THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

Correct. Train In Vain is about the end of their relationship.

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When you make your music, do you think about the man in the street? No, I've met the man in the street. He's a Ladybit.

Ah. Good point. Apparently Strummer hated that track. (One book I read said he looked offstage and stuck his fingers down his throat as a sign to the roadies offstage whenever it came up on the set list)
It's not a Clash 'premier song' but not bad. Spells out the angst of a breakup.

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke

It must be almost 40 years since I read this first time round, amazing for the fact that it was written before the moon landings yet seems so ahead of is time. Fabulous book, beautifully written - science fiction that feels really accessible

Just finished it. Read both her books, one after the other. This one is compelling, particularly the way it switches between the hospital and reading her parents’ diaries.

Agree with your comment, Gers, about it being the best book I’ve read for ages.

Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond & Adam Horovitz

The two surviving Beastie Boys give us a memoir, of sorts! As with anything to do with them it's idiosyncratic to say the least. Less of a traditional "We started the band, then this happen" sort of thing, more a series of anecdotes. which as you'd expect from them are laugh out loud funny.

It's a great read, and I'd recommend it highly.

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When you make your music, do you think about the man in the street? No, I've met the man in the street. He's a Ladybit.

Reread a Graham Masterton Omnibus.
Truly horrible horror - although the plots tend to fade at the end.
Anyone else have a view on his work/
(IMHO 'The Devils of D Day' was pretty good. 'Tengu' was alright until the end. 'Mirror' was fairly good until the end as well)

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

The Final Days Of EMI: Selling The Pig by Eamon Forde

Tells the story of hedge fund Terra Firma's takeover of the world's older recorded music company, EMI.

Everyone with a passing interest in music will already know what an unmitigated disaster this turned out to be. But Dr Forde lifts the lid on the inner workings of a company so far out of its depth, that even industrial strength water wings couldn't have saved it.

It gets very dry towards the end when basically it turns into an extremely dry business tome. But Forde does say that it's not a music industry book, rather it's a business book.

Fans of Radiohead should avoid. They certainly don't come out of this covered in glory.

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When you make your music, do you think about the man in the street? No, I've met the man in the street. He's a Ladybit.

'Lunch With The Wild Frontiers: A History Of Britpop And Excess In 13-1/2 Chapters' by Phill Savidge

Notice the way old Phill spells his name? That tells you all you need to know.

Phill headed the 90's biggest P.R. company. Representing the likes of Suede, Blur, Pulp, Elastica, The Verve, and Fat Les. He chronicles the mid 90's London music scene nonsense pretty entertainingly enough.

It's an interesting enough read if, like me, you love music. Nothing to tax your brain here. I finished it in two afternoons. Yesterday, and today.

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When you make your music, do you think about the man in the street? No, I've met the man in the street. He's a Ladybit.

'The Secret Barrister' (yes another in that sort of series)
Lifts the lid off the justice system - and seems to put it largely down to cuts in funding for police/CPS/courts. Not 'heavy to read.
S/he's not impressed with magistrates either.
I wouldn't say 'rush out and buy it' but if you see it in the library (I don't mean The East Stand) or a second hand shop it's worth getting.

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

Set in the 26th century, a tale of rebellion and repression within the totalitarian OneState

I hadn't heard of this until recently and was surprised to find it earned Zamyatin permanent exile on publication in 1921, and was banned in his native Russia until 1988. No spoilers, but We provides significant and obvious inspiration for Orwell's1984 (published in 1949) and Huxley's Brave New World (1932)

If you enjoy a good dystopian future novel this is fantastic, the English translation is quite poetic at times and not overlong at just over 200 pages. Some of the themes will be familiar given what has followed since, but it's interesting and enjoyable to see earlier examples of this type of story telling in print, particularly given the social changes taking place at the time of writing