|
Mr Cardiff
Reviews
Books
First and Last Man - Ralph McTell
Summer Lightning - Ralph McTell
Song and Dance Man III – The Art of Bob Dylan
First and Last Man
Angel Laughter is the first volume of Ralph McTell’s autobiography. It takes us from his birth in 1944 to his release from the
army in 1961. For fans of McTell’s this book is an absolute must, but for music lovers of a certain age who are only aware
of him through his hit The Streets of London there is also much to enjoy.
What we have here is a beautiful social history of life in post-war South London with the young Ralph May acting as the
still centre of the narrative. Neighbours, friends, relatives, pets and personal fears come and go and shape his early years.
In the early chapters McTell adopts an extremely interesting fragmented approach in his writing. He sadly abandons this
style as his narrative gathers pace, but this is a minor quibble, as his take on growing up in Croydon is never judgmental
and always full of acute insight and gentle humor.
It is doubtful that Angel Laughter will hit the best-sellers list, but it deserves to be read. The story of how a poor boy from
Croydon starts out the road to fame and fortune is secondary to the books’ greatest achievement, which is to chronicle
life in Britain in the second half of the twentieth century. It is impossible to read it without recognising many of the characters
that populate his pages. Some seem from another age, perhaps Dickens’; others are only all too familiar as we enter a
new century. Above all, McTell proves himself, to borrow from the title of one of his songs, to be a First and Last Man.
I look forward to further installments of his autobiography; high time for a reappraisal of the man isn’t it?
ISBN 1-902684-02-8
Amber Waves £15.99
Ralph Mctell ~ Walk in the Morning Tour
[ Top ]
Summer Lightning - Ralph McTell
The second volume of Ralph McTell’s autobiography picks up where Angel Laughter left off with his discharge from the
Army and takes us on a journey through the swinging sixties. Not that the sixties were that swinging for the young McTell.
The tone set in his earlier volume is easily maintained and once again the reader is treated to a wholly satisfying read.
The confidence of McTell’s storytelling is belied by his simple and direct prose style. He can conjure up time and place
with ease and tales of sharing a house in Poole during the winter of 1963 sit effortlessly with stories of hitchhiking
through Europe. Older readers will smile at early beatnik use of Thurbish language while younger readers will be
interested to note that rites of passage haven’t really changed in forty years.
McTell has no plans for a third volume of his life story preferring to end his tale with meeting his future wife, Nanna.
I sincerely hope that doesn’t signal the end of his writing career and if Ralph McTell were to write a novel I’m sure
he would succeed in finding a large audience for his charming evocative style. Please don’t put that pen down Ralph.
IBSN 1-902684-03-6
Amber Waves £16.00
Ralph Mctell ~ Walk in the Morning Tour
[ Top ]
Song and Dance Man III –
The Art of Bob Dylan
Since its first incarnation in 1972, Song and Dance Man has grown like topsy into a 918-page tome. Author Michael Gray claims
that he is not interested in what Dylan eats for breakfast and anybody expecting a straightforward biography of the Iconic superstar
should look elsewhere. Gray claims that ‘Dylan fused the strength of folk music with the power of electric music’ and he fleshes this
thesis out by looking in great depth at the Man’s discography. Dylan fans will be intrigued by Gray’s meticulous research; he can
draw parallels between the outburst of an enraged audience member and Dylan’s response, at the famous 1966 Manchester Free
Trade Hall concert, to a similar exchange between Gunpowder Plot conspirator Sir Everard Digby and his executioner. The minutiae
of Dylan’s lyrical constructions give rise to several interesting chapter headings such as; Even Post-Structuralists Oughta Have the
Blues, and, Good as He’s Been in a World Gone Wrong?
That Michael Gray knows his subject is not in doubt and reading this book one is drawn into the mind of Dylan as we see how he
borrows magpie-like from his heroes such as Woody Guthrie. The overall tone is that of a man in control of his subject and Dylan
can feel well pleased that he has champion such as Gray. As to who will actually buy this book it is hard to tell but there is no doubt
that Song and Dance Man deserves a place on the shelf of anybody seriously interested in the development of popular music from
blues to the present day. If Dylan reinvents himself once more as old age approaches don’t bet against a fourth version of the book
in ten or so years time but as things stand Mr. Gray can be justifiably proud of his labours to date.
ISBN 0-8264-6382-7
Continuum £15.99
[ Top ]
|
|
