One Train Later: A Memoir by Andy Summers
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Book Reviews of One Train Later: A Memoir
Book Review: One Book Later....
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great read. In addition to being a great Musician, Andy Summers shows his skill as a writer as well. i really couldn't put this book down. a nice autobiography that fills in colorful details from his childhood all the way through his days With The Police. a fascinating life's story from a gifted Guitarist and Artist.Book Review: The mind of an Artist!
Summary: 5 Stars
Love this book!!! Really well written! (Only book I've ever read THREE times, straight!) Heard about it in Rolling Stone magazine. (They loved it too.)
Andy has a great tone of voice - funny, self depricating, lots of (tasteful) *gossip*!
Book Review: EXCELLENT READING
Summary: 5 Stars
You will enjoy this book if you are an avid reader. Will not matter whether you are a POLICE fan or not. Very well written, interesting, funny and touching. Worth the money and the time. Plus, Andy Summers RULES! :)Book Review: It's much better than you can hope to expect
Summary: 4 Stars
I've just finished this book in frenzy prior to going to see the Police re-united after 23 years playing at Twickenham in London.
I was left feeling that this is indeed a great autobiography and largely a really well written one. Summers manages to tie seamlessly the 3 strands of his life, his childhood in Bournemouth including his teenage years, his adult musical journey in the sixties and finally the Police years.
Summers is very bright and articulate, he has wide interests, in nature, wildlife, photography, and most importantly 60s spiritual esoterica. I never knew that he was really into meditation and zen, and various Eastern philosophies.
He gets across just how much hard work is required to succeed in the music business, you can genuinely sense that no matter how talented you are, you can fail to make it. The famous ones are the ones you end up hearing of, rather than necessarily being the best or most inspired.
His take on the Police years, is really enlightening and well written. I'd always heard that they fought and fought, but it's only when I read this book that I understood how difficult it would have been to be around Sting when he was in ego-crazed monster and sulky uncooperative mode.
I very much enjoyed this book and I really learned a great deal from it, but I have one major criticism of Summers himself (as opposed to the book). He tends to be quite solipsistic and ungenerous towards his fellow journeymen. I never feel that he gives Sting the credit for being such a talented musician and he never once in the book acknowledges what a drummer of genius copeland was. He doesn't adequately describe the privilege of having such a great rhythm section to play along with. With Sting and copeland in your band, the world will fall at your feet. You never get the sense that he shows generosity towards the genuine talent of these two people. It's all mostly about him and his failing marriage [which he writes very movingly and unself-servingly about]. To be clear about what I mean, he does praise the Police 'sound' again and again, but I find he does it in such a way that no credit is given to the other two, except for Sting's songwriting. But Sting is also a great bassist. You don't really get Sting and Copeland flehsed out as real people, it's far too much about Summers and his internal world.
By contrast here is what Copeland says about sting in a recent article in the London Guardian...copeland seems to me by far the most well adjusted one of the three.
"Over the last twenty years," Copeland adds, "people in my company have assumed that what I like to hear is Sting-bashing, so I hear a lot of it, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you what the opinions are. I tell these friends of mine, 'If Sting was here now with a guitar in his hands, you would within moments realise he's the most talented, gifted musician you've ever met - ever.' Because he is."
Book Review: The Incredible Life of Andy Summers
Summary: 4 Stars
Reading this book was like riding a roller coaster.
I'm a huge 'Police' fan, and when I saw Andy had an auto biography out I ran out and bought it right away.
At first, I had a hard time with it. Andy writes with gret attention to detail; it's very artistic, and a bit 'lulling'.
But once you get past his childhood and into his 'musical years', it's incredible! Andy's wit is so dry and so clever, you want to sit and have a few lagers with him and just listen to him tell his tales.
In the true form of a Gentleman, Andy doesn't really dish dirt on his fellow Policemen. This was 'nice'...but everyone wants a little juicy gossip on their favorite celebs. As the book wore down and the break up of the Police was imminent, you suddenly realize that Andy is not going to say anything terribly mean (or truthfully mean) about Sting or Stewart.
I was a little disappointed with this last fact, but I still reccomend this book not only to every Police fan, but to every Guitarist. Andy played with all of the greats, and his stories about being on the road are priceless!