Author Taylor Jenkins Reid was impacted by the same show that made me (belatedly) discover the history of the band Fleetwood Mac and fall even more in love with Stevie Nicks. The Dance was an MTV special that reunited the band in 1997, playing their greatest hits (there were so many that I only found out I loved them watching the show) and showing that the chemistry between them still worked. Obviously, I’m talking about the “second phase” of the band that started in England and emigrated to the United States, where it included Stevie and Lindsey Buckingham in the group, in 1973.

The Dance sold more than 5 million copies and boosted yet another wave of comings and goings of these musicians who lived and still live a unique relationship. Anyone who reads this blog knows that every now and then I’m talking about them. But in particular, there was a moment when Taylor, myself, my sister, and thousands of women took their breath away.

Stevie sang her big hit, the soulful Landslide, and Lindsey accompanied her on acoustic guitar. The two usually sing looking at each other, but, as Taylor recalled, at the end of the song she smiles and he, laughing and moved, puts his hand on his chin, amazed. The two finish the song and kiss. No wonder the scene is the cover photo of the single from this recording. And anyone who knows the troubled love-hate relationship between the two, which always gives pause to create and play great songs, knew how ‘historic’ this moment was. And it was this moment that spawned Daisy Jones and The Six.

The novel written by Taylor, who was still a child when she saw the show, was only written in 2019. It became a bestseller and sold the film rights almost immediately. Neither Lindsey nor Stevie wrote their biographies, although they are candid about their relationship in interviews (an ex of his wrote Storms: My Life With Lindsey Buckingham which was published 10 years before Daisy Jones), there is plenty of material to draw on as a basis for her fictional history now a series on Amazon Prime Video. Three of the 10 episodes are already on the platform.

Daisy Jones is the role to make stars and the chosen one was Riley Keough, an actress with some famous titles as a credit (albeit supporting) and a Golden Globe nomination for The Girlfriend Experience, but who is frequently still referred to as “Elvis Presley’s granddaughter“. Although she’s the daughter and granddaughter of musicians, this is Riley’s first time singing and she doesn’t do badly! At her side, as Billy Dunne, the complex guitarist, and vocalist of The Six, is Sam Claflin, also singing for the first time.

Daisy Jones and The Six is a story of love and music, not necessarily in this order. It tells in a documentary format the story of a great rock band of the seventies, which dominated the charts and sold out stadiums but which in the last show of the tour of their album, Aurora, broke up without explaining why. Sex, drugs, fights, and drama permeate the confusing and sometimes toxic relationships between them. With original music by Blake Mills, and with collaboration from Phoebe Bridges, the soundtrack is already a success.

In the first three episodes, trajectories are traced from origins so opposite that it would be unlikely for talents to meet as aligned as those of Daisy and the band The Six, but the fun is following along anticipating what this moment will be like. It has chemistry. It is not necessary to go into all the details, so as not to spoil a very predictable story, considering that it starts at the end.

One of the attractions of Daisy Jones and The Six, in addition to the excellent reconstruction of the period, is that of rescuing the classic places of the Los Angeles music circuit: Whiskey a Go-go, The Troubadour… it is a script of legendary places and that had geniuses passing through their stages. It’s really cool to be aware of it and follow it too.

As for the performances, Riley is very good as the hippie, talented and independent Daisy, and Sam is perfect as the chemically dependent guitarist that is Billy. The backing band is also in tune, but knowing the source of inspiration for the story, we can anticipate tears and fights whose mutual admiration for musical talent overcomes any crisis. In other words? Potential for success and awards. It’s good to follow because it has a single season!

Here is the video that inspired the book.

And the series