Product Description

When 19-year-old Andy Taylor returned from his band's tour of military bases in Germany and saw an advert in Melody Maker in April 1980 asking for a 'live wire guitarist' to audition in Birmingham, he saw his chance. Even he could not have predicted what happened next. The group, Duran Duran, released their first single, 'Planet Earth', ten months later and soon became the biggest band since the Beatles. Emerging in the post-punk era, Duran headed the New Romantic movement and with their stunning videos and style consciousness, they set the trend for the consumerist 1980s. Popular with everyone from rockers to Princess Diana, they had a string of massive worldwide hits such as 'Rio', 'The Reflex' and 'A View to a Kill'. They won Grammys and an Ivor Novello award among many other things. By Live Aid, in 1985, they were at their very pinnacle of success - and then the band began to fall apart. At the centre of it all, giving the group its musical pulse, was lead guitarist Andy Taylor. In this revealing and raw memoir, Taylor recalls the highs and lows of an unbelievable period where the squeaky clean facade hid the truth of wild partying as five young men took just about every opportunity that was offered to them. Andy Taylor's story is of an era when MTV was new, the media allowed superstars to get away with lots and rock stars knew how to party like there was no tomorrow. Wild Boy is a book that millions of fans of Duran Duran around the world will want to read to know the full story of what really happened.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #188746 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-04
• Released on: 2008-09-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 328 pages

Review
'Even when recounting the "paranoia and insanity" [Andy Taylor] comes across as a solid likeable bloke... It's the small details that make this book so entertaining.****' (LONDON LITE - 16/09/08 )

'Wild Boy is a likeable, capably written autobiography that lifts the few remaining lids on Duran's 80s excesses.****' (TIME OUT )

About the Author
Andy Taylor was born in Newcastle and joined Duran Duran after answering an advert in Melody Maker. The band has sold over 100 million records. He has also worked with Rod Stewart and Belinda Carlisle. He left the re-formed band in October 2006.

Customer Reviews

not what i expected
I've read quite a few rock biographies - and this is one of the best.
As a fellow Geordie I had a soft-spot for Andy, although I always thought he was bit of an argumentative sod and so I expected this to be a bit of a bitch-fest.
I was wrong - he is frequently critical of himself, and, contrary to a review below does give embarrassing revelations about himself.
He clearly has some "issues" with Nick but gives him praise as well as criticism.
There's plenty of entertaining stories here - he gives a bit mroe detail on the drugs side of things than was known previously, although he seems to play down the groupie angle to an extent I find a bit suspicious.

Well written as well - you can actually tear through the book, even if his turn of phrase and use of cliche can get a bit jarring.

Here's hoping the rest of the band release something soon!

andy taylor, wild boy
There is not much new here -in my opinion the best account of a rock star's excessive lifestyle to date is Bit of a Blur by Alex James. While Andy Taylor's account is frank and funny, it is somewhat disjointed (please pardon the pun) and failed to live up to my expectations. Andy Taylor is definitely talented and comes across as being a likeable prankster but his overwhelming sense of self-importance is omnipresent throughout the book. On one page he extols the worthiness of Live Aid and later admits that he squandered almost half-a-million pounds on high living. I cannot see the logic in that but a lot of the stories are engaging and this book helped me to pass a wet Sunday. It is not the best lifestory I have read but nor is it the worst. A fair read. Joyce Miller

Wild?
Andy Taylor

The man who makes his bandmates look unstable but who does not once tell an embarrassing story about his own overindulgence.

The man who would write indepth about his wifes medical condition if it would earn him a quick buck but who barely talks about his own brush with depression.

The man who completely fails to mention any groupie exploits throughout his book despite them being the constant undercurrent to the 80s and the 00s reunion.

The man who can't seem to make up his mind if drugs are a good thing or a bad thing.

The book is full of contradictions, inaccuracies, badly delivered punchlines and uneccessary italicisation. I bet the ghostwriter did the best with what they were given but not enough to merit reading.

There is nothing new here. Just a very biased take on what we already know. It seems the fans who stayed with the band through the lean years know more than Andy from some of his comments.

Buy secondhand if you are planning on buying or wait for the paperback.