The definitive biography of The Kinks' legendary frontman and one of the most tumultuous tales in Rock history.
Johnny Rogan is the author of over twenty books, including highly acclaimed biographies/musical studies of the Byrds, the Smiths, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, John Lennon and Morrissey. His groundbreaking Starmakers & Svengalis- The History Of British Pop Management was adapted for a six-week BBC series. Morrissey & Marr- The Severed Alliance was one of the best-selling and most controversial rock biographies of its time, receiving various music biography of the year awards, and has been in print continuously for over twenty years. More recently, Van Morrison- No Surrender was chosen by the Sunday Timesas one of its Top 10 Music Books of the Year. He is currently completing an epic two-volume study, Byrds- Requiem For the Timeless.
As definitive a view of the man as anyone could hope for
*The Times*
In the tradition of the most interesting biographies, a troubled
subject makes for a gripping read
*Evening Standard*
Rogan is exceptionally good at painting a picture of the moment he
is exploring ... engrossing ... you're left with a sympathetic
understanding of [Davies'] ways and motives
*New Statesman*
It’s [Ray Davies’s] quirks that make him a worthy study, and Johnny
Rogan is the man for the job, a writer renowned for going to
extraordinary lengths to research his subjects … a social history
as well as character study. Rogan illuminates the labyrinth of
Swinging Sixties record labels, managers, bookers and pluggers, and
spares no blushes in his depiction of the young Kinks
*Irish Times*
Masterfully teases out the warring impulses wrestling in [Davies’s]
psyche … [Rogan is] adept at relating the social history of the
1950s and 1960s to Davies’s brooding character and lyric obsessions
... He uncovers psychological traumas everywhere and is fascinating
on the bitchy rivalries between 1960s pop titans … Such tales make
this ... oceanically researched biography go with a swing
*Sunday Times*
Meticulously researched, crafted with a near-obsessive passion and
boasts abundant original interviews … the many fans of [Davies]
have never been served this well; Rogan interviews major players
and delves deep into the archives to emerge with the ultimate
account of Davies’ life, times and idiosyncrasies … Rogan never
loses sight of Davies’ position as a quintessentially brilliant
English songwriter and pop-culture commentator, resulting in his
own personal masterpiece and another benchmark for music
biographies
*Record Collector*
Definitive … impressive … Nary a character or event of even minor
importance in the Davies story is left undisturbed by the author’s
flair for asking the right questions of the right people (including
Ray himself) and plundering archives … The wonder is that with so
many facts and opinions to assemble, this tome remains so eminently
readable
*Mojo ******
A terrific insight into one of Britain's greatest artists
*Shortlist*
Monumental ... shining through the violence, the personality
clashes, the litigation with former management, the volatile
relationship with women, even a mental breakdown, are the songs
*Daily Mail*
Rogan chooses to delve deep into the period that will most interest
potential readers of this book … defiantly non-sensationalist …
dogged, even-handed and punctilious in his research … scrupulously
fair in his assessments of his subject’s work and character, while
also conceding that, in several ways, Davies remains an enigma … a
valuable account of the working life of a complicated man
*Spectator*
Kinkophiles will enjoy the recreation of Sixties London and the
accounts of sibling mayhem
*Telegraph*
Gripping and hugely readable … teems with as much detail as a
19th-century novel … whatever’s been previously written about the
band is rather overwhelmed by Rogan’s book with its illuminating
interviews with Ray and Dave Davies and an abundance of
supplementary testimony
*Uncut*
The most in-depth biography to date of the head Kink and enduring
pop genius
*Choice*
A vivid, heartfelt recreation
*Classic Rock*
One of the best rock biographers of his generation
*Irish Independent*
This richly detailed and revelatory biography presents the most
frank and intimate portrait yet of Ray Davies
*CGA Magazine*
Rogan does an excellent job of trying to work out what makes The
Kinks’ enigmatic frontman tick whilst charting the tumultuous
career of a band whose idiosyncratic but brilliant hits are
currently enjoying a renaissance
*Mail on Sunday*
This book is a good, solid, factually based read throughout… I
imagine nearing six decades of recording history to be squeezed
into one book is a task beyond the scope of a lot of authors, but
this has been done rather well by Johnny Rogan… Excellent and
complex.
*Nudge*
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