Espedair Street

'Espedair Street' is the story of Daniel Weir - 'Weird' - the songwriter of (fictional) scotish rock band Frozen Gold. The novel depicts in alternating chapters Weird's current life -in 1987- as a 31 year old ex rock star and his journey as a 17 year old in 1973 to become one. Frozen Gold are a mid seventies supergroup - think Pink Floyd meets Fleetwood Mac, with all the ego,excess, drugs, sex and booze you could wish for!

The story is pure teenage boy wish fulfillment - beautifully and poetically rendered. The yearnings Weird has for love, sex and success along with the drab wet world of early 70's scotland he wishes to escape from are very well written. Equally well written are the stories of rock success and massive excess! Weird retains our sympathy because he is enriched by success yet scarred by it and because he retains most of his teenage insecurities.

I first read 'Espedair Street' 20 years ago when I was 17 years old myself. Then the story of Daniel Weir, the stuttering loser managing to become a rock star struck a powerful chord, 'Espedair Street' was my 'Catcher In The Rye'. Reading it recently as a 37 year old was akin to rereading an old diary. I was transported back to the late 80's and had the joy of reading a much loved story all over again.

Reading it now I see 'Espedair Street' as a wonderful teenage self indulgence. I would be fascintated to know what a 17 year old from 2008 makes of it - now that the late 80's 'now' the book is set in is now so long ago!

One section made me chuckle, (pages 128 -129), Wes MacKinnon, Frozen Gold's keyboard player buys a mainframe computer,transfers their studio music recordings onto discs so he can play them on his computer... Isn't this a late 70's version of a modern pc media player - riping cds to lisen to them on your mp3 player!

I LOVE this novel, like all great books it has passages you want to read again and again because they capture a feeling you yourself have had but express it better than you ever could. If this kind of teenage rock and roll is your thing I recomend 'Less Than Zero' by Bret Easton Eliis and 'Wonderland Avenue' by Danny Sugarman which is a REAL memoir about his teenage heroin adventures with Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop! For the ultimate Iain Banks novel get 'The Crow Road' which really is the business.

Now WHERE do I get hold of some Frozen Gold albums..?!

Liza-bet, do you love me ? (0/0 people found this helpful)

Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and published his first book - "The Wasp Factory" - in 1984. In the years since, he's won critical acclaim, topped best-seller lists and has even written Science Fiction books under the cunning nom-de-plume 'Iain M. Banks'. "Espedair Street" was first published in 1987, and is his fourth non sci-fi book

Daniel Weir is a very reclusive and hugely rich former rock-star. He played bass and wrote the songs for Frozen Gold, a Scottish band that had once sold records by the lorry-load. However, the band is no more and Daniel's involvement with the music business now goes no further than the occasional TV theme or film score - something just to keep my hand in. Despite his fame and wealth, Daniel seems to suffer from very low self-esteem : he comments several times on his bulging eyes, that he has a big, hooked nose and he's very conscious of his mismatched feet. (Both are huge, though one of them is a size bigger than the other). Seeing himself as a "mutant" - and believing that he scares children - has probably contributed to the stutter. He did manage a few romantic liaisons during his time with the band, although - in his own words - he "never expected to be loved". However, while he sometimes thinks fondly of his post-fame conquests, he never seems to have fully gotten over Jean Webb, his first girlfriend.

Nevertheless, despite the distinctive look, people may not necessarily recognise him now. In the public eye, he hid behind a big beard, big hair and a big pair of shades - all are now long gone. Few probably even knew his real name - as a star, he was known only as "Weird". (It was an old nickname dating back to the schooldays, when his name appeared as "Weir, D" on the school register). Nowadays, despite the rumours that he's living abroad - most of then started by himself - he's back living in Glasgow. Home is Mr Wykes Folly, also known as St Jute's - a building that looks exactly like a church (although it isn't one) with its own graveyard (but without any actual graves). There isn't any altar wine either, but there is plenty of eastern European beer and vodka. He seems to have pretty much lost touch with his former bandmates and he tends to avoid television, papers, radio for months at a time - so, for much of the book, it isn't clear if they're in the public eye. These days, even the two people who are his closest friends - McCann and Wee Tommy - apparently don't know who he really is. McCann is quite a character - he has quite definite communist tendencies, and after a number of beers has been known to enjoy a fight.

Two of the band's other members were (ahem) instrumental to the group's success - Crazy Davey Balfour and Christine Brice, the band's stars who shared the singing. Davey was everything Daniel wasn't - his dream was to be a real guitar hero, he owned all the flash cars, the big bikes and the planes. When Daniel first meets the band, he's fresh out of school and looking for someone just to perform his songs - he doesn't want to be in the group himself. The others, on the other hand, are making plans for university - though only the bass player follows through on that plan, amusingly going to music college. (Banks has another little joke, in casting the band's drummer as the most normal and sensible member of the group). Anyhow, with a free slot, Daniel also steps in as the band's bassist. When they subsequently sign for ARC Records, the songwriting credits for the first album are nevertheless split three ways. (However, he made sure they were credited to himself alone on future albums - the only intelligent decision he reckons he ever made).

As "Espedair Street" opens, it's 3am and Daniel is sitting at home waiting on a train arriving in Glasgow. Although the last twelve years have seen his life change more than he would ever have thought possible, the events of the last week have seen him decide to kill himself. Only for the day just gone, he might well have gone through with his decision - although his survival has been accompanied by what he calls "genuine financial suicide". The book sees him look back over what has happened - professionally, personally and romantically.

"Espedair Street" is definitely a book I'd recommend - which is hardly a surprise, given that it's been written by Iain Banks. Banks has a certain way of telling a story I enjoy - the occasional jump back and forward, and the hint of looking at something from a slightly different angle. Various things are mentioned early in the book - for example, The Great Contra Flow Smoke System and the Three Chimneys Tour - but it's quite some time before he fully explains what they were. Daniel, himself, I found to be a funny and rather endearing character - but one with a very low sense of self-worth. (He's not entirely sure he ever fully recovered from his Catholic guilt). Excellent stuff.

A cheap ride (0/0 people found this helpful)

I'm a big fan of Iain Banks work, both contemporary fiction and sci-fi. I read this in a day on holiday and although it kept my interest it was ultimately the most underwhelming book from Banks that I've read. Reassuringly, it appears other reviewers shared my feelings towards it.

The story is at once predictable yet incredible, the characterisation is pretty flat, and there is more creativity in one page of, say, Feersum Enjinn than in this entire tome. This is indeed a lazy novel from Banks, but it is a page-turner mainly as it follows the alternating then-and-now formula, and is not a challenging read at all.

It was probably perfect holiday fodder but I won't be pushing it into anyone's hands as a paragon of Mr Banks' work.

Rockstars are human too (3/3 people found this helpful)

Daniel Weir used to be a famous rock star. Now he is only in his early thirties and knows he never has to work another day in his life. But what do you do if you’re financially successful; though don’t know how to live properly.

In between the daily events in his life, we get to find out how he became the man he is nowadays. From a shy boy who wrote songs to the biggest band in the history of rock. His past and his future can’t be seen as separate entities.

Banks is one of my favourite authors. Not every single book he writes is as good, but to me, that only shows he is human as well. He shows an incredible insight into the rock business, he seems to be able to write autobiographical stories for dozens of people. I enjoy his books a lot, need to complete my back catalogue. This one, though old, is certainly a recommender.

Rock and Roll (3/3 people found this helpful)

Espedair Street tells the story of a suicidal millionaire ex-rock star's attempt to return to his old life, and traces the rise and sudden collapse of his band in a series of lengthy flashbacks. Banks characters and prose are as strong as ever here, and there are a few vivid scenes along the way, but ultimately this is a rather predictable read, with the tales of over the top stage shows, behind the scenes debauchery, and the failure of success to bring true happiness being familiar from countless numbers of real and fake rockumentaries. The central character also lacks some credibility for me, and it's hard to summon much sympathy for a millionaire complaining about life's woes. When I read a novel by Iain Banks (or indeed Iain M. Banks) I'm looking for something just a bit different, something out of the ordinary, and though admittedly well written this is frankly too obvious and mainstream a tale of rags and riches to really make much of an impact. Not awful, but certainly one of Iain Banks lesser novels.

Iain Banks

Reader Reviews:

A great rock 'memoir' ! (0/0 people found this helpful)

Liza-bet, do you love me ? (0/0 people found this helpful)

A cheap ride (0/0 people found this helpful)

Rockstars are human too (3/3 people found this helpful)

Rock and Roll (3/3 people found this helpful)

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