Biographies

[Jockice]

Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burn.
Don't ever read it. But you must.

I bought that on Kindle a few days ago, along with the Savile one mentioned in The Reckoning thread. Haven't started either though, as I still haven't finished Neil Warnock's. Not of course that I'm suggesting that he's in the same league as Sir Jimmy or the Wests.

New page. Turner.

[Magnum Valentino]

Anyone read Shane Embury's? It's just out but I'm hesitant to pay 30 quid for it.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I'm reading PP Arnold's autobiography at the moment, I'm not that far through it, she's just met the Stones in the UK while working as an Ikette. The chapters alternate between the start of her career (being 17 with two kids and an abusive husband) and auditioning in front of Ike and Tina Turner with stories of her growing up as a child. Not much has happened yet but it's really easy to read and I dunno the way it's written I feel like I would probably be quite happy reading her describe her weekly Tesco shop in real-time.

[Jockice]

Here's another 'civilian' one I read yesterday, The Stirrings: A Memoir In Northern Time by Catherine Taylor. I found it fascinating not least because we seemed to have led parallel younger lives, living in the same area of the same city at the same time, hanging around in the same parks and later on going to the same clubs and concerts. We even seem to have used the same shops. Yet I've never knowingly met her.

I think I'd have enjoyed it even if it hadn't been for that though. So if Barry doesn't mind me posting it, here's an article about her and the book.

https://www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/p/my-time-in-threads-catherine-taylor?fbclid=IwAR04fj3iQseE9_N7ggf3MTf70s7X6AkDQ03DRlQVBeEmRlbdyMTEbbqvnSs

I went to see her at that book festival and had a chat with her afterwards. Turned out she lived (literally) just round the corner from me. I must have gone past her house (literally again) thousands of times. My best mate lived further up the same road as her. Weird that we'd never met before. Well I think it's weird anyway.

I'm currently reading the one on the Wests. Lovely family. Glad they never lived near me.

[bgmnts]

I've just made a start on Michael Palin's Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire, which is partly a biography, albeit of an ordinary man lost to wat.

Has anyone read this? It any good? I really enjoyed Erebus so if it's in that vein that bodes well.

[Brundle-Fly]

Crying With Laughter - Bob Monkhouse. All those biopics about comedians in recent years, it's a crime they never turned his amazing life story into a film. In fact, it could've been a miniseries. Even if you're weren't a fan and only have a passing interest in the world of light entertainment, it's still a thrilling read. Worth it alone for the Diana Dors anecdotes.

[iamcoop]

I bought that on Kindle a few days ago, along with the Savile one mentioned in The Reckoning thread. Haven't started either though, as I still haven't finished Neil Warnock's. Not of course that I'm suggesting that he's in the same league as Sir Jimmy or the Wests.

New page. Turner.

I got it on the strength of his Sutcliffe book (which is an amazing piece of writing/journalism) but once it started getting to the graphic descriptions of the things they were doing I had to put it down.

Boring and obvious thing to say but now I'm a parent I just can't stomach that stuff anymore.

[non capisco]

Happy Like Murderers gave me nightmares, must be the only book to do so. When I finished it I chucked it away so it couldn't get me.

[Jockice]

Happy Like Murderers gave me nightmares, must be the only book to do so. When I finished it I chucked it away so it couldn't get me.

Mine's on Kindle. I'll try and disinfect it afterwards.

[Neomod]

Prick Up Your Ears by John Lahr is excellent and best read together with the Joe Orton Diaries.

[Maurice Yeatman]

Looking forward to this – a collection as well as biography.



https://geni.us/PhewEhReaders

I know there are a few fans here of Black Type in ver Hits and his writing in Q etc. I guess it'll include his Who the Hell...? piece on Savile among other gems.

[Keebleman]

Hibbert was a talented writer but if I had ever met him I would have smashed his smug fucking face in.

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=80520.msg4218308#msg4218308

[13 schoolyards]

Knowing my family, my repeated hints about wanting a copy will come to naught this Xmas, but I'm keen to have a read of the just-released "deleted scenes" biography of John le Carre where his quasi-official biographer (who put out a hefty proper biography five or so years ago) has now released a companion volume detailing all the affairs and secret sleeping around and so on that he couldn't print while le Carre was alive.

The actual details are probably just more of the same, but supposedly there's a fair bit in there about the difficulties of writing a biography when there's a whole side to the (living) subject that's not in the public interest but is still relevant to who they are and their work

[wrec]

Anyone read Shane Embury's? It's just out but I'm hesitant to pay 30 quid for it.

Same, probably should as Shane telling anecdotes
would be worthwhile even if it's not a literary masterpiece. Hammy's Peaceville book is excellent, as is Damn the Machine, the one about Noise Records.

Highly recommend John Szwed's new biog of Harry Smith. His activities as a musicologist, filmmaker, painter, anthropologist, collector, and mystic could each fill separate volumes, and he was iconoclastic and influential in all those areas, as well as extremely chaotic, difficult and eccentric. Szwed has his work cut out trying to provide a coherent overview but there's mind-blowing stuff throughout.

[bgmnts]

I've just made a start on Michael Palin's Great-Uncle Harry: A Tale of War and Empire, which is partly a biography, albeit of an ordinary man lost to wat.

Has anyone read this? It any good? I really enjoyed Erebus so if it's in that vein that bodes well.

Ended up being interesting, and quite affecting towards the end, as he trudges towards his inescapable fate. Great Uncle Harry is quite a complicated figure in that he never finds a place, just sort of drifts and underachievesn which I found quite appealing. I enjoyed Palin's reflections on his sparse, unpoetic writing, and, of course, you get little reflections on empire and war and all that good stuff.

[Magnum Valentino]

Same, probably should as Shane telling anecdotes
would be worthwhile even if it's not a literary masterpiece. Hammy's Peaceville book is excellent, as is Damn the Machine, the one about Noise Records.

Highly recommend John Szwed's new biog of Harry Smith. His activities as a musicologist, filmmaker, painter, anthropologist, collector, and mystic could each fill separate volumes, and he was iconoclastic and influential in all those areas, as well as extremely chaotic, difficult and eccentric. Szwed has his work cut out trying to provide a coherent overview but there's mind-blowing stuff throughout.

I've ordered it, will report back once it's been read

[Magnum Valentino]

Same, probably should as Shane telling anecdotes
would be worthwhile even if it's not a literary masterpiece. Hammy's Peaceville book is excellent, as is Damn the Machine, the one about Noise Records.

Highly recommend John Szwed's new biog of Harry Smith. His activities as a musicologist, filmmaker, painter, anthropologist, collector, and mystic could each fill separate volumes, and he was iconoclastic and influential in all those areas, as well as extremely chaotic, difficult and eccentric. Szwed has his work cut out trying to provide a coherent overview but there's mind-blowing stuff throughout.

Read Shane's book in two sittings, it's a compelling read though it helps to be a lifelong Napalm fan. The andecdotes are indeed very amusing, and the accounts of the 1990s ND albums are very interesting. His relationship with Barney comes across as quite complex and it very much sounds like a band with two leaders that don't really work in unison. I was also very interested to learn that Mick Harris wrote almost all of the music on Harmony Corruption on a guitar with only two strings, as I'd always thought he was very down on that album (as evidenced by his churlishness on the camcorder footage at Morrisound and him leaving shortly after).

Hammy's book has just landed in the post after a period of keeping my eyes on ebay.

[wrec]

Read Shane's book in two sittings, it's a compelling read though it helps to be a lifelong Napalm fan. The andecdotes are indeed very amusing, and the accounts of the 1990s ND albums are very interesting.

Cheers for the info!

I wonder does that cannibalize this Decibel piece which is one of the most fascinating articles of that type that I've read.

His relationship with Barney comes across as quite complex and it very much sounds like a band with two leaders that don't really work in unison.

Just based on "vibes", I'd wondered about that, they seem very different in most respects. Barney seems like someone with a fairly ordinary life, vegan and into running, whereas Shane is in a dozen bands, and always having a barbecue on the tour bus.

I was also very interested to learn that Mick Harris wrote almost all of the music on Harmony Corruption on a guitar with only two strings, as I'd always thought he was very down on that album (as evidenced by his churlishness on the camcorder footage at Morrisound and him leaving shortly after).

In a recent interview about his book (which I'm desperate to get hold of), Scott Burns describes Mick being disappointed with the way the album was going, and played him Entombed as a reference for what he wanted. Haven't seen that footage!

Hammy's book has just landed in the post after a period of keeping my eyes on ebay.

It's so great, people get the opportunity to air grievances and bemoan their youthful cluelessness.

[Magnum Valentino]

It's on YouTube @wrec , I've been watching over the past few days. I'm looking for footage where Micky is giving off about not liking double kicks even though he was so GOOD at it. "Weak" is dependably his word of choice

I've asked Decibel if they plan to distribute the Burns book in the UK through Cult Never Dies (like the Obituary book I've ordered), as the shipping from the US costs more than the book.

[Magnum Valentino]

That's so interesting that Shane would rank Fear Emptiness Despair lowest of all Napalm albums. I know music is subjective but it seems like a safe "objectively accurate" thing to say that Order of the Leech is the worst ND album. Shit production, shit artwork, no songs in the live set etc

FED is the only thing that challenges Enemy of the Music Business for me, depends on my mood. Twist the Knife (Slowly) is in my opinion the heaviest metal song ever recorded. That album is ugly heavy, I adore it. A total headache, an oppressive, discordant and relentless bate about the lugs. Shane talks in his book about how "grind" was really about bass, drone, whirr, rather than blasts and short songs, and this album fucking GRINDS.

[bgmnts]

I listened to Will Self's autobiography a couple of weeks ago, and it's delightfully grim and in places very funny.

[Magnum Valentino]

In a recent interview about his book (which I'm desperate to get hold of), Scott Burns describes Mick being disappointed with the way the album was going, and played him Entombed as a reference for what he wanted.

Cult Never Dies are selling this in the UK from March - pre-order link - https://cultneverdies.myshopify.com/collections/all-publications/products/the-scott-burns-sessions-a-life-in-death-metal-1987-1997-hardback

They're very nice to deal with, highly recommended.

[wrec]

Cult Never Dies are selling this in the UK from March - pre-order link - https://cultneverdies.myshopify.com/collections/all-publications/products/the-scott-burns-sessions-a-life-in-death-metal-1987-1997-hardback

They're very nice to deal with, highly recommended.

Cheers, I see they have an EU store too which suits me.

[Artie Fufkin]

My faves have been :

Different Everytime; Marcus O'Dair's take on Robert Wyatt
On Some Far Away Beach; David Sheppard's take on Brian Eno
Me : Moir; Jim Moir's biog
Berserker; Adrian Edmondson's biog

I've got this to read next, which I've heard good things about :
Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa: Laurel Canyon 1968–1971; by Pauline Butcher

[Artie Fufkin]

Geezer Bulter's was great too, btw

[spaghetamine]

Mezz Mezzrow - Really the Blues
Steve Hanley - The Big Midweek
Julian Cope - Head On/Possessed
Bill Drummond - 45

All stellar music autobios

if you dig these I very much recommend Playing The Bass With Three Left Hands by Will Carruthers, pretty bleak at times but highly amusing

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

I would recommend Mark Lanegan and Al Jourgensen's respective autobiographies.

Both highly entertaining, music based books about two massive pricks.

[Ray Travez]

I recommend the audiobook of Lanegan's, his voice is beautiful, kind of tells a story of its own

[ERADICATOR!]

The ones I've read and enjoyed are:
 - Paradoxical Undressing aka Rat Girl by Kristin Hersh
 - Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon
 - Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. by Viv Albertine (Slits guitarist)
 - Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney
 - Piece by Piece and Resistance by Tori Amos
 - Fingers Crossed by Miki Berenyi, which is one of the most fascinating ones and really got me into Lush, though it's pretty horrifying at times

I also have Bit of a Blur by Alex James, which was awful and made me hate him, and a couple of Catatonia biographies, one by David Owens which is more sort of general, and one by Brian Wright which is very personal. He's an alcoholic (from Sheffield, incidentally) and Catatonia basically saved his life. The sad thing is that I can't read them anymore because there's an awful lot of 'Cerys did [insert crazy thing here] while drunk off her tits, what a legend', especially in Owens' book, and it's not triggering per se but it is uncomfortable reading because of my mum's drink problem. I should buy Cerys' Hook Line & Singer but I had a read of my stepsister's copy and I wasn't that interested in it.

Btw if you're interested in the history of Liverpool music, I can recommend Wondrous Place by Paul du Noyer. I didn't just buy it because of you know who, but because I'm interested in the musical history of the city. There's a lot of social history there too.

I've read most of those too and have pretty much the same opinions. Hersh's books are wonderful and I too found Miki's book upsetting.

I recently read Lou Saunders' book and that upset me greatly. I'll not hear a bad word about her now.

Happy Like Murderers by Gordon Burn.
Don't ever read it. But you must.

Absolutely that. It's pure evil, it really is, but by god you can't put it down.

Has anyone else read Linehan's book? In a nutshell, he IS Roy from the IT Crowd but without the charm or talent. Without Matthews he wouldn't be ANYTHING.

[ERADICATOR!]

My faves have been :

Different Everytime; Marcus O'Dair's take on Robert Wyatt
On Some Far Away Beach; David Sheppard's take on Brian Eno
Me : Moir; Jim Moir's biog
Berserker; Adrian Edmondson's biog

I've got this to read next, which I've heard good things about :
Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa: Laurel Canyon 1968–1971; by Pauline Butcher

Some smashers in there and, yes, I recommend Butcher's book too. Of all of the various folk in it I found that Cal Schenkel came off as the closest to a decent person. Frank is...Frank.

I really want to read Mark Volman's book ASAP.