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Bernard Sumner: Confusion - Joy Division, Electronic and New Order versus the world
David Nolan re-writes the history of one of musics most influential figures, and in the process nullifies many myths, with exhaustive primary source research, dozens of exclusive interviews and scores of previously unseen photos.
216 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2007
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About the author
David Nolan
49 books14 followersDavid Nolan is a British award-winning journalist who's authored biographies on subjects ranging from Simon Cowell to the Sex Pistols. He's also written for newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 28, 2012
David Nolan takes on the daunting task of writing a biography about a man who has remained rather secretive about his personal life for the entirety of his professional career. Bernard Sumner is, therefore, an unauthorized biography, but managed to win me over as a reader with its inventive approach: he offered the final draft to Bernard Sumner himself, then included any comments or differing opinions he may have had on the interviews of other people regarding the history they have shared. What this achieves is a curious combination of objective/subjective, leaving the reader plenty of room to make their own assumptions on what may or may not have come to pass.
While a fan of Joy Division and New Order, I too knew little of Barney prior to reading this book; while most of the material is dedicated to mapping his background, the book does not read like a tabloid tell-all on a person who would rather keep his matters private. Instead, Nolan treads a delicate ground on subjects such as Sumner's parents, or unearthing factual evidence for seemingly unimportant things like his real surname or location of birth. Many of these topics could, in the hands of the wrong writer, easily come off as exploitative and tabloid-hounding, but Nolan manages to strike a fair balance between offering the reader interesting details on Sumner's life while retaining a healthy respect for his privacy.
Bernard Sumner (that seems to skip pretentious headlines, huh) offers much more than glimpses into Sumner's past, though: it also highlights his career in music on several accounts, analyzing his fluctuating roles such as those of a guitarist, producer, singer, and a lyricist. Nolan does not give into blind praise, but does not undermine his subject matter where praise is due. The same is true of interviews regarding Sumner's personality; he gives voice to the good and bad alike. Hooky's jibes could in particular be jarring, but given the context and general attitude of the book, they only serve to make Sumner sound human, subject to whims, tantrums, and personality clashes like anyone else. His own attitude makes up a great deal of this impression, given that Sumner rarely attempts to defend himself from critique; he will cynically respond to some of the erroneous or otherwise debatable comments but keep his point short, for which he comes off as level-headed and professional. Again, this is commendable for the purpose of acknowledging that "truth" is as subjective as the people sharing it.
I really enjoyed reading Bernard Sumner; it helped me better appreciate all the musical endeavors Barney has engaged in over the years, as well as pinpoint his handprint on some of the records I had not particularly paid much attention to. The book offers his colleagues outside the Joy Division/New Order range plenty of exposure, which helps establish Sumner as more than the sum of his two most well-known bands while not degenerating into skeevy gossip material.
While a fan of Joy Division and New Order, I too knew little of Barney prior to reading this book; while most of the material is dedicated to mapping his background, the book does not read like a tabloid tell-all on a person who would rather keep his matters private. Instead, Nolan treads a delicate ground on subjects such as Sumner's parents, or unearthing factual evidence for seemingly unimportant things like his real surname or location of birth. Many of these topics could, in the hands of the wrong writer, easily come off as exploitative and tabloid-hounding, but Nolan manages to strike a fair balance between offering the reader interesting details on Sumner's life while retaining a healthy respect for his privacy.
Bernard Sumner (that seems to skip pretentious headlines, huh) offers much more than glimpses into Sumner's past, though: it also highlights his career in music on several accounts, analyzing his fluctuating roles such as those of a guitarist, producer, singer, and a lyricist. Nolan does not give into blind praise, but does not undermine his subject matter where praise is due. The same is true of interviews regarding Sumner's personality; he gives voice to the good and bad alike. Hooky's jibes could in particular be jarring, but given the context and general attitude of the book, they only serve to make Sumner sound human, subject to whims, tantrums, and personality clashes like anyone else. His own attitude makes up a great deal of this impression, given that Sumner rarely attempts to defend himself from critique; he will cynically respond to some of the erroneous or otherwise debatable comments but keep his point short, for which he comes off as level-headed and professional. Again, this is commendable for the purpose of acknowledging that "truth" is as subjective as the people sharing it.
I really enjoyed reading Bernard Sumner; it helped me better appreciate all the musical endeavors Barney has engaged in over the years, as well as pinpoint his handprint on some of the records I had not particularly paid much attention to. The book offers his colleagues outside the Joy Division/New Order range plenty of exposure, which helps establish Sumner as more than the sum of his two most well-known bands while not degenerating into skeevy gossip material.
October 11, 2015
After reading this book, I have a lot more respect for the most underrated vocalist/guitarist of New Order.
Bernard's comments (for an unusually quiet person in regards to opinion voicing) in David Nolan's book about him are often dry, cynical and hilarious (often all at the same time), but we don't learn anything interesting. Apart from that (SPOILER) infamous decision to play Blue Monday live on Top Of The Pops (ooh, Bernard outs someone!) and that 1981 incident in the USA where Bernard was diagnosed with a 'burned stomach lining' (not exactly the case!), and also Bernard's tension with Rob Gretton, late manager of New Order, there's nothing much in it. I'd recommend this book for New Order newbies, not for people who have been following the band for some time. Now for Barney's much anticipated autobiography Chapter And Verse...
Bernard's comments (for an unusually quiet person in regards to opinion voicing) in David Nolan's book about him are often dry, cynical and hilarious (often all at the same time), but we don't learn anything interesting. Apart from that (SPOILER) infamous decision to play Blue Monday live on Top Of The Pops (ooh, Bernard outs someone!) and that 1981 incident in the USA where Bernard was diagnosed with a 'burned stomach lining' (not exactly the case!), and also Bernard's tension with Rob Gretton, late manager of New Order, there's nothing much in it. I'd recommend this book for New Order newbies, not for people who have been following the band for some time. Now for Barney's much anticipated autobiography Chapter And Verse...
January 16, 2008
Very great unauthorized bio of the driving force behind New Order. Although he didn't authorize the bio, Bernard did read it and added in comments where he disagreed with the author, which was often, in very cynical terms.
November 9, 2011
Snappy title, huh? I wouldn't say I was ever a big Joy Division fan, nor a diehard fan of New Order, and Electronic passed me by completely. However, there's no doubt that Bernard Sumner has produced or been part of some definite gems - Joy Division's She's Lost Control, Isolation and Atrocity Exhibition are fantastic, haunting tunes, and I loved the first few New Order hits, with Blue Monday up there with the best dancefloor tunes. And he had a great haircut too, which is not to be under-estimated.
Once Ian Curtis was gone, Bernard became 'the interesting one', which does a disservice to the other members of New Order. It's good to read something that is so focused on Manchester (where I have family, and spent the odd school holiday), and partly explains the creative energy there, starting with punk and kept going by Tony Wilson and Factory. A very readable book; David Nolan avoids most of the pitfalls of the awful style (or lack of it) that music writing seems to demand, and tells the story well, from Bernard Sumner's beginnings, and the number of names he went under, through the haircuts, the moments of sheer grumpy awkwardness, and the dizzying scope of his energy, his eagerness to get his ideas out there. And yes, I did have the haircut...
Once Ian Curtis was gone, Bernard became 'the interesting one', which does a disservice to the other members of New Order. It's good to read something that is so focused on Manchester (where I have family, and spent the odd school holiday), and partly explains the creative energy there, starting with punk and kept going by Tony Wilson and Factory. A very readable book; David Nolan avoids most of the pitfalls of the awful style (or lack of it) that music writing seems to demand, and tells the story well, from Bernard Sumner's beginnings, and the number of names he went under, through the haircuts, the moments of sheer grumpy awkwardness, and the dizzying scope of his energy, his eagerness to get his ideas out there. And yes, I did have the haircut...
September 21, 2015
"Well written and a good portrait. Kind of short, but to fill out with more collateral facts would have mean repeating a lot of what has been described in books, movies and so on. The fact that Sumner himself has read and commented the text (while not neccesarily increasing the accuracy, even if I tend to believe so) of course makes this indispensable reading for a fan. "
April 24, 2013
A nice look into Barney's life, as this unauthorized bio delves pretty deep. I especially liked that Barney interjected his opinion throughout the book, so when something was a little "off" (in his opinion), he would correct the author.
October 30, 2012
It was interesting to know about Bernard, and how he was a reluctant lead singer for New Order. He had an interesting family life and his parents were handicapped. He has a soft spot for humanity.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews