The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize [Paperback]

David Cavanagh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2001

Founded by Alan McGee in 1983, Creation Records achieved notoriety as the home of Primal Scream, the Jesus and Mary Chain and other anti-Establishment acts. During the Britpop boom of the mid-90s, the astonishing success of Oasis brought Creation fame on the world stage. In 1999, however, McGee announced his shock departure as his label's influence over a generation of British music came to a confusing and disappointing end. Containing interviews with Creation musicians, employees, supporters and detractors, this is the inside story of Creation Records - and of British music since the 1980s. It is written with the full co-operation censorship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

**** David Cavanagh's highly entertaining history deserves your cover-to-cover attention. -- Blender Magazine, Jan 2002

About the Author

David Cavanagh is one of the most respected and talented rock writers in Britain. Working for magazines like Q, Select, Sound and Mojo, he has proven himself a journalist of rare insight, style and integrity and conducted a huge number of entertaining and memorable interviews. He was also the chief researcher on the hit TV series Never Mind The Buzzcocks. His definitive account of the legendary Creation record label draws on three years extensive research, involving nearly 200 interviews with Alan McGee and other Creation luminaries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 795 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Publishing (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753506459
• ISBN-13: 978-0753506455
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,072,648 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great read, but...., December 23, 2004

By 

John Poffenbarger (Mukilteo, Washington United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry for the Prize (Paperback)

Critically acclaimed account of the (in)famous UK record label Creation Records. The book tells the story of flamboyant company founder Alan McGee and the many great bands that recorded for the label, such as the Jesus and Mary Chain, the House of Love, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Primal Scream and Oasis. It's incredibly comprehensive, including a wealth of behind the scenes material and colorful anectdotes.

That said, the book has some shortcomings. First, it's too long - 750 pages plus. At least 25 to 30% of the book could have been cut with little effect. More important, from the perspective of a US reader, is that the book is written in the style of a typical UK music critic, more concerned with artist sales and fashion than the quality of the music in question. The "prize" of the book's subtitle, for example, is Oasis - A highly derivative band which had huge success in the UK, but is already largely forgotten in the US.

On the flip side, Kevin Shields and My Bloody Valentine are treated almost with disdain by the author. While it is true they caused immense financial problems for Creation, their amazingly original Loveless album is now generally regarded as a masterpiece on par with Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds - And the principal legacy of Creation Records. The author completely misses this. Virtually all of the discussion of MBV is of their recording and financial difficulties. Even when he gives brief praise to the album upon its release, the author can hardly complete a sentence about it without repeating the band's problems.

Nevertheless, for US fans of Creation bands, the book is practically the only authoritative source on many of the lesser publicized bands, such as The House of Love, Ride, Slowdive, Swervedriver, Teenage Fanclub and the like. The fact that so many great bands were on one label is remarkable, and this is its story, in exhaustive detail.