Author:Stuart Bailie
I vaguely recall reading Belfast journalist Stuart Bailie’s articles in the NME back in the nineties, but his work had long gone from my memory until this new collection of his writing over the past forty years reached me. He begins with an interesting and quite detailed look back at his overall career, before presenting a series of his best pieces culled from the various outlets his journalism appeared in between 1985 and 2025. This superb collection gives us some first hand insights in to what it was like to be a music writer in the heady days when the music press was in its pomp and far beyond, with encounters with the likes of Tom Waits, Oasis, The Manic Street Preachers and Radiohead. I feel though that the very best of his writing, the cream of the crop, is reserved for Irish musicians such as U2, The Pogues, The Waterboys and Van Morrison, all of whom he seems to share a great deal of empathy with. This is a really good read, which I’d highly recommend to connoisseurs of music journalism, and as the more recent pieces amply illustrate this wordsmith has lost none of his skill and authority over the years. Music commentary at its very best!
Length of Read:Long
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Collected editions of music writing by the likes of Nick Kent, CSM, Chris Charlesworth et al, and of course the author’s previous books.
One thing you’ve learned
Massive thanks to @colin-h for bringing this book to my attention and letting me a have a copy – I am in your debt, sir!
A pedant writes: The Waterboys are Scottish, even though a couple of the peak albums were recorded in Ireland. Well, Mike Scott is a Scot, anyhow.
Keep on rocking, Bargemeister!
My copy is on the top of the in-pile. I’m planning to set aside a day or two over the Christmas period to really dive in and read it at leisure. I’ll probably get in a couple of jars of mussels and some potted herrings in case I get famished part way through.
Wise words, Vulps, wise words…