Green Day Book:

Dakota Days Reviews:
It is to be recognized
2008-04-09 - that the various authors of these "tell-all" books waited until Lennon was dead so couldn't defend himself against the innumerable unsubstantiated allegations from those who -- while he was alive -- pretended to be his and Yoko's friends and trusted confidants. That includes the slime -- relied upon by Goldman -- who, within no time at all after Lennon was murdered, stole Lennon's diaries and others of his writings.

Though some will unquestioningly believe anything said -- positive or negative -- simply because in print, or simply because they seek any vilifying excuse to hate, the fact of such untrustworthiness is itself sufficient measure of the "ethicality" of such individuals, and thus of their truthfulness.

Though milder than some, Green reveals himself to be yet another in a long line of money- and footnote-to-history-seeking backstabbers who claim to have been the one person most confided in, and most privy to Lennon and Yoko's private lives. Ask yourselves: how many of that long line could have simultaneously been the one person closer to the Lennons than all the others?

Two stars for Green's soft-peddling of his attacks. Minus-three for being yet another unethical, therefore untrustworthy, "friend" and "confidant".


An Essential Read for those Interested in John and Yoko
2006-03-12 - Dakota Days is another of the books on John and Yoko that is considered forbidden by the people who deify the Lennons. If you go into certain venues and attempt to discuss the book, the sheep with act all agitated -- because they think they're supposed to. What the Beatles-worshippers will not give you is a rational basis for their hatred of this book. Their dislike of it, after all, isn't reasonable to begin with. It's just that Dakota Days addresses areas of John's and Yoko's lives -- Yoko's outrageous addiction to superstition, Lennon's depression in the mid-to-late 1970s, etc. -- that Lennon worshippers don't want anyone to know about.

In fact, this is a very good and extremely readable book which fully exposes Yoko's craziness, some of the problems that plagued the Lennons' marriage, and the creative impotence that tormented Lennon in the late 1970s. It's is very telling that the best response Ono could muster to the book was the trotting out of her loathesome spokesperson Elliot Mintz, who duly spouted his usual nonsense. I recommend Dakota Days to those who are genuinely intersted in John and Yoko's lives in the 1975 - 1980 period.






Don't trust your tarot card reader
2005-02-06 - Thankfully, the books is short and written in an easily readible style so it can be completed in just a couple of sittings. Unlike the Goldman book which was intent from the outset to trash John and Yoko, this book appears to be more neutral in its tone, just reporting things as they occurred. It appears the author does not have a strong bias for or against John and Yoko which gives the author some credibility. However, there are some things about it that I found quite annoying, hence the 3 star rating.

As noted by other commentators here, large parts of the book are presented as direct quotes which we all know would be impossible for anyone to recall. So unless Green, the author, had a tape recorder going, his extensive use of quotes is insincere. Furthermore even though he quotes himself and quotes John or Yoko in conversation, the "speaking" style for each participant is very similar, so it is obvious these cannot be direct quotes. John had a rather obvious style as evidenced by his numerous interviews. However, the book does capture John's terrific word play and sense of humor.

My greatest objection to this book is the behavior of the author himself. One gets the impression that he does not truly believe in tarot or witch craft and almost makes fun of the naivte of his wealthy clients, and has no trouble bilking John and Yoko out of huge sums of money doing tarot card readings, giving advice, helping Yoko find a witch, etc.

Furthermore, and perhaps most disturbing, when one reads this book it is obvious that John and Yoko turned to him repeatedly as a counselor and advisor, confiding personal information to him concerning their marriage, financial matters, sex, etc. Imagine if a married couple went to Dr. Ruth or someone else for marriage therapy, discussing their most personal problems, only to learn that years later, the therapist published a book revealing their darkest secrets!! When I picked up this book I did not realize what it was about specifically, but now that I do, shame on the author for betraying the trust of his clients!!

Not bad-
2003-06-17 - Green's book is a little different from the others trying to "cash" in on Lennon. His account is a benign one that doesn't offer up startling negative images for the public to gulp down. It really reads as if he's just trying to relate his "memories" of John- memories which do not really say anything new- everything here Lennon has hinted at or said in interviews before his death. Also, Green admits it's a definitive portrait, that John could have acted totally different away from him. his biggest problem is that he uses extensive conversations in quotes that anyone knows he could not possibly have remembered, but even there, he says he doesn't say it's verbatim, he's just recreating an "essence" - so as long as you put all of that in the forefront of your mind while you read it- it's enjoyable- Lennon seems clever, funny, compelling, and as I said, there's nothing here that John hasn't already revealed about the way he was.

Lennon and Yoko Unveiled
2003-02-26 - I'm not quite sure why previous reviews have been so low.
I have read many Lennon bios, Goldman, Seaman, May Pang, Ray Coleman, Giuliano.
I find that this bio is quite refreshing, in that John Green seems to be a person who did not yield before the 'John and Yoko' force...he seems to have held his own, and wasn't afraid to face up to them. It seems that Yoko was almost 'beholden' to Green, and that he was a person she (and John) would not try to beat down with her (their) relentless quirks. This is a clear and cleverly written account of John's last five or so years. There are intriguing accounts of Yoko's obsession with a South American witch (ending, in this book, with a kinda hysterical discussion of Yoko's wondering if she was signing a pact with the Devil, only to beg Green to sign his own name, to which he later replied, 'My name, Yoko? no, I signed YOUR name!').
Another account that stands out is John's visit to a 'new-age' (in 21st century terms, remember this was the early 70s) store, in search of proper ceremonial objects for his and Yoko's renewal of their wedding vows. John's sarcastic response to the store's solemn owners made me laugh out loud. I think Green did a very good job of showing Lennon's various sides...from the witty, sarcastic (public-loving) John, to the emotionally crippled, loner, stay-in-bed til I wither, side. The most revealing aspect of the book (and this can be confirmed by May Pang's book 'Loving John') is that Green kept trying to get John to really take responsibility for his life...he kept telling him that he could really do something, make music, be alive, if only he'd take responsibility for it. And, alas, it seems that John chose to wallow in paranoia and nothingness for too long...
all we have left is the legacy he left us when he started back to work in the early 80's...
all in all, this book is a definite must-read for Lennon fans who truly want to know what went on during the post 'Lost-Weekend' (a myth in itself, see May Pang's book) period.