I've always been a sucker for the old stories, the numerous features that got you into metal in the first place told by writers whose names you became familiar with in those pre-internet days. Their words were the only way you could read about your favourite band. Kirk Blows who contributed for the likes of Metal Hammer and Raw has published some of his best in this book and there are some crackers here.
Rather then printing them in chronological order he has grouped the stories together under various headings. This allows him to write an introduction on each sharing his thoughts and a brief overview of what is to come. It also gives the book a flow as the stories in each section are in some way linked together.
There are some real standouts here, Wurzels's anger at Lemmy's move to L.A and Brian May talking about Freddie Mercury only months after his death come to mind. However it's not all serious. Many of the stories and their outcomes involve drugs, sex and or booze. There's Pete Way stealing pints and Micheal Schenker talking gibberish trying to avoid them. There's Ozzy, there's always Ozzy.
This book also demonstrates the strong symbiotic relationship that existed between bands, magazine writers and the record industry. It wasn't uncommon for writers to spend days on the road sharing more then a 20 minute pre-rehearsed interview. The magazines had power and they knew it. A time all but gone now, the record industry is in the toilet, magazine sales continue to drop and anyone and everyone has something to say nowadays.
If you want to pick up a metal book you could do far worse then this one. Similar to Mick Wall's excellent Appetite For Destruction there is something for everyone in these pages. For an old metal head like me I re- read some great old stories. For the newer fan this book gives a small insight into what made some of these older bands great and why they are still held in such high regard today.
Richie.
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