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The Best Years of Our Lives
Welcome to the party that never ends...
When he was 16 he inveigled his way into a Sydney hotel to hang out with the Rolling Stones. From that day on, Richard Clapton knew he was going to be a rock star. It's now almost 50 years since that fateful day -years filled with a lifetime of incredible experiences, outrageous good times and a catalogue of iconic and timeless songs. Through the glory years of rock'n' roll, in cities as varied as London, Berlin, Sydney, Los Angeles and Paris, Richard forged his own career and built up a significant body of work while living, loving and partying with the biggest names in the Australian and international music world.
By his own frank admission, these were years fuelled by prodigious quantities of alcohol and drugs, set against a backdrop of constant recording and touring, of endless partying and wild times. It was to be a rollercoaster ride of euphoric highs and deep, shattering lows.
For 40 years, Richard Clapton has been, above all else, a songwriter-a wry observer of human behaviour and an astute commentator on the Australian condition. His best songs- 'Deep Water', 'The Best Years of Our Lives', 'Goodbye Tiger', 'Glory Road', 'Lucky Country', 'Girls on the Avenue', 'Trust Somebody' and 'Capricorn Dancer'-capture the essence of this country and the meaning of our lives like few others.
In this extraordinary memoir, Richard employs his songwriter's keen powers of observation, portraiture and storytelling to tell the best story of all: the remarkable one of his own life. Outrageous, funny, insightful and poignant, this is the rock memoir to beat them all. In celebration of 40 years of fabulous music and iconic songs, welcome to The Best Years of Our Lives.
When he was 16 he inveigled his way into a Sydney hotel to hang out with the Rolling Stones. From that day on, Richard Clapton knew he was going to be a rock star. It's now almost 50 years since that fateful day -years filled with a lifetime of incredible experiences, outrageous good times and a catalogue of iconic and timeless songs. Through the glory years of rock'n' roll, in cities as varied as London, Berlin, Sydney, Los Angeles and Paris, Richard forged his own career and built up a significant body of work while living, loving and partying with the biggest names in the Australian and international music world.
By his own frank admission, these were years fuelled by prodigious quantities of alcohol and drugs, set against a backdrop of constant recording and touring, of endless partying and wild times. It was to be a rollercoaster ride of euphoric highs and deep, shattering lows.
For 40 years, Richard Clapton has been, above all else, a songwriter-a wry observer of human behaviour and an astute commentator on the Australian condition. His best songs- 'Deep Water', 'The Best Years of Our Lives', 'Goodbye Tiger', 'Glory Road', 'Lucky Country', 'Girls on the Avenue', 'Trust Somebody' and 'Capricorn Dancer'-capture the essence of this country and the meaning of our lives like few others.
In this extraordinary memoir, Richard employs his songwriter's keen powers of observation, portraiture and storytelling to tell the best story of all: the remarkable one of his own life. Outrageous, funny, insightful and poignant, this is the rock memoir to beat them all. In celebration of 40 years of fabulous music and iconic songs, welcome to The Best Years of Our Lives.
337 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 4, 2015
The Best Years of Our Lives is an enjoyable, easy rock n roll read which should have a place on the bookshelf of any Oz Rock fan.
Richard has certainly lead an interesting, adventurous life and its these colourful stories between 1968-1990 which make up the chapters of the book. Being the great songwriter that Richard is, he makes an excellent storyteller which makes this book so enjoyable to read.
You really do feel like you're travelling around the world with him on a variety of adventures (or at times killing off copious amounts of brain cells around Australia.) Just like his songs themselves, Richard effectively makes you feel transported to particular places and times.
I loved reading the stories behind some of Richard's well known hits and how they came to fruition. His days spent with INXS were completely unknown to me so I also found this period in the book rather fascinating.
There is a rather large amount of name-dropping and characters coming and going throughout the story. I found this a little distracting at times and a little difficult keeping up with who is who. For someone so intent on shunning the celebrity label, why feel the need to constantly name-drop?
While a great read, I couldn't help but feel at times that the book was just skimming the surface of who Richard was as a person. Recounting fun parties and celebrity encounters is fun and all, but omitting things like his childhood, Mother's suicide and turbulent relationship with his Father, left me feeling he could've delved a little deeper into who he was as a person - how did these years of his life shape him into who he is?
I really loved the final chapter, hearing Richard's views on the current state of the world and music scene. It was refreshing and I whole-heartedly agreed with everything he said.
Overall, a great addition to any music fan's bookshelf and those who love a good Australian story!
Richard has certainly lead an interesting, adventurous life and its these colourful stories between 1968-1990 which make up the chapters of the book. Being the great songwriter that Richard is, he makes an excellent storyteller which makes this book so enjoyable to read.
You really do feel like you're travelling around the world with him on a variety of adventures (or at times killing off copious amounts of brain cells around Australia.) Just like his songs themselves, Richard effectively makes you feel transported to particular places and times.
I loved reading the stories behind some of Richard's well known hits and how they came to fruition. His days spent with INXS were completely unknown to me so I also found this period in the book rather fascinating.
There is a rather large amount of name-dropping and characters coming and going throughout the story. I found this a little distracting at times and a little difficult keeping up with who is who. For someone so intent on shunning the celebrity label, why feel the need to constantly name-drop?
While a great read, I couldn't help but feel at times that the book was just skimming the surface of who Richard was as a person. Recounting fun parties and celebrity encounters is fun and all, but omitting things like his childhood, Mother's suicide and turbulent relationship with his Father, left me feeling he could've delved a little deeper into who he was as a person - how did these years of his life shape him into who he is?
I really loved the final chapter, hearing Richard's views on the current state of the world and music scene. It was refreshing and I whole-heartedly agreed with everything he said.
Overall, a great addition to any music fan's bookshelf and those who love a good Australian story!
March 5, 2015
This book was a bit painful to me... the problem is, Richard Clapton is a horrible writer. Hey, he's a rock'n'roll singer, writing isn't his forte, fine. But he's also a pretty damn lousy, unfocused storyteller. I guess the only thing that can save the book from these two facts would be a very interesting life. Luckily for R-Clap, he didn't do too badly here. But throughout the entire book, I just wished he was more of a raconteur!
Very interesting stories are pared down to a few recollections that seem almost like mere triggers to him, but don't properly paint the picture for us. He'll give the same weight to a nobody on a bus that never pops up again as he does to a lover or another famous rocker. This is not done to be humble. The work is just unfocused.
Page 11, Richard describes getting a job as a graphics designer. This paragraph follows:
There was a crazy man in the neighbourhood who always wore the same expensive brown hat, and had strange steely blue eyes that seemed to always be looking skyward. He talked very erratically to himself as he rode the Neutral Bay ferry.
The man is never mentioned again, & Richard changes job the next page, so it hardly even 'sets the scene'. It seems like he's just happy he can remember it. On page 16:
We befriended a funny hippie guy called Robert, who still lives somewhere down on the NSW South Coast.
Is it a name drop to make Robert smile when he reads it? Is R.C. writing everything he remembers, & not editing for the book?
I still give the book 3 stars. 3 stars is being generous. It's definitely kinda marked up from a 2.5 or something. But, the book did have some interesting anecdotes, & was very easy to read. I'd fly through chapters at a time... it felt comfortable. Plus, even though he doesn't go into even a fifth as much detail as I wish he would about some things (his original sojourn throughout Germany & England comes to mind), it left my imagination working at the missing pieces.
Very interesting stories are pared down to a few recollections that seem almost like mere triggers to him, but don't properly paint the picture for us. He'll give the same weight to a nobody on a bus that never pops up again as he does to a lover or another famous rocker. This is not done to be humble. The work is just unfocused.
Page 11, Richard describes getting a job as a graphics designer. This paragraph follows:
There was a crazy man in the neighbourhood who always wore the same expensive brown hat, and had strange steely blue eyes that seemed to always be looking skyward. He talked very erratically to himself as he rode the Neutral Bay ferry.
The man is never mentioned again, & Richard changes job the next page, so it hardly even 'sets the scene'. It seems like he's just happy he can remember it. On page 16:
We befriended a funny hippie guy called Robert, who still lives somewhere down on the NSW South Coast.
Is it a name drop to make Robert smile when he reads it? Is R.C. writing everything he remembers, & not editing for the book?
I still give the book 3 stars. 3 stars is being generous. It's definitely kinda marked up from a 2.5 or something. But, the book did have some interesting anecdotes, & was very easy to read. I'd fly through chapters at a time... it felt comfortable. Plus, even though he doesn't go into even a fifth as much detail as I wish he would about some things (his original sojourn throughout Germany & England comes to mind), it left my imagination working at the missing pieces.
September 10, 2016
This is a fairly poorly written 'rock autobiography' in the style of and then I went there and then I did this....Richard Clapton meets interesting people but doesn't name them.... "one of the foremost classical conductors in Germany"...but who was he?...."Sydney's most lecherous musician"...who was he?....managers he won't mention etc etc....and there is no mention of where he was born, his family upbringing and then it all stops in 1990...Oh well...
March 14, 2015
Being a massive Clapton fan I was disappointed with this book.
It was not comprehensive as far as his full life story goes and he tends to gloss over his personal life in favour of describing how drunk and drugged out he got. The last 50 pages are particularly tedious with descriptions of countless parties.
I do not feel I know him any better being very familiar with his career, which I thought this book might deliver.
It was not comprehensive as far as his full life story goes and he tends to gloss over his personal life in favour of describing how drunk and drugged out he got. The last 50 pages are particularly tedious with descriptions of countless parties.
I do not feel I know him any better being very familiar with his career, which I thought this book might deliver.
August 14, 2022
Really good look into the Australian, and world music industry by one of the great Aussie singer/songwriters. Shows clearly how much the music artists were screwed by their record companies, and how much debauchery happened in the industry, particularly that perpetrated by the record company agents and executive themselves.
A rollicking good read.
Highly recommended!
A rollicking good read.
Highly recommended!
January 22, 2018
Interesting story/life and well worth reading but the writing could use some serious editing.
October 17, 2019
This lends itself to a quick read. A party chronicle- I would have liked more discussion re the lyrics of his songs but enjoyable nonetheless.
September 24, 2025
Great review of his career. What’s after 1990?
December 29, 2014
Start with the anecdote with the most well known people - The Rolling Stones.
Clapton got access to the band when he was just 16.
The middle section relates his rambling life in a rock and roll band.
The end chapter is the most interesting. A well thought out essay on modern life - the last 25 years, which is not mentioned hardly at all in this memoir.
I find quite often that memoirists are incredibly detailed in their early life.
But this peters out in the modern day construct.
Do we over romanticise the past?
Is our modern drudgery just not thrilling enough?
Does the reality of life and the frailties of age seem not that worthy of writing about?
There are writers who take on the challenge of writing into life past 80 i.e. Joan Didion, Germain Greer.
Clapton relates he feels that life is now one big treadmill, that the fun police have taken over.
Music is all about corporate moves and money, plus it hasn't for a lot of merit otherwise.
He concedes there is some good new music out there.
And also that the best is yet to come for him.
Rock on Richard.
Clapton got access to the band when he was just 16.
The middle section relates his rambling life in a rock and roll band.
The end chapter is the most interesting. A well thought out essay on modern life - the last 25 years, which is not mentioned hardly at all in this memoir.
I find quite often that memoirists are incredibly detailed in their early life.
But this peters out in the modern day construct.
Do we over romanticise the past?
Is our modern drudgery just not thrilling enough?
Does the reality of life and the frailties of age seem not that worthy of writing about?
There are writers who take on the challenge of writing into life past 80 i.e. Joan Didion, Germain Greer.
Clapton relates he feels that life is now one big treadmill, that the fun police have taken over.
Music is all about corporate moves and money, plus it hasn't for a lot of merit otherwise.
He concedes there is some good new music out there.
And also that the best is yet to come for him.
Rock on Richard.
October 10, 2016
I wish I could say I enjoyed reading this book, but I found it painfully tedious. I kept reading hoping it would get better, but it just seemed to drone on. One breath he says he doesn't do drugs, next breath he admits he did. Where was the story of his earlier years? He speaks glowingly of his daughters, but barely touches upon his life with them. Instead he chose to fill the book with name dropping of other people in the music industry, and then gossiping about their lives. It's bad enough the media invades the lives of the famous, revealing unnecessary intimacies just to get a story out there, let alone have someone who should know better do it also. (If they had wanted the world to know their life story, they would have told it themselves.) Bad form Richard. I am not a huge fan of his music, but the few songs I do like are excellent, which is why I gave one star. I guess after reading this book, I can see why I didn't become a bigger fan.
September 29, 2014
This is one of those books where a 2nd read would perhaps do it more justice, where you could match up his records closely with the appropriate chapter. I honestly didn't realise how much he travelled and struggled and needed to "borrow" to get where he got. Fans will love it. Not sure of the final chapter.
October 13, 2014
A bit slow in parts but very interesting to find out where the inspirations came from for the songs
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews