THE LONDON BOYS | DAVID BOWIE, MARC BOLAN & THE 60s TEENAGE DREAM

 

TITLE - THE LONDON BOYS | DAVID BOWIE, MARC BOLAN & THE 60s TEENAGE DREAM

WRITTEN BY - MARC BURROWS

GENRE - '60s BRITISH MUSIC/BIOGRAPHY

PUBLISHED BY - PEN & SWORD 

PUBLICATION DATE - 30TH OCTOBER 2022

“The London Boys” is a penetratingly thorough history of the deep but often turbulent friendship/rivalry between the nascent rock stars David Bowie and Marc Bolan, from their early years to their eventual first flush of fame. The introduction sets the scene with a depiction of the historic yet chaotic reconciliation of Bowie and Bolan on the latter’s TV show “Marc”, mere days before his death. The book evokes the shattered post-WWII London landscape that both Bolan and Bowie grew up in through vivid descriptions, and explores how the city and its rapid cultural development in the ‘60s shaped their future careers. 

On the whole, “The London Boys” is a very detailed and workmanlike biography of both legends, but also a deep and intoxicating (it may even be eye-opening to a millennial reader) social history of Britain and its cultural heritage and development, hugely influenced by American music. There are also some very entertaining footnotes in which many myths are busted. Special mention must be given to chapter nineteen which has a unique structure that got made this old Bowie fan giddily excited, but you’ll have to read it yourself to find out why. 

A dense, deep book but immensely scholarly and readable, with an uplifting ending (really, “the beginning”) “The London Boys” is an original, fabulous and moving, even slightly irreverent, addition to the written history of both artists, both of whom burst from the page so vividly that we get to know them better than ever.

BUY FROM PEN & SWORD

BUY FROM AMAZON

SUPPER'S READY | MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF GENESIS

TITLE - SUPPER'S READY | MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF GENESIS 

WRITTEN BY - PETE CHRISP 

PUBLISHED BY - SONA BOOKS 

PUBLICATION DATE - AVAILABLE NOW 

 

Pete Chrisp’s “Supper’s Ready - More Than 50 Years of Genesis” offers a fun and concise history of the “posh rock” band, from early years in search of a record deal to their stadium-filling heyday, through reunions and beyond to the present day with the “Last Domino” tour.

Chrisp admits in his introduction that it’s difficult to find a fan of all eras of Genesis - infamously, the post-Peter Gabriel years, when Phil Collins took over the microphone, tend to have a different kind of admirer than that of the early years. As a fan myself, I find much to like from all of their albums.

The book is unofficial yet it still has a wealth of archive photos and memorabilia such as concert tickets, gig posters, promo ads and tour programmes. The photos especially are excellent, though I don’t think there are any unseen shots. Chrisp charts the Genesis timeline concisely and clearly, admittedly without any shocking revelations, but it is well-researched, taking in the band members’ solo careers too. Chrisp expands on each studio album later in the book.

At the back of the book is a detailed discography of their studio, live and compilation albums, and an interesting list of Genesis’ albums from worst to best - sorry, “Calling All Stations” fans! (Their last studio album from 1997…hard to believe). There are also short biographies of everyone who’s ever been in Genesis; more than you’d think, culminating with Phil’s son, Nick, on drums.

A short but packed read, with a chapter or so devoted to each phase/album, it is large format and looks like an annual that is unusually good value for money - this book is much more than the sum of its parts. Sadly, a couple of mistakes have crept in, most likely printing errors, in the discography - the first track on the band’s first album “From Genesis To Revelation” is entitled “Where the Sour Turns to Sweet” not “Where the Sweet Turns to Sour” as stated in the book, and the tracklisting for “Wind & Wuthering”’s first side repeats the first side tracklisting of “A Trick of the Tail” from the previous page.

Pete Chrisp writes well and knowledgeably, with humour (there are several laugh-out-loud moments in his analysis of the studio albums) and welcome candour about the band’s less successful moments. Overall, “Supper’s Ready” is an enjoyable and accessible read that delivers a brisk overview of Genesis’ career, and is recommended. Long term Genesis-heads will know every fact and photo in these pages and probably deem it inessential; however, the book is colourful, attractive, and very well put together (errors aside) and should please a casual fan or someone just discovering the band.

BUY IT FROM BOOKSHOP

BUY IT FROM AMAZON