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Summary: Even if you don't read Camus or Bret Easton Ellis...
Review: ...you should read LOVE & POISON (and when you're done, get cracking on the other two).Okay, so I may have alienated some of my audience already with that intro. No bother. If one of your obsessions is Suede, you'll get it; if it isn't, no matter. The point is-after I am done trying to be cute-that if you're a fan of music, you should read this book. Barnett does an amazing job of cataloguing the rise and fall and rise and fall and semi-rise to maybe rise of a rock band, following them over more than a decade. Suede, for their part, give him full access and aren't shy about what colossal screw ups they can be. It's no surprise, though. Anyone who knows their music knows that these blokes understand how one must plumb the depths in order to understand just how high the highs can be. For fans of Suede, this book is going to knock you on your duff. Barnett's prose is addicting, unrolling the history of one Brett Anderson as he begins cultivating the personality of a true pop genius in a small British town, collecting like-minded kooks on the way, and ultimately, in 1992, changing the face of UK guitar music forever. Barnett writes with the critical eye of a true fan. He isn't afraid to indicate when his heroes have let him down, and he is also their staunchest defender, standing the ground for them when their critics get hypocritical. And when everything is banging-on perfect, he manages to imbue his prose with the hysteria everyone felt while in the thick of it. I could go on and on. Barnett gets the band to lay their creative process bare, escorting us inside the classic songs, the amazing albums. He tracks down as much of the colorful cast as possible, including early manager Ricky Gervais (later to earn fame as the mastermind of THE OFFICE) and Elastica woman Justine Frischmann (finally, some of the truth behind the infamous love triangle of her, Brett, and Blur's Damon Albarn). (Only original guitarist Bernard Butler avoids the proceedings, which is a shame, since this was probably his best chance to have his side of the story aired fairly.) It's a tome full of sweet, delicious candy, and you're going to want to have all the CDs by your side as you read. And you'll want to send Mr. Barnett a lovely thank you note for making it all come alive once more. If I had one complaint, it was something beyond the author's control. The book ends on an up note as Suede prepare for the future. Only at the time of publication, the band dissolved, by various reports either breaking up completely or going on hiatus. This followed a SINGLES compilation and an amazing clutch of new material, leaving many fans to ponder just what the hell happened. Let's hope for an expanded paperback edition so Barnett can get us the scoop!
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Summary: A definitive look at Suede
Review: I cannot recommend this book enough to hardcore fans of Suede.
The book reveals in great detail all the fights, insane amount of drug usage, and all the drama that helped forge the sound of one of the most exciting bands of the 90s.
I really changed my opinions on some of the band members yet still admire their courage to let all the aspects of their lives be put on public display like this. Its a shame Bernard didn't wish to participate.
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Summary: GREAT official biography of this awesome band
Review: This is THE definitive, officially authorized biography of one of the best English rock bands of the 1990's. Suede: Love and Poison is an in-depth and candid look at the band from the humble beginnings of singer Brett Anderson all the way to the uncertainty following their final album in 2002. What's nice, besides all of the information contained in here, is that David Barnett is not afraid to be critical and speak honestly about a band he obviously cares about so much. Along with Blur's official biography 3862 days, this is one of the best rock bios around.
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