Bodies: Life and Death in Music
£9.10£10.40 (-13%)
A DAILY TELEGRAPH and IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR
The must-read music book of the year, now with a brand new chapter covering the death of Taylor Hawkins and his massive Wembley memorial concert.
In Bodies, author Ian Winwood explores the music industry’s many failures, from addiction and mental health issues to its ongoing exploitation of artists. Much more than a touchline reporter, Winwood also tells the story of his own mental health collapse, following the shocking death of his father, in which extinction-level behaviour was given perfect cover by a reckless industry.
‘This is such a shrewd, funny, psychologically perceptive, frank, well-written, jawdropping book . Absolutely buy and read the hell out of this.’ DAVID STUBBS
‘Winwood makes a compelling argument and overturns some long-held notions about “rock and roll excess” by deftly tying together a vast amount of information . . . and liberally lacing it with dark, self-deprecating humour.’ ALEXIS PETRIDIS
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Additional information
| Publisher | Faber & Faber, Main edition (6 April 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0571364195 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0571364190 |
| Dimensions | 12.9 x 2 x 19.8 cm |
by Stephen
This book has received many accolades from big names. It has been billed as tackling and exposing the failures of the music industry in a way that nobody else has. In some ways, it may do that – but in reality it is actually much more of a memoir; a personal history and collection of anecdotes from the author’s time as a music journalist, with excess and addiction as the connecting link. It was an interesting read, but not really what it was described as.
Unfortunately, despite buying this after the addition of the chapter on Taylor Hawkins, it wasn’t included in the Kindle download, so I wasn’t able to read that.
by D. Goddard
some of the reviews I’d read gave the impression of a disjointed narrative, or disapointment that there weren’t more a-list celeb anecdotes in here. but this isn’t that book. this is a personal account of a journey through a couple of decades of the most tawdry period in one of the world’s most misunderstood “industries”. many of the places & events & scenes, both public & private, that IW describes are familiar to me, as I spent 17 years working in camden & around europe for Mtv/VH1 during the period he chronicles, & this book is like sitting down with him & sharing war stories. if you’ve been anywhere near the activities of a working band, you’ll find things in here that are both familiar & tooth-curling.
it’s not a book listing famous rock deaths, though there are some. it is, though, definitely a book about how the deaths happen all too frequently, & how the very artists we cherish to help us navigate our own lives have been failed by the industry that feeds off this exchange, & in this it offers considerable insight.
highly recommended.
by Mr. R. J. Sims
I really liked this book written by the talented music journalist Ian Winwood, noted for his contributions to Kerrang magazine among other musical writings and books. This book is full of cautionary accounts ( he’s not afraid to mention names) and stories about the pitfalls /downside of the lives of many musicians and those working in music business , and of course Ian’s own personal experiences of addiction and mental health issues.
If you were under any delusions about how glamorous the music is , then this book will certainly make you think again, and maybe the ones on stage who seem to have it all aren’t quite as lucky as we all think they are. I now know why the industry is so prevalent with drink, drugs and breakdowns. God bless anyone involved or thinking about working in such a arduous profession and have the temerity to actually want to be paid for their hard work and talent.
The only thing i’m disappointed in with this edition is that it didn’t include the chapter on Taylor Hawkins.
by Amazon Customer
Great read, makes you consider the darker side of being in a band. Ian’s personal stories compliment tales of personal struggles within bands. Biffy Clyro, Creeper, Green Day, Frightened Rabbit and Feeder all feature. Quality book for the alternative music fan.
by Jake
This is an excellent music book from an author who is very well placed to comment on the music world given his years of journalistic experience.
Ian Winwood goes in depth looking at the current state of the music industry and the perils of the business, such as the prevalent use of alcohol and drugs, to life on the road touring, the worrying rates of suicide along with the mental tolls of keeping a band afloat whilst juggling the excessive and often unfair pressures of satisfying profit-hungry record labels, along with the underlying issues of sexism and abuse still present in the industry.
Ian has interviewed all the major names in the rock world in his career and this book draws on insights and stories from artists such as Metallica, Lemmy, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Biffy Clyro, Smashing Pumpkins and so many more, along with more recent bands such as Frightened Rabbit & Creeper.
This book is also a deeply personal one, drawing on Winwood’s relationship and loss of his father amidst the author’s own struggles with drug addiction.
I would highly recommend this book to any fan of music in general, as it’s such an important book that lifts the lid on the often glamourised life of being a rockstar. A tough but essential read.
by Mrs J B LIttle
As a lifelong music lover, I have often been saddened by the death of yet another musician, often a much admired frontman but never really given it a lot if thought. It’s how the music industry work after all. I have read many of Ian’s reviews and Smash, his last book, but had no idea of the private turmoil he was going through. I think he has brought his own problems and those living in plain sight within the industry together in an amazing way. This is a gripping if horrifying read for the music fan, I couldn’t put it down.
by Kimo
These two reviews (below) summed it up perfectly. Sorry Ian. Perhaps change the title to: My Time Getting To Know The Music Business.
“This book has received many accolades from big names. It has been billed as tackling and exposing the failures of the music industry in a way that nobody else has. In some ways, it may do that – but in reality it is actually much more of a memoir; a personal history and collection of anecdotes from the author’s time as a music journalist, with excess and addiction as the connecting link. It was an interesting read, but not really what it was described as.”
“I was really intrigued to read this after Ian’s appearance on Sappenin Podcast discussing the mental health issues inside rock bands and was expecting an insightful read.”
“To get the positive out of the way, his chapter exploring the turmoil of the ex Lostprophets members and the band’s downfall is brilliant and probably the book’s crowning achievement.”
“Outside of that, it’s a massive bore fest. The author spends a good half of this book talking about his own life and his own issues with drugs and alcohol instead of the artists. I wouldn’t mind if it was an autobiography but this book is being sold as an insight into the awful conditions of being in a band, not him taking too much coke at the Kerrang awards.”