James Fearnley

It's about time somebody wrote a book about the Pogues, the seminal Irish rock band filled with punk flare and unmatched poetry. How fortunate are fans and readers that the book is not only a first-hand account by one of the band's longest-serving members, accordionist James Fearnley, but that Fearnley is also a fine writer who has a gift for narrative structure and phrasing. A comprehensive account by a musical historian or a poetic summary by whomever else would both have been lacking in one aspect or the other. With Fearnley, we are taken head first through the journey of an immeasurably influential band and group of songwriters, and at the same time are made to witness the troubling descent of the most adored among them. This is the book we have been waiting for.… (mere)