Remain in Love by Chris Frantz


So when the word came down that there was another Rock and Roll Memoir coming out and Chris Frantz the drummer for both the Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club was the author, I was really anticipatory. There was some hype I suppose so when I was granted access to the galley I was actually really very excited. I am not a huge Talking Heads fan, but really do like the band. I also have liked the Tom Tom Club and honestly, candidly, when I was standing outside before we went into the show and saw Tina Weymouth I got a lot giddy when I saw her come off the bus to go into the venue. They are so iconic and was really walking into reading this book with the same enthusiasm.

So when the word came down that there was another "Rock and Roll Memoir" coming out and Chris Frantz the drummer for both bands wrote his, I was really anticipated something great. I was disappointed.

So. Here is where I get very uncomfortable but am going to be VERY deliberate in how I state this. I did not like what I read. . I got about 30 % into the book and decided... It was not for me.

I felt like I was reading a post card from a kid from camp. The writing and story telling was so stilted and it's boring. So boring. The shortest and most stilted sentences made for a difficult and boring read. Honestly I just decided I needed to move on. I was just saying aloud that there is something off about what I was reading... honestly it feels like a first draft that came off Chris Frantz's word processor and hadn't gone before a line editor yet. . What I read needs a lot of work to make it a more compelling read ... to me.

The hope when I started the book was that the bands he was or is in are know for being so creative, genre busting and dynamic that the book would be too. I didn't find it so.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for the galley. But this was not for me. I write this with great sadness as I was really excited and interested in the memoir.


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