Girls Like Us

I just finished a biography of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon called Girls Like Us by Sheila Weller. (It was very engaging...and it made me grateful that the 70's were not my era.) I am fascinated by Joni Mitchell. I think her lyrics are brilliant. Her life has been turbulent and so full of chaos and heart break it's nearly unbelievable. (Not nearly as bad as Edith Piaf though.) I found it interesting to read about how the events in her life shaped the songs that I love. They have a richer meaning for me now. Carole's and Carly's live were similarly turbulent (and an interesting fact, all of them were involved with James Taylor somehow. He and Joni were lovers for a while, he and Carly Simon were married and had two kids, he and Carole were musical associates and worked together on various projects.) The book is written very well, alternating between chapters about each singer and what each was doing during certain years. Weller also delves into the other issues of their time and how those issues may have influenced their writing. It's impossible to read an unbiased biography, however, and Weller's strong pro-feminist views sometimes color her portrayals.