Author:Colin Shindler
'Dear Mr. Adam, I am writing on behalf of the Central Watch and Social Problems Committee of the Mothers' Union to ask whether you have a programme in mind on the moral issue of venereal disease.'
'Sir, Where are the B.B.C's censors? We do not care for the language that was inflicted on us Tuesday night in "The Battle of Britain". Don't retort, 'You need not listen if you don't want to'. We did not know it was coming.'
'Dear Mr. Frost, Let me start by saying how much I enjoy your programme & that I was among those many who felt almost that they had lost a blowsy old friend when dear & vulgar, but nonetheless thought-provoking and funny TW3 went off the air.'
For anyone who regularly feels tempted to put pen to paper, I'm Sure I Speak For Many Others is an alternative history of the BBC, from its triumphant broadcast of the coronation in 1953, to that Tynan moment, the controversial That Was The Week That Was, and the groundbreaking Grange Hill.
Stretching across over forty years of programming, these never before seen letters represent the joy, the fury and the wit of the nation.
Lonely Boy is often eye-wateringly funny … Jones is good at puncturing myth … His book’s a delight.
—— Observer, 'Music Book of the Day'The Sex Pistols guitarist details his life – an impoverished Sixties childhood, sexual abuse and dalliances with crime – in a way that is both moving and candid.
—— Telegraph, 'Top 50 Books of the Year'The Pistols’ story, retold refreshingly and with added rumpage … What’s special about this book is its story arc, which will make the most hardened punk well up … A poignant, honest, drily humorous rump-fest from a lost soul found.
—— Mojo[An] absolute riot of revelation…[Jones] owns up to his failings with a colourful candour that is moving.
—— Neil McCormick , TelegraphIt can be harrowing, hilarious, and often touching, but above all, Lonely Boy is life-affirming. Thank you, Steve Jones.
—— Sex-pistols.net[A] bloody good story … Though ghosted, Steve Jones’ own voice speaks loud and clear throughout Lonely Boy, a brutally honest … and level-headed memoir.
—— Record CollectorRaucously funny.
—— UncutA classic tale made fresh.
—— Ransom NoteLonely Boy is unique amongst rock star memoirs: Jones is the real deal.
—— EsquireGem.
—— The SpectatorFrank and engaging.
—— The BeatPerhaps I've been biased by a forty-year devotion to the Pistols, but having just turned its final page, Lonely Boy only seems like the best book since The Bible.
—— Classic RockAn enthralling, engaging human story: harrowing, hilarious and often touching, but above all, life-affirming.
—— Vive Le RockEminently readable.
—— TeamRockOne of the best autobiographies I have ever read
—— On: Yorkshire MagazineThis first-hand account from the band’s guitarist captures the significance of the band through his own eyes, but also delves deep into his difficult childhood. Jones is a one-off: hilarious, eccentric, painfully honest and 100% Lahndahn.
—— TeamRockI especially adored the music bits; fascinating snippets about everyone from Liszt to Led Zep.
—— Wendy Holden , Daily MailAn uplifting read, full of humour and authentic characters.
—— Press AssociationThis nostalgia hit will lift your spirits.
—— Closer MagazineI loved Rachel Joyce's The Music Shop.
—— Lenny Henry , Radio TimesRachel Joyce has established a reputation for novels that celebrate the dignity and courage of ordinary people and the resilience of the human spirit.
—— ObserverA tender novel about heartache and redemption, full of humour and perceptive observations,
—— Daily ExpressDelicately observed... this one both charms and stings... A romance about a lonely muso [and] a love letter to the power of vinyl.
—— MetroBook of the day
—— The IndependentA sensitive, sweetly melancholic story of music, connection and community
—— S MagazineBOOK OF THE WEEK: An uplifting read…full of humour and authentic characters
—— Midweek ExtraBreezily written, heart-warming and unashamedly sentimental… [a] modern fairy tale
—— Mail on SundayRachel Joyce returns to some of the themes in her bestselling debut The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: loss, the past and the bonds that can be forged with strangers. This time the pilgrimage is through music.
—— Press AssociationA quirky, romantic fairy tale perfect for summer.
—— You MagazineMy Christmas pick: I love any novel by Rachel Joyce, whose The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was a huge success. Now she has created another Pied Piper of the heart in Frank, the proprietor of The Music Shop...This bewitching love story sings out the unique beauty of every human being, leaving you uplifted.
—— Bel Mooney , Daily MailThe Music Shop is a one gulp, super-satisfying read. Love it, love it, love it.
—— Sir Lenny HenryJoyce, a British actress and playwright, whose first novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, was longlisted for the Man Booker, continues to enchant and break hearts with her lovable misfits trying to survive in a modern world determined to pass them by. Irresistible.
—— Beth Anderson , Library JournalAn unforgettable story of music, loss and hope. Fans of High Fidelity, meet your next quirky love story. Vinyl fans, hold onto your turntables - Joyce's latest is a buoyant homage to the healing power of music well-played.
—— PEOPLE magazine‘The Music Shop’ is an unabashedly sentimental tribute to the healing power of great songs, and Joyce is hip to greatness in any key…. [The novel] captures the sheer, transformative joy of romance — ‘a ballooning of happiness.’ Joyce’s understated humor…offers something like the pleasure of A.A. Milne for adults. She has a kind of sweetness that’s never saccharine, a kind of simplicity that’s never simplistic…. I wouldn’t change a single note. Rachel Joyce, if music be the food of love, write on!
—— The Washington PostRachel Joyce’s charming and deceptively simple fourth novel chronicles an offbeat love story between a mystery woman and an ardent, if lonely, collector and gently explores the power of memory and music and the certainty of change…. love, friendship, and especially the healing powers of music all rise together into a triumphant crescendo…. This lovely novel is as satisfying and enlightening as the music that suffuses its every page.
—— The Boston GlobeMagnificent…. Joyce’s novel is intellectually and emotionally satisfying on every possible level. If you love words, if you love music, if you love, this is 2018’s first must-read, and it will be without question one of the year’s best.
—— Top Pick in Fiction, January 2018 , BookPageJoyce has a knack for quickly sketching characters in a way that makes them stick…. This is a touching, sometimes funny book about surviving change, the power of music and the importance of having a community — wacky or not. As with all of Joyce’s books, it will surprise you.
—— Minneapolis Star TribuneJoyce…continues to enchant and break hearts with her lovable misfits trying to survive in a modern world determined to pass them by. Irresistible.
—— Library JournalMagical…. [Rachel] Joyce has a winner in this deceptively simple love story…. Joyce’s odes to music…and the notion that the perfect song can transform one’s life make this novel a triumph.
—— Publishers WeeklyWhether on foot, as in her novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, or track by track, on this unlikely musical odyssey, Joyce excels in enveloping readers in epic journeys of lost connections and loving reunions.
—— Booklist[Rachel] Joyce sets up a charming cast of characters, and her spirals into the sonic landscapes of brilliant musicians are delightful, casting a vivid backdrop for the quietly desperate romance between Frank and Ilse. From nocturnes to punk, this musical romance is ripe for filming.
—— Kirkus Reviews