Stone, just like a black Beatle with Jagger swagger.

Father and son stories like Cat Stevens. A mother's love like our reason for breathing. Gossip folks won't have much to talk about when it comes to the book version of 'Let Love Rule', but adding this album to the singers catalogue offers us a more deeper portrait of the man with those eyes behind the iconic, signature shades that could even make Bono blush. You too will be impressed with the Joshua Tree rock roots of a true hero for songwriting juxtaposition and social justice, especially in these times were Black Lives still Matter in black and white America. Raised my parents from different races, young Lenny faced all types of trouble in a land that still needed to reach the promised one we're still climbing of being judged by the content of your character and not the color of your skin. Still Kravitz let's it and the upbringing of all his uplifting life experiences that counter, to bleed his way into the culture and the arena of mainstream music from New York bars with guys and dolls to selling out stadiums like Guns and Roses, all before performing on the 'Blueprint' of a track by Jay-Z of the same name. Before the Grammy's came a famous family like the one he and former wife and actress Lisa Bonet gave birth too in the flowers for Zoe. The first 25 years of this man's life explored and recounted in just a leaf shade under 300 pages is one many would wish to only live in centuries. Its just that inspirational and iconic in all its influence. Last week in the European like Jiyūgaoka of Tokyo, Japan I masked up to go out for a date with a women I'd been talking to for weeks. As we looked for a place to eat and drink we walked past a coffee store come book shop that echoed down the cobble streets with the words, "so many tears I've cried, so much pain inside, so many years we've tried, to keep this love alive." The lyrics to Lenny Kravitz's sweetly soulful, huge hit, 'It Ain't Over 'Till It's Over' that lost far from family and friends in the Far East needs no translation like Sofia, Scarlett or Mr. Murray. Words and sentiment that right now have so much pure poignancy amongst this perplexed and punctuated year of peril and perspective. Hand-in-hand walking along and carrying on we ain't done yet. It's not over. We've only just begun. Now after letting this book in to our quarantined home this 2020 of COVID-19 lockdown, we can't wait for love to rule again like the embrace of joining hands. Now like waiting for a new year and day, let the needle drop as we turn the page on volume two. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

“I mean, let love rule. That's the statement — and it has been for 30 years,” he says. “And that is the way I try to live my life every day.” - Lenny Kravitz. 

BOOK REVIEW: PRINCE-THE BEAUTIFUL ONES

4/5

Purple Page, Purple Page. 

Bringing to life a vision in the purple one's mind. The late, great Prince's curated memoir 'The Beautiful Ones' shows that sometimes the greatest stories remain unfinished, but still told regardless. Painting a perfect picture, Dan Piepenbring (the former editor of 'The Paris Review' who co-wrote, 'Chaos: Charles Mansen, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties' with Tom O'Neill for all you 'Mindhunter' fans) brings the book he was writing with Prince-before the rock, funk, jazz, R&B and every other genre God passed-back to life. Breathing new vision into it after only having 20 pages of an actual autobiography to work with. For this Penguin production, Prince picked Piepenbring as his paperback writer (say that six times) after working his way through the "rhapsodic" raw review writing of blogs (giving this writer further evidence(?) that Prince may have read my gig review back in 2014 when I received an email from "the offices of Prince"...oh and the fact that it's a mystery, makes this one even more beautiful) to write this 'Beautiful' book with him, blackout back and forth between the chapters. And now on some bittersweet way it's all ended up exactly like that. As Piepenbring's prologue penmanship of almost 50 nostalgic pages of a frozen moment in three months with the real king of pop, Prince precursors the even more moving memoir of beauty, and eye icons (not emojis people) 2 U. Wrote in his way that nothing compares to. All before a Paisley Park photo album vault looted comes into play like a perfect memory along with a transcription of the treatment he wrote for the original movie that became a classic album, that became a hit song and forever in hue colour scheme. Something about indigo precipitation?! Let his royal funkness reign.

Hitting and running through all the epic work of his estate almost seems like graveyard robbery on a 'Moonbeam Level'. But from the bare essentials of the stripped down 'Piano and Microphone' show turned soundtrack, to the absolute off the charts 'Hollyrock' and its straight outta Hollywood animated music video, there's just so much work here. The work of genius. And from the Sam Cooke like napkin lyrics of gospel, to the legal pad prose of his first book it all seems meant to be, or at least (we hope) like he wanted it to be shared. Unlike the legend of the duet album with Lenny Kravitz, which on completion he if rumour has it told the guitar hero he references in these pages, "this is just for us". Certainly though with these chapters that sadly will never see an epilogue, but deserve an acclaimed acknowledgement. In 2016 we lost Prince, the King, Ali and Ziggy Stardust himself, David Bowie. And what did we gain? Brexit and Donald f###### Trump. So yeah...we've had better years. That one sounded like something out of the apocalypse although this writer fell for the love of his life...but I lost that too. In the same year the only man to come close The Boss (no not Mr. McGee), Bruce Springsteen released his Kerouac beat like acclaimed autobiography before he hit Broadway and these cinematic 'Western Stars' named after one of his signature songs and sets, 'Born To Run', Prince was writing the same after one of his super singles like a Mariah Carey and Dru Hill classic cover before the picture was smashed. But now 'The Beautiful Ones' is here to stay always. Falling under our Christmas tree in a purple package (excuse me?) underneath the dove decorations (but not the two turtle ones Macaulay Culkin 'Home Alone' found 'Lost In New York' for this guy who even locker room references John Hughes movies) this Christmas like a New Year celebration alongside the legendary likes of icons like Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea's 'Acid For The Children' bass line and the 'Rocketman' farewell tour movie of Elton John's magnificence as he, 'Me'. But still chapter and verse, this Prince project is just as prolific even if his life story is sadly cut short. But only in writing. The real tragedy is the loss of his life. But yet Prince's still lives in his body of work, like the soul of this story.

Mama. It all begins with his mother. Like life itself. All in her eyes. The kind Tupac talked about on 'Thugz Mansion' when he grabbed that nine, contemplating suicide until he saw. And it ends...well it doesn't end now. Life goes on even when it doesn't. In spirit. For icons like the love symbol in sound. And now with this for the record in words. That will love and live on in infamy like King or Rowling. J.K. Or J.R.R. Tolkien for this epic fantasy. Except it's reality. Prince's Paisley one. After Piepenbring's inspired introduction, mapping out the intended gameplan script for this story, Prince begins the beauty of his life and family tree. How the young Rogers Nelson was nicknamed Skipper by his mother, taking that one to school as the teachers couldn't believe this kid was called Prince when they took roll. Well now we couldn't imagine anyone else with this man's decreed name by royal appointment. Not even Harry or Wills (with all bowing due respect). All the way through a childhood that shaped his story and the 'Purple Rain' screenplay. All the way to the first album he made, cutting a record deal with Warner and producing, playing every instrument and even designing the artwork 'For You'. And as his last autobiography words focus fittingly on that look between two lovers as one ("one what") that without a voice appropriately speaks louder than a thousand words, the man that handed in a couple of them wrote down perfectly couldn't say it better. If only he could have memoir said more. But he already did and did so much in his other work. Annotated personal Polaroids, scrawled down lyric sheets bordered by doodles and famous quotes from magazines tell the rest of the story like read all about it. And do even if it seems a little intrusive. Because the more original drafts of classics like 'Purple Rain' you see like you've never heard, the more you feel The Artist you thought you had taken as read. Now making your way through this curated collection like the 'Living In A Material World' George Harrison coffee table one, you may think the story of the man who owned everyone (Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and all of them) freestyling a solo of that Beatles gently weeping guitar, before throwing his axe back into what seemingly felt like the heavens isn't complete (one that was originally meant to touchdown in his indelible Superbowl show). But who's ever is when they inspire enough generations for decades upon decades of a couple of lifetimes over? Like seven hours and fourteen days nothing could take this love away. Baby, baby, baby. In the end it turns out Prince and Piepenbring got to write Skipper's book the way they always intended to...together. Now that's a beautiful one. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Bruce Springsteen-Born To Run', 'Elton John-Me', 'Flea-Acid For The Children'.