Author:Martin Roach
From Spandau Ballet and Kajagoogoo to Half Man Half Biscuit and Guns and Roses, the 1980s music scene is here in all its glory. The Official Ultimate 80s Pop Quiz will spark arguments at dinner tables and pub quizzes up and down the country. Questions include:
1) Who had a top five hit in October 1982 with 'Starmaker'?
a) Bananarama
b) The Kids from Fame
c) Modern Romance
2) What was U2's debut number one single, a 1988 chart-topper?
a) The Fly
b) With or Without You
c) Desire
3) Who had a No. 1 hit in 1980 with 'Working My Way Back to You - Forgive Me Girl'?
a) The Four Tops
b) The Temptations
c) The Detroit Spinners
'I couldn't put it down and I couldn't stop laughing'
—— Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe'Alda dips and weaves through his life story with bracing unpredictability, dwelling with wry humour on the ups and downs.'
—— Mail on SundayAlda's account is affecting and amusing ... An infinitely more profound and stimulating study than the standard luvvie's autobiography
—— Spectator'[An] entertaining autobiography tempered with humility and a depth rarely found in celebrity memoirs'
—— Publishers Weekly'An entertaining and profound read with a strong sense of the ridiculous'
—— Ireland on Sunday'Touching and heartfelt'
—— Sunday HeraldThe wry, genial attitude of the book is clearly Alda's own. You can feel his personality on the pages. He makes his story as appealing as a chat with an old friend ... A thoughtful and very enjoyable read.
—— Glasgow HeraldAlda's Emmy-winning writing skills and endlessly engaging manner: witty curious, self-aware.
—— WordSplendidly entertaining, reflecting on everything from eating a loaf to Shintoism and...sex.
—— Bournemouth Daily EchoThere are . . . completely honest admissions about his drinking, and laugh-out-loud accounts of his various fashion errors . . . Enjoy gleefully politically incorrect posturing and plain old-fashioned entertainment.
—— The ResidentClapton reveals all in this unflinching confessional.
—— IndependentA powerfully honest and very moving insight into the life of a rock legend
—— The Herald (Glasgow)Clapton bares his soul. Fascinating. It's an absorbing read, like you've been granted access to a mind finally coming to terms with itself.
—— The Sunday Tribune (Ireland)Difficult to put down
—— Sunday TimesClapton provides an orderly account of life in which all other considerations are secondary to the frequently selfish needs of The Artist'
—— GuardianGold-plated tales of sex, drink, drugs and fame and moments of musical incandescence.
—— Observer Music MonthlyA warm portrait
—— FT MagazineA harrowing and searingly honest book about the unreal rock star life.
—— Daily ExpressClapton lays bare his life story in this witty but also painfully honest autobiography. Compelling and accomplished.
—— Sunday ExpressA painfully honest insider's account of an age all too often portrayed as one long party
—— Daily MailA glorious rock history.
—— New York PostThis book does what many rock historians couldn't: It debunks the legend...puts a lie to the glamour of what it means to be a rock star.
—— Greg Kot, Chicago TribuneStrong stuff. Clapton reveals its author's journey to self-acceptance and manhood. Anyone who cares about the man and his music will want to take the trip with him.
—— Anthony DcCurtis, Rolling StoneClapton is honest...even searing and often witty, with a hard-won survivor's humor...an honorable badge of a book.
—— Stephen King, New York Times Book ReviewRiveting
—— Boston HeraldAn even, unblinking sensibility defines the author's voice.
—— New York TimesAn unsparing self-portrait.
—— USA TodayBoth the youthful excesses and the current calm state are narrated with an engaging tone that nudges Clapton's story ahead of other rock'n'roll memoirs.
—— Publisher’s WeeklyClapton is a confessional, an addiction memoir, and a glorious rock history rolled into one, with a smidgeon of guilt and, ultimately redemption thrown in for good measure.
—— New York PostClapton fills in many gray areas, recounting his highs and lows with a thoughtfulness often lacking rock memoirs.Methodically he whittles away at the larger-than-life rock god until a vulnerable, messed-up mortal emerges...Clapton is an absorbing tale of artistry, decadence and redemption.It's also an important reminder of the guitarist's imprint on rock music, as a sideman, solo artist and bandleader.Not bad for a blues snob from Surrey.
—— Los Angeles TimesClapton: The Autobiography does what many rock historians couldn't: It debunks the legend, de-mythologizes one of the most mythologized electric guitarists ever, puts a lie to the glamour of what is means to be a rock star...It's a cautionary tale that spills over into tragedy several times as love, lives and talents are all wasted.
—— Chicago TribuneLike the bluesmen who inspired him, Clapton has his share of scars...his compelling memoir is... a soulful performance.
—— PeopleCharming and surprisingly candid.
—— Entertainment WeeklyAbsolutely brilliant
—— Daily Express