Review: Unmasked: A Memoir

Unmasked: A Memoir by Andrew Lloyd Webber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are a lot of interesting tidbits that I learned from reading Lloyd Webber’s book. You understand somewhat the chronology of the music and the productions he has been involved in. I say “somewhat” because the author seems to have always been working on multiple projects at the same time, and each project had its own life, sometimes changing along the way (think “Evita”, with multiple production timelines around the world, movie considerations, prototype album, and changes in music as time goes on). The changes in a production over time were one of those things I never much thought of, but there are a lot of things going on. Lloyd Webber comes across as quite detail oriented when it came to his music, and I found it interesting to read what he found important in creating his work. I also found this book interesting in documenting the author as a young man, starting with many privileges based on his family and at times focusing on art, at times focusing on business, and at times focusing on his lovelife and his family life. He comes across as being even handed, telling good and bad in these areas of his life. At times, though, this feels forced, like the story is being changed. With many autobiographies that I’ve read, and I have read a large number of them, I feel I get a good opinion of the author, and can understand the subject and feel that he is familiar. I don’t feel that way after reading this. Lloyd Webber feels quite foreign. I can’t determine if it is the English upbringing he describes, his lucrative artistic career (isn’t that an oxymoron?), or his wives with the same name that felt exotic to me – probably everything. Mix in a healthy dollop of Thomas the Tank Engine and historic church architecture and you get this book. Note that it even ends strangely. On audio, Lloyd Webber himself introduces the book but lets a professional narrator read the text. Lloyd Webber comes back right at the end and warns the listener that he’s realized that he’s got more to tell, so he’ll continue in another, as-yet-unwritten book. It's kind of like going to a one hour talk about some fellow’s vacation and having him tell you after 2 hours that he’s only half way done. Overall, I feel I learned something, and was mildly entertained, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

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