AWAY FROM THE NUMBERS (TO BE SOMEONE IN THE 1980'S) BY TONY BEESLEY CONTINUES THE STORY OF THE 70'S KID ON THE RED CHOPPER BIKE THROUGHOUT THE 1980'S.
Tony Beesley sets out to write a memoir about his formative years of life and music in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, during the 1980s, influenced by his two big role models, Paul Weller (for his ducking-and-diving street nous) and Derek Trotter (for his song-writing skills and social conscience). The Only Fools And Horses theme runs deeper, because the Kindle edition of this at least, looks like it's been proof-read/formatted by Trigger (you self-publishers!). Look, I don't want to go all Boycie on Tony by sneering at the Beesley/Trotters, but the author's writing style does borrow heavily from Del Boy's rather free-form use of the English language and its various colloquialisms. But like DB, you can't fault TB for his boundless enthusiasm and optimism in his quest to get to the top. "This time next year, our John, we'll be pop stars". "What's that? You're kicking me out of my own band?". "OK, this time next year, our Gary, I'll be a solo singer-song-writer, in whatever style was in about two years ago, be it Punk, Mod, Ska, New Romantic, Soul-Boy-Casual, or, er, Mod again (unless it involves me getting out of bed in the morning or staying out of the pub)". Bits of this are hilarious, particularly when Tony strays into politics ("I'm staunchly anti-racist but I do a great line in national stereo-type gags"), relationships, or in fact anything other than music, because the boy Beesley has got great taste in tunes, and my time in Sheffield over-lapped with much of this book, so I can remember being at some of the exact gigs that Tony went to (Undertones, Skids, Clash - I wonder if it was my pint that Tony nicked that night at Top Rank?). What Tony really wants is to be is the centre of attention, but because his own attention span is shorter that the Rawmarsh Conservative Club members list, he really struggles to stick with anything long enough to be a success (assuming he has the raw materials to BE a success?). Anyway, writing is Tony's new medium for being the centre of attention, and what he has produced here is a compelling account of a great age of gigs and music, but more importantly a fascinating social history of an area and and an era where things have already changed forever. I know in giving this 5 stars, I'm putting it on a pedestal with "War And Peace" and "To Kill A Mockingbird", but maybe "this time next year, our Rodney, we'll be at them Booker T and the MGs awards". Why not? I really enjoyed it.p>
<<SIGNED BY TONY BEESLEY>>
