Book Review - Leland Sklar “Everybody Loves Me”

A seductive alchemist of art transforms private anguish into a narrative of truth…..what better truth then within a photograph….or in this case 6000 photographs of the ultimate middle finger pointing upward towards the heavens. It takes a certain tenacious gallantry to have the wider world revel in giving you the finger and then to able to collect an over abundance of fingers to publish in a book……such is “Everybody Loves Me” by iconic bassist and rock God Leland Sklar.

Leland Sklar is a global phenomena who is recognized throughout the music industry as the greatest bass player on the planet and who has played music for nearly every major artist in the world. He has contributed his musical notes to over 2,600 albums and has worked with an endless list of artists including David Bowie, Phil Collins, James Taylor, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Ray Charles, Aaron Neville, Linda Ronstadt, The Doors, Carole King, Toto, the Bee Gees, Rita Coolidge, Leonard Cohen, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, Carly Simon, Jimmy Webb, and way too many more to name. As a matter of fact, it would probably be easier to name the musicians that he hasn’t played with. He has played for film and television soundtracks as well including Coyote Ugly, Conspiracy Theory, Sleepwalker, Doctor Detroit, Forrest Gump, Kindergarten Cop, My Best Friend’s Wedding and again too many to mention. Leland’s career accidentally manifested itself when he met James Taylor and later became part of The Section. Leland is also a multi-instrumentalist, an artist and now an author….

Spawned from the Phil Collins farewell tour, Leland brought a camera with the intention of making a photo album of everyone who made the tour happen. The first picture he took was of his bass tech who gave him the finger which he loved. Over a span of 16 years he managed to take 11,000 photos of middle fingers from all over the world. This included fans, rock legends, and even people who he shared a moment with. Everyone who sees the book is now praying to be in the sequel….

“Everybody Loves Me” evokes an epidemic of smiles and happiness. It is a huge colorful barrage of celebrity photographs as well as an orgasmic display of sophisticated anarchy including many regular people walking down the street. Without a doubt it’s the most conversational coffee table book ever to be unmasked. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle being only of one color….it’s intense, it’s larger than life, and will take you weeks to view all of the photos within the pages. The book acts as a sacred vessel leading us back into a world of light and laughter after such a long stretch of darkness. It’s exactly what the Messiah ordered……