Book Review: "Picture This", Mick Rock

She Looks Good In Blue June 12, 2004

As the song says, Deborah Harry looks good in blue-or wearing about
anything, or, as shown in other photo essays but not this one, nothing
at all.

Within the first few pages, Mick Rock discusses one key aspect of the
Harry iconography: although their facial structures are almost utterly
different, Debbie manages to almost eerily evoke the image of her
idol, the late Marilyn Monroe. Indeed, she does so far better than
does Madonna (who made a much more conscious and public effort to do
so) or Gwen Stefani, both of whom have more similarity in facial
shape. Debbie has an unusually large cranial structure and an
extremely wide face, factors that make her universally admired looks
even more remarkable. Unfortunately, Rock fails to effectively deal
with the issue, but this is of tertiary importance in a book that
could as easily have no words at all.

Rock is a thoroughly competent photographer by the standards of rock
journalism, but he's no Sam Shaw, Cecil Beaton, George Barris, Eve
Arnold, or any of the other classic era Leica/Rollei wielding
pre-papparazi photographers, who made enduring idols not only of MM
but so many of the other Classic Era actresses. As a result, a hundred
years from now these images will probably be reviewed with interest,
but not the unadulterated awe one might give to classic images of
MM,Cyd Charisse, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor or
others, none of whom-even the now-canonized Monroe-were objectively
"more beautiful" than Harry.

These images-taken from too few photo shoots-are fine photographs on
their own, and a fine document of Deborah Harry, who is a first-rate
vocalist and a fine character actress who, unlike a lot of
rock-and-roll stars, might have been as successful as _almost_ any of
her childhood idols in the worlds of film and music in the
pre-rock-and-antihero 40s and 50s and early 60s, before an awful
August night in Brentwood and an equally bad November afternoon in
Dallas turned a decade-and a nation-disillusioned and sour.

Deborah Harry is, almost everywhere except her own country, a major
league rock star, and this book is a decent exposition of part of the
reason why: she's a stunning-looking woman who can effectively employ
everything she's got. The other lies in her music, both the 'classic
five" Blondie albums and her daring and eminently competent modern
jazz and standards work with the Jazz Passengers, Stewart Copeland,
and others. If you have a backward cousin in, say, Kansas City, who
thinks that rock and roll means boring and dopey AOR warhorses like
REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Rush, this book and a couple of Blondie
albums might do him, or her, a lot of good next holiday season.

Don't crosspost crap like this to groups where it has no relevance. Spam
your book at places where they might appreciate your self plug -- there must
be a group somewhere for spamholes, right?

"Paul" wrote in message
om...
She Looks Good In Blue June 12, 2004

As the song says, Deborah Harry looks good in blue-or wearing about
anything, or, as shown in other photo essays but not this one, nothing
at all.

Within the first few pages, Mick Rock discusses one key aspect of the
Harry iconography: although their facial structures are almost utterly
different, Debbie manages to almost eerily evoke the image of her
idol, the late Marilyn Monroe. Indeed, she does so far better than
does Madonna (who made a much more conscious and public effort to do
so) or Gwen Stefani, both of whom have more similarity in facial
shape. Debbie has an unusually large cranial structure and an
extremely wide face, factors that make her universally admired looks
even more remarkable. Unfortunately, Rock fails to effectively deal
with the issue, but this is of tertiary importance in a book that
could as easily have no words at all.

Rock is a thoroughly competent photographer by the standards of rock
journalism, but he's no Sam Shaw, Cecil Beaton, George Barris, Eve
Arnold, or any of the other classic era Leica/Rollei wielding
pre-papparazi photographers, who made enduring idols not only of MM
but so many of the other Classic Era actresses. As a result, a hundred
years from now these images will probably be reviewed with interest,
but not the unadulterated awe one might give to classic images of
MM,Cyd Charisse, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor or
others, none of whom-even the now-canonized Monroe-were objectively
"more beautiful" than Harry.

These images-taken from too few photo shoots-are fine photographs on
their own, and a fine document of Deborah Harry, who is a first-rate
vocalist and a fine character actress who, unlike a lot of
rock-and-roll stars, might have been as successful as _almost_ any of
her childhood idols in the worlds of film and music in the
pre-rock-and-antihero 40s and 50s and early 60s, before an awful
August night in Brentwood and an equally bad November afternoon in
Dallas turned a decade-and a nation-disillusioned and sour.

Deborah Harry is, almost everywhere except her own country, a major
league rock star, and this book is a decent exposition of part of the
reason why: she's a stunning-looking woman who can effectively employ
everything she's got. The other lies in her music, both the 'classic
five" Blondie albums and her daring and eminently competent modern
jazz and standards work with the Jazz Passengers, Stewart Copeland,
and others. If you have a backward cousin in, say, Kansas City, who
thinks that rock and roll means boring and dopey AOR warhorses like
REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Rush, this book and a couple of Blondie
albums might do him, or her, a lot of good next holiday season.

Why is this posted here as well as to all the other groups? Would this be
an example of cross posting, just like replying to it is?

MG
"Paul" wrote in message
om...
She Looks Good In Blue June 12, 2004

As the song says, Deborah Harry looks good in blue-or wearing about
anything, or, as shown in other photo essays but not this one, nothing
at all.

Within the first few pages, Mick Rock discusses one key aspect of the
Harry iconography: although their facial structures are almost utterly
different, Debbie manages to almost eerily evoke the image of her
idol, the late Marilyn Monroe. Indeed, she does so far better than
does Madonna (who made a much more conscious and public effort to do
so) or Gwen Stefani, both of whom have more similarity in facial
shape. Debbie has an unusually large cranial structure and an
extremely wide face, factors that make her universally admired looks
even more remarkable. Unfortunately, Rock fails to effectively deal
with the issue, but this is of tertiary importance in a book that
could as easily have no words at all.

Rock is a thoroughly competent photographer by the standards of rock
journalism, but he's no Sam Shaw, Cecil Beaton, George Barris, Eve
Arnold, or any of the other classic era Leica/Rollei wielding
pre-papparazi photographers, who made enduring idols not only of MM
but so many of the other Classic Era actresses. As a result, a hundred
years from now these images will probably be reviewed with interest,
but not the unadulterated awe one might give to classic images of
MM,Cyd Charisse, Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor or
others, none of whom-even the now-canonized Monroe-were objectively
"more beautiful" than Harry.

These images-taken from too few photo shoots-are fine photographs on
their own, and a fine document of Deborah Harry, who is a first-rate
vocalist and a fine character actress who, unlike a lot of
rock-and-roll stars, might have been as successful as _almost_ any of
her childhood idols in the worlds of film and music in the
pre-rock-and-antihero 40s and 50s and early 60s, before an awful
August night in Brentwood and an equally bad November afternoon in
Dallas turned a decade-and a nation-disillusioned and sour.

Deborah Harry is, almost everywhere except her own country, a major
league rock star, and this book is a decent exposition of part of the
reason why: she's a stunning-looking woman who can effectively employ
everything she's got. The other lies in her music, both the 'classic
five" Blondie albums and her daring and eminently competent modern
jazz and standards work with the Jazz Passengers, Stewart Copeland,
and others. If you have a backward cousin in, say, Kansas City, who
thinks that rock and roll means boring and dopey AOR warhorses like
REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Rush, this book and a couple of Blondie
albums might do him, or her, a lot of good next holiday season.

"MG" wrote in message news:KoRyc.16193$1L4.5834@okepread02...
Why is this posted here as well as to all the other groups? Would this be
an example of cross posting, just like replying to it is?


Maybe the poster felt it relevant to each of these groups, because
maybe it was all shot with 35mm cameras, and Debbie Harry (and her
bandmates) is a people. (As opposed to a giraffe, say.)

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 04:59:17 GMT, "Tony Spadaro"
wrote:

Don't crosspost crap like this to groups where it has no relevance. Spam
your book at places where they might appreciate your self plug -- there must
be a group somewhere for spamholes, right?

"Paul" wrote in message
. com...
She Looks Good In Blue June 12, 2004
I don't recall...which groups was it you spammed your book to, Tony?