They Can't Hide Us Anymore - Hardcover

Havens, Richie; Davidowitz, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0380977184 ISBN 13: 9780380977185

Publisher: Spike, 1999

Synopsis

The singer-songwriter offers a glimpse of the creativity and social conscience of the 1960s and describes his musical career and dedication to the causes of conservation, children's rights, and peace

About this title

About the Author

Richie Havens has been performing and recording for more than thirty years. He has also been active in environmental, young people's, and nonviolence causes. He lives in New Jersey.

Reviews

The first time Havens played a "real" coffeehouse in Greenwich Village, he credited the best song in his repertoire to an unknown folksinger named Gene Michaels. Afterward, a young man came up to him in tears, congratulating him on his beautiful rendition of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." The tearful young man, it turned out, was Bob Dylan. Ever since he launched his career in Greenwich Village in the '60s, African-American/Native American folksinger Havens (a native Brooklynite) has assumed the role of the big-hearted ally of the underdog. It should come as little surprise, therefore, that much of his autobiography trumpets the talents of artists such as Fred Neil, the little-known singer/songwriter who scored his only hit with "Everybody's Talkin' at Me," penned for the film Midnight Cowboy. The tendency to focus on the obscure typifies the bookAand Havens, too. He denies any regrets that the highlight of his career came earlyAwhen he opened Woodstock in 1969Aclaiming that money and fame are secondary to him. Some readers may lament the absence of superstar gossip, particularly about Dylan, but these reminiscences, mostly of the '60s scene, steer clear of such things. He fondly remembers his heady Village days, describing endless all-night hootenannies and song-swapping sessions. Guitarists will especially appreciate the detailed description, with accompanying photographs, of Havens's unique open-tuning barre-chord method of playing. This is a generous book by an undeniably generous spirit.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In a genial if slightly bland narrative, the highly regarded folk music legend dishes out equal parts autobiography and personal philosophy. Born and reared in a music-loving home in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn (then a working-class melting pot, later to become a symbol of urban blight), teen-aged Richie Havens lit off for the bright lights of Manhattans Greenwich Village as the folk scene there was beginning to attract national attention. A largely self-taught polymathhe sings, writes, paints, dabbles in film and the media artsHavens initially supported himself as a street artist while making the connections that would enable him to express his creativity through music. Gradually, he emerged from the Village club circuit, landing a contract, with MGMs long-defunct recording arm (where he had his own label). Things really took off, however, when he was selected as the opening act at Woodstock, where his performance caught the fancy of a generation. Havens is at his best when describing the famous from his nearly 40-year-long career: Bob Dylan, whose rising tide lifted all boats on the Village scene; actor Louis Gossett Jr., who possesses a little-known flair for song-writing; Havenss childhood friend Kenny Schneider, whose drug-propelled demise served both as a cautionary example and source of sadness to Havens. Other surprises in this book include the instruction on playing guitar with Havenss trademark open tuning bar chord method and his myriad accomplishments in and away from music as a theatrical impresario, environmentalist, high-tech entrepreneur, and goodwill ambassador. While his exploits make interesting reading, Havenss personal philosophies are at occasional turns confusing and wearying. For instance, his strong denouncement of drugs while also advocating marijuana use might seem inconsistent to some (but quite sensible to the pro-cannabis crowd). And his takes on the universality of humankind and human experience tend to ramble on. Nevertheless, Havenss fans and '60s nostalgiasts will find this a most evocative memoir. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

In the collections of music fans of a certain age, albums by Jimi Hendrix often sit next to those by Richie Havens. While Havens lacks the incendiary force that propelled Hendrix into rock'n'roll divinity, his blending of several musical styles, his social activism, and his genuine sense of humanity have made him an important cultural touchstone. In this memoir, he takes us from Greenwich Village, where he learned his chops, to the historic 1965 Newport Folk Festival and to Woodstock, where he played for hours while other acts struggled through the fans to reach the stage. His recollections of brilliant but forgotten singer/songwriters may lead readers to search out the music that mattered, and his memories of the doomed victims of "show business disease," like Hendrix and Janis Joplin, make us realize how lucky we are to have someone still with us to tell the tale. Recommended for all public libraries.
-ADan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Havens is best remembered for starting the music at Woodstock, the original drugs-mud-and-music bash, in 1969. Oh, the soundtrack album of the documentary film Woodstock leads off with John Sebastian, but in fact, Havens answered the call when the incredible crowd kept other performers from the stage. As he recalls it, his act was "the perfect choice [to open the festival]; there were only three of us and we had the fewest instruments." Legendary hip capitalist Michael Lang arranged to have Havens and band transported to the besieged stage by helicopter. That dramatic entrance struck a chord with Havens: "I had come to Woodstock with a feeling that I was not one of few, but one of many and the moment we touched ground I knew that was true." Thereafter, Havens never attained the pinnacle of pop stardom, but then, that is obviously not the most important thing to a man who cares deeply about the state of the world and the depth of his art. A child of working parents--his mother was a bookbinder of Caribbean lineage, his father a Blackfoot Indian who made formica tables--as well as of Brooklyn's notorious Bedford-Stuyvesant district, Havens waxes eloquent on drugs, politics, and social conditions in his engaging and ultimately satisfying as-told-to autobiography. In his book as in his songs' lyrics, Havens is primarily interested in soulful communication. Its readers will be reminded of some of the best things to come out of the '60s and relive a little of the Woodstock spirit. Just make them give up the car keys first. Mike Tribby

Edition details

• Publisher: Spike
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0380977184
• ISBN 13: 9780380977185
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352