The Turtles DO Rock...Really!

I rarely give an unqualified 5 star rating...wait, I NEVER give a 5 star rating, but this audiobook rocks! Baby boomers know the Turtles as an iconic MOR pop band that ruled the pop charts in the late '60s (They knocked the Beatles out of the #1 position at one point) and then had a stereotypical breakup due to the usual: musical differences, drugs, changing public preferences, management, etc. It's all told here by Howard Kaylan (with a "Y"!) in an honest and very funny autobiography that grabs you from the first sentence and never lets up.

With a refreshing lack of ego, Mr. Kaylan dishes the whole storyline of the Turtles to the Mothers of Invention to Flo & Eddie and beyond. Be forewarned: YOU WILL LAUGH OUT LOUD so pick your listening times carefully. I often listen in bed before going to sleep but I couldn't do that with this book - I kept waking up my slumbering spouse with my chuckles and laughter. I also had to avoid many concerned looks in the Doctor's office, on public transportation, in the grocery store...you get the idea.

This production shines throughout. Mr. Kaylan provides a perfect wedding of writing and narration. Even my pet peeve about mispronunciation is absent here - a first in 13 years.

If you have the slightest interest in The Turtles, the '60s and '70s or pop music in general you will love this book.

You CAN'T MISS this one!

9 people found this helpful

A delightful listen!

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I loved The Turtles music growing up in the late 60’s, so I jumped on this audiobook as soon as I saw it and wasn’t disappointed. Howard’s narration is like hanging out with an old friend and swapping rock and roll war stories. The stories of his interactions with rock and roll royalty are worth the price of admission alone. The stories of his personal misbehavior and of the show biz sharks that bit them are riveting. Then there are the Mothers of Invention stories, most notably his firsthand account of the concert in Montreux that was the inspiration for Deep Purple’s immortal Smoke On The Water. All in all a pleasant listen…, that I’ll probably do again in the near future. So if you’re a former child of the sixties, or just love that music, this book is for you.

5 people found this helpful

WARNING: contact buzz and non-controlable laughing

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If you think having Howard Kaylan sing to you is fun, wait till he reads to you...one of the most incredible personalities in music tells his story with the same exuberance as he lived it, with all the 'warts, stars and ex-wives' included...one of the best current autobiographies available

5 people found this helpful

If you loved Frank Zappa,Flo and Eddie this rocks

the Turtles story Rocks it.And FZ and. The smoke on the water story makes this book worth a listen.HK tells of Groupies ,drugs,Zappa and everything about the Turtles and 70 and 71 Mothers .

1 person found this helpful

A down to earth legend that kept journals!

A true legend that despite the ups and downs of show biz manages to see his vast experiences through the eyes of an enthusiastic fan. If you don’t know much about the Turtles, Flo and Eddie or Frank Zappa and the Mother’s,... it doesn’t matter, take my anonymous word for it, it’s all quality, you’re in good hands. Extremely entertaining, for any true fan of rock n roll, enjoy the ride!

Never thought I would write this book so much

Funny, witty, this book is a page Turner, So to speak. A must listen 🦻🏻to by any turtles‘ fan!
👏🏻👏🏻👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Howard Kaylan doesn't disappoint!

Wow! What a road trip through the eyes of one who ingested the rock and roll lifestyle 110%!

The best book in a long time

Of all the rock stars that could have told it all, I`m glad it was HOWARD KAYLAN. and boy does he tell it all, I was SHELL SHOCKED, great book.

Like Having a Cool Friend Tell You Great Stories

As every Flo & Eddie fan knows, Howard Kayla is hilarious. This is a tell-all about his music career including The Turtles, Frank Zappa & the Mothers, and beyond. Part of the book is shown in My Dinner With Jimi. There's sex, a lot of drugs, and plenty of rock n roll.

Howard reads his own words with the enthusiasm of a friend telling about the unbelievable & amazing adventure he just had. When he talks about meeting rock gods like The Beatles, or Hendrix, he tells it with the joy and enthusiasm of a fan.

The audio book is definitely the best option for this book.

Howard and I were always "Happy Together!"

Howard claimed "what a life!" He wasn't kidding! I'd trade my life for his life in a New York minute!! Through all of his ups and downs (many more ups than downs), Howard always manged to turn a chunk o' coal in to a diamond, and "Eddie" always managed to go with the "Flo!" Pun intended! He's mingled with hundreds of musicians and stars, wrote amazing lyrics and music, and I'd go as far to say that most of us have no idea just what a celebratory life he's lived! More than the typical life of a rock star and a loving husband and parent, many rock stars aren't able to balance and achieve! Howard has read his own book with fervor and emotion, and honestly, some of his life's stories are difficult to believe, but you can't make this stuff up! Howard was the mostly productive and quintiscential rock star, far beyond the life of a Turtle! And this one NEVER hid in his shell! Through it all, it's amazing how Mark Volman and Howard managed to remain close friends and a successful duo for nearly 50 years as of this writing in 2013! It's been said that once you reach a certain age, you're lucky enough to have just one close friend. No one, not even these two, would ever become, at least professionally, inseparable. Howard, at the very least, has almost certainly loved his life to the fullest extent! This book is exciting, extremely personal, and for my own part, after absorbing this masterpiece of an autobiography, I have absolutely no questions for this unexpected rock and roll hero, and I would fly to the western part of the country to shake his hand, "roll a fatty," and, just like in his book, fully engulf myself in more of his reminiscing of his charmed life, even if he felt the desire to repeat his wonderous stories and experiences he's already expressed in this book, one of the best autobiographies, audible or otherwise I've ever had the pleasure of being a part of. From beginning to end, Howard makes you feel like he's reading his life story to you, and you only! What a life, indeed!