Reelin' in the Years: The Soundtrack of a Northern Life - Softcover

Radcliffe, Mark

3.74

435 ratings by Goodreads

9780857200501: Reelin' in the Years: The Soundtrack of a Northern Life

Softcover

ISBN 10: 085720050X ISBN 13: 9780857200501

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd, 2011

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When Mark Radcliffe was born in the late 1950s, Britain was trying to find its own version of the dangerously sexy Elvis ...we gave the world Cliff Richard but by the time Mark was old enough to recognise pop songs on the radio, the UK was exploding into the world's most exciting place to be for a young music fan. In this, his eagerly awaited new book, Mark Radcliffe takes a record from each year of his life, using the song as a starting point from which to reach out and pull together a wonderfully entertaining catalogue of memories and asides about British culture. And, as one would expect from this unique and popular broadcaster, the tunes he lists are not the usual suspects. From The Kinks' 'See My Friends', through Slade's 'Coz I Luv You' to Kraftwerk's 'Europe Endless' and Joy Division's 'Atmosphere', Mark's selections bring forth a diverse collision of styles from eras uniquely defined by their musical genres and fashions. Bringing his choices right up to the present day, we see the inclusion of artists such as Richard Hawley, Elbow and Fleet Foxes. Mark's hugely entertaining and affectionate trawl through his favourite music of the past 50 years is guaranteed to surprise and delight his many fans.

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Review:

`Having hauled the pleasingly surreal show he shares with Stuart Maconie from BBC Radio 2 to 6 Music, Mark Radcliffe unveils an entertaining new memoir. Starting at 1958, Radcliffe picks a favourite song from each year and uses it as a launch pad for his trademark rambling reverie. The chosen tracks are diverse (everything from Cliff Richard to Prince), and the writing is funny and there's an expert X Factor takedown to savour' --Shortlist

`Funny, well-informed and self-deprecating' --Andrzej Lukowski, Metro 25/5

`A pleasant ramble through five decades of pop culture seen through the eyes of a music-loving northerner... Radcliffe writes in much the same way that he talks - warmly and wryly' --Fiona Sturges, Independent 20/5

`[In Reelin' in the Years, Radcliffe] reflects on his 52 years on the planet, choosing a single song released in each of them, using it to pull in memoires and reflections of British music, fashion, trends and culture across a half century. Among his choices are tracks from the Kinks, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, The Prodigy, Elbow and Fleet Foxes. Strangely, though, there's nothing from The Shirehorses' --The List, May issue

`Radcliffe's given us a remarkable music history and picked 52 defining albums, one from each of those years. Diverse is just one way to sum it up' --Henry Sutton, Mirror 20-26/5

`Having recently absconded with partner in crime Stuart Maconie to the wilder shores of BBC6, Mark Radcliffe's latest missive is an autobiography based around popular songs from each year of his life, from Cliff Richard's Move It in 1958 to last year's Factory by Band of Horses'
--Belfast Telegraph 28/5

`A lot of fun... a cleverly structured book...It's a gentle mix of irreverence, silliness and heartfelt honesty' --Big Issue, 13 June 2011

`DJ Mark Radcliffe takes a record from each year of his life (he was born in 1958) and uses it as a springboard for personal and nostalgic reminiscences in the enjoyable Reelin in the Years' --Choice Magazine

`An easy-read memoir is reliant on good anecdotes, and Radcliffe has more than a few' --Guardian, 2 July 2011

'There's a lot to like about this funny, smart and surprisingly touching book'
--Word Magazine, June Issue

About the Author:

Mark Radcliffe was born in Bolton and attended Manchester University. He has been employed by the BBC to talk in between records for over twenty years, many of these with Lard (aka Marc Riley) and currently with Stuart Maconie on Radio 2. He has won 6 Gold Sony Awards plus Sony's Music Broadcaster of the Year 2009, and has recorded five albums with two bands. He has three daughters and lives in Cheshire.

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