King Mod : The story of Peter Meaden, The Who, and the birth of a British subculture
Steve Turner
Bok · Engelsk · 2024 · Biografiar
| Omfang | 269 sider : illustrasjoner
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| Opplysninger | In 1975 author Steve Turner interviewed Peter Meaden - the man who discovered The Who. A small part of the interview was published in NME during1979, a year after Meaden's death, and was instrumental in the first major revival of mod culture in the UK. Quotable lines in the interview include 'Mod living is an aphorism for clean living under difficult circumstances' - which now regularly make it onto T-shirts, posters and mugs as well as being used as book and compilation album titles. The full interview has never been published before and what makes it so captivating is not just what Meaden says, but the way he says it. He was like a saxophone player blowing words into the ether. High on medication of some kind he followed word associations to the bitter end - and in doing so unlocked fresh parts of his imagination. That interview is the core of King Mod - and has been extensively footnoted to expand on all the key references - and its wrapped around by two other sections that help complete the picture and provide historical context. The first introduces the history of mod and the background to the interview and the second is a potted biography - drawn from extensive interviews with family, friends and colleagues (over 40 of them) as well as medical records, school reports, newspaper accounts, letters and other archive material. There is no individual in the mod firmament who attracts more interest than Peter Meaden - who is seen to embody the spirit, passion and purity of the movement - and this book hopefully captures the essence of the King Mod. Shindig magazine: In 1979, Richard Barnes' book, Mods! became the definitive description of the Mod movement. In 2024, the story of Peter Meaden, King Mod is now the next nearest book to claiming that title. It's possibly the best music biography of a non-musician ever written. Meaden, as well as managing The Who, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds and The Steve Gibbons Band, was THE ace face and before his death in 1978, was one of several individuals whom the lead character of Jimmy was based upon, for the Quadrophenia album and later film. Turner's taut prose is fast-paced, doesn't waste a word and shows a Mod-like attention to detail. Moreover, it reveals a stunning amount of research into the life of a man who had destroyed his papers, accounts and press-cuttings before his death. You find yourself thinking, “How did he find that out?” However, Turner had already spent many hours interviewing Peter Meaden and, over five decades, has gone on to interview just about everyone relevant to the story including all four original Who members. Along with a lavish layout, we have the author's own anecdotal memories, including taking his subject to watch Christian rock performer Larry Norman at a packed Royal Albert Hall and later, to see the Sex Pistols at London's 100 Club, in September 1976. King Mod reveals a man – and a lifestyle – seeking meaning, purpose and truth by choosing to escape from domesticity, commitment and responsibility, with tragic consequences. Review by John Cheek “I do like the book." Pete Townshend – The Who “Essential reading if you really want to understand where The Who came from.” Chris Charlesworth – thewho.com and justbackdated “Clearly a labour of love by an author whose previous works have dealt with the Beatles, U2, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison and religion in rock, and it's very well illustrated. For anyone to whom the all too short era of modism -- to use Meaden's term -- was something precious, its historical value is unquestionable.” Richard Williams – bluemoment.com “Steve Turner’s interview is so much more than a statement of facts and fantasies; it is a portrait of a complex, fragile and sensitive young man – a remarkable document by any account. Don’t lose sight of this one.” Peter Stanfield – Ugly Things Magazine (California) “A fantastic tale.” Mark Ellen – A Word in Your Ear podcast
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| Dewey | |
| ISBN | 9781912733514 : Nkr 410.00
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| Hylleplass | 781.64092 MEA
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