Crank Up the Volume and Hit the Road With the Killjoys in Roger Trott’s Getting in Tune

Getting in Tune

Is it worth risking everything to fulfill your dreams?

There is something endlessly fascinating about seeing the early growth of an artist one knows and follows. It's like having a peek at the childhood sketchbook of an old master, or the early Play-doh work of a great sculptor. Wouldn't it be great to sit in on some of Led Zeppelin's practices in 1968? Or follow Jimi Hendrix around London as he played obscure clubs before creating the Experience? Roger Trott's new novel Getting in Tune offers readers this sort of fascination as they follow Daniel Travers and the Killjoys to their first big gig and an opportunity at rock band stardom. More than just a fascinating peek at the growth of a band at a seminal point in the history of rock and roll, this is a good story.

Every good story is one part comedy, one part drama, one part love story, one part adventure – nearly every genre should make an appearance. If we could add something like 'Introspective' to the genre list, it would also apply here along with the others. The dynamics of the Killjoys brings out a few laughs, though a couple band mates appear wooden beside the depth of Mick, Rob, and Daniel. The tension created by the various relationships in the novel, especially that of Daniel, Nita and Kitten and Rob and Candi kept me interested, but the adventure of the band on the road and Daniel's inner journey seem the highlight of the book.

Daniel's psychological growth is central to the novel, representing in his transition not only the artistic transition of rock music to punk music, but the personal transition of many people in his generation who felt frustrated and alone. Luckily, Daniel has the company and the advice of an internalized personal guide, a bit like Don Juan to his Carlos Castaneda, who has taken the form of Peter Townshend from The Who. The difference is that Daniel's prefers uppers to peyote, and Peter Townshend is only in his head, ironically helping Daniel to find the "Real Me", the essence of who he is among an amalgamation of discordant elements, here in the form of band squabbles, misdirected affection, substance abuse, and dishonesty that when arranged in the right way creates the "Perfect Chord", if only for a moment.

Much like Daniel's transcendent realization about the "Perfect Chord", Roger Trott's Getting in Tune brings together comedic, dramatic, romantic (not the cheesy sort), and adventurous elements into an arrangement that harmonizes well with my literary tastes. Listen closely, and you'll hear it, too.
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David M Glines
Literary Lounge Book Reviewer