Review Diana Mistera
The Duran Duran were the symbol of
my youth so as soon as I discovered that John Taylor had written his
autobiography I really wanted to read it.
Why John Taylor's book not Andy
Taylor's. Well simply because there was a poster of John on my
bedroom wall along with one of Marian Gold of the “Alphaville”.
I even went to the local hairdresser with a picture of John and asked
for my hair to be done like his. I also looked at all the local
fairs for black rubber bracelets like the ones he wore. He was my
favourite Duran Duran.
Along with my Alphaville records the
Duran Durans were the ones I listened to most, first on my father's
70s record player then on my own modern stereo in my bedroom. I
remember being the first in the Tuscan village where I grew up to
wear the Duran Duran T shirt, the first to wear chiffon, the first to
collect anything to do with the handsome John. Why was I such a
pioneer at that time, well because my mother is English and I spent a
lot of time with my grandparents in Dorset and my aunts in London.
It was in England that I bought all the records up to Duran Durans
“Arena”. I then transferred them on to tapes for my “walkman”,
another 80's icon!
But let's talk about the book. What
did I enjoy most about it. I think first of all the description of
his teenage years when he discovered an interest in music. Sundays
at home with the family listening to old records or listening to
pirate radio in his bedroom. The family car, a Ford,my grandfather
had a brown Ford. The description of his family home. These things
all reminded me of my English grandparents. Reading on, things
become more intriguing as he was a fan of lots of artists and
imitated their “look” He spent time looking for new material in
the record shops. I did that too. I discovered the boy behind the
star with all his defects and fears. The rise and fall, the
re-birth. I admit I did shed a little tear reading about that! We
always saw the public persona smiling in the videos and on the
posters but we had no idea what was going on behind all that. We
didn't know about the boy, the constrictions that go with fame, the
superficiality, the egocentricity when you have everything you ever
wanted but have lost any connection with reality. I was surprised at
his tenacity visible to this day on stage. He loves to make music.
He loves what he does. Todays stars lack professionality and
sometimes even talent. His weaknesses are talked about in the book.
The time in rehab, the devils behind the public face.
There were some brilliant photos in
practically every chapter. There was even a bit dedicated to their
visit to Italy, though I was still young when they came, I remember
seeing the concert on RAI 2.
I had trouble putting this book down
once I started to read it and savoured every word. I
don't agree with the critics who say that the second part of the book
seems written in haste. I think where he wanted to make a point he
did so in depth and well. Now that I have finished this “immersion”
into “80s” pop culture I feel I now have an insight into what it
was really like to be so famous.
I
would thoroughly recommend IN THE PLEASURE GROOVE: LOVE, DEATH AND
DURAN DURAN to all who lived this era either through their parents or
who were themselves “Duranians” but not quite old enough to go to
the gigs at the time that “Wild Boys” became the anthem of the
“Paninari” We opened the doors to future generations of pop fans
and I am so pleased to have lived the 80s to the full. The hysteria,
the tears when Simon broke his foot but came to San Remo with the
Duran Duran anyway. I remember Pippo Baudo was the presenter at the
time. It was great and in this book we have John Taylor's version of
what it was like to be an 80s icon a real insight into life as a pop
star.
