Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles

Shell Shocked is Howard Kaylan's memoir detailing his journey as lead singer of The Turtles and later Flo & Eddie. The book covers his rise to fame in the 1960s music scene and his experiences during the transformation of rock and roll. Kaylan recounts his band's climb from local Los Angeles heroes to international stardom, including their hits and tours. He describes encounters with other music legends and his navigation through the business and cultural changes of the era. The narrative continues through The Turtles' dissolution and Kaylan's subsequent musical ventures with Frank Zappa and other collaborators. He documents both professional triumphs and personal challenges throughout these transitions. The memoir serves as both a personal history and a snapshot of American music culture during a pivotal period. It captures the shift from innocent pop to more complex forms of rock music while exploring themes of artistic evolution and survival in the entertainment industry.

Readers found this rock memoir more engaging and revealing than expected, with frank details about The Turtles' experiences and encounters with other music legends. Many noted Kaylan's candid writing style and humor when discussing both successes and personal struggles. Liked: - Behind-the-scenes stories of 60s/70s music scene - Honest portrayals of drug use and relationship issues - Insights into music business dealings - Entertaining anecdotes about Hendrix, Beatles, Zappa Disliked: - Some felt the tone became bitter when discussing certain topics - A few readers wanted more focus on The Turtles' peak years - Several noted timeline jumps made stories hard to follow Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (591 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (241 ratings) "Raw and real without being sensationalistic" - Amazon reviewer "The stories flow like you're having a conversation with him" - Goodreads review "Could have used tighter editing but the stories make up for it" - LibraryThing user

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🎵 Howard Kaylan wrote this memoir without a ghostwriter, drawing from his personal journals spanning five decades of rock history 🐢 The book reveals that The Turtles' hit "Happy Together" was initially rejected by countless record labels before becoming a #1 hit in 1967 🎸 Despite their clean-cut image, The Turtles secretly participated in Frank Zappa's "groupie workshops" and wild parties with The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix 💫 Kaylan and bandmate Mark Volman (Flo & Eddie) provided backing vocals on T. Rex's "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" and several Bruce Springsteen tracks 🏛️ The Turtles' lengthy legal battles over their music rights helped establish important precedents for artists' control over their recordings and led to changes in copyright law