Illiterate, dull and ultimately disappointing
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First things first, did anyone proof read this book? Barely a page goes by without a grammatical howler; it's hard to respect a published work that confuses 'your' and 'you're'.
The enlightening sections of the book are the first couple of chapters, learning about Bernard's early life and his family but most of the subsequent anecdotes are well known to most followers of his bands. There are very few insights from the key players, relying on outsiders' often conflicting accounts.
Bernard's interjections are insightful and generally amusing but large sections go by without comment; perhaps he was bored reading it.
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Barney Army says.....
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A hard book to appreciate. Most new order fans know Bernard is difficult. Thats why we love him. I've been following new order since I knew about them. Why we loved them was because the 'musicians' were always abstract from the music. The gigs were a seperate matter, the absolute opposite of the vinyl production. Nolan doesnt understand any of this. the fact he didnt get to grips with the barney/hooky dynamic at all in the book days it all. I only read it coz my brother bought it me as an xmas present so I felt obliged to read it. They say you should never meet your hero's...this book told me nothing, nothing at all. Thank God. Thank Barney.
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Brave but flawed
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This isn't quite the exhaustive piece of research it boasts it is. Nolan hasn't really penetrated Barney's inner circle and relies heavily on press cuttings, anecdotes from the HAcienda's glass collectors and an embittered old schoolfriend. His lumbering prose doesn't help much either. Suffice to say, he's no Ian MacDonald!
But if you're a Joy Div/ New Order fanatic like me, I'd still recommend it. It throws up some interesting, previously undocumented facts about the man, and presents a sketchy, but fascinating, picture of a modest, prickly and complex unsung genius. I guess the real USP here is the responses he's printed from Bernard to some of the anecdotes - they start off as acerbic and witty and become increasingly indignant as the book goes on!
Not a classic, but ten times more likeable, readable and original than Paul Morley's wretched, smug Joy Division book.
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Muddling along, muddling along
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In this tense, tumid thriller, Daniel Nolan's sensational plot jerks the reader up and down. Veteran popfact readers will be delighted at the altogether different sensation of Nolly's grasping, tugging prose. One minute, Noogan is rubbing the reader's head with a cornucopia of poptastic facts. Then,a sudden twist in the plot leaves the reader with a shower of musical nectar all over the face. The altogether new and original writing of "Bernard: My life as a Dog" simply leaves no room for clean up.
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Insight
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In the light of the current resurgence of interest in Joy Division and Ian Curtis, this book offers a timely and (surprisingly) compelling insight into the life of Bernard Sumner - the reluctant successor to Curtis as Joy Division/New Order 'frontman'. The fact Sumner has taken this role for almost 3 decades in near total anonymity provides an interesting counterpoint to the ongoing public excavation of every detail of Ian Curtis's short and tragic life. Through David Nolan's thorough (as usual!) research, we find that Sumner himself has an interesting early personal history, marked with difficult challenges - but his stoicism and reluctance or refusal to discuss his personal history in interviews is admirable in a time where every Z-list celebrity is willing to spill their emotional guts, and detail the 'tragedy' of their lives to any hack who will listen. Nonetheless, Nolan manages to draw Sumner into the project, and the multiple voices of Sumner, Nolan and other interviewees creates an interesting, informative but fundamentally ambiguous portrayal of the man and musician. However, this ambiguity is inherent to all public figures - so is not a criticism of the book - more an observation of how all such identities are complex and multi-layered, and ultimately unknowable as there is no simple truth to find ...
I personally enjoyed the contextual sections on post-war Salford, but often felt that I'd like more detail on the claims (by Tony Wilson et al)that Sumner was a great producer - but I guess that would be appeal more to tech-heads rather than the broader audience the book is aimed at.
Overall, I'd recommend this to anybody interested in Factory / Manchester music / JD/NO - and also to those who are interested in the sequel to the story recounted in the many books, films & documentaries on Curtis and Joy Division - where will it end?
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