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Dark Entries: Bauhaus and Beyond
The full gothic rise and fall of Bauhaus, from their early days as glam-struck lads in Northampton, England to worldwide cult status.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 4, 2008
As a Bauhaus fan, this is a very important book on a band that is still neglected by the critics. It could be improved? Possibly... At least, it needs some updating (10+ years). However, it still remains a passionate and in-depth look at the band's adventures (both musically, on-stage and at a personal level). Its recreation of their tense relationship with the press is well balanced with the account of the intensity of their live performances. On the visual side, the selection of pictures is good (not too many, but all to the point).
October 30, 2018
For his album Holy Smoke, Peter Murphy had Paul Morley do his press release. “The result was witty, spiteful and amusing, but it was hardly intended to sell Peter” He wrote: “I know very little about Peter Murphy. I know his name, and I know the shape of his head, because it's a shape I've a/ways been very jealous of. I think anyone with a head shaped like that, all kind of sharp and hollow and a/most sinister, must have something of the magical about him. I wonder if it's a fluke that he has a head like that, a splendid accident of birth, or has it been sheer vain anxious willpower that has shaped Peter Murphy's head into something so positively Artaudian, if you'll pardon my French. I also know that he has eyes as hollow as a dream, eyes that seem incapable of shame, and a decayed mouth that could but for the grace of God eat you alive and kiss you to death.”
August 27, 2013
I really love Bauhaus as a band, and I was really happy to learn of all the stories and stuff, but...
This isn't a very good book.
If there was an editor, they weren't very good. Finding grammar errors was very easy and glaringly obvious. They get quite infuriating.
In addition to that, I feel that the author should be a bit more... neutral? He seems to inject his own opinions into it where they don't really matter. He's also a bit dull and unimaginative in how he writes, and the only thing interesting about the book is the band it's about.
Would've given it 2 stars if it weren't the only book about a favorite band...
This isn't a very good book.
If there was an editor, they weren't very good. Finding grammar errors was very easy and glaringly obvious. They get quite infuriating.
In addition to that, I feel that the author should be a bit more... neutral? He seems to inject his own opinions into it where they don't really matter. He's also a bit dull and unimaginative in how he writes, and the only thing interesting about the book is the band it's about.
Would've given it 2 stars if it weren't the only book about a favorite band...
February 23, 2011
On page nine the author writes, "This book is not intended to be a love letter to Bauhaus," apparently forgetting he had just written "They had simply the best live show and front man around" a mere five sentences previous.
June 14, 2008
The only existing biography of one of the greatest bands ever. Mediocre. Someone please write a better one. Please?
April 13, 2018
It was nice to read a bio of one of my favorite bands ever, but man...had a lot of room to grow.
February 20, 2010
Bauhaus were a great, unique, interesting band who have had an incredible influence on generations of bands that have followed. They were, in many ways, unprecidented. Love And Rockets were excellent, Murphy's solo stuff was great, Tones On Tail was weird but had some good tunes. A lot happened there. That story would make a great bio. This, however, is not that great bio.
Dark Entries is another book I wanted to read one more time before thinning it from the collection. I wonder if, when I read it years ago, the writing struck me as being as mediocre as it does now. Shirley states right off the bat, "This book is not intended to be a love letter to Bauhaus." Sadly, intentions sometimes partially fail; this book is a poorly written fan letter.
Grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors abound, some of the fault for which must go to SAF Publishing Ltd. But the writing itself is so smarmy and cutesy. About Bauhuaus? Bad move. Shirley's writing is clumsy, as well. Regarding the poster included in the Express LP, "The montages all looked like LSD inspired flashbacks that made you want to run your tongue over every inch of the poster just in case they had impregnated it with a tab as part of a cunning marketing strategy." Good grief, that's some unwieldly writing.
Dark Entries is, at least, interesting because the story of these four nutty guys is interesting. This is, however, in spite of Shirley's writing.
"Surely you jest."
Don't call me Shirley.
Dark Entries is another book I wanted to read one more time before thinning it from the collection. I wonder if, when I read it years ago, the writing struck me as being as mediocre as it does now. Shirley states right off the bat, "This book is not intended to be a love letter to Bauhaus." Sadly, intentions sometimes partially fail; this book is a poorly written fan letter.
Grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors abound, some of the fault for which must go to SAF Publishing Ltd. But the writing itself is so smarmy and cutesy. About Bauhuaus? Bad move. Shirley's writing is clumsy, as well. Regarding the poster included in the Express LP, "The montages all looked like LSD inspired flashbacks that made you want to run your tongue over every inch of the poster just in case they had impregnated it with a tab as part of a cunning marketing strategy." Good grief, that's some unwieldly writing.
Dark Entries is, at least, interesting because the story of these four nutty guys is interesting. This is, however, in spite of Shirley's writing.
"Surely you jest."
Don't call me Shirley.
September 8, 2014
Came across quite pretentious in tone at points (though you have to wonder how surprising that is considering it's a Bauhaus biography!), but definitely did exactly what it set out to do. Plus, if I hadn't read this book I may never have found out about the "Bauhearsemobile" or that Peter Murphy once described his complexion as "perfect" on an immigration form!
August 14, 2007
boring.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews