Frank

I have no love for Frank Sinatra. I’m told he has an incredible voice, but his magic doesn’t work on me. But there is no denying that he is a formidable cultural figure and ranks up there with Presley and The Beatles. I just had to read a biography of Sinatra, because to understand him is to understand early pop music.

Kaplan has done an incredible job here. His tone is perfectly pitched. He has a lightly conversational style. He never pretends he’s walking through a narrative as it happens and happily explains the later relevance of whatever is happening. At the same time he uses the argot of that time and place to give us a sense of the time.

I read Guralnik’s biographies of Presley a short while ago and it is fascinating to see the comparisons between these two men. Only sons with timid fathers. Surrounded by posses of men and unable to get through the night without the company of a woman (any woman). Explosive tempers that terrified everyone around them, fuelled by uncertainty and wavering confidence. A stronger control of their music than many would credit them with driven by a powerful sense of who they should be. And the frequent use of pharmaceuticals.

If you are fascinated by music biographies then this is essential. I’m really looking forward to reading the second volume.