I’m a mega fan of Brandi Carlile. I couldn’t get my hands on this book fast enough and pretty much devoured it. I’ve been knocked out by her voice numerous times and now I’ve been knocked out by her storytelling. What a life she has had thus far... and I’m certain there will be so much more to come. She’s an inspiration not just in music but in life. Love her! ( )

Any doubts about a memoir written by someone who hadn’t turned forty were dispelled in the twenty hours that Brandi Carlile’s warm, engaging voice infiltrated my ears with her story.
An aging boomer who these days listens to more chamber music than rock, I was late to the party when it came to this singer. I try to keep up by watching Later with Jools Holland. During the lockdown, he experimented with non-live formats. One was a series of Zooms with a musician who selected videos of old Later performances. One week’s guest was Elton John, one of whose picks was a very young Brandi Carlile singing “The Story.” Why have I never heard this, was my enthused reaction. I quickly tried to catch up, egged on by a favorite niece who is a fan.
This book is another product of the lockdown. Rona came to town just as Carlile was about to launch to superstardom: those roughly two years at the top of the pyramid when everyone knows your name and “there’s no time to think” (as Dylan sang). Think Beatles 1964-65, Joni Mitchell 1971-72, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Elton John—the list goes on.
Well, Carlile was on the cusp of that mixed blessing/curse. She was on a roll: five Grammys, the live recreation of Mitchell’s Blue, her curated all-female Saturday evening, main stage Newport show, “Eagle When She Flies.” Then instead of taking to the stratosphere, her eagle was grounded.
Like many musicians, she adapted, finding a way to connect with her audience via the internet with living room concerts, deciding to worry about an income stream later.
And she finished this book. As it turned out, the arc was perfect. The rags-to-riches, threshold-of-superstardom success story is the penultimate chapter. The final chapter is back on the ground, digging a drainage ditch for her cabin.
A highlight of this audiobook is that Carlile ends each chapter with one or two unplugged songs. Then, a bonus chapter at the end reprises them. Hearing them a second time, with the whole story in mind, they cohere and reveal more profound meaning.
Audio won’t replace print as my prime way to consume books, but in this case, audio was like a luxury upgrade. ( )

I wish I had listened to the audio book - I hadn't realized until I read the other reviews that she sings at the end of each chapter. That would have made the experience so much richer. As it was, I enjoyed the parts about her childhood and her anxiety, but not so much the detailed accounts of her musical career. I guess it's hard to be a performer who is not self-centered, but I, sadly, found myself disliking this aspect of her by the end. ( )

Quick easy read. Lover her as a performer. Happy to say i was with her from the beginning when I heard on Sirius XM. Watched her open for the Indigo Girls, do a solo tour, headline then win Grammys. Very exciting. Seems she had some challenges growing up. Love how the band is literally her family now. Really loved seeing the background for a lot of songs I love. If you like her music, worth a read. ( )

The audio is fantastic! Brandi sings at the end of every chapter and most of the songs relate to what she wrote about in that chapter. I will admit I did not know of her (I listen to audio books rather than music :), and now I want to know more about her music. Her story is spellbinding. Parts of it reminded me of certain aspects of Educated and Glass Castles.
Highly recommend. ( )