reminiscence

Instead it’s something rare: a reminiscence from a remarkably well-adjusted and good-humored former child star that still manages to tell some tales about what he calls “the shark-infested waters of show business.”

“It was the perfect convergence of forces,” he said, in 2009’s moving reminiscence after Jackson’s death.

I did make her a hot breakfast, over which she received my bittersweet reminiscences with mildly amused good humor before returning to her room to get dressed.

But “Soundtrack” hits all the important points over its three hours, cogently presented and mostly a lot of fun — a mutually illuminating mix of anecdotal reminiscence, musical analysis, historical accounting and political theory.

Last month, a handsome new coffee-table book, “The Beach Boys by the Beach Boys,” was published with photos and detailed reminiscences from the members.