View from the Exterior

by Alan Clayson

French cult figure, Serge Gainsbourg is forever synonymous with 'Je T'Aime--Moi Non Plus' on which he and Jane Birkin simulated the sounds of erotic congress. But this 1969 Number One was a mere sideshow to an eye-stretching career in which he bestrode Gaelic culture as a singing composer, novelist, film director and actor.

Genres: Music, Biography

212 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Alan Clayson (Dover, England, 1951) is of a late 1970s vintage of composer-entertainers that also embraces the likes of Wreckless Eric, Tom Robinson, Elvis Costello and John Otway. While he is still making regular concert appearances, he has become better known as an author of around thirty books - mostly musical biography. These include the best-sellers "Backbeat" (subject of a major film), The Yardbirds and The Beatles book box.

He has written for journals as diverse as The Guardian, Record Collector, Ink, Mojo, Mediaeval World, Folk Roots, Guitar, Hello!, Drummer, The Times, The Independent, Ugly Things and, as a 'teenager, the notorious Schoolkids 0z. He has also been engaged to perform and lecture on both sides of the Atlantic - as well as broadcast on national TV and radio.

From 1975 to 1985, he led the legendary Clayson and the Argonauts - who reformed in 2005, ostensibly to launch Sunset On A Legend, a long-awaited double-CD retrospective - and was thrust to 'a premier position on rock's Lunatic Fringe' (Melody Maker).

As shown by the existence of a US fan club - dating from an 1992 soiree in Chicago - Alan Clayson's following grows still as well as demand for his talents as a record producer, and the number of versions of his compositions by such diverse acts as Dave Berry (in whose backing group, he played keyboards in the mid-1980s), New Age Outfit, Stairway - and Joy Tobing, winner of the Indonesian version of Pop Idol. He has worked too with The Portsmouth Sinfonia, Wreckless Eric, Twinkle, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, Mark Astronaut and the late Screaming Lord Sutch among many others. While his stage act defies succinct description, he has been labelled a 'chansonnier' in recent years for performances and record releases that may stand collectively as Alan Clayson's artistic apotheosis were it not for a promise of surprises yet to come.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Serge Gainsbourg is a great songwriter, record maker and personality, this bio on the other hand is not a good biography. The Sylvie Simmons bio on Gainsbourg is much better, and she at least interviewed some key people in Gainsbourg's life. The author of this book, on the other hand, looked like he did some light research and just turned this book in like a school paper. To really understand Gainsbourg, you have to know his world and more important his 'place' in that particlar world. And that world is Paris 20th Century - and Gainsbourg is very much part of the air, buidings of that great city. The same goes for Boris Vian, but that's a slightly different story.

[Callum Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay but i skipped so much of it and scanned through to read the interesting bits

[Talia · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book zero stars, I would. It is awful. The writing is the worst I have ever seen published outside of a romance novel or particularly trashy young adult book. More than anything, I'm confused why this book was even written because it is clear after five pages that Alan Clayson despises Gainsbourg, his work, and everything he ever attempted to do. If you actually want to read a Gainsbourgh biography, read A Fistful Of Gitanes by Sylvie Simmons.

A sample of the writing, taken from an Amazon review because I was so disgusted I threw this book away:

"Until showtime, Serge might tinker secretively on a battered piano in a backstage alcove, but he couldn't stop himself being dragged into the behind the scenes intrigues and jealousies that would come to a head in 'prima donna' tantrums you could hear in the galleries and squabbles that ricocheted like shrapnel between any given combination of the principals for all the wonderful-to-be-here vaporings and scripted grinning unzipped as soon as they got in front of the footlights".

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that guy in college who made fun of the music you liked and made you read his poems? Well, he writes whole books now.
If you love over-the-top prose, this is the guy for you.