Daisy Jones and the Six

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.

I never read the book for Daisy Jones & The Six so I had no expectations going in. I only had the trailers to go by and even after watching them I went back and forth about watching this. The reviews were all mostly great so I thought I'd give it a chance and I'm so glad I did. I loved every minute of this series and thought each episode got better and better. The chemistry between the cast is what makes this show go. The love triangle can get a little soapy at times but it still remains entertaining throughout the series. Like a lot of the reviews have already pointed out this band has a very Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac feel to them. Even though I wasn't born yet from everything I know I think the show portrayed the 70's well. I'm also a huge music fan of all genres and all era's and thought this represented music from the 70's well too. It's one of the greatest era's of music and this fits right in. If you're looking for a new show to binge then give this one a chance. You won't be disappointed.

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.

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.

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.