Ticket 2 Ride

I know. Not another blog about yacht rock. Yes, it is about this “sub genre” of rock and roll, but that is only a small part of what the book offers. I’m not even going to mention that term again in this blog – the book is a series of oral interviews done with singers, songwriters, producers of many great songs of the 1970s and early 1980s.

I consider myself fairly well-versed in the music of that era, yet I learned a number of things, and enjoyed the stories.

Toni Tennille discusses the time she sang background on Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and the offer to tour with them.

Don Felder was brought into the Eagles for several specific reasons, primarily to move the band away from country music in what was also a power-shift.

Kenny Loggins made a big jump into music for films. Footloose and Caddyshack featured big hits for him.

Rupert Holmes remembers how his life forever when he stumbled onto the origins of “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” as he was up against a recording deadline and struggling for a novel song idea.

David Clayton-Thomas reflecting on how Blood, Sweat & Tears happened onto the song “And When I Die”, it was written by unknown Laura Nyro.

A.J. Croce, son of Jim Croce, and a singer-songwriter himself, talks about what “Time in a Bottle” meant to his family when it was written, and the song being about him.

David Paich of Toto discusses the often-told story of “Rosanna”, but also talks about surviving in the MTV world of videos.

Those are just some of the stories, there are many other interviews by Kenny Loggins, Jim Messina, Christopher Cross, John Hall (Orleans), John Oates, James Pankow (Chicago), Graham Russell (Air Supply), Gerry Beckley (America), Boz Scaggs, Robbie Dupree, Timothy B. Schmit (Poco, Eagles), Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band), Walter Egan (“Magnet and Steel”), Rick Roberts (Firefall), Burleigh Drummond (Ambrosia).

Written by Greg Prato, this book was published in 2018, and tells a very readable story, without becoming overly entrenched in the term that I won’t mention anymore. Prato lists his credits as writing for Rolling Stone, along books on Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Tommy Bolin, Iron Maiden and MTV.

This book was very light reading, the kind you can easily pick up and put down, and tell your partner what odd things he or she might not have known (like “Rosanna” not being inspired by Rosanna Arquett).

3.5/5