Scattershot

[KEV67]

These are the memoirs written by Bernie Taupin, who wrote the lyrics yo Elton John's best songs. While I was reading it I thought, 'If Pete Best was the unluckiest man in Rock n Roll, Bernie Taupin was the luckiest.' I think Bernie Taupin's lyrics are distinctive and great, and make Elton John's songs like no one else's. On the other hand, Taupin really ripped it up, had huge cred, but retained his anonymity. I was particularly taken with the chapter in which he and a chum were supposed to be writing a film script, but we're having too much of a good time to get started. In the middle of this Elton John rings him up as asks him to write some lyrics for a song. It takes Bernie Taupin 10 minutes to write the lyrics to Don't Go Breaking My Heart, which was a No 1 hit for Elton John and Kidi Dee in 1975 or 76. Taupin meets great artists, drinks a lot of booze, gets married, divorced, shags birds, moves around the globe, and generally has a good time. To be honest I wish I hadn't started this book, because there are a lot of books to read. It is interesting enough, though.

[poppy]

I think Bernie is an amazing lyricist, some of his early lyrics showed great sensitivity and depth for his age at the time.  I particularly love The Greatest Discovery.

 

[KEV67]

It's alright, but I think a good subtitle for this book would have been, 'How I Filled My Time Since the Seventies'.