Product Description

This is the story of the band the Stereophonics. Just as importantly, it's the story of three lads who have remained true to their roots in south Wales.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #260222 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-26
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 262 pages

From the Publisher
When we first spoke to the Stereophonics about publishing an official authorised biography of the band, Danny was their first and only choice for writer. A huge fan and friend of the band, he was the first journalist to interview them for Radio 1, and his colleague Steve Lamacq was the first DJ to champion their music and bring it to a wider audience. Danny really has been writing about Stereophonics since the beginning, and we knew that he would 'tell it like it is' when it came to putting the band's story down on paper. Travelling extensively with the band throughout the UK, France and the USA, Danny captured the personalities of the band, the ups and downs, the creative process at work and the essence of what makes Stereophonics important. He's done a spectacular job and created a book that all Stereophonics fans should read - you won't get a more intimate view of the band unless you stow away on their tourbus!

Customer Reviews

A brilliant story of 3 small town heroes' rise to fame
The best biography of Britain's best guitar group. Danny O'Conner obviously has an excellent relationship with the band,especially Kelly with whom he has many conversations throughout the book. Just enough evidence to print charts the band's climb from writing stories about small-town life to an international sucess story whose feet are still very firmly on the ground. An excellent read which never grows boring because of the descriptive and imaginative way it's written- makes you want to get on a train to Cwmaman.

It doesn't get any better!!!
This is a great book, it tells a their story brilliantly, you can tell that Danny took the time to really get to know the band and spend time with them. With its roots set firmly in Cwmaman, it tells the rags to riches story of the lads as they gradually progressed from the Ivy Bush to Morfa Stadium. Danny has really captured the lads as 3 kids from a village in the valleys who hit the big time, no matter how rock 'n' roll or glamourous it all gets, Kelly, Rich and Stuart always remain down to earth and true to their homeland. The pictures offer an interesting insight into their drunken on-the-road antics (Kelly passed out on the floor with his trousers aroung his ankles is particularly amusing). This book is funny, informative (I finally found out who Cliff Chips and Caramel Crisp are!!), interesting and above all, moving. Hearing about the boys meeting their heroes and listening to 50,000 people singing along to Kelly's words at Morfa, it really is inspiring. It's also interesting to get to know a bit more about the lads themselves. I highly recommend this book to anyone who considers themselves a fan of the band, as Kelly would say, it's a good craic!

Stereophonics deserve better than this...
This book came out during the wrong period of Stereophonics life. Maybe it was trying to cash in on the band's new found fame, but there is more to write about them now, than in 2000. This book doesn't even write about the release of the JEEP album.

Sure, writing about Stereophonics humble beginnings is the main reason for buying this book, but it does descend into just listing places they've toured, doen a gig, and listing their songs.

Basically, it's not a riveting read. In fact, there's not very much narrative at all, with the book usually progressing through quotes or question and answer, rather than a descriptive, imaginative narrative.

So, sure, we get a lot of quotes and speeches from the band, people involved with the band, and people who we don't really care about, but this does not make entertaining reading. It's fine for a magazine article, not for a bio. Or maybe this is just the longest magazine article in history...

It's heavily detailed, though, and the best bits concern the times when Kelly Jones goes on about his inspiration for his songs. There are some pretty good pictures too.

On the whole though, Stereophonics need to bring out a more up to date book. This is sub-standard at best, and only passable reading for hardcore Stereophonics fans and those wishing to discover the bands formation.