As the title says, the Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances by Eddie Piller Paperback Edition is coming your way.
In fact, the book, in paperback form, is coming your way this week. So if you order it now, you’ll have it by the weekend or before. It’s perfect as a holiday read, too.
It’s a good read, full stop. Not all autobiographies work well. You need a good story and a good storyteller, and Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances has both. Especially if you have an interest in Mod. And if you are on this site, you probably do.
Eddie’s story is pretty much the story of the Mod revival and beyond. It’s a life lived, and if you happen to have been part of the capital’s Mod scene during the 1970s and 1980s, you might well recognise yourself and what he talks about, too.
Kicking off with a ‘taster’ of an ill-judged but eventful trip to Ireland, the book goes back to Eddie’s childhood, his family acquaintance with the Small Faces, his school days, the discovery of music, record buying and initially punk, then the discovery of a returning Mod scene in the late 1970s.
And that’s what is so fascinating about this book. Yes, it’s Eddie’s story, but the detail about the early days of the Mod revival is priceless. From the secondhand scooters and clothing to the gang fights, clubs, and early hangouts. Not to mention his early work in the music business, the record labels, the celebrity encounters and the gradual emergence of what would become Acid Jazz. Although I suspect there might be more on that in a later volume.
In short, it is an essential and very easy read. Eddie has a good style that keeps you interested. You’ll be through this in no time despite it covering 320 pages.
The paperback’s release date is Thursday, June 6th, 2024, and it sells for £11.95. The hardback is still available for around £17 if you want to upgrade.
Find out more at the Amazon website
