Review of We Never Knew Just What it Was ... the Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio
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Matt Bohanon
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- Latest Review: We Never Knew Just What it Was ... the Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio by Mike Murphey
Review of We Never Knew Just What it Was ... the Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio
[Following is a volunteer review of "We Never Knew Just What it Was ... the Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio" by Mike Murphey.]
This book, We Never Knew Just What It Was…The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio written by, Mike Murphey, is the story of the history of the folk group that formed in 1958 and disbanded in 1968, The Chad Mitchell Trio. The group is made up of three core members that put the group on the map and one member that rose to fame upon leaving the group, John Denver. Those men are Chad Mitchell, Mike Kobluk, and Joe Frazier. The three together formed a trio that left many in awe from their vocal range and congruent harmony. Although initially successful, the 1960’s were a time of change in the United States and for a band that constantly challenged the status quo and were outspoken about their dismay through satire, the band struggled to make it on radio and television. Eventually, turmoil and angst among the members caused the future of the band to come into question. This biography of the Chad Mitchell Trio gives a closer look into the band and the men that got so close to the top.
This book was well written in opinion. The author does a good job of consolidating a lot of information into 300 pages. He summarizes where summarization was needed and provided more detail where required. As a fan of biographies, I appreciate the history of it. It can be difficult, especially in music, to get people back together to “reminisce” about the old days. The author does a good job of giving the reader a look into the room with the trio members. I felt like I was in the room talking to them myself at times. I also think he did an amazing job describing the emotions of each member. It can be difficult to put one’s emotions in writing let alone capturing someone else’s, I believe it was executed beautifully. It was easy to tell that the author cared about this story and making sure it was right. He respected the members of the trio and did right by them. The attention to detail was flawless and made it easy to read. The author clearly knows how to write. The last good thing I would say is the group stuck to their roots and their values. They wrote satire and protested through their music. For example, in talking about beliefs in the South, Chad Mitchell says, “I didn’t agree with white southerners’ beliefs, but I found empathy for them. Their whole world was changing. Nothing about the experience was what I expected.” (Murphey, 121). Chad is talking about marching with Dr. King in the early 1960’s. He stood up for what he believed in even though it was not well received.
I have read many biographies in my life and read some that did not do the parties justice. This one is not one of those times. I cannot think of one thing that I would consider negative in the book. It is a straightforward biography that tells the history of a group of band members. The most difficult part is getting everyone in the same room.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would give it four stars because given the circumstances and longevity of the time required to write a book like is difficult. Mike Murphey did a fantastic job of conveying this story to all generations. It is easy to read and intriguing. For someone who had never heard of the Chad Mitchell Trio before reading this book, I can firmly say I can tell you all about all three members and some history of the trio itself.
I do not think this book is for everyone, however. I love history, biographies, and have a general curiosity about where people come from and how they got where they are today. Some people may find that boring and a waste of time. I believe this book is for people who enjoy history and music history because the book dives into that a bit as well. If you do not fall into those categories, I would say you have to be over the age of 55 to truly want to spend time reading this book.
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We Never Knew Just What it Was ... the Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
This book, We Never Knew Just What It Was…The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio written by, Mike Murphey, is the story of the history of the folk group that formed in 1958 and disbanded in 1968, The Chad Mitchell Trio. The group is made up of three core members that put the group on the map and one member that rose to fame upon leaving the group, John Denver. Those men are Chad Mitchell, Mike Kobluk, and Joe Frazier. The three together formed a trio that left many in awe from their vocal range and congruent harmony. Although initially successful, the 1960’s were a time of change in the United States and for a band that constantly challenged the status quo and were outspoken about their dismay through satire, the band struggled to make it on radio and television. Eventually, turmoil and angst among the members caused the future of the band to come into question. This biography of the Chad Mitchell Trio gives a closer look into the band and the men that got so close to the top.
This book was well written in opinion. The author does a good job of consolidating a lot of information into 300 pages. He summarizes where summarization was needed and provided more detail where required. As a fan of biographies, I appreciate the history of it. It can be difficult, especially in music, to get people back together to “reminisce” about the old days. The author does a good job of giving the reader a look into the room with the trio members. I felt like I was in the room talking to them myself at times. I also think he did an amazing job describing the emotions of each member. It can be difficult to put one’s emotions in writing let alone capturing someone else’s, I believe it was executed beautifully. It was easy to tell that the author cared about this story and making sure it was right. He respected the members of the trio and did right by them. The attention to detail was flawless and made it easy to read. The author clearly knows how to write. The last good thing I would say is the group stuck to their roots and their values. They wrote satire and protested through their music. For example, in talking about beliefs in the South, Chad Mitchell says, “I didn’t agree with white southerners’ beliefs, but I found empathy for them. Their whole world was changing. Nothing about the experience was what I expected.” (Murphey, 121). Chad is talking about marching with Dr. King in the early 1960’s. He stood up for what he believed in even though it was not well received.
I have read many biographies in my life and read some that did not do the parties justice. This one is not one of those times. I cannot think of one thing that I would consider negative in the book. It is a straightforward biography that tells the history of a group of band members. The most difficult part is getting everyone in the same room.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would give it four stars because given the circumstances and longevity of the time required to write a book like is difficult. Mike Murphey did a fantastic job of conveying this story to all generations. It is easy to read and intriguing. For someone who had never heard of the Chad Mitchell Trio before reading this book, I can firmly say I can tell you all about all three members and some history of the trio itself.
I do not think this book is for everyone, however. I love history, biographies, and have a general curiosity about where people come from and how they got where they are today. Some people may find that boring and a waste of time. I believe this book is for people who enjoy history and music history because the book dives into that a bit as well. If you do not fall into those categories, I would say you have to be over the age of 55 to truly want to spend time reading this book.
******
We Never Knew Just What it Was ... the Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
