Telling Stories - Softcover

Burgess, Tim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0241957974 ISBN 13: 9780241957974

Publisher: Penguin, 2013

Synopsis

The Charlatans. Madchester. Britpop. Taking on the world. Here are the highs, the lows, the joys, the agonies, and the stories of what it's like to be in a rock band, as told by front man and survivor, Tim Burgess. For readers who enjoyed Life by Keith Richards and Bit of a Blur by Alex James, Telling Stories is one of the finest music books of recent times. It's a story of achievement and survival, from London to LA. Telling Stories by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans is one of the decade's most revealing rock books.This paperback book has 256 pages and measures: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.9cm.

About this title

Review

"For a man whose behaviour borders on the suicidal, Timothy Burgess, the people's friend, is what you call a life enthusiast. He is also mad. It's a much-abused word, mad . . . but he really is proper coo-ee clouds pan-dimensional mad mad." "Sky"" "Burgess keeps a level head, a sharp eye and a nice turn of phrase." "Independent"" "The Charlatans' frontman recalls the heyday of Britpop and Madchester with endearing exuberance. He's unflinchingly honest about the bad times but also peppers his story with anecdotal nuggets about the pitfalls of rock 'n' roll excess."" Metro"" "A vivid read."" Independent on Sunday"" "Clear, honest. An unusually frank and well-written rock memoir." the" Times" " "Like the best bits of every cautionary rock star tale . . . there is armed robbery and smuggling. There's serious fraud. There are near and actual death experiences, divorce, industrial cocaine consumption and magnificent cameos from Madonna, Alan McGee, Ronnie Wood, Joe Strummer, LA drug dealer Harry The Dog, and Joaquin Phoenix. A minor classic." "Q""

From the Back Cover

'I've known Tim since the early 90s when he and his band made some of the best singles of that decade. He's a solid, music-loving, gentle, dry-witted fella who understands the importance of hair'
Paul Weller

The Charlatans have had three UK Number One albums and seventeen Top Thirty singles. But they've also had to face the imprisonment and death of keyboard player Rob Collins and an accountant who ran off with all their money. Not to mention the rock 'n' roll excesses of singer Tim Burgess.

In his startlingly revealing memoir, not ghosted but written by Burgess himself, he describes how they dealt with their crises, and what's gone right with the band as much as what's gone wrong. Brought up in a Cheshire village, he went on to front a band that has travelled the world and was at the forefront of the Madchester and Britpop movements.

Telling Stories is a tale of achievement and survival, via a fair bit of heartache, but told with humour. At the centre of it is Tim Burgess's own story: how someone with a passion for music got to fulfill his dreams. He doesn't flinch from the dark stuff - the lure of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, its sweet enticements - and he confesses in vivid detail how he had to pull himself back from the brink. But along the way he had a lot of good times and met some great people while making great music. It's all here in Telling Stories.

'For a man whose behaviour borders on the suicidal, Timothy Burgess, the people's friend, is what you call a life enthusiast. He is also mad. It's a much-abused word, mad .... but he really is proper coo-ee clouds para-dimensional mad' Sylvia Patterson, Sky, 1996

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0241957974
• ISBN 13: 9780241957974
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256