French Frenzies: A Social History of Pop Music in France

March 6, 2008 | By Doug In Pop Music |

Eric Clapton: The Autobiography
List Price: ?20.00
Amazon Price: ?9.00
Used Price: ?4.25
Customer Review: A totally engrossing read…
Eric Clapton’s life has been such a roller-coaster ride of success & excess that his story reads more like a “thriller” than a normal autobiography. Couple this with his willingness to deal with what he has gone through with disarmingly rare and often shocking honesty and what you’ve got is a fascinating book. Sure it often rambles, is full of name checks of songs, albums, gigs & musicians without a great deal of detail about their background, and is fairly simply written - but then that’s what makes it so good because, unlike a lot autobiographic eulogies, this really does come across as a rock-star (rather than some ghost-writer) trying to set it all out, warts and all, as he saw it. It may not be what you want to hear, it may leave you frustrated because of its lack of insight into some of things you want to know about, and you may not end up liking the bloke too much after it, but it’s about as close as you can get to listening to someone recounting their life as it was, rather than as you or others may wish it had been. And, as a result, it’s totally engrossing.
Customer Review: Well…
An impoverished youth, addiction and stardom. Eric’s book gives us an insight into just how intimate the circle was/is in the UK; friends with the Beatles, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend etc etc. Impressive stuff! However I was left with the impression that Eric has become a bit of a pompous arse. “I liked the area so I bought the whole peninsular” “I loved the yacht, so I bought it” I know you’ll hate my review, but if Clapton was God, there is little evidence now.

‘Take That - For The Record - Official Documentary [Digipak] [2006]
List Price: ?13.99
Amazon Price: ?5.97
Used Price: ?7.73
Customer Review: Moving and fascinating documentary
An absolutely riveting insight into the lives of Take That both during the height of their success and ever since. It felt incredibly moving to hear all sides of a story very much manipulated by the tabloids and to witness how different peoples’ perceptions of a situation can cause long term hurt. You will join with Gary, Jay, Howard and Mark in desparately willing Rob to turn up and will probably shed a few tears (like me!) when he doesn’t. Knowing how this documentary impacted on the lives of all five ex-Thaters and brought about their reconcilliation just shows how honest and sensitive a piece of film making it was. Well done to all.
Customer Review: Sensational!
I must admit I was never a fan of Take That in their prime, nor in fact the entire boy band era, but this doc is something really special. I watched in awe, listening to the lives that these ordinary guys led and where the hurricane of their fame has left them now. The look and feel of the film was both humourous and intellectual and maintained a great depth throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this piece and would like to shake its’ makers by the hand, sterling job guys!