The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic
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- Create Date：2024-03-19 14:21:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Daniel de Visé
- ISBN：0802160980
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Reviews
Annarella
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I think I saw The Blues Brothers at least 10 times and can quote entire scenes by heart。 This was a book according to my heart: full of behind the scenes， anedoctes and details。A must read if you are a fan of the movieHighly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC， all opinions are mine
Annie
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Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader。 The Blues Brothers is a well balanced bio-retrospective and history of the iconic film and associated culture by Daniel de Visé。 Due out 19th March 2024 from Grove Atlantic， it's 400 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 The book is absolutely packed full of reminiscence， history， and background; from the original Not Ready for Primetime troupe （Ackroyd， Belushi， Radner， Murray and the others） to the culture of improv Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader。 The Blues Brothers is a well balanced bio-retrospective and history of the iconic film and associated culture by Daniel de Visé。 Due out 19th March 2024 from Grove Atlantic， it's 400 pages and will be available in hardcover， audio， and ebook formats。 The book is absolutely packed full of reminiscence， history， and background; from the original Not Ready for Primetime troupe （Ackroyd， Belushi， Radner， Murray and the others） to the culture of improv comedy， the whole zeitgeist of the early 80s， and the chaos and drug use， and the filming of the Blues Brothers。 It's not just about the film， and for all folks who have come to adore it in the nearly 45 years since it hit the theaters， there are also lots of takeaways for fans of 80s culture， rhythm & blues， and the actors and musicians and their wider circle of influence。 Four and a half stars。 Definitely one for public library acquisition， nonfiction readers， culture and film fans， and potentially as support curriculum for culture/film classes。 It's very well annotated and the bibliography will provide many hours of further reading。 It's a melancholy read。Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
M
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cently my library coworkers were planning a new film series--monthly afternoon musicals。 We each picked our favourites and I said The Blues Brothers--no hesitation。 I love this movie so maybe I can't be objective about the book。 Anyway， here goes。。。I liked this book alot but I was expecting a bit more focus on the movie。 Roughly the first 40% is about the history of comedy and detailed biographies of John Belushi， Dan Aykroyd and Lorne Michaels。 It was fascinating information just not what I was cently my library coworkers were planning a new film series--monthly afternoon musicals。 We each picked our favourites and I said The Blues Brothers--no hesitation。 I love this movie so maybe I can't be objective about the book。 Anyway， here goes。。。I liked this book alot but I was expecting a bit more focus on the movie。 Roughly the first 40% is about the history of comedy and detailed biographies of John Belushi， Dan Aykroyd and Lorne Michaels。 It was fascinating information just not what I was expecting。 I should have paid more attention to the subtitle which clearly identifies that these subjects will be covered。 The book made me laugh and broke my heart。 I've read a number of books about John Belushi and the chaos of Saturday Night Live's early days but this book had a different perspective。 It showed Belushi's wild creativity and great capacity for joy。 It also showed how much he was loved by those in his life who tried desperately to keep him away from the drugs that killed him。 Belushi's own desire to stop his destructive behaviour and his tragic inability to do so makes the book a devastating read。I will recommend this book to people like me who love this crazy movie！ 。。。more
John Schorg
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This history of The Blues Brothers is at least the third book that attempts to justify claims of classic status for movie comedies released in 1980。。。the others dealt with Caddyshack and Airplane。 For me， Used Cars was a better， funnier film from that year。 I remember The Blues Brothers as a deadpan film that rewarded multiple viewings back in 1980 but hasn't aged as well in the years since。 If you've read anything about John Belushi in the years since his death， nothing in this new book will su This history of The Blues Brothers is at least the third book that attempts to justify claims of classic status for movie comedies released in 1980。。。the others dealt with Caddyshack and Airplane。 For me， Used Cars was a better， funnier film from that year。 I remember The Blues Brothers as a deadpan film that rewarded multiple viewings back in 1980 but hasn't aged as well in the years since。 If you've read anything about John Belushi in the years since his death， nothing in this new book will surprise you。 More enjoyable are the sections of the book about Dan Aykroyd， who is one of the great sketch comedians of all time， but one who hasn't garnered the same level of attention as Belushi。 If you've read nothing about the movie or these talents， here's a good place to start。 。。。more
Nancy
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I LOVED this audiobook。 If you’re a fan of laughing … this era of comedy， SNL … then stop reading these reviews … get this audiobook & experience it the way I just did。 I love this era of SNL！ This book wasn’t just about the The Blues Brothers。 It covered at least a decade， early 70’s through early 80’s。 20% in and it’s all about John Belushi， then Dan Aykroyd and the comedians of the era of Second City & The Lemmings。 This is a good solid start to the book！！ You get a feel for these two perform I LOVED this audiobook。 If you’re a fan of laughing … this era of comedy， SNL … then stop reading these reviews … get this audiobook & experience it the way I just did。 I love this era of SNL！ This book wasn’t just about the The Blues Brothers。 It covered at least a decade， early 70’s through early 80’s。 20% in and it’s all about John Belushi， then Dan Aykroyd and the comedians of the era of Second City & The Lemmings。 This is a good solid start to the book！！ You get a feel for these two performers， where they came from， the crowd they moved in & where they were headed。 This is their origin story。 30% in & you get to meet the first cast of SNL & Lorne Michaels。 I didn’t know that Belushi & Aykroyd were such close friends。 OMG land shark！ The BEEs！ The Samurai。 This has opened me up to an entire world of SNL backlist to watch。 Check！ Jane Curtain， Lorraine Newman， Gilda Radner， Chevy Chase， John Belushi， Dan Aykroyd … We’re just 35% in when The Blues Brothers band hits the scene … Dan did a lot of writing for SNL。 I’ve seen a big book about SNL on the bookstore shelf， I’m even more intrigued。 It’s fascinating to hear the backstory of SNL。 So much SNL。 The Star Trek skit。 Danny & John did several cross country road trips。 Friends。 Oh my。 John’s escapades with drugs。 Bill Murray enters the scene & The Coneheads。 We’re up to 1975 & we’re only 43% in。 Animal House and National Lampoon。 We meet John Landis。 The director of The Blues Brothers。 And Animal House！ Going South with Jack Nicholson。 Steve Martin … exccccuuuse me。 Cheese Burger Cheese Burger … The Billy Goat Tavern。 50% … we’re at The Blues Brothers and every sentence is bringing it all back。 I feel I need to give you something to look forward to。 I recommend this book and the deep dive you will take after … or like me … while … listening to it。 The Blues Brothers movie was written by Dan Aykroyd & the director John Landis。 This book prompted me to stop & buy the HD edition of The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000。 Next up will be videos from the early era of SNL。 I’m in for hours of belly laughs。 Thank you NetGalley & Dreamscape Media。 This is a true gem！ Good choice of narrator。 。。。more
Heather
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As someone who has seen the Blue Brothers countless times。 （First hyper fixation / special interest of my life。 ） I was thrilled to go into this book relatively blind to content。 Beyond learning facts that I didn't know of the movie， there are biographies and peeks into John and Dan's lives pre-friendship and throughout the years。 To me their act was always near and dear to my heart given my love of blues music and that the Blues Brothers was the first movie that I can remember sharing with my f As someone who has seen the Blue Brothers countless times。 （First hyper fixation / special interest of my life。 ） I was thrilled to go into this book relatively blind to content。 Beyond learning facts that I didn't know of the movie， there are biographies and peeks into John and Dan's lives pre-friendship and throughout the years。 To me their act was always near and dear to my heart given my love of blues music and that the Blues Brothers was the first movie that I can remember sharing with my father at a very young age。 I was left in tears from how Daniel De Visé wrote of John's death and funeral。 I knew about John's death but unlike docs I've seen。 This book had gave looks into the history of the drug usage and the implosion of the comedian。 It is so tragic to know more of the events that led up to his death and its effects。 The book is woven in a way that I finished the read in one sitting and though it made me sad it is definitely a book that I will be picking up once it is released。 。。。more
Kristin
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_The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship， the Rise of Improv， and the Making of an American Film Classic_ by Daniel De Visé， narrated by Johnny Heller， is an engrossing， detailed， and tragic read that delves deep into the work and personal lives of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd， their friendship， and addiction that ultimately ended their partnership。 Having grown up watching the comedy classics including _The Blues Brothers_， I greatly enjoyed learning about the production of the movie and how the _The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship， the Rise of Improv， and the Making of an American Film Classic_ by Daniel De Visé， narrated by Johnny Heller， is an engrossing， detailed， and tragic read that delves deep into the work and personal lives of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd， their friendship， and addiction that ultimately ended their partnership。 Having grown up watching the comedy classics including _The Blues Brothers_， I greatly enjoyed learning about the production of the movie and how the film incorporated and renewed popularity for blues greats such as Aretha Franklin and James Brown， and influenced future entertainment。 The book also tells the personal stories of the actors and the drug culture so easily available to them。 The narrator Johnny Heller is perfect for the content， and does well giving voice to De Visé’s writing。This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Myssi Whitfield
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This review is for the audiobook version which I gained early access to through NetGalley and Dreamscape Media。 #TheBluesBrothers #NetGalleyThe Blues Brothers were on a mission from God to save the orphanage where they grew up。 The movie was on a mission from Aykroyd to introduce us to great music and musicians。 De Visé's mission is to tell us how one man's obsession with the blues and law enforcement and friendship/partnership with Belushi led to the duo performing as Joliet Jake and Elwood， re This review is for the audiobook version which I gained early access to through NetGalley and Dreamscape Media。 #TheBluesBrothers #NetGalleyThe Blues Brothers were on a mission from God to save the orphanage where they grew up。 The movie was on a mission from Aykroyd to introduce us to great music and musicians。 De Visé's mission is to tell us how one man's obsession with the blues and law enforcement and friendship/partnership with Belushi led to the duo performing as Joliet Jake and Elwood， recording an album， opening for Steve Martin， getting the band together again， making a movie and eventually creating a brand。 The book includes a lot of details about Belushi's and Aykroyd's time at Second City， National Lampoon and SNL， including costars， girlfriends and nemeses。 Much of that information has been available in various books and documentaries， but what I found myself stopping what I was doing to pay close attention to was the story about how they came to film in Chicago。 There was an unspoken ban on filming officially in the Windy City until The Blues Brothers came along。 Because of Aykroyd， Belushi and Landis， it's understood that that is why we have so many other memorable films where the city basically is its own unspoken character。 The book also goes into detail about what went on behind the scenes: editing， cinematography， costumes， location scouting， hiring extras （and the drama），dealing with the unions and avoiding working with county officials and finally the opening and promotion of the movie and its legacy。Narrator Johnny Heller does a great Belushi and a fine job with the others' voices。 There are places where the editing is obvious because the voice sounds different but not intentionally。 It's distracting， but it doesn't takeaway from the story。 。。。more
Teena in Toronto
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I first saw The Blues Brothers in the fall of 1980。 I was in my first year in university and they would show movies in an auditorium for $1。 My friend and I walked out after about 10 minutes of watching this movie because we thought it was dumb and sucked。 I've since seen it many times and can now appreciate the humour。 And I like their albums （I saw Matt "Guitar" Murphy a few times live back in the late 1980s/early 1990s in bars here in Toronto）。When I saw there was a book about the movie， I th I first saw The Blues Brothers in the fall of 1980。 I was in my first year in university and they would show movies in an auditorium for $1。 My friend and I walked out after about 10 minutes of watching this movie because we thought it was dumb and sucked。 I've since seen it many times and can now appreciate the humour。 And I like their albums （I saw Matt "Guitar" Murphy a few times live back in the late 1980s/early 1990s in bars here in Toronto）。When I saw there was a book about the movie， I thought it would be an interesting read 。。。 and it was。 The book starts by giving us the backgrounds of John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd， their meeting here in Toronto， and their friendship and working relationship through Second City， Saturday Night Live （as I was reading the book， I'd stop at times and look up on YouTube scenes discussed） and eventually becoming The Blues Brothers。 I've read a couple books about John Belushi and thought this one was good。 It provides lots of info without being too detailed and boring。 It was interesting to see how things worked behind the scenes to get things done and the interactions between people on movies including Animal House and The Blues Brothers。 The amount of drugs and booze that were always available to and used by everyone was amazing and scary。 Given Belushi's issues and eventual early death， this book tends to focus more on him， which was fine。 I didn't find him likeable as a person as he didn't treat people very well at times， especially as he become more famous and drug-addicted。 I'm surprised his wife， Judy， put up with him for so long 。。。 my inclination would have been to tell him to get help with his additions or I'd be gone， but she apparently had her own addiction issues。My only issue with this book is it would have been nice to include pictures （there were none）。 I read an ARC so maybe there are some in the final version？Blog review post: http://www。teenaintoronto。com/2024/03。。。 。。。more
Calista Wielgos
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book。 I was really excited to read this book。 As someone who grew up in a place where the movie was filmed and the child of a huge John Belushi fan， I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the Blues Brothers。 Being able to hear the whole story behind the actors and how everything and everyone came together to create the movie was very cool。 I loved all the research put into this and enjoyed listening to this book！
Jill Elizabeth
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（My review is based on the audiobook）I LOVED THIS！ I am a long-time fan of The Blues Brothers， Belushi， Aykroyd， and SNL and this was a glorious， albeit heartbreaking， peek behind the curtain。 I have read a few things about SNL and its artists previously， but this was my first full-on biography of the Brothers Blues， and I loved the way the focus shifted from Belushi to Aykroyd to the rise of their particularly flavor of sketch comedy - both in person and on TV in both the US and Canada。 The por （My review is based on the audiobook）I LOVED THIS！ I am a long-time fan of The Blues Brothers， Belushi， Aykroyd， and SNL and this was a glorious， albeit heartbreaking， peek behind the curtain。 I have read a few things about SNL and its artists previously， but this was my first full-on biography of the Brothers Blues， and I loved the way the focus shifted from Belushi to Aykroyd to the rise of their particularly flavor of sketch comedy - both in person and on TV in both the US and Canada。 The portions about the movie were brilliant and some of my favorites - although I can see where a die-hard fan might not catch all the references or enjoy the miniscule details。 I certainly did though， and the narration definitely made this an even more enjoyable ride for me。 I loved the way he managed to capture the differences in personality， and the rise and fall of Belushi over time。 It's a tragedy， watching someone implode like that， and it's a tale that never gets any less tragic no matter how many times you hear it （both in a particular person's context or in the context of artists as a whole）。 Still， it was a thrill-a-minute ride and one I wholeheartedly enjoyed watching from behind the curtain！Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy。 。。。more
Ink
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The Blues Brothers written by Daniel De Visé and narrated by Johnny Heller is a wonderful insight into one of the best films （imho）。 As a GenXr， I loved the music of the Blues Brothers， the vibe， the friendship and it is one of the most enduring and fun films of my lifetime。 But， I never knew that it came out of an SNL character？ Likewise， as much as I adore John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd in the film， I didn't know their back stories。 However， this is no longer the case as this fantastic audiobook The Blues Brothers written by Daniel De Visé and narrated by Johnny Heller is a wonderful insight into one of the best films （imho）。 As a GenXr， I loved the music of the Blues Brothers， the vibe， the friendship and it is one of the most enduring and fun films of my lifetime。 But， I never knew that it came out of an SNL character？ Likewise， as much as I adore John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd in the film， I didn't know their back stories。 However， this is no longer the case as this fantastic audiobook， narrated by the very talented and very well matched Johnny Heller answers these questions and so much more。 The book explores the friendship between Ackroyd and Belushi， the development of the scene， the contribution to the 80s comedy scene。 This is certainly one of the most significant movies I have seen in my lifetime and indeed， it is revered as one of the greatest movies of the 20th Century。 I was utterly rapt as Daniel De Visé goes beyond the usual tales of the film and explores the culture， friendships and minutae that made this film so great If you like good music， if you like classic （oh lawd that makes me feel old， but heyho） films， then this is the audiobook for you Thank you to Netgalley， Dreamscape Media， the author Daniel De Visé and the narrator Johnny Heller for this exceptional ALC。 My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own 。。。more
Sam Sattler
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Those of us who tuned into NBC's Saturday Night back in the day just to get another dose of John Belushi's craziness （in my case， it was also to see Gilda Radner in action） should not have been surprised by John's sudden death or even the way that he died。 But most of us still were。 Daniel de Visé's The Blues Brothers， part dual-biography， part show business history， and part cultural history， is a vivid recreation of those times。 Dan Aykroid and John Belushi were destined to become best friends Those of us who tuned into NBC's Saturday Night back in the day just to get another dose of John Belushi's craziness （in my case， it was also to see Gilda Radner in action） should not have been surprised by John's sudden death or even the way that he died。 But most of us still were。 Daniel de Visé's The Blues Brothers， part dual-biography， part show business history， and part cultural history， is a vivid recreation of those times。 Dan Aykroid and John Belushi were destined to become best friends at some point in their lives。 The two men followed remarkably similar career paths to the "overnight success" and sudden stardom they seemed to achieve as cast members of Saturday Night。 Both were products of comedy clubs， Akyroid in Toronto and Belushi in his home town of Chicago， that featured small groups of improvisational comedians so when they began working together on Saturday Night， the magic came early and it came often。Surprisingly， it would be the relatively nerdy Dan Akyroid who ended up introducing the more worldly John Belushi to a style of music he knew almost nothing about despite having grown up in Chicago。 Belushi was quick to pick up on Akyroid's enthusiasm for the sound， and it was probably inevitable that their shared love of the blues would be reflected on television screens all over America。 And that television version of The Blues Brothers band turned out to be so much fun and so popular a concept， that in 1980 it led directly to the outrageously expensive and difficult-to-film movie The Blues Brothers， a movie that is now considered to be a true film classic。 The success of The Blues Brothers movie made the pair， but especially Belushi， such hot stars that Belushi's already problematic relationship to alcohol and drugs grew to out-of-control levels that began to threaten his marriage， his ability to work， and his life。 Despite the efforts of those who knew him best， there was no going back for John Belushi。Fans of the movie （and the musical genre） will be especially pleased to see how many pages the book devotes to the making of The Blues Brothers。 The utter destruction and chaos endured by the city of Chicago during its filming is so unbelievable that it is difficult to believe that it was ever allowed to happen。 This was an incredibly expensive and difficult movie to make， but even after expenditures reached a point of no return， the millions of dollars kept adding up to the extent that recovering even the cost of the movie seemed impossible to studio executives。 The Blues Brothers was an important movie in another sense; it jumpstarted the waning careers of some blues regulars who were barely hanging on in 1980。 Ray Charles， Cab Calloway， Aretha Franklin， and James Brown found a whole new generation of fans， and some would go on to enjoy the most lucrative years of their entire careers。Reading The Blues Brothers is a little like watching a massive train wreck in slow motion， but the book is packed with so many details and stories that Blues Brothers fans are certain to be intrigued by what they learn from it。 。。。more
Sam
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This book is so interesting！ The Blues Brothers are back！ As a comedy fan， following the stories of two heavy-hitters as they become The Blues Brothers was incredibly entertaining to read。 It was clearly well-researched， with a lot of direct quotes and insight from those in the orbit of the film。 I do think it ends a bit slow: the pacing is consistent until Belushi’s passing and then kind of abruptly stops。 It also kind of made me hate John Belushi， a guy who was a complete dick to everyone and This book is so interesting！ The Blues Brothers are back！ As a comedy fan， following the stories of two heavy-hitters as they become The Blues Brothers was incredibly entertaining to read。 It was clearly well-researched， with a lot of direct quotes and insight from those in the orbit of the film。 I do think it ends a bit slow: the pacing is consistent until Belushi’s passing and then kind of abruptly stops。 It also kind of made me hate John Belushi， a guy who was a complete dick to everyone and they all were content to overlook it just because he was funny。 It does made me want to check out his other work though， so maybe I don’t completely hate him。 Overall this books like a labor of love， from a comedy fan to comedy fans who want a peek behind the curtain of how films get made。Thank you to NetGalley， Daniel de Visé， and Grove Atlantic for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Maria Smith
，
A truly great read for fans of the Blues Brothers and early Saturday Night Live。 Very well researched and written， I stayed hooked throughout。 A fitting tribute to John Belushi and Dan Ackryod， as well as Aretha， Ray Charles， James Brown and Cab Calloway。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。
Dan
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My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this new book about a musical duo who might have started to fill some time on a live show， but became something much bigger， much more important， and changed quite a few careers。 My father loved to laugh。 My father also loved jazz and the blues。 He also worked nights， so late night television was his best friend when he had days off and he couldn't get used to sleeping at night。 I was usually drafted to watch tel My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this new book about a musical duo who might have started to fill some time on a live show， but became something much bigger， much more important， and changed quite a few careers。 My father loved to laugh。 My father also loved jazz and the blues。 He also worked nights， so late night television was his best friend when he had days off and he couldn't get used to sleeping at night。 I was usually drafted to watch television with him。 I know we watched Saturday Night Live， and Fridays， and after getting illegal cable everything that probably a boy under ten shouldn't be watching。 That brings us to The Blues Brothers Movie， premiering on cable。 I remember Dad saying， "I read they crashed a lot of cars"， and the movie began。 And I loved it。 Well it was too long， and some stuff went over my head。 I really remember the music。 And making Nazis miserable。 And the car crashes。 We went to Caldor's the next day and I got the soundtrack， on vinyl， and for some reason the Blues Brothers album on cassette。 One I still have， the other lost to time。 I loved both those guys。 They seemed to be having fun。 Making music， crashing cars what a life I thought。 Though the price of this life was too much for one， as we soon learned。 The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship， the Rise of Improv， and the Making of an American Film Classic by writer and journalist Daniel de Visé is a look at the creation of The Blues Brothers， and the varied events in music， television， stage， culture and more that came together to anoint these men on their mission from God。 The book begins with a look at both men。 John Belushi was born in Chicago of Albanian parents， whose parenting skills were lacking in many ways。 John was a smart kid， who didn't want to show it， sports was his outlet， as well as his escape from his family。 John， however had an artistic side， which combined with a need to be the center of attention drove him to try acting。 John had a drive to win， but he also had a drive for self-sabotage， something that followed him in life。 Dan Aykroyd was born in Canada， of successful parents， with an almost photographic memory， a love for facts， and a lot of tics。 The world of entertainment drew Aykroyd， and his lack of wanting to be in the spotlight， as well as his ability to write made him in demand in the world of improv。 Here John and Aykroyd came together， becoming fast friends， than soul mates， than writing partners。 First on the new show Saturday Night， and later with Aykroyd taking over the writing in movies。 An idea for a band， singing Chicago blues hit them one night， expanded， and soon became a phenomenon， and a movie。 And for many a career changing event。 Another great book from Daniel de Visé。 If one has not read de Visé's book on B。 B。 King， buy both these books together and have a great week of reading。 This look at The Blues Brothers is so much more than just about two men。 de Visé looks at the changing world of comedy， the out with the older generation in with the new。 The control that Chicago Improv had on comedy during the 70's and 80's。 Blues music， and how the genre was almost dying in many ways until two white guys began to sing with a great backing band。 And much more。 Changes in television， the movie industry， even music。 de Visé has a real gift in being able to write about all the subjects in a way that makes everything clear。 Plus the research， the interviews really give a sense of the times， the people， and the waste of good people dying so early。 I knew I would like this book， but each page had something interesting， something new， or a different way of looking at events。 The narrative never lags， never canonizes certain people， or drags others。 A wonderful book for a lot of people。Recommended for fans of comedy of course。 The behind the scenes movie stuff was interesting， as well as the behind the scenes music， so media history reader will definitely like this。 A whole lot of fun， complete with a soundtrack to play while reading。 。。。more
Jonathan Northall
，
Daniel de Visé has produced a fantastic book。 The title is a misnomer because the narrative covers so much more than The Blues Brothers film。 The book flows easily through the lives of both John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd so the reader understands the reasons why， and how the film was made。It is the life of Belushi that dominates the narrative and deservedly so。 As a force of comedic nature beset on personal destruction， Belushi’s story is fascinating。 Ackroyd， like his character in the film， is se Daniel de Visé has produced a fantastic book。 The title is a misnomer because the narrative covers so much more than The Blues Brothers film。 The book flows easily through the lives of both John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd so the reader understands the reasons why， and how the film was made。It is the life of Belushi that dominates the narrative and deservedly so。 As a force of comedic nature beset on personal destruction， Belushi’s story is fascinating。 Ackroyd， like his character in the film， is secondary to the narrative， but still important。 The pages are packed with stories that entertain， shock， and invoke many more emotions。Plenty of the book is set aside to Saturday Night Live where the idea of The Blues Brothers germinated。 There are plenty of anecdotes around this period including how， and why， some of the iconic moments of the TV programme occurred。 It’s littered with star-studded names and the book is worth reading for that alone。Fans of the film will enjoy the back half of the book as Jake and Elwood come to life and the story of the production is relayed。 The book is well researched and de Visé should be commended for pulling together a fascinating read。I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Brendan （History Nerds United）
，
The Blues Brothers by Daniel de Visé will be a different book to different people and it almost entirely depends on how much you love John Belushi， Dan Aykroyd， and the move The Blues Brothers。If you've never heard of any of them or the movie， then this is not a book for you。 While de Visé writes a well researched and competent book， it relies heavily on nostalgia for the main protagonists。 You would be better off just watching The Blues Brothers because I am part of the second group who loves e The Blues Brothers by Daniel de Visé will be a different book to different people and it almost entirely depends on how much you love John Belushi， Dan Aykroyd， and the move The Blues Brothers。If you've never heard of any of them or the movie， then this is not a book for you。 While de Visé writes a well researched and competent book， it relies heavily on nostalgia for the main protagonists。 You would be better off just watching The Blues Brothers because I am part of the second group who loves everything about the movie。For my fellow fanatics， de Visé provides plenty of behind the scenes information and an extended biography of Belushi。 Aykroyd gets much less attention throughout the narrative and very often the book feels completely overtaken by Belushi's drug habit。 This is probably appropriate as Belushi's drug habit overtook everything in his life and the people around him。 I felt de Visé gives Belushi a bit too much grace。 While we are luckily， as a society， moving away from vilifying addicts， it very much sounds like Belushi could be very difficult without the intervention of booze and drugs。 Also， de Visé takes quite a while to get to the actual Blues Brothers as both an act and a movie。 While there are quick glimpses， they only entire the narrative permanently almost midway through the book。However， even with these issues， there is plenty to capture the attention of fans。 The author did plenty of research and cares tremendously about his subjects。 That will be enough to keep fanatics happy。（This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Grove Atlantic。） 。。。more
Kasa Cotugno
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Immersive account that transcends its title。 I chose this thinking it would only cover the movie of the Blues Brothers， not knowing that it would deliver far more， what amounts to a deep dive into the culture that made the movie possible。 The backstories and early lives of Belushi and Ackroyd， also of Lorne Michaels， of Saturday Night Live and how the members of Chicago's Second City formed what became the defining comedy of the day that continues in one form or another to the present time。 It d Immersive account that transcends its title。 I chose this thinking it would only cover the movie of the Blues Brothers， not knowing that it would deliver far more， what amounts to a deep dive into the culture that made the movie possible。 The backstories and early lives of Belushi and Ackroyd， also of Lorne Michaels， of Saturday Night Live and how the members of Chicago's Second City formed what became the defining comedy of the day that continues in one form or another to the present time。 It did see that， like the fans， de Visé was more intrigued with Belushi， that his explosive personality overshadowed everything around him， and his story was predominant。 Stands to reason。 His talent and tragic， senseless early death have never lost their fascination。 。。。more
J Earl
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The Blues Brothers by Daniel de Visé is a wonderful look at a very specific time in popular culture by focusing on The Blues Brothers。 From understanding the people behind the characters to the rise in the popularity of improv through the creation of the characters and the movie， this volume tells a story much larger than just the making of one movie。Most readers who remember this time also know a fair amount of the stories about the key players， even though many of what we "know" may be false o The Blues Brothers by Daniel de Visé is a wonderful look at a very specific time in popular culture by focusing on The Blues Brothers。 From understanding the people behind the characters to the rise in the popularity of improv through the creation of the characters and the movie， this volume tells a story much larger than just the making of one movie。Most readers who remember this time also know a fair amount of the stories about the key players， even though many of what we "know" may be false or overblown。 What de Visé does is offer some fact-based background on Belushi and Ackroyd， as well as the world of improv comedy at the time， to show how a film like The Blues Brothers came to be， and how it has become such an iconic film。I really appreciated the way what led to the making of the film was given sufficient space。 Many books that use a film as a focal point for a bigger assessment spend so much time on the minutiae of the filmmaking itself that the cultural impact becomes secondary。 Or they use sensationalistic stories and anecdotes to help sell the book。 With the group of people involved in this story， some gossipy bits like that can't be ignored， they were part of what made the scene both appealing and， for some， less appealing。 But the sensationalism is downplayed here in favor of looking at what resulted from them rather than wallow in them。I did see one person who complained that the book spent time on things other than the movie。 I don't understand the complaint， the title itself makes clear it is about "an epic friendship， the rise of improv， and the making of an American film classic。" What about that title would make someone think it was just about the film？ Oh well， a heads up， read the entire title before reading a book， and especially before whining about a book not being what it never set out to be。I would certainly recommend this to fans of the movie as well as SNL fans。 I also think anyone with an interest in popular culture more broadly will find a lot to enjoy here。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Matt Springer
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This is an effective chronicle of one of the key threads that wove together around pop culture in the mid and late 1970s。 I’ve read Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s Saturday Night multiple times so I recognized some of the anecdotes…but this story only intersects with SNL and the author manages to start with the childhoods of Aykroyd， Belushi and Landis to build out the key players as they cross paths and connect around this pivotal moment in comedy。 I also really enjoyed the anecdotes specific to This is an effective chronicle of one of the key threads that wove together around pop culture in the mid and late 1970s。 I’ve read Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad’s Saturday Night multiple times so I recognized some of the anecdotes…but this story only intersects with SNL and the author manages to start with the childhoods of Aykroyd， Belushi and Landis to build out the key players as they cross paths and connect around this pivotal moment in comedy。 I also really enjoyed the anecdotes specific to the making of the film; the author does a great job of digging into the production and fleshing out the day to day of a production that ballooned out of control。 There was a lot of lightning caught in many bottles in the late 1970s and this book does a great job of chronicling the stories around one of those bottles。Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy。 。。。more
Keith Pizzo
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I have been a fan of The Blues Brothers since it hit theaters。 In my opinion， it remains one of the best movies of the 1980's。 I was aware that the characters were created on Saturday Night Live and that was all I really knew about how the film came to be。 Looking back now， I guess I just assumed that it was something that Lorne Michaels gave his blessing to like Wayne's World or the Coneheads movies。 That wasn't necessarily the case。 As a matter of fact， it was quite a fight just to get the cha I have been a fan of The Blues Brothers since it hit theaters。 In my opinion， it remains one of the best movies of the 1980's。 I was aware that the characters were created on Saturday Night Live and that was all I really knew about how the film came to be。 Looking back now， I guess I just assumed that it was something that Lorne Michaels gave his blessing to like Wayne's World or the Coneheads movies。 That wasn't necessarily the case。 As a matter of fact， it was quite a fight just to get the characters on the air！As I dove into this book， I learned the backstories of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd。 It was interesting to walk along side them on the road as they rose to fame。 I also loved reading about the other now famous names that they worked with prior to coming together at SNL， how they landed their gigs at 30 Rock， and the idea that eventually became The Blues Brothers。The book does a fine job of also giving readers a look at the personal lives of Belushi and Aykroyd。 It was hard to read about the struggles that Belushi had with drugs。 I was unaware of the steps that he had taken to try to break free from them。 Sadly， we all know that he eventually succumbed to them。 Making a movie is certainly not an easy thing。 Throughout this book， you will learn how an idea led to a huge script that had to be cut down， how the amazing musicians were put together， and how many of the great R&B singers came to be a part of the film。Blues Brothers fans will love this because of the familiar stories and the ones they haven't heard。 There is a good mixture of both。 There were plenty of stories in the book that will make me watch particular scenes in the film a bit more closely because of things it revealed。 I truly enjoyed the book and will be rushing out to get a hard copy of it when it is available March 19， 2024。 You can preorder it on Amazon now if you wish。 I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this before it was published。 I look forward to my next read！ 。。。more
Wendi Manning
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Some of my best memories of my youth come from The Blues Brothers。 Watching them play on SNL， the movie and the many many many quotes that came from it。 “Do you have this in Miss Piggy？” Or “We’re on a mission from God”Add to that that I live in Chicago， and this book had huge expectations for me。 It met them！ This isn’t just a “making of a movie” book， it’s a book about John， and Dan， and the way they came together to be comedy brothers and then make this fantastic film。 Due to John’s life， I k Some of my best memories of my youth come from The Blues Brothers。 Watching them play on SNL， the movie and the many many many quotes that came from it。 “Do you have this in Miss Piggy？” Or “We’re on a mission from God”Add to that that I live in Chicago， and this book had huge expectations for me。 It met them！ This isn’t just a “making of a movie” book， it’s a book about John， and Dan， and the way they came together to be comedy brothers and then make this fantastic film。 Due to John’s life， I knew a lot about it， but I didn’t know much about Dan and this filled in a lot of questions I’d had。 I learned a lot about both of them and how all of it came together。 Well researched， well written， and tons of gossipy details！ This one is a lot of fun and， again， being from Chicago， I know a few people who will be finding this in their stocking。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC， all opinions are mine。 。。。more
Michael
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"The Blues Brothers" by Daniel de Visé is an enjoyable， and at times heart-breaking， look at the creation of the Brothers themselves to the timeless film。 de Vise does not write this through the eye of a gossip reporter。 He tells the story as it happened。 He relates Belushi's drug habit without judgement but makes it clear how horrific this problem was。 The reader gets insight into the film making process in the 1970's as well。 Reading how some of the memorable scenes were created brings a smile "The Blues Brothers" by Daniel de Visé is an enjoyable， and at times heart-breaking， look at the creation of the Brothers themselves to the timeless film。 de Vise does not write this through the eye of a gossip reporter。 He tells the story as it happened。 He relates Belushi's drug habit without judgement but makes it clear how horrific this problem was。 The reader gets insight into the film making process in the 1970's as well。 Reading how some of the memorable scenes were created brings a smile too。 One can't help but get angry at how producers like Lorne Michaels enabled the drug scene that killed Belushi。 de Vise makes it clear there was a lot of enablement。 This is a great read for fans and non-films of the movie or of Belushi and Ackroyd。 Thanks to #Netgalley and #groveatlantic and #atlanticmonthlypress for the opportunity to preview this book。 。。。more
Lynnie
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Just from the title alone， this book contains tons of information and could have made separate biographies。 The first half of the book covers mostly John Belushi’s early life and when he began his drug habit。 The reader is taken down the career path where John meets Dan Aykroyd; both comedians overlapping and performing with The Second City Chicago comedy company。 The book highlights their work in SNL， as well as other members of the show， writer Lorne Michaels， and writer/director John Landis a Just from the title alone， this book contains tons of information and could have made separate biographies。 The first half of the book covers mostly John Belushi’s early life and when he began his drug habit。 The reader is taken down the career path where John meets Dan Aykroyd; both comedians overlapping and performing with The Second City Chicago comedy company。 The book highlights their work in SNL， as well as other members of the show， writer Lorne Michaels， and writer/director John Landis and his comedies。 The second half of the book focuses on the Belushi and Aykroyd relationship， Belushi’s excessive drug use， and the making of The Blues Brothers。 This is a good dense read and I recommend purchasing the book， not the e-book for allowing you to flip through the table of contents， footnotes， and just going back to something previously mentioned as the writer goes down the rabbit hole to bring the entire backstory。Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the e-Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship， the Rise of Improv， and the Making of an American Film Classic by Daniel de Visé。@groveatlantic@NetGalley 。。。more
C。G。 Twiles
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While the book focuses in on the Blues Brothers， the blues tribute band headed up by John Belushi and Dan Akroyd at their apex of SNL fame in the late 70s—it spawned a hit album and movie that introduced legions of suburban SNL fans to R&B—it's also a good primer on the histories of both comedians as well as their time at SNL， and the genesis of SNL， as well as other comedy troupes， especially the places where SNL poached most of its talent: Chicago's Second City and National Lampoon's hit radio While the book focuses in on the Blues Brothers， the blues tribute band headed up by John Belushi and Dan Akroyd at their apex of SNL fame in the late 70s—it spawned a hit album and movie that introduced legions of suburban SNL fans to R&B—it's also a good primer on the histories of both comedians as well as their time at SNL， and the genesis of SNL， as well as other comedy troupes， especially the places where SNL poached most of its talent: Chicago's Second City and National Lampoon's hit radio show。I'm pretty sure that something similar—two white guys singing black R&B songs and getting a record/movie deal out of it—wouldn't happen today。 It would be considered "cultural appropriation" by the younger generation， in which one is apparently only allowed to cover or have influences by artists of the same skin color。 Never mind that R&B is a meld of blues， country， and even folk songs of the very white Scots/Brits/Irish。 These days， everything is parsed by skin tone， and god forbid you "go out of your lane。" Whatever that means。Belushi and Akroyd were aware of the racism inherent in their being able to score a movie deal with black music—and aware of the charge of appropriation that was leveled even back then， when they started the gig as the warm-up band on SNL—and they appropriately stocked the movie with genuine R&B legends。 Many of them were brought back from obscurity and had their careers revived and made a lot of money。 It's also a nice delve into the "opposites attract" friendship of Dan and John。 John's vices would eventually kill him prematurely， and Dan would go onto even greater success with Ghostbusters and other movies that showcased his odd humor。 This was definitely a "smart alecky white guy gets the babes" time period， showcased also in the massive hit Animal House， and if that isn't your kind of thing， then steer clear。 But if you have fond memories of early SNL， or you just like reading about Hollywood and clever， drugged-up celebrities （count me the later）， then definitely pick this up。I subtract a star for the forced-sounding wokeism that occasionally pokes through the pages。 The most egregious being the author/publisher not even daring to say the "N word" （am I allowed to write that？） though it is simply quoting a famous sketch written by a black man， Richard Pryor。 Such are these times。 I just reviewed The Blues Brothers by Daniel de Visé。 #TheBluesBrothers #NetGalley。 Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher， and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mark Lieberman
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