Tearing Down the Wall of Sound

August 27, 2007
Currently on trial for his life, accused of the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, hit maker and Wall of Sound creator Phil Spector has been the subject of much recent media interest. Brown's detailed biography of Spector begins with his working-class childhood, continues through his glory days as a musical wunderkind and mysterious recluse, on up to the moment when he is alleged to have killed Clarkson. Porter's reading of Brown's biography does a solid job of hitting the high notes, maintaining an even tone and reading with understated panache. Porter is workmanlike, trekking through Spector's up-and-down life at an even clip with a careful, documentary-film–narrator assurance. He likely should not stray too far from his phone, for the inevitable posttrial version of the book. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, May 28).

June 1, 2007
In December 2002, journalist Brown (Richard Branson: The Authorised Biography) visited Spector's Hollywood home to interviewfor the first time in 25 yearsthe musical genius responsible for a style dubbed the "Wall of Sound" that launched multiple careers and produced numerous hit records. Three months later, Spector was being charged with the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who was found dead in his mansion. Drawing on interviews with Spector's friends and former colleagues, Brown chronicles the producer's eccentricities, insecurities, perfectionism, and brilliant talent to engrossing effect. He carries us from Spector's father's suicide; through his early insinuation of himself into the Brill Building where he met songwriters including Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and a young Carole King; to his hermetic existence in his Hollywood home and the murder of Clarkson. Spector's career peaked in the early 1960s with hits such as "Be My Baby" and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." He later worked sporadically with the Ramones and produced the Beatles' Let It Be. Brown provides the first in-depth look at Spector's mesmerizing life and career, and his book is essential for all libraries, especially given the impending murder trial.Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
Strange that a major biography of rock impresario Spector appears during, not after, his murder trial. Of course, with the prosecution proceeding at a supremely glacial pace, a verdict could be years away. Will anyone care by then? They should, because Spectors is the story of a guy who became a millionaire before he could vote, whose wall of sound recording techniques swamped the early 1960s pop charts with hits by the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Righteous Brothers, and others. The Ramones End of the Century in 1980 was his last production until 2003, in which year actress Lana Clarkson died of a gunshot wound to the head at Spectors mansion. Did he shoot her, or was it, as he swears, suicide? Brown doesnt hazard a choice, but he does deliver an exciting biography, thanks to Spectors long history of recreational drug use, monumental temper tantrums, and gun-brandishing threats directed at an array of impressive people. Stay tuned to Court TV for the rest of the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)