'Daisy Jones & The Six' Review: 70s Band Series Starts Off Strong

This review is based on the first three episodes of Daisy Jones & The Six, streaming on Prime Video.

(L-R) Josh Whitehouse, Sam Claflin, Riley Keough, & Sebastian Chacon in Daisy Jones & The Six. Photo Credit: Lacey Terell/Prime Video. Courtesy of Amazon Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Daisy Jones & the Six is an energetic blast from the past that makes you feel like you’re experiencing everything firsthand. Based on the book of the same name, the series follows a group of musicians on the Sunset Strip in the 1970s as they navigate their way to the top of the charts while facing the struggles of addiction. We primarily focus on Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), the leading members of the band, as they try and write an album together while also having an unspoken hatred for each other. While telling an entertaining story, the series explores themes of found family, addiction, complex relationships, and of course, the rock and roll scene of the 70s.

(L-R) Riley Keough & Sam Claflin in Daisy Jones & The Six. Photo Credit: Lacey Terell/Prime Video. Courtesy of Amazon Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Scott Neustadter and Micheal H. Weber do an adequate job of adapting the book and preserving its overall essence while fitting all the incredibly important parts of the book into the show, making it more consumable in a shorter span of time. However, there are certain places where they fall short, specifically in the subtraction of certain anecdotes about band members, i.e., the erasure of the first drummer for The Six before Warren. The dynamic between Billy (Claflin) and Camilla (Camilla Monroe) perfectly depicts the tension that is present in certain relationships where one member is struggling with addiction. Furthermore, the actors bring so much emotion to the audience with the delivery of their lines and the chemistry they bring on screen. The emotion and chemistry that’s being sold to the audience foster an audience-to-character connection that really helps the audience be empathetic with the characters later in the show. 

(L-R) Camilla Monroe & Sam Claflin in Daisy Jones & The Six. Photo Credit: Lacey Terell/Prime Video. Courtesy of Amazon Studios. All Rights Reserved.

For a series with 10 episodes, the show’s pacing moves a bit too fast. The writers are quickly developing certain relationships that shouldn’t be formed until a later point in the show’s timeline. It feels as if we’re blowing through some of the important character development and only aiming to get to performance scenes. That said, the performance portion of this show is incredibly realistic and allows for an all-consuming atmosphere. The only downside to prioritizing performances is that some of the episodes leave off in strange places storywise, making it hard to easily continue into the next episode. 

The album produced for this show is nothing short of cohesive with the series itself. The songs are incredibly well mixed, utilizing the right amount of each instrument to achieve the Fleetwood Mac-inspired sound. The sound it creates is distinctly reminiscent of the 70s, with dreamy vocals and guitar tones that are complementary to the rock-driven rhythm section.

(L-R) Josh Whitehouse, Sam Claflin, & Will Harrison in Daisy Jones & The Six. Photo Credit: Lacey Terell/Prime Video. Courtesy of Amazon Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The organization and alteration of lyrics throughout the album is a sound creative decision, as songwriting and writing are two very different skill sets. Without these changes, the songs would seem very discombobulated and much less free-flowing. The standout tracks on the album (“Aurora”) are “Look At Us Now - Honeycomb,” “The River,” and “No Words.” While “Honeycomb” and “The River” are energetic rock songs that have a certain danceability to them, “No Words” is a soft ballad about the insecurities of relationships. On this track, Daisy and Billy’s voices complement each other in a way that isn’t seen on any other track. It’s also incredibly refreshing to be able to hear the backing vocals of the rest of the band sprinkled in so clearly throughout the song. 

The episodes released so far are generally faithful to the source material and make for a strong start to what will no doubt be a great miniseries.

The first three episodes of Daisy Jones & The Six are now streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes releasing on Fridays.