Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector

"An intimate portrait...Brown's passionate analysis of Spector's body of work elevate what could have been a gossipy tell-all to a gripping anecdotal portrait of a musical genius crippled by lifelong emotional problems."

A remarkable book about, among other things, fame, obsession, genius, money, and madness...This is the definitive study of the man and the myth that engulfed him.

A rare and wonderful mix of dogged research and vivid storytelling. Virtually every page carries a tale of farce or horror, or, more often than not, both.

"A fascinating, detailed look at the life and career of one of the biggest names in music. It's a study not just of Spector's mental problems but of how he was able to use his obsessions to create some of the most memorable and influential music in history...It's a great portrait of where genius and madness meet."

"Stacked with incredible anecdotes, Brown's entertaining and nuanced portrait lifts the fog of myth and outright falsehood (including Spector's own) that has obscured the celebrity producer through the years."

"Brown chronicles the producer's eccentricities, insecurities, perfectionism, and brilliant talent to engrossing effect...Essential for all libraries."

"One of the most compelling, memorable rock-'n'-roll biographies in recent memory. Brown's passionate, über-detailed study of pop's scariest visionary is just about as good as a music bio can get."

"Porter's reading of Brown's biography does a solid job of hitting the high notes, maintaining an even tone and reading with understated panache."

"[Phil Spector's] story is spectacularly captured in Ray Porter's narration of this detailed biography...Porter delivers this portrait in an authoritative anchorman's voice, making the more bizarre and chilling passages even more so...[Spector's] life rises and falls as dramatically as his music."