Book Thoughts

As sales of my books continue to be strong (even the 1st Edition continues to sell!), it's left me with some thoughts on where to go next.

Finishing the 2nd Edition was a huge undertaking for me, especially as I was doing it all in my spare time. Consider the fact that I am married, have 4 children, a stressful and busy job, and a long commute to and from work each day, and you'll understand when I say that it put quite a lot of stress on me and my family. This is especially due to the fact that I was doing it for free (ie no one was paying me to write this book), and the money I make from sales just about goes to cover my costs for all of the printing, postage, etc.

Another factor was timing. The problem I ran into with the first book in 2009 is that I was constantly getting new material to add to the book, and could have postponed the publication indefinitely in order to include everything. This is what eventually led to the 2nd Edition. For the 2nd book, I set myself a hard and fast deadline (which in and of itself added more stress when I fell behind and had to push myself to eventually meet it!). Of course, right after I published the book, Blur announced their raft of 2013 and 2014 shows. Add to this the fact that I've gotten many recordings of these 2013 shows and you'll see that there *could* be the possibility for yet another book.

However, I think publishing a third book , so soon after the 2nd book, would not be prudent. Remember, there were 3+ years between the 1st and 2nd Editions. Also, I'm not sure how interesting reviews of 2013 (and beyond) shows that have set lists identical to the 2012 shows (included in the 2nd Edition) would be...certainly not enough to entice anyone to buy another book so soon after the last one.

This brings me to my thought...what if I write an addendum to the 2nd book, reviewing these 2013 shows and any other stray shows that didn't make it into the 2nd Edition, and offer it as a PDF? It would be very inexpensive (~$3) and basically an add-on to the 2nd Edition for anyone who has purchased it. That way, it wouldn't necessitate a completely new book, unless people think an "updated 2nd Edition" (would this be the 2nd and 1/2 Edition?) hard copy book would be a better idea?

I'll turn it over to you, my readers and customers...what do you think? Which would you rather have?

REVIEW: The Life of Blur

A new biography, titled (rather poorly, I might add) "The Life of Blur" by Martin Power, was released this past summer. Since the only authorized band biography, the excellent (if not light on detail) "3862 Days" by Stuart Maconie, was published back in 1999, this book seems to fill the void in detailing what went on in the intervening 14 years, as well as hopefully fleshing out the history of the band beyond the previous book. I was able to obtain a complimentary copy of the book from Omnibus Press, to whom I owe much thanks, in order to read it and review it. So here goes...

The author, Martin Power, has written many band biographies and this Blur one would seem to be the latest in his series. It clearly states on the back jacket that this is a book whose information is culled from interviews, books, magazine articles, and new interviews with some people closest to the band. The latter seem to be mainly with Nigel Hildreth (Damon and Graham's music teacher at Stanway Comprehensive when they were teenagers) and Holdaway and Bergkamp, who owned the Beat Factory Studio in London where Damon worked and where Blur held their initial rehearsals. It's helpful to know upfront that this is *not* an authorized biography, but attempts to be the "definitive biography" of the band, as stated on the back cover.

First off, the cover makes an uneven impression. The font used for the word "blur" is not the official one used for their logo, and thus makes the book look a little chintzy to the trained eye of the diehard fan. Also, while the effect on the cover photo is interesting, with Damon in focus and Graham, Alex, and Dave blurred (I see what they did there!) behind him, the fact that it seems to focus (no pun intended) on Damon at the expense of the other three is, while understandable given his importance to the band, also rather predictable and unfortunate.

On to the contents: the book itself starts with the childhood of Damon and builds on through his meeting with Graham at Stanway before getting into Graham's backstory. From there, it chronicles their teenaged dalliances with bands before Damon moves on to acting school in London and Graham gets to Goldsmiths to study art. His meeting Alex there gets us to Alex's history, and finally Dave's (which is a bit puzzling at the end since he had played with Graham in Colchester years before, but anyway...). The author states at the very beginning the the Blur story cannot be told without particular emphasis on Damon, since he is the creative and driving force behind the band, and while this is certainly true, at times the book does seem like more of a Damon biography, or at the very least, to emphasize his contributions to the band much more heavily than the other 3, although to be fair he does sing the (deserved) praises of Graham and (to a slightly lesser extent, though no less deserved), Alex and Dave.

I'm not going to go through the entire chronology of the book for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being that you should go read the actual book if you're truly interested in it! Also, the main story is fairly well known, if not memorized and recited, by hardcore fans of the band already, and even the casual fan will probably know the main gist of it. Instead, I'll focus on the pros and cons of the book as a whole.

On the positive side, the author is clearly a fan of the band and does them justice with his enthusiasm for the subject.  There are lots of nice photos throughout the book, many in full color, and at 300+ pages, the book does not skimp on their career. Power also does a good job remaining balanced; while it may be a natural (and understandable) inclination to focus the book mainly on Albarn, he does a nice job fleshing out the other 3, especially during the hinterland of 2004-2008.

As for the negatives, my first nitpick would seem to lie not with the author, but whoever proofread the manuscript. There were some silly errors, like referring to an early Damon musical collaborator by the last name "Hubbins" on one page and then "Hibbins" on another. Also, the REPEATED misuse of the word "illicit" instead of "elicit" as in "to *elicit* help."As for the author, there were some obvious errors which would be glaring to any fan of the band, such as calling the song "Advert" by the name "Advertisement," or the song "Ultranol" as "Ultrano." On a more personal level, as a matter of opinion, some of his choices for best and worst songs on the various albums rather beggar belief, such as Ernold Same as one of the best on The Great Escape, or his dismissal of Tender on 13. Again, these are all down to personal preference and will vary from person to person who reads the book, but some are just a bit too obvious to be argued with too much (in my opinion!).

As for a more stylistic critique, it's very obvious that the bulk of the narrative is made up of quotes from interviews and articles. Not only have I read many, if not most of them, before, but many were taken out of context or out of chronological order (ie a quote from an interview in, say, 1997, was used to bolster a passage discussing something from 1992). While the quote in question may fit perfectly well where it was used, the fact that it is in actuality relating to something different was quite grating. Obviously, this would be most noticeable to a more diehard fan, but that's what I and many others are, so to me it was quite noticeable. Also, his non-quoted descriptions for many songs/events/etc were lifted verbatim from other well-known interviews, which again grated on me after a while.

Finally, on a more personal level (and let me state up front this is not sour grapes at all...well, ok, maybe not 100% sour grapes), on the one hand, I was very happy to see several fansites acknowledged (and unhappy to see a few that were, as well) in the back of the book, most notable Veikko's page and the Damon Albarn Unofficial page, run by fans who I "know" via various Blur-related internet locales. Neither my website or my book were acknowledged, which, though slightly disappointing, was not a big deal to me. However, there were several times throughout the book where I read what seemed to be direct quotes or descriptions of things said at Blur concerts over the years that would only be known to either A) someone who had read my book, or B) someone who had heard the tape of the show. As several of the concerts he alluded to have tapes that are either not widely circulated or are obscure enough that the general fan wouldn't have them, it leads me to suspect (but not accuse) that at least some of either my book or site was used as reference. I may be completely off-base here, but in trying to keep an objective mind about it, after re-reading certain passages more and more, I have the feeling that I'm correct. As you all know, all I ask is that if anything from my book or site are used, that I receive the proper credit or acknowledgement. It's common courtesy and something I and countless others do on our pages and in our writings. As I said, this is more a personal matter than something that would be of interest to anyone else reading the book, but I just wanted to put it out there anyway.

In conclusion, the book: not awful by any stretch but not great. It's quite obvious it was cobbled together from press clippings, other books, and interviews (but not with the band or their closest confidantes). Quite a lot of minor errors that are obvious to the dedicated fan, as well as several typos and improper grammar (for example, the constant usage of "illicit" instead of "elicit."). It avoids coming off as a cash-in on Blur's (never-ending) reunion, but only just. On the positive side, the author is excited about the band and reading certain passages does make you want to play the albums right after you put the book down to remind yourself at just how fantastic they were and are.

While it's not the best book on Blur, it's very good and an enjoyable enough read. Older, more knowledgeable fans won't find anything new here, but for a newer fan, it covers most of the bases. Either way, the positives outweigh the negatives.

MY RATING: 6/10

Coming Soon: My Review of "The Life of Blur"

I just got in the mail today my free copy of the new Blur biography, "The Life of Blur" by Martin Power (thank you, Omnibus Press!). They sent it to me complimentary because I promised to read it and write up a thorough review and post it here on my website as well as on the Blur forums. So, that being said, I intend to start the book tomorrow and as soon as I finish, I'll write up my review and share it with all of you. So stay tuned!

New Book Review Coming Soon

My complimentary copy of the new Blur biography arrived today (thank you, Omnibus Press)! The agreement was they would send it to me for free and I have to read and review it on my website and on the Blur forums. 

I'm looking forward to reading it and getting started!

So Far, Unanimous Praise for Black Book (2nd Edition)!

I've been truly humbled and flattered by the response to my newest book, Black Book: The Live History of Blur (2nd Edition). I'd like to share the feedback I've gotten, not only as a (small) feather in my cap (I can't resist!), but also to hopefully persuade anyone sitting on the fence that this book is worth getting if you're a Blur fan, BritPop fan, music fan, or whatever.

Some of the reviews for the book since it's release in December 2012:

"Got it tonight. Absolutely brilliant! I've been listening to the CDs and reading about the concerts - using the book like a mega set of liner notes. There are some priceless rareties here for sure, but the selections made are better because the author truly knows what he's talking talking about. I've got a stack of live CDs from hunting around Record fairs in the 90s, and this book is going to give them a new lease of life! Thank you"

"Got mine on Saturday. A joy to read. A real labour of love isn't it? It's great that there is a book like this out there. Well done"

"Got it in the mail today. Read a few entries and I'm really impressed. The concert reviews are super in-depth. Thanks for your hard work!"

"Just got mine from Amazon UK, and it's coming with me on a business trip next week so I'll have plenty time to get into it on the flight! It looks great Drew!"

"I loved it! Real page-turner. Great insight to B-Roads was a bonus."

"Mine arrived yesterday and it's awesome!"

"Mine arrived this morning, had a quick glance and it looks very purty you should be very proud"

"Got mine this morning, just about to go through it. Thanks so much, looks great!"

"I am completely stunned by the amount of information in this book and the scene-by-scene review of B-Roads is wonderful. Thank you for giving us a glimpse into the great mystery! This book is an ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE for hardcore Blur fans. Such a great read and research tool. Thank you so much for your effort, it's greatly appreciated!"   

And so far, all 5-Star reviews on Amazon:

Amazon.co.uk reviews
Amazon.com reviews

So if you've got the book, I'd love to hear your feedback, good or bad (and if it's good, I'd appreciate it if you reviewed it on Amazon, your website, anywhere...and share the link, please!).

And if you don't have the book yet, isn't this enough to make you want to go out and get it? :-) 

 

Burned, Baby, Burned

All finished! Here's the stack of the compilation CDs done and waiting for the books to arrive and then they'll be shipped out.

Black Book 2 is now available at Amazon

Black Book 2 is now available HERE on Amazon.com and, very shortly, on Amazon sites worldwide.

Black Book 2 is now available!

The book is done and now live for purchase! It will be available on Amazon worldwide in about a week, but if you can't wait, it is available directly from the publisher RIGHT NOW at https://www.createspace.com/4036877.

Also, I am awaiting a box full of copies for you pre-order folks, and I am currently burning the compilation CDRs. As soon as I get the books delivered, I will be signing them, packaging them with the compilation, and shipping! As always, I'll keep you updated every step of the way :-)

The End Is Here!

No, the world didn't end today! The final manuscript version's digital proof is here. I'm going to give this a final once-over today and then it'll be done and I'll just be waiting for the real copies to be delivered!

UPDATE: Book Finished

Book is done! Submitted for final review and then it will be all finished. I'll spend the weekend burning the compilation while I wait for the books to be printed and arrive.

Black Book Pre-Order Bonus Compilation Track Listing!

Below is the final tracklisting for the bonus compilation the pre-order customers will be getting! I think it sounds fantastic overall and my friend Tom did a great job mastering and cleaning up the audio. I think those of you who have this coming to you will really enjoy it.

CD1:

1) Beetlebum (Melbourne 11/1/97)
2) She's So High (London 12/9/97)
3) Stereotypes (Dublin 6/22/96)
4) Bad Day (Reading 8/24/91)
5) Explain (Camden 3/30/90)
6) Colin Zeal (Melbourne 11/1/97)
7) Country Sad Ballad Man (Stockholm 4/7/97)
8) London Loves (Sheffield 5/21/94)
9) Movin' On (Toronto 3/13/97)
10) Chemical World (Glasgow 9/3/93)
11) Girls and Boys (Nyon 7/22/94)
12) It Could Be You (Amsterdam 3/22/96)
13) Luminous (Glastonbury 6/28/92)
14) Nite Klub (w/Terry Hall) (Dublin 6/22/96)
15) Topman (London 9/7/95)
16) Far Out (Mile End 6/17/95)
17) Repetition (Glastonbury 6/2798)
18) I'm Just a Killer For Your Love (Glastonbury 6/27/98)
19) Music is My Radar (Dublin 12/8/03)
20) This is a Low (London 12/12/97)

CD2:

1) Ambluance (Milan 5/15/03)
2) Tender (T in the Park 7/12/09)
3) Trailerpark (London 3/15/99)
4) Entertain Me (Hamburg 10/23/95)
5) Battle (London 3/15/99)
6) Colours (Dublin 12/8/03)
7) Fade Away (Hamburg 10/23/95)
8) He Thought of Cars (Boston 2/11/96)
9) Chinese Bombs (Hultsfred 6/15/96)
10) Song 2 (Dublin 6/22/96)
11) Globe Alone (Zurich 3/8/96)
12) Coping (Zurich 3/8/96)
13) Essex Dogs (Glastonbury 6/27/98)
14) You're So Great (Osaka 5/27/97)
15) Look Inside America (Amsterdam 4/29/97)
16) Strange New From Another Star (Tokyo 6/3/97)
17) Black Book (London 7/2/00)
18) The Universal (London 12/12/97)

BOOK UPDATE: At the Proofing Stage

The manuscript was approved for proofing! I've got digital and print copies of the proof on their way to me now for review. Very exciting! I'll be reviewing them over the next week or so and finalizing the physical book in preparation for publication and release.

BOOK UPDATE

Sorry for the radio silence!  A quick update...manuscript is nearly done and will be sent off for proof copies later this week. I've finished compiling the bonus compilation for the pre-order customers and a friend of mine is mastering it. I'll post the tracklist very soon.

Stay tuned!

Submission Deadline

ATTENTION: Today is the day I had set as the deadline for anything to be included in the book. So if you have anything (recordings, ticket stubs) you'd like to be added to the book, please contact me/send it in by the end of today. In all honesty, if there's something anyone has after today, I'll still accept submissions but I'd prefer today be the cut-off day in order to give me enough time to finish the editing and formats.

Thanks!

Black Book 2 cover

Here's the finalized cover for the new book. Looks familiar, no? I still like it...hope you do, too!

Black Book 2 preorder continues on

1 week down, 3 weeks to go. Make sure you don't miss out if you want to get a signed copy of the new book complete with a bonus 2 CDR compilation of live tracks! Just place your order below and you'll be all set.

So far the response has been tremendous and I think you all are going to really like this.

(and because some people have asked, the price already includes the shipping cost so no need to pay extra)

Black Book Pre-Order: IT IS HERE!

WHAT'S NEW IN BLACK BOOK 2nd EDITION: > Newly rearranged format and sections, breaking the live history into touring "eras" instead of years to better track their onstage progression alongside their musical evolution in the studio > Nearly 100 new concerts reviewed and written up, fleshing out their live history even more than the first book from 2009 > Corrections and revisions to many entires from the first book as further research has brought new information to light > Updated, corrected, and expanded tour date history > Updated, corrected, and expanded song live performance list > A collection of scans/photos of Blur concert ticket stubs throughout their history, from 1990 to 2012 > A "thank you" section acknowledging and thanking everyone who kindly helped out with this project (whether sending in recordings or scans of their tickets) > The FIRST EVER review of B-Roads, the lost Great Escape film from 1995/96, detailed and reviewed for the first time ANYWHERE If you can't wait until December to order the book, I'm running a pre-order special that will run from October 15 to November 15, 2012 PRE-ORDER SPECIAL: BLACK BOOKS 1&2 > Both editions of Black Book together for US $30 BLACK BOOK 2 > The new 2012 2nd Edition of Black Book for US $20 Everyone who pre-orders either one of these between October 15 and November 15 will get their copies of the book signed by me, as well as a live compilation I'm putting together (I haven't decided if it will be on CDR or download yet, I'll announced that as the release date gets closer). After November 15, 2012, I will not accept any more pre-orders...sorry, but since this is 100% a one-man operation (ie, I'm doing everything by myself!), I just can't handle it. TO PRE-ORDER: I'm accepting payment through PayPal (this way I can keep track of the orders): PLEASE ORDER USING THE BUTTONS BELOW AND INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION: -Your name -Your mailing address -Your email address -Which book package you're ordering Please allow 3-5 days for orders to arrive after December 19 for US orders, and 1-2 weeks for the rest (give or take a few days since it will be close to the Christmas holiday season, which always delays the post). If you have any additional questions about the book, the pre-order, or anything else, please feel free to contact me at dkathans@comcast.net IF YOU HAVE ANY RECORDINGS OR TICKET SCANS YOU'D LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BOOK, PLEASE HAVE THEM IN TO ME NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 31, 2012!! Thanks in advance for your patience with me! :)

Black Book 2 preorder is almost here…

I've got the pre-order announcement all written up and just about ready to share. I just need to sort out a few more details and then I'll post it for all of you to see!

A Work in Progress

Working on the cover for the book.

It Could Be You (reviewing the book…)

If you have Black Book and have enjoyed it, why not write a review for it on Amazon? The feedback helps me out to know what everyone likes/dislikes, and it helps the ranking on Amazon. This is my way of asking nicely (pretty please?) :)