The Olivetti Chronicles [Import] [Hardcover]

John Peel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 2008

John Peel, best known for his four decades of music-scene radio broadcasting, was all the while committing his laconic brilliance to paper in articles and reviews. Selections of these writings amount to a second autobiography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A welcome addition to Peel's printed oeuvre."  —Guardian

"Fit to burst with colorful commentary . . . he crams in references to music that will have you in hysterics over his sumptuously structured prose."  —London Lite

"As warm and funny as the man himself."  —Choice Magazine

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

John Peel was born shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The influence of his thirty-eight-year career as a radio DJ is well documented and the artistes he championed over the years too numerous to mention - David Bowie, Roxy Music, T Rex, The Undertones, Joy Division, The Fall, The Smiths, Pulp and the White Stripes are but a few. He lived in Suffolk with his wife Sheila and their children William, Thomas, Alexandra and Florence, plus various dogs and cats, until his death in October 2004.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Press (November 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059306061X
• ISBN-13: 978-0593060612
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,111,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended--an intelligent and often hilarious read for music fans, March 9, 2009

By 

Richard Fudge (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Olivetti Chronicles (Hardcover)

As far as I can tell, John Peel was a fine human being and as avid and influential a music fan as ever existed. This collection of columns published in various British magazines from the 1970s till his death in 2004 shows what an amazingly good writer he was too. I haven't enjoyed a music book this much in I don't know how long--chiefly because his wry sense of humor and nimble wordcraft are hilarious. As I read the book, I would share occasional columns with my wife--and there were times when we laughed so hard we gasped for breath.
As a DJ, Peel was eager to share any music that he found interesting or exciting, and as a result listeners to his radio show could potentially hear anything from anywhere by anybody. There are elements of the unusual in the book, but for the most part Peel deals with mainstream music and culture (certainly mainstream if you're an indie or World music fan) and this book works somewhat as a one-man overview of music from the last half of the 20th century. Having said that, Peel is indelibly British and his columns are therefore packed with references to British life and culture; as an ex-pat I enjoyed this greatly, but someone not so acquainted with UK life will certainly feel left out at times. Don't let this scare you away. Peel's reflections on the musicians who dazzled him (and his derision of the performers and music-industry types who had little going on but a well-marketed pose) are fascinating and insightful, and they resonate with the enthusiasm that was so much of Peel's radio demeanor.
Music writing can too often be pompously self-important. Peel, always self-effacing, is serious, intelligent, articulate, analytical, informed, and so on--but he steers well clear of the pompous.
What is also gratifying about Peel's outlook on life is his appreciation of the decency of human kindness, and his frequently practiced understanding that a few beers can greatly enhance the human experience. I imagine he would have been a great guy to hang out with--and reading this book was a good deal like hanging out with a great guy.