Nick Hornby and record shops
I’ve learned that the visitors to the blog are first and foremost Clash fans but for the most part also serious music fans/collectors in general. If you often have enjoyed more than 90 minutes in a record shop, and if the phrase 90 minutes also makes you instantly think of football then you have at least two reasons to like Nick Hornby. I’ve been a fan of Nick since Fever Pitch -- a book that chronicles 1988-1989 and North London but most importantly being an Arsenal fan- but it was about much more than that. I couldn’t believe an author could chronicle the fine balance between loving a football club and a girl, and as long as the woman knows there’s time for each it can all work out. You don’t have to follow Arsenal to enjoy the book -- or even any sport for that matter. The watered down American version was about the Red Sox, hardly Arsenal….we don’t wait 90 years to win, just 18. That’s another debate for another day but the remake left something to be desired, the original was not superb but it translated far more suitably to football I feel.
Fever Pitch was followed by High Fidelity, if you’ve lived in North London and worked in a record shop (yes+yes) again you feel like it was written to you. It goes further than that though, being a fan, being a fanatic, letting music be the one constant in your life and even becoming a snob about it. All the while trying to balance relationships when you clearly love something else. In this circumstance the film exceeded expectations even though they moved the story to Chicago instead of London, Clash fanatic John Cusack and the entire cast give a stellar performance.
Hornby has continued to write wonderful books, How to be Good being a favourite of mine. You probably also know About A Boy. The 52 year old author has now released Juliet, Naked which I will read shortly and he’s going on a US book tour (not coming here…I need to get to Los Angeles). If you’ve read his work I hope you agree that he’s a genius at chronicling modern culture. If not I can only recommend you start now! A great new interview with Hornby in the Guardian was just published. I wonder if he liked The Clash?
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It’s a strange old world Tim….!!!
I was one of the photographers that Transworld Publishers Ltd, who were/are based in Ealing, London W5, used to photograph their POS (point of sale) materials and wouldn’t you just believe it the ‘Fever Pitch’ was one of my early jobs for them….Considered to be a study of madness and delusion at the time it was published, as I recall….
How could anyone possible move away from the path of righteousness and truth, and consequently their absolute support for the mighty reds of Liverpool. Weren’t Arsenal a second division side at this time….?
A post to confuse our American friends today
You and I cross paths so often it’s pretty bloody funny. I hope you’ve read the book…it’s about being a fan first and foremost. I’ll post something one of these days that’s not relevant to you…I promise!!
TWP were, and probably still are in Ealing close to the police station. Virtually my first job for them was to shoot a book launch at The Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane. Very new to photography I decided to charge just £75 and give them all the photographs. It was for Kitty Kelley’s biography of Nancy Reagan. It became a WORLD No.1 bestseller when the paperback was released in 1991/92.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Kelley
Initially just for press release, they chose one of my images for the paperback cover and spine. They told me and I said “Great” not realising I should be sending them another much larger invoice…..
Live and learn. Still selling on Amazon and eBay too !
Baseballbriefs.com tracking back Nick Hornby and record shops…
Baseballbriefs.com tracking back Nick Hornby and record shops…