When the hefty Wonder Stuff Diaries dropped through my letterbox I felt christmas had come early, I’m an avid reader, if I’m not on here (or at the day job) my nose is stuck in a book or music magazine, but not only that I’ve a fan of a musical era and indeed scene that has perhaps been glossed over in recent times and certainly deserves something of a reassessment. I find it a little bizarre that the likes of Pop Will Eat Itself (Miles lived with Clint Mansell for a good whilst and PWEI make regular appearances throughout the book), The Mighty Lemon Drops and indeed the Wonder Stuff are at best half remembered when the music innovative, fun and at the time hugely popular.
It’s a long time since I’ve attempted to review or comment on a book (back in the days of a paper version of Rhythm & Booze) but I shall try to convey what a fascinating and thought provoking memoir of the early years of The Wonder Stuff written by their commander in chief Miles Hunt.
As you’ve probably realised by the title, Miles, kept a diary of events, gigs and anything else that he thought to be important at the time, these entries make for the backbone of the book and if it’s an important entry either musically or personally he then embellishes the entry with a well constructed passage about that particular time. Before the diary entries Miles discusses his tender steps into the world of music as a drummer, the formation of The Wonder Stuff and his subsequent life in-front of the microphone, home life, moving out, friendship and the alike to create an intriguing introduction to his and the band’s development.
The diary entries themselves make for compelling reading, from the short to the funny, to up and downs of life on the road or in the studio, one of the other intriguing things is the names of the bands that have fallen by the wayside whilst the Stuffies moved from strength to strength, can anyone remember the likes of Rain Devils, Lean Steel or the Hollow Men to name but three.
Throughout the book we’re treated to paper cuttings of reviews, flyers, albums covers, photos, etc and it’s almost like being transported back in time, a time where fashion didn’t matter as long as you were making cool tunes and The Wonder Stuff always had them in spades.
With any memoir of this kind there are high’s and lows, strained relationships (both musically and romantically) and pinnacle life changing moments and Miles always manages to convey them with the respect and honesty they deserve, creating a brilliant tale of one man’s love of the rock n roll lifestyle and his quest to live it no matter the pressures or pitfalls. A poignant entry talks about how Miles has never worked in a nine to five and almost certainly never will.
The book finishes aptly with the departure of bass player Bob “The Bass Thing” Jones and the band on the cusp of greatness, bringing the first chapter of The Wonder Stuff to a close, before the successes of Size of A Cow and Dizzy, etc.
If, you, like me love the era, the band or indeed music in general you’ll find a great deal to like about the early years of The Wonder Stuff and Miles Hunt, whilst anyone who’s ever been in a band will find affinity with the passages on display here. The Wonder Stuff, the Diaries 86-89 is a must have this year, I suggest you scrawl it on the top of your christmas list or indeed get ordering now.
www.thewonderstuff.bigcartel.com