Alex James - A Bit Of A Blur

Alex James' Bit of a Blur is almost the perfect biography. It's light, clipped and friendly, written with a warmth and sheer joy of life that made it one of those books that fair races by.

A Bit of a Blur runs through four phases in Alex james' life so far: Early Blur complete with a life of no money but sheer happiness at being a rock star struggling for success. Mid Blur full of the trappings of success, lots of rock excess and a sheer love of what's happening to him. Late Blur, with tales of Fat Les, flying aeroplanes as a coping strategy and a growing idea that it's all a littl bit wrong. And then the final portion. Happiness, life changing moments and walking away from the rock star life with the arrival of true love, three children and the life of a gentleman farmer.

Of course, a rock star writing about being a rock star can be awfully tiresome but throughout his tales of excess and bass playing James' writing never allows the rock excess to dominate the proceedings. His style of short, clipped sections, detailing a moment before moving on to something equally interesting and involving keeps it all moving. And perhaps the final accolade for these sorts of biographies, it's not even necessary to be that much of a Blur fan to enjoy it.