Publishers Weekly
10/26/2020
Hillman, a founding member of the Byrds, shares his passion for making music in this poignant but underwhelming memoir. Born and raised in rural Southern California, Hillman had an idyllic 1950s childhood that later inspired him to develop the mixture of country, rock, and folk music the Byrds pioneered. The narrative trudges dutifully from one phase of his life to the next as Hillman describes how his love of folk and bluegrass led him to a spot in his first band, the Scottsville Squirrel Barkers. Then, in the mid-1960s, he joined forces with Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby to form the Byrds. He and Gram Parsons, a musician who had flitted through the Byrds for one album, started the Burrito Brothers in 1968, cowriting classics such as “Sin City.” Finally, in 1998, after surviving kidney failure, Hillman wrote his first solo album, which Tom Petty produced in 2017. Readers looking for gossip or an inside scoop may be disappointed, as the narrative is a broad chronological overview without any dramatic reveals. Though Hillman’s fans will love his book, this memoir’s appeal will not extend far outside of that circle. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
"Chris was a true innovator—the man who invented country rock. Every time the Eagles board their private jet Chris at least paid for the fuel.” —Tom Petty
“THIS IS A GREAT JOURNEY INTO THE MAGIC AND MADNESS OF THE TIME. . . . [A] REMARKABLE BOOK.” —American Songwriter
“Hillman is A BONA FIDE PIONEERING GODFATHER TO GENERATIONS OF MUSICAL SOULS who’ve sought inspiration at that divine crossroads where rock & roll, country, bluegrass, folk, honky tonk, and gospel music intersect and harmonize. He’s a national treasure.” —Marty Stuart
"A CLEAREYED, EVENHANDED TALE FROM A PIVOTAL FIGURE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY ROCK." —Kirkus Reviews
“This book brought back a lot of great memories: the humorous origins of The Byrds and subsequent adventures.” —Roger McGuinn
“Time Between is a thankful and engaging account of an extraordinary life, an insider’s view of the pop culture explosion.” —UNCUT
“Chris Hillman [is] the unvarnished gem of every band he has inhabited. IT’S TIME TO APPLAUD HIS LEGACY.” —Bernie Taupin
Library Journal
09/18/2020
Hillman (b. 1944) is one of many great musicians whose name is well known to fans but less recognizable to the general public. In high school, he listened to Flatt and Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers, honing his skills on guitar and mandolin. His father's suicide when Hillman was 16, coupled with the burgeoning music scene of the early 1960s, led to his joining his first band, the Squirrel Barkers. He played with several groups in his early years, and his professional career saw musical affiliations that never lasted more than five years, yet each band was highly influential, from the Byrds and Manassas to the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band. His memoir is filled with anecdotes about everything from the many dogs he owned as a child to his days in the studio and on the road with the Byrds to his history of ups and downs with solo artist Gram Parsons. A spiritual awakening in the 1990s was followed by a diagnosis of hepatitis C and kidney failure, which Hillman was able to overcome. VERDICT A pleasant memoir that offers an inside look at the history of folk and country rock from one of its founders.—Peter Thornell, Hingham P.L., MA
Kirkus Reviews
2020-09-24
An eyewitness account of the advent of folk rock and the foundations of country rock.
As one of the original members of the Byrds and a co-founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Hillman was often considered a team player overshadowed by more colorful and often erratic frontmen. In a memoir refreshingly devoid of either bragging or score-settling, the author reminds us about his significant contributions as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, and he offers a straightforward perspective on tumultuous times, as band mates contended with substance abuse and other personal demons. Hillman shows just how much the Byrds owed to the Beatles (and to a viewing of A Hard Day’s Nightin particular) and explains how that band fell apart and then made various attempts at reuniting. He also examines his fraught relationship with the late Gram Parsons in both the Byrds and the Burrito Brothers, showing how an artist who has been deified became so maddening to work with that Hillman fired him from the latter band. Where others crashed and burned, Hillman has enjoyed a consistently productive career after returning to his roots in country and bluegrass, and he credits his strong Christian faith and a long, loving marriage for his stability. In recent years, he worked with the late Tom Petty as producer on his finest solo album and toured with former Byrds and country acolytes on a 50th anniversary celebration of the pivotal Sweetheart of the Rodeoalbum. Hillman also pays tribute to the many musicians close to him who have died. As he notes of himself as the last living Burrito Brother, “I’ve tried my best to keep the legacy alive and to keep it honest.” He does both in a manner that is never flashy but always steady.
A cleareyed, evenhanded tale from a pivotal figure in the development of country rock.
