Confusion (the book): what say you?

Thanks indeed to Chris Nash for lending me his copy. David Nolan's done a decent job overall but I'd say it wasn't a perfect tome (but then what is?).

I'd personally have liked a bit more about the music and how they came to write certain songs, how their relationship affected how they wrote what they did and how changes in the band dynamic affected that i.e changing from jamming on ideas to each of them going away and writing almost complete songs.

The book is comprehensive enough to show the depth of their relationships with each other as well as key figures like Gretton, Hannett and Wilson. Whether it sheds any new light on the bust up of last November, I don't know really but it's as probably close to the reality as we're likely to get.

Good stuff overall.

Disappointed, basically. I was expecting more depth and insight into BS, and was expecting a lot more in terms of these much vaunted "comments from Bernard", which didn't amount to much besides him denying that things had taken place in a number of occasions.

There are the typical number of factual inaccuracies (such as the US tour where Bernard got caught with pants out by Smash Hits etc being listed as 1985 when it was in fact 1986....they didn't play Santa Barbara or Philadelphia in 1985), but that seems to be de rigeur when it comes to books about this lot.

I enjoyed it.not as "in-depth" as i thought it would be, but enjoyed it all the same,one inaccuracy I did notice was Curtis' death,19th May? Well written though,im keeping my eyes open for his "gig that changed the world" book,anybody read it?

The ONLY thing I learned from reading it was his Mother's illness. For me personally very disappointing, but I can see the appeal for others who may not be familiar with the history.

I did however enjoy the 'Wo betide me' statements from Terry Mason.

I really enjoyed it, I read the first few chapters just before seeing control. It certainly helped when following the film. I hadn't read any New Order / Jd Biog stuff since I was 15. Good to get a different slant on a familiar story.

Personally the book I would love to read would be Barney Sailing memoires. Im sure hes got a few nautical stories to tell and I bet hes shared a few sunset spliffs on deck with some complete legends.

David Molyneux wrote:

I did however enjoy the 'Wo betide me' statements from Terry Mason.

I thought it was very dissapointing. Very little after the first two chapters which I didn't know already.

I think by seeking BS's approval and allowing him to edit the the thing (which, in effect, is what his comments amount to) he's stopped short of asking a lot of the more challenging questions. For example, there's two things about his private life that many people already know a bit about and which would make interesting reading. The first is his notable drug consumption over the years and the second....I won't mention but a good few folk will know what I'm referring to.

I suppose it's really down to what the author believes should or shouldn't be in the public domain. References to drug use are already out there in numerous interviews so why was it not mentioned even once in the whole book?

I just get the feeling that he was probably privvy to a whole lot more detail from his exceptional sources but for some reason decide not to print it.

I remember reading a comment from soime girl who was at the Ally Pally gig on NYE in 98, and said that she was dancing next to Barney - who she described as being horribly and messily off his head. Like, in his mid-40s.

He's rock and roll through and through, and you don't need a fucking book to tell you that.

I reckon he's ready for the quiet life now though.

off his head on nye,disgusting eh!?

The early chapters were good, some new stuff in there - but later on it seemed to be a book about Terry Mason complaining about Sumner. I think he needed some in-depth chats with other people. I learnt very little new and having read it straight after the Lyndsey Reade book it seemed poor in comparision.

Emile Strunz wrote: I remember reading a comment from soime girl who was at the Ally Pally gig on NYE in 98, and said that she was dancing next to Barney - who she described as being horribly and messily off his head. Like, in his mid-40s.

.

What , did Barney do a Springsteen/ Bono and pull the girl up onto stage to dance with him?

And what's wrong with being horribly messy off your head in your mid 40s?

does an unladylike thing and farts loudly...

Didn't like Nolan's whole "Oh, and let met tell you something else about secret, secret, so preciously secret Barney because I'm an investigative journalist" approach. Just drivel to fill up the page 'cause he can't be arsed to talk about the songs and talk about how Bernard took the lead in New Order. I mean, if this was supposed to be a rock 'n' roll lifestyle book, it certainly failed on that front too. Barney off his head at Hacienda? Nothing less than expected. And yeah, Mason's quotes were interesting, but any third rate professor could tell you it's unprofessional to rely so heavily on one particular source. Nolan should know---isn't he a lecturer/professor?

I read this book straight after reading a bio of Johnny Marr. The difference in the treatment of the drugs issue was quite stark. The book about Marr was quite matter of fact about drugs, and references to them were limited to where they were relevant to the story, specifically what was being taken at the time of a particular session or period in Marr's life. This certainly added weight to the book in terms of understanding the process of making music, but managed to avoid the tales of dabauched nights in the Groucho that go along with most stories about rock stars of a certain age.

I don't remember Confusion mentioning drinking and drug taking at all, and I think that's a missed oportunity to explain some of the artistic and personal issues that affect the story. Whether this was a concious decision, and agreement with Barney or not, I don't know.

Whatever the reason, I bet Hooky will spill all the beans. You can always rely on Hooky for a good story about getting fcuked up!

the postman has just finally delivered the book this minute.What postmen deliver at nearly 5.30 in the afternoon??

johnny wrote: the postman has just finally delivered the book this minute.What postmen deliver at nearly 5.30 in the afternoon??

LOST ones

first glance through , pictures first and the misdating of them isn't a good start Pic from New York 83 is captioned as Los Angeles 1981 and the Oakwood pics are dated as Feb 2005 when they were actually Nov 2005.Ok i'll stop nickpicking now and actually read it

love the alternative cover

Got mine yesterday, will start it tonight :)

Strangely I think we sad obsessives are actually in a position of knowing more of the minutae of both Barney's life and JD/NO's history than he is! That's maybe a given, seeing as we're dogged in turning up and remembering every little detail of what happened to whom, where and what happened as a result whereas Mr Nolan has gallantly tried to keep to a narrative.

I'd have liked more about the actual music. Maybe there's a book to be written there: the music of Joy Division and New Order rather than the actual this-happened-and-then-that-happened chronology of other titles?

Chemical wrote:

I'd have liked more about the actual music. Maybe there's a book to be written there: the music of Joy Division and New Order rather than the actual this-happened-and-then-that-happened chronology of other titles?

I agree, learned nothing from it other than the facts about his family. I though it was poor but it filled a day lounging by the pool:p

I'm about halfway through it. OK read so far, although I think I learned more about Barney on Star Test! IMP need a decent proof reader, unless there's an informal agreement amongst publishers to ALWAYS get the date of Curtis' death wrong (remember Mick '17 March' Middles?) And the really bad use of apostrophe's (arghh!) makes my pedantic little brain hurt. The stuff about BS' family background was interesting and new to me, and there was an uncomfortable reminder of the Dave 'that man died for you' McCullough article, which even I, despite being v young and impressionable at the time, had thought a little over the top. It also paints a vivid picture of just how grim and miserable Britain was in the late 70s, something 'Control' does very well, too. And I like the fact that Bernard has commented throughout, but want to know what 'agreement' he and Nolan came to about the contents. Suspect we shall never find out!

Interesting to learn about Barney's early/formative years (Nolan does seem to have done a fair bit of research there) and although after about chapter 2 it's familiar tales it's not a bad read to pass a few hours.

the 'Ian Wilson' bit in Manchester Evening News though ....