Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town [Hardcover]

Mick Farren (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Do Not Pr (January 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904316379
• ISBN-13: 978-1904316374
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,699,408 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not very original., December 21, 2004

By 

Brandi Stollak (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town (Hardcover)

This author simply recaps that which has already been written about Gene Vincent. There does not appear to be any original material.

Also, this seems to be more of a gossip fest about a dead artist.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A poor epitaph for a great performer, August 6, 2005

By 

Siriam (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town (Hardcover)

That Gene Vincent had a major impact in the UK out of all proportion to his record success here in the late 1950s/1960s comes across very early in this book with Farren's description of attending a live show in 1961 when Gene had virtually made Europe his home, having no future career prospects in the US.

The personal image reconfigured by Jack Good for the UK and powerful live performances matched by great 1950s recordings (unique voice and great luck in choice of sidemen) and variable 1960s recordings are well covered but this short tome ends up being simply a paean to a doomed hero. While still revered by the many people who saw him live in their formative years such as Jeff Beck, the story is ultimately one of success too early for a great voice with unique early true rock 'n' roll credentials, a naive personality undermined by continual bad management, and the initial personal tragedy of a leg accident that was nearly amputated then becoming an albatross that helped fuel his personal demons and leading to a downward slide via alcoholism to an early death at 36 years of age.

By its brevity the book is a quick read but does not compare in terms of insight or coverage with either the Britt Hegarty factual bio or the more recent John Collis book based around the origial UK tour by Gene and Eddie Cochran.

Also bad marks for the sheer number of typo errors - I have never noticed so many in a recent book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must read" for Gene Vincent fans, January 4, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gene Vincent: There's One in Every Town (Hardcover)

Gene Vincent was the legendary bad-boy of rock: his early records were banned and censored, his shows incited riots, he wrecked hotel rooms, and he was a boozer and drug addict before these conditions were popular among musicians. Author and biographer Mick Farren was an underground newspaper correspondent and is in the perfect place to write up Vincent's life. A full discography and recording session information accompanies Mick Farren's impressive biographical sketch, Gene Vincent: There's One In Every Town, and makes it "must reading" for Gene Vincent fans.