The Final Revival of Opal & Nev: A Novel

Incredible

One of the best novels I've read in a long while. Loved the varied character perspectives, the vivid descriptions, and the social relevance to today's headlines.

Here's the thing I've learned: when you approach art with the goal of making a quick and dirty buck, that's fine. Sometimes it has to be done. But nothing that happens as a result should come as a surprise to you. In the 70s, Nev Charles, a British song writing prodigy, and Opal Jewel, a spunky and confident vocalist of color from inner city Detroit, come together under the fledgling Rivington Records. When the Bond Brothers are signed to the same label, their redneck image sparks unrest among Opal and the other black musicians, with tension culminating in a bloody and fatal riot during a live show. Years later, as the date of a reunion concert of Nev and Opal, a journalist with a personal stake compiles a collection of interviews with many of the people connected to Opal, Nev, the Bond Brothers, and Rivington Records. The musical and socio-political landscapes of the era are explored and some unexpected truths revealed. I got into the book with both feet and really enjoyed the writing. The character development is so good that I kept forgetting that this is a work of fiction and not about real people. Actual historical events, places and people are nestled in among the fiction so well that it's easy to picture what's going on, or to hear a soundtrack of British Invasion bands like the Rolling Stones and the (trippy, psycholdelic) Beatles, or the classic Motown sound, or the classic rock Aldman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd, or the funky Sly & the Family Stone, or the rawness of Ike & Tina and Betty Davis the original Nasty Gal (if you know, you know; if you don't, look up the wife of Miles Davis), or the New York underground sounds of Blondie and Fab Five Freddie. This was a really fun read.

🤔

July 2021, the author joined us