Ricky Nelson (he later preferred ldquo;Rickrdquo;) was 8 years old when he began his career in show business. After a successful run on radio; his familyrsquo;s situation comedy The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet enjoyed a 14 year television tenure. On the April 10; 1957; episode; ldquo;Ricky the Drummer;rdquo; Nelson started his singing career by lip syncing to Fats Dominorsquo;s ldquo;Irsquo;m Walkinrsquo;.rdquo; He scored 36 Top 40 singles between 1957 and 1972 and ranked number 5 in Billboardrsquo;s Top 25 Artists of the Decade 1950ndash;1959. As a country rock pioneer; Rick Nelson influenced Buffalo Springfield; Linda Ronstadt; and the Eagles. This book is a candid account of his life in rock and roll through stories told by musicians and producers on the road and in the studio with him. Actors and family members also provided invaluable memories and insights.
#3252306 in eBooks 1996-12-23 1996-12-23File Name: B00AO42032
Review
45 of 47 people found the following review helpful. Ranks right up there with Keith Richardss and Chuck Berrys AutobiosBy Tom TuerffWhen I was a fat kid growing up in the 60s I was; like everybody else; a huge Beatles fan; but I didnt identify with the Beatles. They were slim; trim and chick magnets. Of all the bands that came along from both sides of the pond; none of them had a bigger effect on me than the Turtles. Here were two fat guys; fronting the band; and in so doing; were obviously chick magnets! So there was hope for the large.And sure enough; Howard Kaylan; Mark Volman and the rest of the Turtles for sure got more than their fair share of; as Ed Sanders of the Fugs once put it; "hippie nookie."What sets Howard Kaylan aside from the others is; he wrote a book about it. He takes no prisoners. Hes funny as hell and; just like your best friend who tells you about his sexual exploits after a beer or two; leaves you with your jaw open."Shell Shocked" is what you want in an autobiography from a guy who was there to experience it all. He explains; without getting all legal; the financial and managerial problems that plagued the Turtles to the point that until about the mid 70s;Mark and Howie couldnt even use their own names to sell records (hence the "creation" of Flo and Eddie).He goes into great detail about his time in the Mothers with Frank Zappa; even revealing some stuff that surprised even a long time Zappa fan like me.And most important; Kaylan brings you all the way up to today; his current life; his happy participation in the "Happy Together" touring franchise and a whole lot more.A big thank you to Kaylans co-writer; Jeff Tamarkin; for letting Howies "voice" come through in the writing and editing. The book is like sitting down and catching up with an old friend you havent spoken to in 45 years. Pick it up; wont you?1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Not As Good As AnticipatedBy James S BahlerFrankly; I was disappointed. s "lead" about this book is correct; so theres nothing misleading. However; I was hoping for more information about the music and the creative process; rather than the equal emphasis on drugs and sex. Yes; this could have been a much longer book. While a fair amount of space is given to Howard and Mark (Volmans) eventual love of reggae music; theres no mention of the release of the disc they recorded (which I have on cassette.) Similarly; theres no mention of "Flo and Eddie in New York"; a two disc CD set from their 1998-2004 appearances there. In addition; I was hoping to learn why "Umbassa The Dragon"; a b-side of one of the Turtle 45s; has never appeared on ANY of the numerous Turtle compilation and reissue albums. And why havent the Rhythm Butchers EPs been put out on CDs? Way too many questions about the music were left unanswered. So many people were mentioned that is was difficult to keep them all straight. While Howards partner in every band from the Crossfires to Flo and Eddie; Mark Volman; is continually mentioned; Howard rarely delves into their relationship; so you never get to really know Mark or how the two of them have connected and remained friends for all these years. Frankly; the old movie the two of them did; called "The Turtles: Happy Together" was more informative and funnier- and the chalk board history of their (mis)management teams and lawyers was easier to follow; too.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Beats his concerts! (sorry; Howard!)By keith a. podhradskyThis is actually better than Flo and Eddie live. I actually walked out on one of their concerts because the banter was reduced to "written on drugs; best understood on drugs" and the Zappa influence was all over the show when in fact most people just wanted to hear the music.At any rate; Howard can be very self-effacing and that does show me that he can laugh at himself; which is a good quality. I found the book and its stories very entertaining and informative.