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Rating: 
Summary: The closer you look, the better it is
Review: It's like going back in time to view these photographic images of young males from the 60's and 70's. I am so glad that this first collection of Mel Roberts' work is finally in print. These images of young men were taken at a time when no one was pressured to be defined as gay, straight or anything else, just who they were. It was a time of change, experimentation in love, as well as life-styles. These decades were a time of love and great change for all of us. Some of these young men are nude and very handsome, but the most interesting photos are of the men in the style of clothing for that period of time; tight white pants, sailor outfits, really short-shorts, paisley prints, jeans and leather. You'll find your average guy next door here, and your drop-dead handsome guy who should be in movies. Mel Roberts began photographing models toward the end of the classic physique period in 1959. He wanted to show the male model in a natural environment and that's where you will find all of these models posing in this book. He felt man is part of nature. There is a wonderful introduction to this volume covering the photographic career of this unique photographer that developed over a period of 20 years. This is a wonderful look at this time period of male photography especially if you grew up at this time and were part of that generation. These color photographs are like sitting and looking at someone's personal photo album. So different than the all the other male photography books on the market. A rare treat. I hope he releases more photos in future editions. This is a very limited edition that should be part of your collection. Fascinating!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Stepping Back in Time!!
Review: It's like going back in time to view these photographic images of young males from the 60's and 70's. I am so glad that this first collection of Mel Roberts' work is finally in print. These images of young men were taken at a time when no one was pressured to be defined as gay, straight or anything else, just who they were. It was a time of change, experimentation in love, as well as life-styles. These decades were a time of love and great change for all of us. Some of these young men are nude and very handsome, but the most interesting photos are of the men in the style of clothing for that period of time; tight white pants, sailor outfits, really short-shorts, paisley prints, jeans and leather. You'll find your average guy next door here, and your drop-dead handsome guy who should be in movies. Mel Roberts began photographing models toward the end of the classic physique period in 1959. He wanted to show the male model in a natural environment and that's where you will find all of these models posing in this book. He felt man is part of nature. There is a wonderful introduction to this volume covering the photographic career of this unique photographer that developed over a period of 20 years. This is a wonderful look at this time period of male photography especially if you grew up at this time and were part of that generation. These color photographs are like sitting and looking at someone's personal photo album. So different than the all the other male photography books on the market. A rare treat. I hope he releases more photos in future editions. This is a very limited edition that should be part of your collection. Fascinating!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Great look at good looking men from an earlier time
Review: Mel Roberts has been photographing young men for decades. This book and its companion book - The Wild Ones - document the state of erotic male photographs from an earlier era...a simpler era.
Not only are the photographs excellent, but their value as a time capsule of erotica from an earlier era is notable. Today, we see nothing but photos on billboards, in magazines, on television and on the big screen of men and women who are the epitome of physical perfection. To achieve such perfection requires hours and hours of unabated gym time as well as a good dose of steroids. Mel Roberts' young men are often natural, though sometimes defined. However, never are they examples of health through deprivation or drug induced excess.
These are young men who Mel Roberts' discovered in his neighborhood and through his travels. California Boys features less nudity than the Wild Ones and no men in a state of arousal as in The Wild Ones, so it is a more innocent view of the era.
Very erotic, but nothing like you will see today, California Boys is a great cocktail book for the discerning man or woman...or it is a great book to have sequestered away for a naughty march down memory lane.
Rating:
Summary: The closer you look, the better it is
Review: My first quick perusal of this book lead to a mild sense of disappointment, but the more I studied the pictures, the more I came to appreciate their artistry. And while the pictures may be from the '60s and '70s, some poses seem very 1950's style. I would also prefer one picture of each model--and therefore more models. But the pictures are of high quality. All in all, a real Mel Roberts fan-either for eroticism or nostalgia-might easily enjoy his videos much more
Rating: 
Summary: A major disappointment
Review: When I read about the publication of Mel Robert's photos in the Advocate, I was anxious to get a copy for I fondly remembered his photos of All-American young men from The Young Physique and other publications of the 60's. California Boys, unfortunately, doesn't represent the Roberts' style or subjects that I was hoping to see again. Within the pages of this--admittedly--well presented book is a collection of teeny-boppers and twinks that might represent the period, but not the style that I so fondly remembered. Only a four-page spread of model Gary Seegar represented the Roberts that I had longed to see again. If I had been able to preview this work, I would never have wasted the money.
Rating:
Summary: Simple, timeless photography
Review: Wow!! Does this book ever recapture those seemingly inncocent days of the 60s and early 70s? Some wonderful models, wonderful locations and most of all a wonderfully bright and sunny California sky. Most of the photos have a warmth of light that simply glows from the page.. This book is like the Beach Boys but in photographs and not songs. The images convey a simple innocence and enjoyment. The haircuts and clothing takes you back to those easier, less frenetic times. The poses range from the very formal style of the 1950s, to the informal 'snapshot' from 1979. The models are, for the most part, not the hulks seen in so many American physique photos, but rather more evryday types of guys. The emphasis is on the young, and if you have a hunkering for the blond surfer type, you won't be disappointed. Well worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have for Serious Photography Collectors
Review: You will have the most fun with this volume of Mel Roberts' work, if you pick it up without any expectations. It's been over 20 years since Roberts' work has been available to the public, and the collection here is different than any other collection of his work in the past, which mind you, were put out by the author with whatever funds he had available. This time, the guy's got a small-press publisher behind him footing the bill, so there's a sleekness to the presentation that never existed before. What I loved the most about this book was not the models, or the settings, though both are beautiful and interesting, but the most intriguing element for me was that Roberts' work seems to have captured an innocence of a "time," a time which will never be again. So many photographers today are trying to photograph that "retro" look, and failing miserably at it. Mel Roberts has done it because he was there doing it, capturing the essence of the 1960s, in the 1960s. Besides, the whole thing is very erotic, a must have for serious collectors. I've already bought 3 prints from the book and plan to buy more! Bravo! to Mel Roberts and whomever (FotoFactory Press) had the inspiration and intelligence to bring this man's work out of the woodwork!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have for Serious Photography Collectors
Review: You will have the most fun with this volume of Mel Roberts' work, if you pick it up without any expectations. It's been over 20 years since Roberts' work has been available to the public, and the collection here is different than any other collection of his work in the past, which mind you, were put out by the author with whatever funds he had available. This time, the guy's got a small-press publisher behind him footing the bill, so there's a sleekness to the presentation that never existed before. What I loved the most about this book was not the models, or the settings, though both are beautiful and interesting, but the most intriguing element for me was that Roberts' work seems to have captured an innocence of a "time," a time which will never be again. So many photographers today are trying to photograph that "retro" look, and failing miserably at it. Mel Roberts has done it because he was there doing it, capturing the essence of the 1960s, in the 1960s. Besides, the whole thing is very erotic, a must have for serious collectors. I've already bought 3 prints from the book and plan to buy more! Bravo! to Mel Roberts and whomever (FotoFactory Press) had the inspiration and intelligence to bring this man's work out of the woodwork!
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