From page to screen, the fictional band, Daisy Jones & The Six, emerges as the world’s biggest name in rock ‘n’ roll.
Seeing my three favorite things: books, film, and music all combined together to tell this poignant, and rather bittersweet tale of the rise and fall of Daisy Jones & The Six is an absolutely magical experience. Taylor Jenkins-Reid, 39-year-old American author, (and my favorite author at that) has a way with words to put it simply. Her ability to paint a strikingly detailed account of a completely fictional band in the 1970s is baffling. Jenkins-Reid is the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising (more of my absolute favorite books) and many more, and her stories have a way to touch the reader in ways unbeknownst to them prior. Jenkins-Reid has an affinity for interviews and characters that cross story universes, and her ability to capture the reader emotionally and keep them tied to the story for years to come is remarkable. Now let me tell you a little more about the fiery groupie and dynamic band that sewed themselves into my heart indefinitely.
The Book
Daisy Jones & The Six tells the story of The Dunne Brothers, a band started by two brothers from Pittsburgh that quickly rises to more than they could have ever imagined. Jenkins-Reid chronicles their trip to the moon, up and leaving Pittsburgh, moving across the country to California, acquiring and losing band members, landing gigs on the Sunset Strip, featuring a “nobody” on their first hit single, how that “nobody” crept her way into the band and showed them who they really were, their first and last world tour, and how everything came crashing down. Love, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, baby. This is a simplified version, but you’ll just have to read and find out the intricacies of the story for yourself. It is a given that the book is always better than the movie/tv show, and this rings true for Daisy Jones & The Six. I first fell in love with this story last summer when my family and I went to California for my graduation. We spent two days in L.A. and saw everything from Warner Brothers Studio, Venice Beach, Beachwood Canyon, drove down the Pacific Coast Highway, and the regular touristy things like Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills. I had the time of my life and with all of the sights we wanted to see, we spent an ample amount of time stuck in L.A. traffic. In that time, I blew through Daisy Jones & The Six. I also read Malibu Rising while we drove through Malibu :) Anyways, it was even more magical to read about the place where the band would take off while actually spending time in it!
I loved the feeling of being in Daisy’s shoes and seeing everything (and more) that she saw. Daisy’s character is as intoxicating as the pills and liquor she consumes. You have this love-hate relationship with her as you read. She’s so difficult and strong-headed that you can’t seem to like her, but her determination to be who she wants to be and not take shit from anyone else draws you back in. The rest of the characters are similarly quirky and lovable, I love Graham and Karen so dearly, but I think Camila is my favorite character in the entire book. Her steadfast love and trust she puts into each of her relationships is so admirable and in a way, I think she is the crux of the band in its entirety. The cosmic energy of the characters, the witty remarks, and the brutally honest portrait of the reality of chasing your dreams is really something that you don’t see in many other books. The story is so fast-paced that I finished the book in a day and immediately wanted to read it all over again. Stories often stick with me for a very long time and I know this one I’ll keep close to my heart forever.
If there’s one thing you take away from this review- please read the book first. The show does a decent job of capturing everything inside the story, but there are so many little details lost in the production that in my opinion, make the story as amazing as it is. Read some of the notable quotes from the book in the post below!
The Show
I have no words for how I felt watching the first episode of the T.V. show when it came out on March 3rd. Seeing the characters come to life on the screen was absolutely magical. Riley Keough, who plays Daisy, and Sam Claflin, who plays Billy, could not have been casted better. The show also features Camila Morrone as Camila, Suki Waterhouse as Karen, Will Harrison as Graham, Josh Whitehouse as Eddie, and Sebastian Chacon as Warren. Despite some viewers saying it took them a few episodes to really get into the show, I was instantly hooked. The aesthetics are to die for. The film, color grading, costumes, makeup, hair, and set design are just perfect for anyone who loves the 70s. God, I just wish I could have Daisy’s wardrobe!!! They really hit the nail on the head. Another cool tidbit I noticed while watching was realizing they shot in Beachwood Canyon, where my family and I visited. The houses are all very distinct and I was like “OMG, I was there!” Literally on the street where they shot the scene…so cool. One of my favorite moments visualized in the show was watching Billy and Daisy record “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)” for the first time. It made my heart explode seeing their chemistry singing together. The cast and crew really outdid themselves with this production and I only hope I can be a part of something like this in the future. All 10 episodes are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
To give you a glimpse into the world of Daisy Jones & The Six, check out my Pinterest board and take a look at these photos from the show Instagram below!
The Music
And to conclude, here is the cherry on top of this whole ordeal: the Aurora album. There is something so intimate about having music tell this story and the creators of this album put everything they had into making it the best it could be. Jenkins-Reid lists the tracks and lyrics to Aurora in the book, however, the real-life album varies a bit in titles and more so in lyrics. My favorite track is “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” the song that Billy writes for Camila after his experience in rehab, promising her a life near the honeycomb that Daisy turns into a conversation shrouded with doubt. As Karen recounts, “Honeycomb used to be a song about security, and it became a song about insecurity.” The track showcases pain and pleasure and longing all at once and the production is just incredible. It has been on repeat this entire month. In addition, a few more of my favorite songs include: “Let Me Down Easy”, “Regret Me”, “More Fun To Miss”, “The River”, and “Two Against Three”. The album is so reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac and captures the sound of rock ‘n’ roll perfectly. The show’s soundtrack is phenomenal too, including songs like “Crazy On You” by Heart, “Ooo La La” by Faces and “In My Room” by The Beach Boys. I am so in love with this project in its entirety and would recommend it 1000 times over to anyone. I’ve linked the Spotify playlist below- give it a listen. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Alright, I’m off to reread and rewatch again before the withdrawal symptoms get too much to handle! I hope I’ve convinced you pretty thoroughly to go read/watch/listen to Daisy Jones & The Six and I hope you fall in love with the story, the characters, the aesthetics, and the music as much as I did.
Much love
G