MR

But Panozzo, so focused on himself, never fully explores the issue. For example, did he not see Elton John and Freddie Mercury, two well-respected rockers who didn't waste much energy trying to hide their homosexuality? If so, what did he think of them? And what place is there in pop music and rock for gay men and women? Panozzo glosses over this with a mere two paragraphs about the "Coming Out Rocks" campaign in 1998 in which he and musicians like Melissa Etheridge, Michael Stipe of REM, and the Indigo Girls participated. All he can say is that after feeling so "isolated and freakish" he was now part of the cool crowd.

More than anything, that example illustrates where The Grand Illusion collapses. Instead of writing about what he learned from these people; instead of weighing in on someone like George Michael - who plummeted from popularity when his homosexuality was revealed; instead of discussing how he must have felt when guys like Lou Reed and David Bowie were participating in gender bending sexual explorations, Panozzo goes on about his decision to move from Chicago to Miami and how much he would miss his condo.

blt man wrote:I have not read Chuck's book yet but will get around to it. While most people here appear to have liked it, I just read this negative review and was wondering if people agree with the reviewer. He some interesting things to say.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /705260335

The critisism of his book that I found most interesting was this:

But Panozzo, so focused on himself, never fully explores the issue. For example, did he not see Elton John and Freddie Mercury, two well-respected rockers who didn't waste much energy trying to hide their homosexuality? If so, what did he think of them? And what place is there in pop music and rock for gay men and women? Panozzo glosses over this with a mere two paragraphs about the "Coming Out Rocks" campaign in 1998 in which he and musicians like Melissa Etheridge, Michael Stipe of REM, and the Indigo Girls participated. All he can say is that after feeling so "isolated and freakish" he was now part of the cool crowd.

More than anything, that example illustrates where The Grand Illusion collapses. Instead of writing about what he learned from these people; instead of weighing in on someone like George Michael - who plummeted from popularity when his homosexuality was revealed; instead of discussing how he must have felt when guys like Lou Reed and David Bowie were participating in gender bending sexual explorations, Panozzo goes on about his decision to move from Chicago to Miami and how much he would miss his condo.

He and John met a neighbor kid, James "JY" Young, and they began playing cover songs at various weddings before building their lineup by adding Dennis DeYoung, and eventually Tommy Shaw, and forming what would become one of the midwest's most popular bands in the '70s and '80s.

But Panozzo, so focused on himself, never fully explores the issue. For example, did he not see Elton John and Freddie Mercury, two well-respected rockers who didn't waste much energy trying to hide their homosexuality? If so, what did he think of them? And what place is there in pop music and rock for gay men and women? Panozzo glosses over this with a mere two paragraphs about the "Coming Out Rocks" campaign in 1998 in which he and musicians like Melissa Etheridge, Michael Stipe of REM, and the Indigo Girls participated. All he can say is that after feeling so "isolated and freakish" he was now part of the cool crowd.

More than anything, that example illustrates where The Grand Illusion collapses. Instead of writing about what he learned from these people; instead of weighing in on someone like George Michael - who plummeted from popularity when his homosexuality was revealed; instead of discussing how he must have felt when guys like Lou Reed and David Bowie were participating in gender bending sexual explorations, Panozzo goes on about his decision to move from Chicago to Miami and how much he would miss his condo.

blt man wrote:I have not read Chuck's book yet but will get around to it. While most people here appear to have liked it, I just read this negative review and was wondering if people agree with the reviewer. He some interesting things to say.

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... /705260335

The critisism of his book that I found most interesting was this:

But Panozzo, so focused on himself, never fully explores the issue. For example, did he not see Elton John and Freddie Mercury, two well-respected rockers who didn't waste much energy trying to hide their homosexuality? If so, what did he think of them? And what place is there in pop music and rock for gay men and women? Panozzo glosses over this with a mere two paragraphs about the "Coming Out Rocks" campaign in 1998 in which he and musicians like Melissa Etheridge, Michael Stipe of REM, and the Indigo Girls participated. All he can say is that after feeling so "isolated and freakish" he was now part of the cool crowd.

More than anything, that example illustrates where The Grand Illusion collapses. Instead of writing about what he learned from these people; instead of weighing in on someone like George Michael - who plummeted from popularity when his homosexuality was revealed; instead of discussing how he must have felt when guys like Lou Reed and David Bowie were participating in gender bending sexual explorations, Panozzo goes on about his decision to move from Chicago to Miami and how much he would miss his condo.