Publisher's Weekly Review
Music journalist and Vanity Fair contributing editor Robinson (There Goes Gravity) highlights the challenges of being a woman in the music business in these passionate, insightful essays. Here she shares excerpts from 5,000 hours of taped conversations she conducted from the 1970s to the present with female musicians including Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Patti Smith. Revealing interviews include Adele talking about juggling music-making and motherhood; Sheryl Crow expounding on fame and aging; and Mary J. Blige and Bonnie Raitt discussing substance abuse. Throughout, Robinson inserts observations about the artists she admires, such as Lady Gaga (an "exception in candor" who spoke openly with Robinson about the drugs she took in the years before she was famous) and Joni Mitchell ("a true artist"); she also mentions artists she doesn't care for, like Taylor Swift, an "overtly ambitious musician" who, when she learned that Robinson worked for Vanity Fair, "lasered in on me like something out of The Exorcist." The blocks of interview quotes sometimes overwhelm the narrative, but Robinson keeps things moving with her sharp takes and witty asides. ("With social media and all that butt-baring and body shaming going on, it's a miracle that any female has the guts to make a record," she says.) This entertaining highlight reel of music interviews crackles with energy. (Nov.)
Booklist Review
During her 40 years of interviewing and writing about musicians, there is one thing that stood out for Robinson: "Nobody ever asked me about the girls." Nobody ever asked her what Joni was like, or Janis, or Stevie. It was always about Mick or Michael J. or Jay-Z. In this fascinating, opinionated, and often insightful look back at her career, Robinson reflects on the deep-seated misogyny, sexism, and ageism in the music industry. She writes about the talented women she met and their hopes, dreams, and ambitions; their views of fame, motherhood, sex, drugs, and family; and their reactions to stage fright and bad reviews. "When a man becomes successful and famous, he gets more of everything. When a women gets successful and famous, she loses something," notes Robinson. Some of the women shared personal and harrowing tales of abuse. It's shocking to learn how many famous women were raped (Tori Amos, Lady Gaga, Madonna) or beaten (Tina Turner, Carole King). Another sensitive topic is appearance. With a few exceptions, even today most female musicians conform to the stereotype of feminine beauty and dress. It's not all bleak, though. Robinson finds hope in the #MeToo movement and other cultural shifts. Change is coming; conditions for women have improved. "Not enough," she writes. "But better."Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020
Library Journal Review
The life of a musician may include sex, drugs, and rock and roll, along with stage fright, sober rooms, and financial surprises. Robinson (contributing editor, Vanity Fair; There Goes Gravity: A Life in Rock and Roll) tells the story from women rock and rollers' perspective, with tales from 1967's summer of love through the present, from artists such as Tina Turner, Joan Jett, Taylor Swift, and Adele. In these accounts culled from more than 5,000 hours of interviews over four decades, readers learn tidbits that Robinson feels slipped under the radar. Sometimes stars were unwilling to talk, sometimes no one thought to ask, and sometimes no one was listening. Robinson, a sympathetic ear to many, groups hundreds of intimate, often astute recollections into chapters including "Hair & Makeup," "Fame," "Abuse," "Motherhood," "Sex," and "Age." The author had access backstage and in recording studios, and moves with women through MTV and into Instagram and streaming. VERDICT An intriguing (and occasionally snarky) look at the lives, loves, and off-stage personas of well-known women soloists and band members. With the increased visibility of women in entertainment generally, and music specifically, this title will find an audience in most libraries.--Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX