Book: Dancing Through The Fire

[back_in_the_game]

My daughter bought me this for Christmas.

I’ve read a lot of musician biographies, but this is different.

It goes through Paul Weller’s career, song by song, album by album, gig by gig, event by event.

The ‘author’ Dan Jennings records the spoken testimony (good and bad) of the people ‘in the room’, then writes up their voiced memories.

Roadies, session musicians, family, other famous musicians, record co execs, promoters, journos, Weller himself, a real mix.

I had a quick dip into it, picked a few standout moments from the Contents pages, like Eton Rifles, That’s Entertainment, Cafe Bleu, Secret Gigs, Band Aid etc.

Couldn’t put it down, stayed up til 2am. Really interesting, a different perspective. I was torn between putting the song on and cracking on to the next mini-chapter.

Obviously, you need to like Weller, but if you do, I’d recommend it.

[AndyP]

Thanks for this - just ordered it.

[mikehughescq]

@back_in_the_game

I’ve read a lot of musician biographies, but this is different.

It’s an oral history so not exactly radical. In recent years we’ve had similar for The Fall, Dexys, Slade and Bragg to name but a few. There is an interesting difference with this and I’m inclined to the view that it’s a major flaw i.e. that this one focuses on family and is thus closer to hagiography than actual oral history which might offer enlightening and often contrasting perspectives on the same events.

I was a Jam fan, found some of the Style Council stuff to be genuinely excellent but struggled with his solo career as it continues to strike me as lazy, limiting and incredibly cliched. That aside I hoped for some nuggets given my own live experiences of The Jam and some vague connections I have had over the years e.g. I was in a relationship for a year many years ago with the sister of one of their producers/engineers. I read the book last year having been given a copy by said sister and I found it incredibly disappointing.

I went to listen to Nicky in conversation at the Louder Than Words festival in Manchester last November and was highly amused when someone made the exact point above re: hagiography. No defence was offered. Instead the response was basically “people will buy this stuff so why not”. I thought that was an appallingly cynical response.

Outside said event it was described by a fellow punter as an “Easy Read” guide to The Jam and noted that if you were a Jam fan then there was really nothing new here at all.

[AndyP]

@back_in_the_game really loving this book. Great style and very readable indeed. Thanks for the the recommendation.

[MikeD]

Mmm, yes you do. Any Robert Smith quotes in there?