The Operator
David Geffen Builds, Buys and Sells the New Hollywood
By Tom King, Random House
If anyone typifies an "enigma" it would be David Geffen. On one hand he is the guy Cher, his former girlfriend, has called "a little schlepper" and on the other, arguably the richest and most powerful man in Hollywood. The truth is probably somewhere between the two.
Although the former music mogul and presidential benefactor is well known for his charitable donations, mainly to AIDS related causes, he appears to be, according to Tom King, genuinely disliked and distrusted by virtually everyone he has come into contact with in the entertainment community, either in business or socially.
This illuminating biography sheds light on how deals are done in the new Hollywood, and explains how Geffen ended up in partnership with his pals Steven Spielberg and
where
the heart is Featuring tracks by The Corrs, Lyle Lovett,
Lonestar and John Hiatt, this soundtrack comes across as much more thought
out than a lot of others now out there.Credit must be given to the director and soundtrack coordinators on this one, who stuck to primarily one format (country) and had the wisdom to pick choice cuts like Emmy Lou Harris and Patty Griffins' "Beyond The Blue" and Joan Osborne and Tommy Simms' delicious "Rowdy Booty Time."
However nothing is perfect, especially with movie soundtracks, so we get a couple of horrible ballads, buried on cuts seven and eight, by Jennifer Day ("Completely") and Corey McCabe with Andy Griggs "Growing Old With You"). Who are these people anyway?
erin
brockovich This close to real life drama (as close as it gets
if it's starring Julia Roberts) features instrumental music composed by
Thomas Newman with a couple of Sheryl Crow songs thrown into the mix,
"Redemption Day" and "Everyday is a Winding Road."
With quirky titles like "Xerox", "Chicken Fat
Lady" and "No Colon" the tracks that make up ninety percent
of this CD really don't need titles as they end up having a sameness to
them, a kind of moody, jazzy, new age type of thing.
center
stage This musical drama about the hopes and dreams of young
dance students includes works in the movie by Tchaikovsky and Pkokofieo,
but the CD soundtrack strictly focuses on the pop side of things.
Teen sensation Mandy Moore pleads ("I Wanna Be With You")
and PYT parties ("We're Dancing") respectively, while vocal duo
Ruff Endz contribute the over-exposed Diane Warren's "If I Was The
One" (She's back everyone! Be afraid. Be very afraid!) Faring better
in the rising stars section are the Thunderbugs with "Friends
Forever" and Cyrena's "Get Used To This."
Established acts like Michael Jackson, Red Hot Chili Peppers and
England's Jamiroquai contribute some old-school flavor, with Jamiroquai's
"Canned Heat" emerging as the standout track on the CD.
- Gerry Young
Geffen apparently sheds friends and business associates like a snake sheds its skin when it's no longer of any use to him. Some casualties listed in the book include Madonna, Neil Young, Mick Jagger, Michael Eisner, Irving Azoff, his brother Mitchell, his decorator, his pool boy, his…well you get the picture.
Unquestionably brilliant in bringing entertainment to the masses, Geffen comes across as a deeply unhappy soul who can't shake the insecurity and depression that comes with loneliness and a fear of underachievement or failure.
The Operator is the best true-life Hollywood book since Julia Phillip's You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again.
- Gerry Young
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