Rich and thought-provoking insight into the history of popular music by Bill Drummond, one of its most controversial exponents. In 17, Drummond analyses the past, present and possible future of music and the ways in which we hear and relate to it. He references his own contributions to the canon of popular music and he provides fascinating insider portraits of the industry and its protagonists. Above all, he questions our ideas of music and our attitude to sound, introducing readers to his new work, 17, which he will be performing throughout the UK in June 2008.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By parrotgone
Format:Hardcover
Part musical memoir, part biography, part documentation of art practice, part philosophical discourse on the nature of art and music.
And along the way lots of typical Drummond musing and digression.
The easy criticism is that it's just middle aged angst of a man desperately clinging to youthful passions. But Drummond takes his passions more seriously than that and is willing to fight for them.
And like much of what Drummond does the ideas have an appeal that has you examining things from the perspectives they throw up even as you realise their contradictions, failings or even untruth. But then these aren't really ideas to be taken literally - they're philosophical and artistic exercises, means of approaching problems from a new direction and hoping to throw new light on them. A challenge to every day conceptions.
And along the way lots of typical Drummond musing and digression.
The easy criticism is that it's just middle aged angst of a man desperately clinging to youthful passions. But Drummond takes his passions more seriously than that and is willing to fight for them.
And like much of what Drummond does the ideas have an appeal that has you examining things from the perspectives they throw up even as you realise their contradictions, failings or even untruth. But then these aren't really ideas to be taken literally - they're philosophical and artistic exercises, means of approaching problems from a new direction and hoping to throw new light on them. A challenge to every day conceptions.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I liked this so much I bought some other ones for friends. Drummond is maddeningly opinionated but it all adds to the fun. Along with Julian Cope, he is the only famous person of his generation to have ambition beyond hit singles and being on a reality show. Although, in fact, Drummond almost WAS on a Celebrity Big Brother series. Like all Drummond's productions, this book is lovingly designed and adds class to even the dustiest of living rooms.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By goldgreen
Format:Hardcover
You are in the pub with a mate and get deep into conversation about your love of popular music. You talk about what has meant most to you, your concerns at the industry and the ability of young musicians to carry on creating great music. Our mate here, Bill Drummond, is on his fourth beer now and is ranting on about his plan to rethink how we make and listen to music. He tells us how he got rid of his music collection to fulfil his plan and how he has actually travelled around Europe putting his theories into practice and has interesting tales of St Petersburg, Middlesborough and Nice. Being a decent, wise sort of bloke, Drummond always checks back on himself and asks us: "Am I talking rubbish?". Whether you think his ideas are rubbish is not always the point, as Drummond is thought provoking and a great raconteur.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
imagine sleeping in tomorrow
imagine waking up tomorrow, all writing has disappeared. all books, all forms of written notation gone.
a world without words. Read more
a world without words. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2009 by mr drawler
3.0 out of 5 stars
Has he been living in a cave?
Art/Music agitator Bill Drummond's rant against the state of modern pop and a suggestion for an alternative future for the genre. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2009 by A. Miles
4.0 out of 5 stars
"An interesting project turned into a bigger book so he can use it to...
Bill Drummond contests that all recorded music is redundant and uses this premise to launch a performance art choir concept called The17, the members of which at any given time are... Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2008 by Mr. Stuart Bruce
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