At the age of 45, Bill Drummond is less concerned with setting the record straight as making sure it revolves at the correct speed. Whether he's recording 'Justified and Ancient' with Tammy Wynette; contemplating the dull lunacy of the Turner prize; resisting the urge to paint landscapes; or glorying in the crapness of rock comebacks; he is consistently amusing and thought-provoking, and draws us into his world with the seductive enthusiasm of a born storyteller. An artist with a singular approach to his work, Bill Drummond has paused to take stock of his life and a career that now spans over twenty-five eventful years. Famously enjoying international success with The KLF and inviting national controversy for burning a million quid with The K Foundation, these days Drummond spends much of his time writing profusely. He avoids and confronts issues, infuriates and inspires those around him, muses and confuses, creates and destroys. He has maintained a penchant for reckless schemes - all this while drinking endless pots of tea.
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Amazon Review
With Bill Drummond, it's always best to expect the unexpected. He has made a career out of being gloriously unpredictable. He famously tasted pop success with the KLF, burned a million pounds on a remote Scottish isle and introduced the world to Echo & The Bunnymen and Julian Cope. 45 is as unexpected as the KLF collaborating with Tammy Wynette: a semi-autobiography from a man who has previously been loathe to talk about his work in public. The book takes the form of a collection of short stories and essays focusing on various aspects of Drummond's life. While some chapters are definite page-turners, others move at a more ponderous pace. 45 really comes alive when Drummond discusses hair-brained KLF schemes and K Foundation art stunts. It is within these chapters that he gets closest to confessional, musing on disillusionment, musical myth and the nature of nationalism. Here we get to glimpse into the mind of one of pop's wayward geniuses. Yet it is never more than a mere glimpse. Drummond clearly finds it hard to be truly revelatory. We should, of course, expect this from a man who spent his musical career building up myths, creating alter egos and trying to fool the media and the record-buying public. If anything, 45 illustrates perfectly Drummond's chameleon-like nature. On one hand, he is a shy, retiring family man who enjoys long walks in the country and drinking tea. Yet he is also a tortured genius, a frustrated artist and a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis. When he lets himself go, 45 is a cracking read and one of the most interesting books about music and art in years. --Matt Anniss
Review
'Drummond has the inimitable wisdom of a true maverick' THE TIMES 'It has flashes of twisted brilliance reminiscent of Iain Sinclair or Will Self' GUARDIAN 'Drummond is a cultural magician and this is his logbook' INDEPENDENT 'Invigorating, irritating and endearing, Drummond is a gifted postmodern raconteur with his tongue stuck firmly in his cheek.' IRISH NEWS 'Inspired.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'With Bill Drummond, it's always best to expect the unexpected. He has made a career out of being gloriously unpredictable. He famously tasted pop success with the KLF, burned a million pounds on a remote Scottish isle and introduced the world to Echo & The Bunnymen and Julian Cope. 45 is as unexpected as the KLF collaborating with Tammy Wynette: a semi-autobiography from a man who has previously been loathe to talk about his work in public. The book takes the form of a collection of short stories and essays focusing on various aspects of Drummond's life. While some chapters are definite page-turners, others move at a more ponderous pace. 45 really comes alive when Drummond discusses hair-brained KLF schemes and K Foundation art stunts. It is within these chapters that he gets closest to confessional, musing on disillusionment, musical myth and the nature of nationalism. Here we get to glimpse into the mind of one of pop's wayward geniuses. Yet it is never more than a mere glimpse. Drummond clearly finds it hard to be truly revelatory. We should, of course, expect this from a man who spent his musical career building up myths, creating alter egos and trying to fool the media and the record-buying public. If anything, 45 illustrates perfectly Drummond's chameleon-like nature. On one hand, he is a shy, retiring family man who enjoys long walks in the country and drinking tea. Yet he is also a tortured genius, a frustrated artist and a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis. When he lets himself go, 45 is a cracking read and one of the most interesting books about music and art in years.' Matt Anniss, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Bill Drummond is an ideas man. One time manager of great rock and roll bands (Echo And The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes) and purveyor of genius pop records of his own (The Timelords, The KLF). One of THE great "thinkers" of our age. In his 45th year on this planet he set about setting down some of his best ideas in a book. The result is an inspirational collection of "stories" based on his life and experiences. Bill Drummond is The Prankster, we salute him! Buy this book!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Bill Drummond, arch art critic, svengali and KLF founder launches into thoughts at the age of 45. And what thoughts. Interstellar ley lines in Liverpool, the illuminati, Abba and burning £1million, it's all here. I read this book in two sittings. Compulsive, readable but eminently convincing, which under the circumstances is very unikely. Read this and Julian Cope's Repossessed / Head on and, if you're lucky, your attitude to life could be changed forever (or you could just be confused by the ramblings of the Liverpool scene past).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
He doesn't really give too much away of himself in this collection of short essays. But there's a lot of interesting stuff: memories of the Liverpool punk scene, distributing cans of lager to the homeless, meeting Tammy Wynette,... I was also comforted to find that someone else likes department stores and shopping malls! But I would have liked to have read more about the KLF, burning a million quid, etc
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having read Head On/Repossessed I sought out this book. I can't recommend it enough. I had some vague, unfounded dislike for Bill Drummond. I think it may have been due to 'Doctorin' the Tardis' and its arch knowingness and with me being a 'serious' teenager at that time. Now all I want to do is make some soup for him or preferably with him. Read it and you will understand. A warm, funny and heartening voice.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A challenging and incendiary book for anyone who has ever felt the unfocussed urge to do something, but has backed away from their wildest ideas.
The stories show Drummond following those urges through, persuing half-formed ideas and trying to understand his own motivations. Some work, some go horribly wrong, some remain unclear. From strange notions about the Bunnymen and Teardrops explode, through "the K Foundation burn £1m", to 2k Plant Hire, "F**k the Millenium" and beyond.
Unfortunately Drummond's need to both build and destroy his own mythology simultaenously sees the book end on a tired and jaded note with the comparative failure of the ICA concert.
Despite that a "must read" for the life, energy, and driven quality of many of the other stories, and the way that challenges you to follow your own ideas.
By Nathan Davis
Format:Paperback
Was pretty disappointed by this. Was occasionally fun but didn't give much away. I'm a big klf fan and would have liked more stories about those kind of escapades
By G. J. Marsh
Format:Paperback
For a man who spends his days wondering around Aylesbury town centre for no particular reason, Bill Drummond still manages to be a prolific purveyor of absurd ideas - almost all of which he acts upon. Buying 6,250 cans of Tennants Super to build a giant cube, hanging dead cows from electricity pylons, releasing albums by non-existent bands from Finland, accidentally writing theme songs for Serbian resistance movements...Drummond's ambivalence towards art and pop music drives this fascinating and unconventional autobiography
By Paul Ryan
Format:Paperback
Highly recommended for anyone into Zoo Records or KLF stuff or just if you are curious to know a bit more about a very interesting and witty man
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Honest
Lovely insight of a real artist in this fake world. Contains sudden loud laughs, honest and cynic. A bit too much of a whining and selfconfession, however they fit the agenda. Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2007 by Molnár Dániel
5.0 out of 5 stars
interresting, witty, funny, strange, moving...
A collection of very well written stories from the life of one of the most intelligent and fascinating people in popular culture. Read more
Published on 14 May 2002 by M. Bogh
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb.
My review is short and sweet - a great book, he's a natural storyteller and makes the mundane interesting. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2002 by T. Allen
2.0 out of 5 stars
Present not past
Bill Drummond has a brillant book in him about the Liverpool scene; the Bunnymen, the Teardrops, Erics, the whole lot. This isn't that book.
Published on 21 Feb 2002 by missbugg@tesco.net
2.0 out of 5 stars
VERY AMUSING
Bill Drummond has got to be one of the most intelligent people I have read about. This book was very interesting at see what a man like him gets up to day by day. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2001 by S. Brady
4.0 out of 5 stars
Myth or reality, who cares?
Compulsive reading. Not all is it fantastic, but when he does hit a high point it is very funny. The various stunts they pulled are usually the high points (fave is the 2 cows and... Read more
Published on 6 Aug 2000
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