Having made the decision to get the story of your life into a book, you might as well go all in. Half-measures are no good to anybody when it comes to an autobiography, and it’s that commitment to honesty that persuaded Long Live Vinyl to award its 2019 Book Of The Year title to Wayne Hussey for his self-penned tome, Salad Daze. The Mission man is honest, frank and funny throughout the retelling of his version of the truth. Runner-up Mick Houghton is similarly open, and his Fried & Justified memoir of his days as a publicist reminds us of the maladjusted nature of most bands, whose careers often resemble a soap opera played out for real. A quick honourable mention must also go out to Vinyl London, an essential for any cratediggers needing a fix in the capital.
Afternoons With The Blinds Drawn
BRETT ANDERSON