Andy summers one train later download

This is the moving, gently and often acidly funny memoir of a premier guitarist who ultimately found himself at the top of the world. A rollicking you-are-there history of the 60ss rock era. There are no reviews yet. Be the first one to write a review. Books for People with Print Disabilities. Internet Archive Books. The acceleration of the narrative parallels the acceleration of the life being lived within it.

Things spin faster and faster and faster until it becomes dizzying. Gigs, tours, recordings, singles, more gigs, press, fans, more recording, and the rocket leaves the launch pad and heads off into its well-chronicled orbit.

Three more years, many lines of cocaine and a great deal of in-studio tension later, the Police quietly call it quits at the very height of their popularity. The beauty of this book is that Summers, having been to the mountaintop and returned to tell the tale, appreciates in equal measures the glorious affirmation and the absolute insanity of life in the rock and roll circus. For all that, Summers the author never loses sight of what propelled him — his passion for the guitar and for the power of music as tool of self-expression, spiritual exploration and connection with an audience.

Eighty thousand lighters go on in the stadium, an incendiary salutation. Like a prayer, it is now, it is forever. I strike the first chord. For the curious, Summers is frank but generally kind when speaking of his former bandmates, and contrite about his failings as a husband and father. By this standard we are fake, transparently so. But so is a lot of this mad, churning scene, with some of its leading lights being people whose background is something more than the gritty stations that punk is supposed to come from.

But none of this matters, because it is fabulous anyway. Put simply, we like a bit of aggro. The youth of Britain who see the country as being nothing more than a dystopia controlled by an oligarchy produce Sturm und Drang on a regular basis: the Fabians, the Suffragettes, trade unions, teddy boys, mods, rockers, Alder-maston marchers, hippies, and punk.

Also there is, imo, way too much information on Summers' past before the Police, which I was not really interested in. Yes, he was nearl Wow, either Andy Summers or his ghostwriter is a florid little writer. Yes, he was nearly Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page and came thiiiis close a zillion times, but he still made it, so get over it.

Sadly, I wanted more dirt on the Police and didn't get it. Says more about me than about Summers, in all probability. Shelves: memoir , nonfiction. As a group we seem to swing between high emotional intensity and sophomoric fraternity with surprising ease, almost like a group version of bipolar disorder. The best result is that when 'it' happens, we can play with an empathy that is hard to imagine achieving with other people. But making albums is a brutal affair: you are forced to stand down, moodily let go of an idea, play someone else's idea, wa "In the studio the tension is so high that you can hear it twanging like an out-of-tune piano.

But making albums is a brutal affair: you are forced to stand down, moodily let go of an idea, play someone else's idea, watch all your cherished licks go out the window--often accompanied by boos and jeers.

It's painful because none of us likes being told what to do or being controlled in any way. In truth, we are like children locked in a house with big shiny machines and a handful of explosives. The title refers to the fact that he and drummer Stewart Copeland had discussed Summers's joining the band but had not come to any clear decision--and then the two of them happened to see each other as they exited the same train in London.

One train later and Summers might have spent the rest of his career in the not-at-all-well-remembered psychedelic band Dantalian's Chariot. Also, Summers was pals with Jimi Hendrix, sold Eric Clapton a secondhand guitar that the latter made his signature instrument, and threw up on Richard Branson's Persian rug. All in all, a full life. View 1 comment. This book is much more than the story of The Police as told by the guitarist you know one of those two guys besides Sting who is in the band?

I really enjoyed his writing style - descriptive, honest, funny, very British An interesting portrait of the making of a rock star. He came from very humble beginnings with a great love for music. A lot of talent, determination and some luck is what got him from playing in local pubs in a broken down van to having hit records, groupies and selling out are This book is much more than the story of The Police as told by the guitarist you know one of those two guys besides Sting who is in the band?

A lot of talent, determination and some luck is what got him from playing in local pubs in a broken down van to having hit records, groupies and selling out arenas and stadiums.

Aug 04, Christian added it. What a book! Andy's wit and sense of humour are present in any video footage of the man but, in the written medium, he really shines. As a huge Police fan, I knew this book would be great, but was unprepared for this. Extremely hard to put down and, although it has been a few years since last reading, is far better than Sting's 'Broken Music'. Andy is a natural story teller and, in my humble opinion, has a bright future in writing, if he ever chooses to pursue it.

The Police have just reformed and are selling out stadiums again. Here's how it all began. Summers writes well and his erudite style is good fun. He has some great anecdotes in here about masochistic piano teachers husbands, selling Eric Clapton his 'Fresh Cream' Les Paul, meeting Hendrix and trading his marriage for 30 rolls of film and a magic mushroom omelette.

Sep 08, Dad rated it really liked it Recommends it for: any classic rock lover. As a life-long musician, I found the book to be honest and grounded.

The style and delivery were a bit slow to start, but once they got going it was a smooth and enjoyable glide right to the end. If you were born in the 50's or 60's and have any regard for classic rock, read this. Andy does a nice job. Nov 10, Philip rated it it was amazing. Holy shit. This book is fantastic. Andy writes extraordinarily well. The account of his life as a starving musician in London and Los Angeles, before he joined the Police, is fascinating and inspiring.

The Police years were pretty incredible as well, apparently. Highly recommended for musicians and non-musicians. Interesting perspective on the growth and evolution of a "rock star". Summers is articulate, witty, and also very humble and down to earth. This book really humanized the "rock star" image, and brought into perspective why The Police were such a great band. A great read! One of the best Biography's of a musician I have read. A perfect balance of personal and professional information.

He also digs a little deeper than some when discussing the making of the music which I love. Of course, his great sense of humor does not hurt at all. I'm a huge Police fan. They were a big part of high school and university. I saw the documentary before reading the book. Highly recommend the documentary the book not so much.

The book is quite well written albeit flowery. A memoir of Andy Summers' life up until the end of The Police. Being a decade older than Sting and Stewart Copeland, Summers was already an established musician by the time he joined The Police.

I had no idea he was in one incarnation of The Animals. He was a contemporary of Clapton, Hendrix, Eric Burdon and all the well-known musicians of the late 60s and early 70s.

I appreciate the writing style. It's written in an engaging and intelligent way that doesn't shy away from Summers' fai Excellent.

It's written in an engaging and intelligent way that doesn't shy away from Summers' failings. He certainly lived the rock lifestyle, even when detrimental to his relationships. One thing that's always bugged me is how some people rag on Summers for being a crap guitarist because of the seemingly simple sound of The Police.

One thing he mentions is that because The Police ostensibly started out as punk-ish, the punk credo of "no solos" became part of The Police sound, meaning it was a deliberate choice not to include heroic flights of guitar fancy.