BEHIND THE ROCK – BOOK REVIEWS
Crazy diary of rock has tales to shock.
A fascinating raucous book published by Time-Life.
It tells the story of the rock era from the inside - and Jon and
Leon pull no punches.
MONICA
HENRY – DAILY TELEGRAPH MIRROR
A vital social document.
As valid a slice of history as accounts of bush settlers and
ground-breaking sportsmen.
GLENN A. BAKER – ROCK
HISTORIAN
Behind The Rock traces the story
of rock’n’roll in Australia in an age of innocence.
Its pages are littered with references to legendary Aussie bands –
and the girls who shared the fun.
MANLY DAILY
A real backstage look at the beginning of the Australian rock
industry.
Leon and Jon caught the birth, adolescence and middle age of
Australian rock’n’roll.
MATTHEW COWLEY - NORTH SHORE
TIMES
Behind The Rock is written in a
conversational style which vividly re-creates the highs and lows of life in a
rock’n’roll band in Australia 30 years ago.
NINE TO FIVE
This book is a valuable account of what Glenn A. Baker describes
as an “appallingly over-eulogised era”.
The authors provide much humour as they naively stumble into rock
“stardom”.
Behind The Rock is compelling
reading for all musicians.
BOB HOWE – MUSICIANS NEWS
LETTER
Reading this “Diary of a Rock Band” is like sitting in a pub for 9
hours listening to two guys reminisce about the days when they were more famous
than the “Brumbies”.
You’ll love Behind The Rock
– It’s an oral history as honest and unpretentious (and as sloppily edited) as
any conversation.
ELIZABETH FEIZKHAH –
MELBOURNE
Considering that I came to Australia in 1966, it was a revelation
for me to find out where all these show business people came from in the first
place. And judging by the calls the fans are all still out there.
DON LANE 2KY & TCN9
Behind The Rock is based on the
so called “Crazy Books” of Leon Isackson, a set of diaries so precious that in
any other nation they would have been purchased by a national museum. Hayton
and Isackson give a blow by blow description of that generation’s lifestyle in
230 pages packed with shocking revelations.
BASIL ADDISON – MELBOURNE
TRUTH
Overall good reading for the fan and historian. I personally liked
the JO’K and the “Board of Directors’ meetings.” A real insight into what went
on.
BOB HAYDEN – AUST. R&R
APPRECIATION SOCIETY – YOUNG
(Book Launch)
There have been a lot of books about the period that haven’t been
correct, but I think Leon and Jon’s book is the only one that has been right on
the mark.
DIGGER REVELL
I think it was something that had to be said from a musician’s
viewpoint and I hope that it is recorded and stored somewhere because in a 100
years people are going to look back and say, “Wow!”
LUCKY STARR
It paints a new image of the
60s. The stuff that your parents didn’t tell you about. Our drummer was shocked. It’s like Back To The Future Part 7.
CRAIG MORRISON (son of Lucky
Starr)
The book (Behind The Rock) scrapes off some of that eulogised
veneer that I think American Grafitti
and Happy Days have a lot to answer
for. The sixties were a lot grittier and a lot earthier and I think, a lot more
naïve. It was just a different period to what we had always imagined.
GLENN A BAKER
The past always seems more interesting when we see it from a
chronological distance. While Australia copied and modified Bill Haley and the
new rock’n’roll music from the USA, a young man, Leon Isackson took notes. He
also went into rock’n’roll with his friend Jon Hayton and they became the
backroom boys and accompanists for the Australian stars. Together they wrote a
book called Behind The Rock.
CLIVE ROBERTSON TCN9
This is the greatest book that’s ever been written about
Australian rock’n’roll history.
GARY JAEGER 2WS
QUOTES FROM PEOPLE IN THE BOOK.
"Bloody hilarious! The amazing thing is it's all
true!"
"It's everyone's rock 'n 'roll story. I pissed myself
laughing!"
"Mandatory reading for anyone who was there!"
"Disgraceful, Immoral but incredibly funny!"
"The bastards haven't left anyone out. I deny
everything!"
"John and Leon tell it exactly the way it was. They've
captured it all perfectly!"
"They reveal a unique period in Australian Rock 'n'
Roll History"
"It's the funniest expose I've read in years. The
frankness is frightening!"
"I couldn't put it down… maybe I should."
"A charming episode of two Rock 'n' Roll
veterans."
"Very Australian and very entertaining."
"A wonderful insight into our rock 'n' roll
beginnings."
"A candid look behind the rock scene- warts and
all."
"It's got everything-From sex drugs and rock 'n' roll
to war in Vietnam."
"A fascinating look at the real rock 'n' roll
heroes."
"Rock 'n' Roll history as it's never been told
before."
"Absolutely disgusting, I'm going to sue." -Tuffy
McFrigg