Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsRock and Roll Revived: A Deep Dive into 'Daisy Jones and the Six'
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2024
Any book-to-screen adaptation is challenging. As characters transition to actors, interpretations evolve, and new ideas emerge, as they should. Sometimes the dramatic situations that keep you on the edge of your seat while reading don't translate as effectively when played out in front of a camera. But capturing the life and times of rock and roll stars? That’s a whole different level of complexity.
"Daisy Jones and the Six" succeeds (most of the time) in bringing the deeply emotional, chaotically electric energy of the 1970s rock scene to life. While I have issues directed at the writers, the performances of the actors who make up Daisy Jones and the Six—Riley Keough (Daisy Jones), Sam Claflin (Billy Dunne), Will Harrison (Graham Dunne), Suki Waterhouse (Karen Sirko), Josh Whitehouse (Eddie Roundtree), and Sebastian Chacon (Warren Rojas)—are astounding. They feel like a band, you believe they're a band, and every shot of a concert or performance left me screaming, "No! I want to watch the whole damn thing!"
Keough and Claflin's chemistry is undeniably delicious and anchors the somewhat chaotic multi-storyline narrative. Riley embodies Daisy with a magnetic presence; however, there are moments of aloof vacancy that might stem from character development issues. Sam Claflin delivers a layered portrayal of Billy, expertly navigating his struggles with addiction and fame. It's heartbreaking to witness the never-ending pursuit of perfection every artist is blessed and cursed with.
The show's soundtrack is a highlight, bringing the fictional band's music to life with tracks that could easily fit into real-life pop charts. I want to turn on a 'classic rock' station and hear these songs. The attention to period detail, from the costumes to the set design (using real music studios), immerses the audience in a tumultuously dangerous era.
Just as we never know what truly happened in these recording studios, no one knows what went on behind the closed doors of the writing department. Great lyrics do not always make great songs. With the author's involvement, the adaptation remains faithful to the spirit of the original novel, capturing the complex relationships, the passion for making music, and the personal struggles that define, destroy, and strengthen the characters.
Some important aspects of the book are inevitably lost in translation. The series sometimes offers weak character arcs or confusing jumps from one emotional decision to another. There are so many songs about love because "love" is a general idea that we, as the audience, can infuse with our own emotional experiences, making us feel heard. Weak and generic dialogue in reference to heavy emotional pitfalls does not work the same way. People who write lyrics like, "If you love me, let me down easy / Won’t you please be kind?" speak deeper, more authentically and uniquely, I think. Despite my grumpiness, the entire team for this show has my praise for their work.
Overall, "Daisy Jones and the Six" delivers the everlasting power of rock and roll and the magnetic fury of its legendary creators. It's a must-watch for fans of the genre and anyone who loves a "behind the music" story about the highs and lows of the industry. Capturing the essence of a band's rise and fall and what I, as the reader, might have gotten from the book is next to impossible. Almost like writing a hit song—if we knew how, I wouldn't be writing this review, and you wouldn't be reading it.