Author:Robert Wyatt & Alfie Benge

I first heard Robert Wyatt on John Peel’s show in the mid seventies, and I was sufficiently intrigued to invest my limited cash in the albums Rock Bottom and Ruth is Stranger than Richard. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them as they were quite unlike anything I’d heard before, a strange otherworldly voice set against an equally off kilter backing, with an overwhelming air of melancholy pervading proceedings. Fast-forward to 1982, and Wyatt’s wife and manager, the artist Alfie Benge, began writing lyrics for him to compose around, having already designed most of his album covers. Their ongoing partnership is explored in this collection of lyrics, which is divided into two parts, the first devoted to Wyatt’s lyrics, the second to Benge’s. The book is also dotted with drawings and doodles, but the most illuminating parts are where Benge elaborates on her songs. The book begins with a heartfelt introduction by Jarvis Cocker, before Wyatt and Benge add their own thoughts. Not every lyric works in this format, minus the accompanying music we’ve become accustomed to, and Wyatt’s lyrical style, part conversational, part political, part made up language in » Continue Reading.

Author:Adrian Smith

This is certainly an unusual twist on the normal rock star memoir of drugs, drink and debauchery. Speaking as a long time Maiden fan, I had no idea one of their guitarists was such an avid angler, but this book tells all, from his childhood initiation fishing with his dad and brother on the canals of London right up to the present day, often in rather more exclusive locations. It’s definitely not a pastime you’d expect for a member of a heavy metal band for sure, but the author’s enthusiasm and knowledge is infectious, even to a non-angler like myself. My knowledge of fishing is in inverse proportion to my knowledge of Iron Maiden I’m afraid, with what little I do know being gleaned from that TV show with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse! As such, most of the technical detail and terminology was rather over my head, but that didn’t detract too much from my overall enjoyment of this book, which is actually a very easy and entertaining read. Travelling the world with the day job, whether recording or touring, provides many wild and exotic locations to explore, as do the lengthy periods of downtime when the » Continue Reading.

Author:Richard Osman

Richard Osman is a pretty well known figure these days, primarily for his TV shows such as Pointless and House of Games. However, that’s clearly not enough to keep him fully occupied as he’s now produced his debut novel, and a damn good one it is too. This is a rather gentle murder mystery, which takes place in the somewhat unlikely setting of a peaceful retirement village in the countryside. It’s very cosy and very English, with its cast of four septuagenarian friends and would be detectives helping (or is it competing with) the police to solve the murders of a local property developer and his builder. This is certainly not a typical crime thriller – in fact it’s about as wholesome as you can get while still having a corpse or two on the scene. Aficionados of this genre may dislike the lack of grit, but that isn’t what this book is about or indeed who it’s aimed at. In a way, the killings are almost not the main point of this tale, even though they are of course an integral part of its plot. Rather, its themes are those of memory, loss, regret and grief, of » Continue Reading.

Author:Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth, a novel about the construction of a cathedral in twelfth century England, is still probably the author’s best known work, subsequently also being successfully dramatised by the BBC. There have already been two sequels to that book, and now we have a prequel. The story concentrates on the intertwined lives of three disparate main characters that become inexorably linked as the plot progresses from the end of the Dark Ages to the dawn of the Middle Ages. The narrative fits in seamlessly with that created in The Pillars of the Earth, featuring a generous helping of history, treachery and jealousy, along with a bit of romance in the air. The author has lost none of his ability to craft a compelling tale, and there’s always the temptation late at night to read one more page, which inevitably turns into one more chapter. All in all, this book provides exactly what you would want and expect from a Ken Follett novel – an escape from the present worrying times into a different world.

Length of Read:Epic

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Historical sagas, the other novels in this mini-series.

One thing you’ve learned

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Author:Steve Pilkington

No band embodies the sound of British Metal quite like Iron Maiden, from their East End beginnings with Paul Di’Anno on vocals through to the mega-selling band of later years with the classic Bruce Dickinson line up. Of course, the band has always been Steve Harris’s baby really, from the formative line ups in the seventies up to the present day, and his writing, up to the last album, has dominated the band’s material, with its blend of straight ahead metal encompassing more than a hint of prog in the longer pieces. In examining their long career, the author gives a very balanced assessment of the band’s ups and downs over the years, and isn’t afraid to name and shame below par filler songs or even whole sub standard albums for that matter – stand up No Prayer For The Dying and Virtual XI. The band has gone through many changes from that original punky NWOBHM outfit in the pubs of East London to the globe straddling titans they eventually became, with unit shifting albums and sell out world tours. It’s been a pleasure to relisten to their albums chronologically while reading this book – they really have » Continue Reading.

Author:Georg Purvis

This is the first book in a new series, which takes a look at a band’s activities in their key decade. In the case of Pink Floyd, the seventies is an obvious choice, and this book gives an insight into their career and music in their most creative period, covering albums from Atom Heart Mother up to The Wall – what a long way they progressed in those ten years! The book draws on interviews from the numerous works already out there such as Schaffner’s Saucerful of Secrets, Mark Blake’s Pigs Might Fly and Nick Mason’s Inside Out among others, while adding the author’s own insights and thoughts. (Oddly, the author seems to be under the impression that Nick Sedgwick’s book, written in 1973/74 and shelved after objections from some band members, has never seen the light of day, when it was in fact finally published in 2017, around the time of the Their Mortal Remains exhibition at the V & A). What we do get is in depth coverage to the key albums of the era such as DSOTM, WYWH and Animals (will we ever see that deluxe reissue, I wonder?), alongside the lesser releases, for want » Continue Reading.

Author:Sophie Hannah

This is the fourth book in this authorised series of novels featuring Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and in my opinion it’s by far the best so far. As in the previous stories, the tale is narrated by Inspector Catchpool, a character who is 75% Captain Hastings and 25% Inspector Japp, and while previous books have suffered by Poirot being absent for large sections of the narrative, that isn’t a problem this time around as the ubiquitous sleuth is ever present. The author stays faithful to the original novels in terms of characters, settings and plot devices and that pays handsome dividends as this gripping tale unfolds, holding your attention from beginning to end. Poirot is asked to investigate a murder at a country house, but without any of the occupants knowing the reason for his visit. En route there by luxury coach, a distressed fellow passenger claims she needs to change seats or she will be murdered. As you’d expect, there are plenty of false trails, red herrings and misdirections among the genuine clues, as Poirot realises the two seemingly unrelated events may in fact be connected. The novel has a faster pace than some of » Continue Reading.

Author:Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz is a man of many parts. As well as writing scripts for TV series such as Poirot, Foyle’s War and the like, he’s also written novels for the estates of Ian Fleming and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, alongside the long running Alex Rider series for children and his own standalone novels. This one is a continuation of the Magpie Murders from a few years ago. It’s very much in the style of the Agatha Christie golden age of crime genre, and again contains a whole detective novel, featuring the Poirot like German investigator Atticus Pund, within the body of the main novel itself. Clues to the murder in the main story are cunningly concealed in this sub story in the forms of anagrams and literary hints, which makes for a very entertaining read. As usual, many people in the two plots have both the opportunity and motive to have murdered a fading Hollywood star and to be responsible for the mysterious disappearance of a missing woman, and there are plenty of red herrings and misdirections before the traditional denouement as the cast of suspects are gathered together at the climax of this gripping tale. If you’re » Continue Reading.

Author:Gary Steel – Peter Kearns – Geoffrey Feakes

Delighted to have a look at the next three titles in this consistently good series, which looks at the recordings of an artist song by song, album by album, throwing in along the way a generous amount of background information on the band’s activities at the time. Of course, the books all follow the same format, so how interesting a specific title is depends on your affection for that artist, as they are mostly aimed at fans rather than the casual reader.

Looking at these three individually then:

Gentle Giant – I have to confess that other than Octopus and The Power and The Glory I find a lot of their work quite hard going. I always find these books are better if you listen alongside reading them, but I must admit I only dipped my toes into some of their later albums. It was a pleasure though to rediscover the Steven Wilson put together Three Piece Suite from a couple of years back.

10cc/Godley & Crème – as I said in my review of the Worst Band In The World book last year, they are a band that has somehow almost » Continue Reading.

Author:John Connolly

It’s here at last! Having been delayed from its original April publication date, I can finally report that this is one of those novels that grabs you on page one and keeps you engrossed right until the last line over four hundred and fifty pages later, one of those books that you eke out as you just don’t want it to end. This is actually a prequel to the Charlie Parker series, taking us all the way back to the beginning of his story, back to the deep south of the USA in 1997 in fact. Black women are being gruesomely murdered, but in the incestuous small town in which the tale is set, where money talks, old loyalties run deep and grudges run even deeper still, no-one wants to admit what’s going on. Cover up follows cover up until Parker, mourning the death of his wife and daughter and seeking their killer, stumbles onto the scene. I won’t give away more, but this is an excellent read, one of the best in this long running series. It’s nowhere near the length of last year’s epic Book of Bones, and there’s very little of that book’s supernatural happenings » Continue Reading.

Author:Chris Frantz

Best known as the drummer with Talking Heads, this memoir by Chris Frantz is really as much about love as it is about music. After an unremarkable childhood in a military family, he meets both David Byrne and future wife Tina Weymouth at art college and eventually Talking Heads are formed, He’s obviously devoted to Tina – they’ve been together for over forty years – but paints Byrne in a less than flattering light, accusing him of not sharing writing credits and arbitrarily declaring the band to be over when it suited him – I don’t think a reunion is on the cards! Frantz has vivid detailed recollections of the fellow artists they met on the New York club scene of the mid-late seventies, particularly at CBGB’s – Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Tom Verlaine, etc. However, the bulk of this book unsurprisingly is devoted to the recording and touring career of Talking Heads, including detailed and lengthy travelogues of US and European treks – the most interesting is their first foray into the UK and Europe supporting The Ramones. As the band becomes more successful, it increasingly becomes a vehicle for Byrne, to the frustration of the other » Continue Reading.

Author:John Garth

There are, of course, already numerous books around on JRR Tolkien and his work, but this is quite simply the best book on the topic I’ve read for a good while. Subtitled The Places That Inspired Middle Earth, it’s a lavishly illustrated examination of the landscapes, cities and architecture that Tolkien drew on in the creation of Middle Earth. The initial chapters are arranged according to geography (mainly the UK and Northern Europe) and topography (mountains, rivers and lakes, woodlands etc). The last four sections examine landscapes where mankind has left its physical mark – ancient ruins, industrial locations, farmlands, war damaged cities, etc. It’s a large format book printed on top quality paper and it’s filled with maps, illustrations, and reproductions of Tolkien’s own paintings, all accompanied by the author’s well-researched knowledgeable commentary. For example, a month long walking tour undertaken by Tolkien and his brother in the Alps in 1911 reveals early inspiration for settings such as Rivendell and the Misty Mountains. Indeed, Tolkien’s illustration of Rivendell is shown alongside an actual photograph of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, revealing them to be almost identical. A fascinating, must read book for Tolkien fans, revealing much about the inspiration » Continue Reading.

Author:David Mitchell

Someone once said writing about music is like dancing about architecture, but disregarding this sage advice, David Mitchell returns with his big music novel, his first major work in six years. Its story follows the rise and fall of an English rock band the Utopia Avenue of the title, from its inception, almost as a result of a musical blind date, in the heyday of psychedelia in the London of 1967 to its inevitable ‘it’s better to burn out than to fade away’ blazing demise a few years later as reality and idealism finally collide, calling in at New York, San Francisco and all points in between on this journey through the summer of love and beyond. There’s more than a hint of Fairport Convention’s story in some aspects of this tale, and indeed Mitchell made extensive use of Rob Young’s history of the British folk scene Electric Eden when researching the book. There are also some subtle references to previous novels for Mitchell aficionados to spot; the name of the Syd Barrett like guitarist will ring a bell with readers of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, while the band’s manager, Levon, was last seen reminiscing » Continue Reading.

Author:Philip Kerr

A pair of reissues from the back catalogue of the late Philip Kerr. Both were written in the period between 1991 and 2006 when the Bernie Gunther novels were put aside as the author tried new directions. Indeed neither of these works bears any resemblance to that acclaimed series, unlike Hitler’s Peace, reprinted earlier this year, where there were some marked similarities on show. A Philosophical Investigation, originally published in 1992, is a thriller set in what was then the future, 2013. New technology developed by the government has allowed potentially violent people to be identified by DNA testing so treatments can be administered, but a serial killer is eliminating those with this propensity before they have committed any crimes. This novel is part detective story, as the police seek to catch the perpetrator, and part futuristic thriller – the setting in a way has similar overall ideas to Ian Rankin’s early novel Westworld (reprinted last year), so it’s almost as if both authors, who subsequently went on to create hugely successful detective series, fancied trying their hand at this genre as they cut their literary teeth. This is a cleverly plotted novel, worth a look, although some » Continue Reading.

Author:Jordan Blum

Dream Theater are one of those bands that I feel I ought to like more than I actually do. In theory, the concept albums and long complex pieces should be right up my street, but I’m put off by the metal element of their playing which for some reason I can’t quite get along with. You can’t argue with the musicianship and sheer technical virtuosity, but I feel sometimes that the complexity of their sound is somewhat overdone, thrown in just because they can, rather than because it adds something to the finished piece. I also think their vocals have always been a weak point, being rather insipid for my taste. The latest in this excellent series of books takes a long look at their extensive back catalogue, dissecting each album track by track, and throwing in for each release a potted history of what was happening behind the scenes with the band at that time, the recording and writing processes and any changes in line ups. The author is perhaps a little too fond of over flowery prose at times, but he certainly knows his stuff, and as this book will presumably be almost exclusively bought by » Continue Reading.

Author:Steve Hackett

The first thing that struck me about this autobiography by ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett was its length – or rather lack of it. A mere 167 pages, of which about a third is devoted to his childhood – I confess I was anticipating or hoping for something at least twice as long, perhaps with appendices detailing the equipment he’s used over the years and a comprehensive discography. Anyway, what we do get is an interesting and entertaining read as far as it goes, although there is a tendency to rather skate over the contentious areas you really wanted to know more about, a trait not uncommon in this type of book to be fair. In the course of the narrative there are useful reminders of some of his lesser-known works, such as the acoustic A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the orchestral Metamorpheus, but I suppose it’s the story of his tenure with and departure from Genesis that fans will be awaiting most keenly. He does seem to remain on good terms with the other members, particularly Peter Gabriel, but does subtly point the finger at Mike Rutherford for vetoing his plan for a joint band/solo career in the » Continue Reading.

Author:Karen Dionne

A psychological thriller from a new author to me, US writer Karen Dionne. The tale is told from two distinct points of view – the ‘now’ told by Rachel, initially languishing in a mental institution for fifteen years, traumatised after the killing of her parents, a crime she believes she committed, and the ‘then’ narrated by her mother, a parent who realises her other daughter, Diane, suffers from severe psychological problems to such an extent that the family uproot themselves and move to a secluded property in a remote location to minimise any contact with outsiders. After being convinced she could not have been responsible for her parents death, Rachel journeys back to the old family estate to try and regain her memories of what actually happened on that fateful day. I won’t give away any more of the plot, but suffice to say there’s a sense of creeping dread that builds as the book progresses. In fact, this story is as dark as one of Grimm’s gory original fairy tales, and for me the writing does, at times, get a little bit too bloodthirsty in its vivid detail.

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

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Author:Hilary Mantel

Here we have the long anticipated culmination of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor trilogy and it was certainly worth the extended wait. Most will probably be aware of the novel’s subject matter, picking up Thomas Cromwell’s story from the end of Bring Up The Bodies, which concluded with the execution of Anne Boleyn. This new work follows the final years of his life from 1536-40, chronicling his gradual fall from grace from arguably the second most powerful man in England to his untimely demise, ultimately suffering the same fate he had bestowed on enemies and rivals over the years. The skill of the author is to make this inevitable outcome to the story suspenseful, even though the ending is of course well known. Indeed, Cromwell’s fate seems to come almost as a surprise to himself, perhaps blinded by hubris, or maybe complacency eventually encouraged him to take just too many risks. Mantel manages to give us an insight into the inner man behind the public persona as the king’s right hand man, exposing his own self doubts and increasing loneliness as the years pass by. At the end of his story, we are left with the enigma and ambiguities of » Continue Reading.