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Bit Of A Blur: The Autobiography [Paperback]

Alex James (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 3 July 2008 | ISBN-10: 0349119937 | ISBN-13: 978-0349119939

I was the Fool-king of Soho and the number-one slag in the Groucho Club, the second drunkest member of the world's drunkest band. This was no disaster, though. It was a dream coming true.'

For Alex James, music had always been a door to a more eventful life. But as bass player of Blur - one of the most successful British bands of all time - his journey was more exciting and extreme than he could ever have predicted. In Bit of a Blur he chronicles his journey from a slug-infested flat in Camberwell to a world of screaming fans and private jets - and his eventual search to find meaning and happiness (and, perhaps most importantly, the perfect cheese), in an increasingly surreal world.

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Frequently Bought Together

Bit Of A Blur: The Autobiography + All Cheeses Great and Small: A Life Less Blurry + Just For One Day: Adventures in Britpop
Price For All Three: £19.62

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Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Abacus (3 July 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0349119937
  • ISBN-13: 978-0349119939
  • Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 12.7 x 19.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 87,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

Alex James is a witty, engaging guide to the mad goings-on behind the scenes of Britpop. Blur's bassist famously estimates that he blew around £1m on champagne and cocaine during the Nineties. Here's how. (INDEPENDENT)

Bright, passionate . . . James writes with wit and flair (TIME OUT)

*'The definitive guide to Britpop . . . this effervescent memoir emerges as the most fascinating, as well as hilarious, document to date of those times (OBSERVER)

Guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye - in a good way (ELLE)

Book Description

* The charming, witty and slightly disreputable memoirs of Alex James - artist, musician, bass player with Blur, and the perfect chronicler of the Britpop generation
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Prose 22 July 2007
By Maire Mannik
Format:Hardcover
I'm going to skip the five-in-a-bed coke-fuelled romps and the whirl of Britpop excess and mention the writing instead.

Alex James is a fine writer of spare, elegant prose with a striking vocabulary. A rare things in these times.

OK, the book is also a hoot to read for its tabulation of London life in the 90s and all the fun of being a pop star, but there's lots more than that - particularly the engaging enthusiasm for astronomy, mathematics and planetary exploration. The curious mind is a very attractive thing.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but perhaps a bit rose tinted 22 Jun 2007
By Brucky
Format:Hardcover
I thought this book was very entertaining and a nice insight, not into Britpop, but into Alex himself and what it was like to grow into and then out of Blur. Obviously, been written by Alex himself, there may have been many stories in the drinking years which he either cannot remember or chooses not to tell ( or only tells you bits of). As you would expect from a self penned book, he paints himself as a lovable rogue rather than the arse he may well have been during his excesses, but at the end of it I was left thinking what a nice bloke, interesting life, good book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Star shaped 18 May 2011
By theone&only
Format:Paperback
If you would believe the hyperbolic reviews from the 'proper' newspapers, they would have you believe that is the TRUE story of britpop, romanticised and unflinching, as told by one of its key players.

How disappointed I was with those reviewers who should really know better!

This does none of the above, it's a trawl through the more glamorous parts of Alex James' charmed life but I have to say, it's still a good read. Mr James' way of looking at things is as humorous as it is shallow and his use of purposefully short, clipped sentences is appealing although maddening in their lack of detail. Damon Albarn himself has said he found the book a 'wasted opportunity' and I would have to agree. There is hardly any mention of the Britpop protagonists, hell, even his bandmates get nary a look in as Alex says things like (not a quote!), "When I first met Graham he was eating a banana. I liked Graham".
And that's it, it's back to him! Amusing but annoying.

Overall though, that's what his personality is like so at least the guy is being self-admittedly shallow in his honesty, which saves this book from shoegazing tedium and actually makes it an enjoyable read. If you want to know what it's like being in a famous band, get this!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Too good to put down
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, perhaps it's because it was written by someone from my time, rather than a much older pop star who's times of triumph were before I was born. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mairi Goodison
5.0 out of 5 stars Has to be said
Excellent. Thoroughly enjoyed this book all the way through. Looking forward to g e trying into the next episode. A must read.
Published 1 month ago by Cillalan
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, a must for any Blur fan
Having grown up with a love of Blur (from their first chart outing, when I was 11), to seeing them play Glastonbury out (was that really nearly 4 years ago?! Read more
Published 2 months ago by natapet
3.0 out of 5 stars Alex James is a moron, don't read, even if you lover Blur.
This book made me really dislike Alex. As a Blur fan I thought I'd read lots about Blur and his experiences in the band. Read more
Published 2 months ago by 83Photography
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Loved it. Well written and fascinating insight into Britpop era. A bit more on the other members of Blur would have been great, hence four stars.
Published 3 months ago by Kaytee
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
A must read for any blur fan - an interesting insight to the lifestyle of Alex and the other lads.
Published 3 months ago by l johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Bought as a gift for a friend who read it super-fast and lent it to me straight afterwards - I enjoyed it (was a Blur fan in their heyday)
Published 4 months ago by Gavin Dytham
5.0 out of 5 stars Great.
I love alex James so this book wouldn't fail with me. If your'e a fan, read it, if not well... it's still an informative book.
Published 5 months ago by Ann M. Owen
5.0 out of 5 stars Champagne & Cheese
Slightly stilted writing style - but what a character. Story jumps from one event to another, then lingers on something else - and then on again. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Kevin from Frimley
1.0 out of 5 stars disappointing
Started well but ended up second rate. How can you trust anything a man says when on one hand he extolls the virtues of artisanal cheesemakers, only to sell out and make 'tomatoe... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Aftiti
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