An Incredible Disappointment: Wild Boy

Some might say that writing a book review when you've only taken in 57 out of 314 pages is like listening to the first 3 tracks out of 12 on a new record and writing a review. If the book is Andy Taylor's Wild Boy: My Life In Duran Duran, and you've read the first 57 pages, well...I'm willing to be you would agree that this is THE BIGGEST LOAD OF BOLLOCKS IN PRINT.

I'd imagine Mr. Taylor had this ghostwritten or heavily edited by someone who'd acquired a BA in English and/or Literature, but godddddd this book is bloody awful. It is boring and the "author" portrays himself as too innocent to have created such a horrid drug habit on his lonesome. I enjoy very much what Playback:STL has to say about this:

"As Taylor relates tale after tale in the band's history, we as readers begin to lose a bit of respect for our former idols. John Taylor and drug- and booze-filled womanizer? Simon a self-centered frontman disillusioned by a management arrangement gone south? Nick, a spoiled brat and disagreeable chap who becomes the first to break the no-girlfriends-on-tour rule?

Oh sure, Andy Taylor has his share of problems, too much alcohol and cocaine among them. And, as you might expect, he comes out shining next to his bandmates; the effects of his own drug use are, it seems, minimized. He also appears to be the most level and centered within the band." - link

I've been sitting on this book for months...wondering, waiting to see if it would be great. I haven't even read The Dirt, but I'm already pining for some rock n' roll tale-telling in which a star from decades passed isn't going to write things like: "It wasn't so long ago that I'd been a penniless nineteen-year-old in the North East and here I was, in a champagne paradise with a model for a girlfriend. I remember thinking, If the boys could see me now!" or "I had no way of knowing it as I sat on the train, but I was about to join a band that would eventually become Lady Diana's favorite rock act."

Here's another bit from a random Amazon.com reviewer which I love for hitting the nail right on its head:

"The rest of the story, well, anyone with a brain can guess: Immediate rise to fame, living in excess, emotional and physical exhaustion, addictions, celebrity gatherings, artistic staleness, solo projects, marriages, divorces, come-back tour, etc. The majority of Taylor's book is basically the story of almost any other rock or pop band that has lasted this long. Thus, the book is lacking a real, original story. And from what I surmise, that unique story could have been told if he had the guts to REALLY get into the thick of the band's disagreements and ego conflicts. But again, he takes the low road on this subject, which ultimately results in a somewhat boring read." - link

I could cut my wrists with the edges of these pages just to make the poor and lame choices in this account's vernacular stop. Instead, I will move on to something else. Taylor is too chummy, and we are left to believe that in the end the poor guy got caught up in an incredibly typical situation. Completely unmoved, and if he didn't write this himself, he must fire this ghostwriter...