Daisy Jones and the Six

Throughout this month, Amazon Prime has been promoting the miniseries adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's beloved novel "Daisy Jones & the Six." Advertisements for the show and its music have shown up on social media. Depending how one feels about the novel and, more importantly, Amazon, this can be a wonderful or a highly annoying thing. I watched all 10 episodes over a four-week period, and viewer, it was worth it because it made the story whole.

Developed by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the show is a faithful adaptation of the book, but just like any other adaptations, there are some differences between. Vanity Fair already has an article listing them in great detail, so what I'm going to do is cover the important alterations from page to screen and how that affects the adaptation. The biggest change from the book to the show is the framework. In the former, it's an oral history of the Fleetwood Mac-like 70s band from cradle to the grave. While this was a good framing device, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing given that Reid had lyrics for each of the songs from the "Aurora" album listed in the book club kit. In the series, the framework is a documentary of the group with "archival" footage. This improves the story because not only does it show what the band was like and how they interacted with each other, but it also allows listeners to hear what their music was like. I especially love how the interviewees react to what another person says about them. It felt authentic.

Another drastic alteration between the page and the screen version is the lyrics. With the exception of the song "Please," the ones that show up in the book club kit are different from the ones that are heard in the series. The most famous line from the book version of "Regret Me" that goes "And, baby, when you think of me/I hope it ruins rock 'n' roll" was omitted from the miniseries.

I'm not sure why this happened, yet I wouldn't be shocked if the reason was to make them suited to the music musicians Blake Mills, Tony Berg, Chris Weisman, Jackson Browne, Marcus Mumford of the band Mumford & Sons, and book nerd Phoebe Bridgers were composing. The book lyrics can be a bit wordy, but then again, there are songs that are just like that from artists like I don't know Fleetwood Mac. The ones from the show feel more secondary compared to the music despite their importance, given how much the series emphasizes the tension between Billy and Daisy through their songwriting.

Another set of major changes for the Amazon Prime adaptation involve the omission and expansion of some characters. On one side, the bassist Pete was cut, and Eddie filled that role after Chuck decided to go to school to become a dentist (as opposed to going to Vietnam to fight and dying there in the book). The reason was that Pete didn't contribute too much to the plot. Although it felt weird to have five members while still calling themselves The Six (they made Billy's wife Camila the unofficial sixth member), I honestly don't remember a whole lot about Pete. It was for the best, for it gives Eddie another reason to feel like a second-class citizen within the band.

On the other hand, Symone - Daisy's friend who becomes a disco pioneer - is greatly expanded in the series. According to the Vanity Fair article, Reid, who also was a producer for the show, mentioned that she wanted Symone to be more developed. In the novel, she functions as Daisy's friend, not much more. In the series, Symone (played by Nabiyah Be) is given her own subplot as she tries to find her own voice as a gay black woman. She goes to New York City after she meets Bernie - a black female deejay - in Los Angeles and experiences the ups and downs of trying to be successful while staying true to one's self. This gets covered in about two episodes. It was really good to explore a story involving the true pioneers of disco - LGBTQIA+ members of color. In addition, it fits the overall story because it explores a running theme present both in the book and the show - female agency and validating one's self.

Outside of the chemistry between Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne, the main draw of the show is the 70s-bluesy-style rock music. I've listened to the "Aurora" album - the "Daisy Jones & the Six"'s version of Fleetwood Mac's iconic "Rumors" LP - a few times, and it's good. Some of it feels like the 2010s' perception of what 1970s music sounds like, especially with The Black Keys-like distorted guitars. I wouldn't be shocked if that was the case because Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, and Phoebe Bridgers are musicians who experienced success in the 2010s. In addition, Riley Keough (who plays Daisy) is a bit drowned out in the mixing. Considering that Daisy is the main reason for The Six's success, one might try to emphasize that in the real album of the fake band. The best tracks evoked a more authentic interpretation of 1970s rock 'n' roll and have proper mixing when it comes to Daisy's voice. This most likely has to do with the fact that two of the musicians involved Tony Berg (who was a session guitarist on many albums like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" LP) and Jackson Browne were alive and working in the 1970s. My favorite tracks are "Let Me Down Easy," "The River," "Regret Me," and "Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)."

As for the performances, I liked all of the actors cast in the show. They embodied the best and worst parts of their characters. Sam Clafin (best known for his performances in "Me Before You" and as Fiddnick Odair in the "The Hunger Games" film series) plays Billy Dunne - the lead singer and songwriter for The Six. I enjoyed seeing his struggle between his personal and professional life. At the same time, he can be very stubborn, in which Clafin conveys well. At first, I wasn't a fan of his singing voice; it felt a little too nasally. But overtime, I realized that this fits the music Billy is creating for The Six and that Jackson Browne - one of the musicians involved in the real "Aurora" album - has a similar tone. I also was delighted whenever Riley Keough (who's known for her performances in "Mad Max: Fury Road," "American Honey," and "Logan Lucky") came on the screen as Daisy. The character can be tough to play because one has to embody her faults, why she became the way she did, and what makes her special as a musician. And, Keough does that well enough, yet I'll always hear Jennifer Beals from the audiobook as Daisy's real voice. I also can't avoid talking about Keough's singing since she is Elvis's granddaughter. She sounds like a raspy Taylor Swift, especially on "Regret Me, and it works well with the music produced.

The strongest performance belongs to Josh Whitehouse who takes on the role as Eddie Roundtree the bassist. Whitehouse - most notably for playing Hugh Armitage in the third and fourth seasons of "Poldark" - clearly conveys his character as disgruntled with what's been given to him despite trying to be a team player. The confrontation that Eddie has with Billy about quitting the band is rightfully memorable, but the quieter moments are what make Whitehouse's performance special. This is especially true when Eddie in the interview segment of the first episode reveals that he had feelings for Camila without saying a word (this was also not in the book).

Another effective aspect of the performances is that all of the actors have great chemistry with one another. Since the story is about what leads up to the breakup of an uber-successful band, it's important for the actors to communicate not only the tension, but also the love and why they stayed together for so long. And, all of the actors do that. They always feel comfortable around one another, especially in the scene in the diner, where The Six decide on their name. And yes, the chemistry between Keough and Clafin was undeniably good. They played off each other well, whether they are at each other's throats, or are working amicably. I especially love the glances the actors give to each other during the recording session and concert scenes.

Despite my praise, I have a couple of complaints. One is obviously the wigs, particularly the ones used during the interview segments. They kind of look ridiculous, especially Timothy Oliphant's (who plays Rod the tour manager) and they don't make the actors look any older than their 70s counterparts. Luckily, those are compensated because they convey the world-weariness that comes with years of touring and reflecting on what happened through their body language and the tone of their voice.

The other complaint that I have is that I wish that the show explored more of Graham and Karen's relationship (played by Will Harrison and Suki Waterhouse). Yes, I know the show devotes two episodes to them coming to terms about their feelings for one another and another two episodes to their breakup brought on by Karen's pregnancy scare. Yet, those segments needed some transition like a scene involving them talking about what they want to live their lives and how they see themselves as a couple because it felt like everything was going very well until Karen got pregnant. Considering how the show highlights Billy and Daisy's relationship, the one between Symone and Bernie (one that's not present in the book), and Eddie's resentment of his place in the band in ten episodes, I feel that it could've fleshed out Graham and Karen's relationship more.

All in all, the Amazon Prime series "Daisy Jones & the Six" is an adaptation that makes the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid feel whole. Although it's not perfect, I still enjoyed the music and performances. Moreover, it made changes to bring to life a story that definitely needed to be seen and heard as well as read. Like with the book, I would recommend it to those who love 1960s and 1970s music and female protagonists who take charge of their destinies. It was worth seeing Daisy Jones & the Six's assets on full display in the miniseries.

I ate up the first three episodes last night. Kept thinking of Fleetwood Mac, and maybe a bit of Jefferson Airplane if there are any comparisons. I think this show will mainly attract an older crowd, or simply music lovers.

The show starts in the sixties when all the members are kids and progresses until the two forces (band and Keough's character) finally unite around '74, which is around about when Mac had their success when Nicks and Buckingham joined.

====Rewriting rest of review now that I've completed the series After completion, my rating for this series is as strong as ever. Just an overall very enjoyable series following the highs and lows of a '70s supergroup and their internal disintegration at the height of the fame (well actually they probably could have achieve much more). We know from the beginning of the first episode that things are not going to go wells simply as we are told just that in text. It's how we arrive to the fateful point that is...well..the point.

I've not read the book and, honestly, I'd take most negative reviews from readers of the book with a grain of salt - and I think plenty of book readers enjoyed this too. IMO, the show is a very solid rock drama that filled a void for me that I did not even know existed.

The revelation for me was Riley Keogh. I know who she "is" and I've seen her in several things before, but nothing that really highlighted her true talent (and up to this point I thought her talent might be quite limited). She really shines as Daisy with increasing intensity and diversity as the show progresses. My only complaint is how the character is written in her younger years compared to say the bands development. Daisy is assumed to have talent but does basically nothing at all - other than mainly personal dramas - until she is united with the band. Of course, when they unite it is magic. I just though that Daisy should have had at least some minor success as a musician before the band.

The band sub-plots are interesting and entertaining though not nearly as developed. However, they all serve a specific purpose toward the ultimate disintegration, of which I was a bit surprised. The reasons for the implosion are not quite what you may thinking early on.

The key point I want to make here though is that there is more to this "Daisy and the Six" than just the drama. It's a story about the time, the music and how music - and especially songs - are made and wrapped up in the surrounding drama and experiences rather than just being clinical. Brilliant bands have come and gone in a snap, while some have endured for decades. I believe the point here is that for some of these short-lived magical bands it is not just one thing that leads to a break-up.

Anyway, the fate of the band is clearly not going to end well. This is not a spoiler and transparent from the first second, and the trailer. However, the ending throws in a couple of surprises and shock that are both emotional and yet give us something to hold on to as well.

I do wish- i want to say idiots but maybe thats a tad too strong, reviewers who felt the need to review it after watching only one episode and getting bored or i made it to episode 3 and stopped it was lame etc would refrain from leaving a review and a mark. Do they think their opinion is that important to the rest of the world that we should take heed of it despite not having seen more than a fraction of it? By the way ive just left a review for my local michelin star restaurant. I had a £35 fillet steak but i left it and walked out after eating 2 chips cos they werent salty enough. 3/10.

Just do us all a favour and dont say anything. I see people say sam claflin hasnt enough charisma to be cast as a lead singer in a band after watching the first episode when he is in a college garage band learning his trade? And by episode 6 he has plenty of charisma on stage. But they werent to know that. A bit too trigger happy on the reviews people. Stop ruining it for everyone who wants a realistic review. I turned it off after 15 seconds because one of the guitars strung with medium strings had too thick a G string.

Rant over. Ive just watched episode 7 which was the poorest one so far mainly because it focussed on daisy who for me is becoming a bit of a selfish spoilt brat. Now if that is the intention of the whole production then they are doing a good job. But it was the weakest episode for me. With the first episode a close second. It started to get going episodes 4 5 and 6 so anyone thinking of giving up prematurely watch it till at least then. (or dont and have a good moan on here). The scoring on makes me laugh. It isnt a 1 or a 2 or a 3 or a 4. Just like it isnt a 10 or a 9. Ive given it 8 whereas i should have waited for the last 3 episodes before marking it. I do realise some people have agendas and some are a bit odd. Its not bad tv and there is certainly some chemistry building up between billy and daisy. I havent read the book. My daughter has and she loves the series and would mark it 10 so far. In fact shes watched it twice, and im not joking.

This is the type of series that you can't fully appreciate unless you have seen it all. Keep that in mind when reading the negative comments. My wife and I watched all 10 episodes and we both enjoyed it as interesting fiction. We both were teenagers during the 1960s and we understand how rocky the road was for many groups getting together then staying together. Few of them, if any, had a smooth existence without difficult internal drama among band members. This roughly 8-hours of programming does a good job of portraying the highs and lows of a typical band. This is fiction but from what I have learned over the years, about how now-famous bands got together back in the 1960s and early 1970s, it seems very authentic.

In the very first episode we are told that the band, 'Daisy Jones and the Six', performed their last concert in Chicago in 1977. And that no one could have foreseen that. The middle episodes, two through nine, develop the characters and the progression of the band, through studio recording and road concerts. It is done in a style where each (now former) band member is interviewed on video some years after 1977. I'd estimate the mid 1990s. So most of the story is told in a type of flashback to earlier times.

First there are two brothers and a few friends from Pittsburgh who decide to form a band. They play a number of local gigs but are going nowhere, until someone suggests that they go west, to the Los Angeles area, the melting pot and hot spot for the formation of music groups. So they did, naively thinking that it would be straightforward. They quickly found out it wasn't.

A parallel story is that of Daisy, growing up in the Los Angeles area. She has always enjoyed music from a very young age, would sing along with recordings, but was never encouraged. So she struck it out alone when she turned 18. Episode three is devoted to how Daisy and the band "The Six" were able to meet for the first time, through a music producer, and make their first recording together.

The last episode, number ten, brings everything full circle and has a series of stories about each surviving member, mostly positive stories about how they were able to sort out their lives and achieve happiness. Riley Keough (about 33) and Sam Claflin (about 36) are each really good and authentic in their roles as Daisy and Billy. Although neither had been a "singer" before this production, each did their own singing and are as good as they needed to be for the era portrayed.

All in all a very successful Amazon Prime drama series. Elvis would be proud.

There is far too often, among a select group of reviewers, a belief that if a single aspect of a film or series isn't to their taste, it immediately deserves a 1. "I really just don't like that supporting role actress. I'm grumpy this morning, giving it a 1."

This group does not comprehend film craft in the slightest. There are, especially these days with ever-increasing cinematography enhancements, a widening range of facets to every production. From sound track, editing, lighting, costumes, scripting, dialogue delivery, all the way through to CGI, the amount that goes into any production is multi-faceted. Multi, multi-faceted. Not all of them need to be reviewed, but they should be considered as part of the package. To critique a film or series based on one or two aspects is displaying evidentiary lack of understanding.

Daisy Jone and the Six may have an attribute or two that a reviewer doesn't particularly enjoy, but it most definitely doesn't merit a 1. The soundtrack alone should raise it to a mid-level rating.

As to how I view this series--it is entertaining and reminiscent of times when FM radio was new and edgy, when Firesign Theater came on at midnight. It has nuanced characters, with a storyline realistic enough for those of us who lived in Los Angeles in the sixties and seventies, and the music tracks elicit fond memories of the early clubs. And yes, I went to the Troubadour and The Golden Bear. And having gone to Berkeley, I saw more concerts at Filmore West and Cow Palace than most.

So . . . Keep in mind that there are hundreds of people who have dedicated time and skills to most productions. Keep it real, and don't let your singular disagreements cloud your judgement.