My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advanced copy of a memoir by an artist whose lyrics changed lives, lifted hearts and made musical history.

Everyone has that time in their life, where one questions every single past decision that brought us to that exact moment in time. Sometimes this is a penultimate moment, deciding the path on which are lives might continue for better, for worse, ennui, or memorable. Bernie Taupin had his moment early, shoving plague-stricken chickens into an incinerator covered in rain, feathers, and other things unmentionable. Taupin knew there had to be more, and he was going to find it. From this moment musical history was made. Scattershot by writer and lyricist Bernie Taupin is a collection of memories written as Taupin recalls them, a photo album with some missing pages, rather than a film documentary, about his life, art, his his friendships and not having to deal with chickens anymore.

Bernie Taupin was born in 1950 into an educated family, that a had a need to try new things and accept new challenges. One of these was moving to a dilapidated manor home, with floors that bulged with the weather, bathroom fixtures in the basement out of a Victorian novel, all paid for by raising chicks for sale. Taupin had an interest in reading and writing, but not much else, and upon leaving school started working in the print shop for the local paper, hoping for a job in journalism. That didn't pan out an Taupin began to wander from job to job, but a chance encounter with an American opened his ears to music that wasn't being played in England, such as the Louvin Brothers and more. The chicken job was his last resort, and he decided to do more. An ad in a music newspaper brought him together with a guy who could write music, but not lyrics named Reginald Dwight. Dwight had a little success in music, but also wanted more. Moving into Dwight's Mom's home the two began to work on songs, Bernie lyrics, Dwight music, and slowly and surely as a friendship developed so did the songs. Dwight changed his name to Elton John, and soon musical history has being made.

Bernie Taupin starts the book with the proviso explaining that he might not remember where certain songs came from, that mindsets change, and things that were to become important were just ordinary days at the time. And a few of the myths that might surround these songs, might have been started by him. What readers get is a look at a time, following a rough chronological order, but there might be some jumping around. The writing in many places seems like songs that Taupin put to the side, there is a rhythm to it, a story being told, and a few stories have endings, others kind of merge with other songs, or return to an earlier theme. There is a section where he talks about the times that he would sit with his Grandfather and listen to the stories that his Grandfather would tell, and the history that he would share, leaning more here than he ever learned in school. And the book is set up in that way. One shouldn't expect a song by song recreation, there are no studio notes, no recording sessions or equipment used explanations. Songs when shared are discussed and than really left to others to interpret. Taupin does clear up a lot of myths, again some he might have had a hand in, in a very straight forward manner, and discusses both his problems with addiction, a lot of it stemming from touring with Elton and not really having anything to do. There is a frankness to this book that is quite refreshing.

A memoir from memory, not from diaries or interviews, but as seen and lived. I would suggest if one has not read Elton John's memoir to read these two together, as the two books bookend a wonderful partnership that created beautiful art. Recommended for fans, for people who like memoirs about interesting people, and for people who enjoy reading about dreamers making good.

The book “Scattershot” is Bernie Taupin’s autobiography. He explains his life as a child, details his life during the heyday of his and Elton John’s success, owns up to his difficulty with alcohol and drugs, and chronicles the fulfilling of his dream of being a cowboy after purchasing a horse ranch in Santa Barbara County, California.

I would recommend first reading Elton John’s autobiography “Me” before picking up Taupin’s book. If you’re looking for information on why Taupin wrote some of the lyrics or what many of the songs were about, then this is not the book for you. He does explain a handful of songs’ meaning, but he doesn’t go too in depth about them. What you will get with this novel is Taupin talking a lot about some of the famous and not-so-famous people that he has encountered during many of the bars that he frequented during the 1970s and 1980s. In addition, he also details some of the history of some of the places that he has been to. When I picked this book up, I was hoping that I would get some personal information on Taupin’s romantic relationships, touring, and songwriting. Turns out, he discusses little about any of those. So, if this is what you want to know about, pick up John’s autobiography instead, as it is an excellent and eye-opening read.

I was a huge Elton John fan in the 1970s and 1980s and felt the songwriting was superb. I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Me” and was excited to see Taupin’s autobiography this year, as I didn’t know much about him outside of the songwriting. However, I found “Scattershot” to be a little boring, especially when Taupin devotes page after page to backgrounds of people he met or places he visited, information I had little interest in reading about. There are so many famous people mentioned that it began to feel like he was name-dropping; it felt like he was telling the reader “Look at all these people I know!” while also trying to convince the reader that he’s just a cowboy at heart. It got a little ridiculous after a while, and I found myself skipping through many parts of this book. Even his antidotes that occurred at the bars he frequented got to be a bit much as the book went on.

What I did find interesting was some of the songs that he talked about: why he wrote them, what he was talking about, or what they mean. I also enjoyed reading about his life pre-Elton as a boy, his foray into the forming of his own band Farm Dogs, and what went into the recording of his music with this band. I also found him very forthcoming with his alcohol and drug use. As Taupin describes his boyhood and some of the jobs he had to endure, I felt his discontent with doing menial farm work and his desire to have a better life. When the book delves into Elton’s and his success and the availability of drugs and alcohol, I got the feeling that although successful, Taupin didn’t know what to do with himself while on tour with Elton, so he visited bar after bar in city after city. However, by the end of the book after having conquered drugs and alcohol, my impression was that Taupin finally found happiness, peace, and contentment with his life.

As I had enjoyed Elton John’s autobiography, I found myself intrigued with this one. Unfortunately, I found out you can write beautiful lyrics, it doesn’t make you a great author! I had to stop reading at 27% of the book and I never give up on a book. Taupin gives so much details, he totally lost me and I was unable to connect. He can describe which books or authors he enjoys for pages but that fails to emotionally involve the reader. I found it a very dry reading. He did not share much emotion in the part of the book I did read.

I would recommend this book only to due hard fans. It just was not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e~arc in exchange of my honest review.

My thanks to Hatchette books, Bernie Taupin and Netgalley.
I have always loved Bernie. I've never known him, except through his and Eltons songs, and that was enough for me!
I enjoyed the shit out of this book, and I'd totally recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the music 🎶.

This was a great book. Not one I normally would have read. I received an advanced copy from NetGalley. I would have preferred to listen to the book instead of reading the print version. I think that would have brought it more to life.

Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me by Bernie Taupin. Perfect title. Bernie is a brilliant writer, but don’t expect organization. And surprisingly little about his decades of writing lyrics for Elton John. But you’ll get elegantly-written observations about everything from love to drugs to Australia to horses to California. Who knew that Bernie was a champion on the cutting circuit? An entertaining read. #Scattershot #BernieTaupin #EltonJohn #California #Australia #Horses #NetGalley

I was surprised I liked this book as much as I did. I didn’t know much about Taupin but now I do and a fascinating life he has led. From France to Mexico and all stops in between Taupin has seen and done it all including drinking, drugs, womanizing, partying, and becoming deeply involved in literature, the arts , and get this-the rodeo! Yes , you read it right-the rodeo. For a guy without much of a formal education, Taupin is extremely literate and well read and writes very well. Elton looms in the background of this memoir but this book is not about him or even his relationship with Taupin. It’s about Taupin’s life-and what an interesting life its been. Highly recommended.

I liked this book more that I might have expected. Bernie Taupin is, of course, the other half of the duo that's completed by Elton John. Bernie is the lyricist behind so many very popular songs. In addition to his great success with Elton John, he wrote popular songs for other performers, as well.

When reading an autobiography by someone with this type of entertainment success, I worry that I'll just get an avalanche of pointless name-dropping. Don't get me wrong. I could take a header over the piles of names dropped in this book, but it doesn't come off as that. Rather, he tells stories of the ups and downs of his years in music and the various people who were a part of that, either directly or tangentially.

If you're looking for insight into the meanings or origins of his lyrics, Mr. Taupin does give some of that but also admits that some of it isn't clear even to him. For that matter, he writes that some should be left to the interpretation of the listeners. "That's the beauty of songwriting. Having those listening use their own imagination and draw their own conclusions is half the fun. It's like abstract art." He also acknowledges certain lyrics that haven't aged well: "the less said about 'Island Girl' the better."

This book goes beyond his work as a lyricist. We learn about his foray into being a restaurateur, his involvement in ranching, horses, bull-riding, and more, and a lot about his personal life. It's a pretty full picture. And of course, there are many insights into his writing process and inspiration for certain songs.

This book definitely is worth your time!

A note to the publisher: please give this book a good editing. The content is excellent, but there are silly errors that can be corrected before the official launch of the book. ("Stationary" when the proper word is "stationery." "Aquatinted" for "acquainted." "Chartered" instead of "charted." "Shoot" instead of "chute" on more than one occasion, when talking about bull riding. Just silly mistakes, but too many of them and all easily fixed.)

Review: I wanted to love this and think I would have preferred it on audio. It was so long and so drawn out and detailed that my mind drifted often. The lyrics Bernie Taupin wrote are more for me.
Recommended For: Elton John fans will enjoy this.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this when it is released in September. I was so excited to be able to read this via NetGalley!

This book is wonderful! It's like listening to a friend tell stories. Bernie moves around in time throughout the book, but it flows wonderfully. If you want stories about Elton, this isn't really a book for you. BUT, it is so worth reading, even if you aren't a big fan of Taupin & John. I hated for this book to end, so I savored it.

Seriously one of the best "rock" books I've read. Also one of the best memoirs. Do yourself a favor and read this!!

Lou Reed said, "Just because I wrote it doesn't mean I know what it's about."

The opening paragraphs promised a very good read, however that was not to be the case. Though thoughtful and smart, Bernie failed to deliver anything of note to capture and keep my interest. It isn't enough to be a great lyricist. And just like Neil Young, it doesn't make you a good memoirist.

...I had in me a deeper desire to search for something different, a wider range of what was out there, not exactly hiding in plain sight, but evidently existing off the radar somewhere. It was my crusade, an archeological adventure, that became a lifelong quest...

And just as those words above are the likely ones to demonstrate his creative impetus, Bernie still managed to segue off to retelling his Hollywood drinking and drugging adventures with the musical and acting elite. Not impressed.

...it was Dylan, a man who has never concerned himself with losing out in order to remain contrary...

And it still is Bob Dylan doing what it is that makes a story interesting. And Bernie...I had to quit reading him for the same reasons Bernie tried to make about art and authenticity.

I’ve always been drawn to the quieter half of dynamic duos. I promptly requested this book when I saw it pop up on NetGalley.

I found Bernie Taupin an engaging writer. There were quite a few surprises for me found within. He debunked some long told Hollywood stories regarding Elton and himself, and clarified their relationship in a manner I hadn’t previously understood. Overall interesting and worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Books for granting access to a digital ARC for the purpose of review.

Scattershot is an apt title for book that is not a traditional autobiography. It is a collection of impressions and memories by Bernie Taupin, Elton John's writing partner. I somehow had been under the impression that the relationship between the two had, for the most part, been only professional. That impression was very wrong. Some of the most affecting parts of the book deal with their beginnings-at one point the two of the lived with Elton John's mother, sleeping on a set of bunk beds. He writes
"On Monday morning, October 27, 1969, [John's mother] fried up a couple of eggs, slotted in some toast and brewed three cups of tea while I wrote something called 'Your Song'

The great bulk of Taupin's story is set in Las Angeles beginning with John's famous appearances at the Troubadour. He debunks the stories of all those who have subsequently claimed to be there that night and lists those who were. We are led through that first year or so when the two partners were on the very cusp of fame and does a wonderful job of painting a Hollywood in transition between old and new, including a meeting with Frank Sinatra.

Most of the rest of the story is taken up describing a blur of marriages, partying and friendships with the famous. Some of this is quite funny but a lot of it seemed repetitious to me. Taupin does have an interesting history as a professional cutting horse rider, professional musician and professional artist. He does include all these things and I would have like to hear more. All the same, in my opinion a very good book

I stopped reading this book a few chapters in as I just couldn't get into it. I really was interested in it because I thought he would tell more stories of how certain songs came to be written. Maybe that does happen later in the book. It was just hard for me understand what he was saying, and I didn't like the writing style,