45

Description

Bill Drummond is known variously as wayward genius; art terrorist; a hoaxer with integrity; and the ex-pop star who broke up his band, the KLF, at the height of its success to wage an idiosyncratic war against the art world. He's also a loving, if exasperated, father of five, a thoughtful critic, and a wry observer of the mad, hysterical worlds of music and art which he has inhabited for well over 20 years. Perhaps most famously of all, he is the man who burned #1 million and then asked the world to decide why. At the age of 45, reaching his "half-time", Bill Drummond has paused to take stock of his often bizarre, usually chaotic, life. Whether recording "Justified Ancients of Mu Mu" with Tammy Wynette, or contemplating the dull lunacy of the Turner prize, or tying together 6237 cans of Tennent's Super into a cube before distributing the lot to the "street drinkers" of London, or turning down the request to write the official song for Scotland for the World Cup, Bill Drummond reveals his thoughts and opinions and his infectious enthusiasm for disorder and mischief.

Bill Drummond grew up in Scotland. An artist, writer and musician, he achieved huge critical and commercial success with the KLF; THE WHITE ROOM, their groundbreaking album, spawned several hit singles.

'Drummond has the inimitable wisdom of a true maverick' THE TIMES 'It has flashes of twisted brilliance reminiscent of Iain Sinclair or Will Self' GUARDIAN 'Drummond is a cultural magician and this is his logbook' INDEPENDENT 'Invigorating, irritating and endearing, Drummond is a gifted postmodern raconteur with his tongue stuck firmly in his cheek.' IRISH NEWS 'Inspired.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'With Bill Drummond, it's always best to expect the unexpected. He has made a career out of being gloriously unpredictable. He famously tasted pop success with the KLF, burned a million pounds on a remote Scottish isle and introduced the world to Echo & The Bunnymen and Julian Cope. 45 is as unexpected as the KLF collaborating with Tammy Wynette: a semi-autobiography from a man who has previously been loathe to talk about his work in public. The book takes the form of a collection of short stories and essays focusing on various aspects of Drummond's life. While some chapters are definite page-turners, others move at a more ponderous pace. 45 really comes alive when Drummond discusses hair-brained KLF schemes and K Foundation art stunts. It is within these chapters that he gets closest to confessional, musing on disillusionment, musical myth and the nature of nationalism. Here we get to glimpse into the mind of one of pop's wayward geniuses. Yet it is never more than a mere glimpse. Drummond clearly finds it hard to be truly revelatory. We should, of course, expect this from a man who spent his musical career building up myths, creating alter egos and trying to fool the media and the record-buying public. If anything, 45 illustrates perfectly Drummond's chameleon-like nature. On one hand, he is a shy, retiring family man who enjoys long walks in the country and drinking tea. Yet he is also a tortured genius, a frustrated artist and a man in the throes of a mid-life crisis. When he lets himself go, 45 is a cracking read and one of the most interesting books about music and art in years.' Matt Anniss, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW