Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me

Read Elton’s book which was brilliant and now it’s Bernie’s turn looks a very interesting read

Fascinating story, displaying all the poetic insights and left of field zingers that are a common element of his songs. At times there was a little too much info on past musicians and cattle wrangling but the raw insights into the ups and downs of unexpected fame make the book a very rewarding, pleasurable and occasionally beautiful read.

Was surprised how much I liked this book. Bernie has lived a very interesting and diverse life. Well worth a read

I had high hopes for this book, being a big fan of Elton John and wanting to learn more about the man behind many of his lyrics. Unfortunately, as others have said, this book offers very little information about Taupin's songwriting and even his relationship with Elton. Instead, it just seems to be a barrage of name-dropping anecdotes flitting around in time, which makes it rather frustrating as well as hard to follow. It's taking me much longer to read than expected as I don't feel engaged with the content and still have a slog of 150 pages to go. Taupin's writing style is very eloquent and complex at times. I can see how that can be offputting for readers, although on the whole that doesn't bother me. The clear catering to a US audience in content and spelling, however, is somewhat offputting.

Lovely stories

More a ramble through Bernie’s life than a usual bio. Full of interesting stories and meetings, a good read that makes for revisiting some of the less remembered songs.

One of the best autobiographies I’ve ever read, Bernie’s fluid writing style was a pleasure to read once you got used to the American spellings. I loved his self deprecating nature and humbleness which came across as a person at ease with himself and life in general - the perfect foil for Elton. His references throughout the book to his parents are heart heart warming and a huge influence on him which are lovely to read about.In my opinion, the best three albums Bernie and Elton wrote were Don’t Shoot Me, Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic and were not really talked about much which was disappointing, but really I’m nit picking. Some criticisms have been said about Bernie’s advanced vocabulary, but as a lyricist one should expect this and it didn’t spoil my reading of the book.

He enjoyed reading it

I am a big admirer of Bernie’s work since I was a child. I learned English translating and memorizing his lyrics and became a lyricist myself after his influence. So it’s a great pleasure understanding where those words come from. If you like a rich vocabulary and detailed accounts, you’ll love this book.

Fantastic book could not put it down.

¡¡¡Es Bernie en estado puro!!!¡GENIAL!

Badly written and pure profiting from association with Elton John. The worst book I have ever read a complete waste of money

The perfect companion to Elton’s book. Great to get a sense of both sides of this creative team. Well done!