Over the Rainbow: Tales from an Unexpected Year

by Alex James

‘Joyfully chaotic … a memoir of Blur’s comeback year’ Guardian
‘Warm and funny … a gorgeous book’ The Times

A raucous, behind-the-scenes account of the year Blur got back together

'There is nothing that can touch the sound made by a close-knit group of people who have been playing together for years and years and years, playing as though their lives depended on it. For many years, all our lives did, and actually, I’d suddenly realised, they did still.'

One winter’s night, Alex James received an unexpected call. Blur had been invited to play their biggest gig Wembley Stadium. The only trouble was, he and his bandmates hadn’t spoken to – or even shouted at – each other for years. And he now had five children, an out-of-control menagerie of cats, and a sprawling farm to run.

This is the story of what happened next. Taking us behind the scenes of a raucous, rollercoaster year, Alex describes how the band made a surprise – and emotional – return, recording an acclaimed album and playing sold-out shows around the world, from Colchester to Colombia and beyond. how he went on a crash diet to fit back into his ‘Britpop Trousers,’ somehow organised an entire festival of his own, and tried to perfect the recipe for a giant Frazzle.

Over the Rainbow is a heartfelt and hilarious account of what it feels like to be catapulted back into the limelight with one of the world’s biggest bands. It is a love letter to Blur, to friendship and to music. And it shows us all that, however old – or hungover – we might feel, nothing’s ever truly it’s always just the start of the next thing.

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2024

About the author

Librarian note: this page contains works by multiple authors with the same name

Reviews

[Tom Mooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Blur stuff was fairly interesting but there wasn't much of it (lots of wine and cheese talk and plenty of rich people getting pissed though) - this was a disappointment really.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re thinking of buying this book to read about the 2023 Blur reunion you may want to reconsider because despite the blurb and most of the promotion for the book aligning it with the Blur reunion only approximately 30% of the book is about Blur. Instead the book focuses on Alex’s Farm, Feastival and his family life and even the sections which are about Blur are written about through the experiences of his family during the various trips to the places Blur played, the other members of the band are rarely mentioned.

With that said, I still enjoyed the book, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m a big Blur fan so I am interested in the other projects that the band are involved in but I probably wouldn’t recommend the book to the more casual Blur fan unless they had an interest in life on a farm. I enjoyed some of the sections about Feastival and all the work that goes into putting on the festival each year but I hated other times when he casually described going on a shoot as though it was a relatable and ethical thing to do.

Ultimately I read the book to read about Blur’s 2023 reunion and it didn’t really deliver on that, instead I felt that a lot could be deduced from what wasn’t said and when he spoke about Blur it always felt as though he was treading on eggshells, scared to upset someone. I’d hoped to finish the book feeling optimistic about the future of Blur but instead I felt the opposite, it didn’t feel as though there was any brotherly camaraderie there and it felt as though there were divisions within the group. At no point does Alex say this but examples such as when he needed Damon’s permission for his family to come along to a show gave a sense that the relationships within the band are still not stable or equal. He also mentioned a ‘disastrous’ Blur meeting circa 2020 but gives no further details.

Sometimes the book made it feel like the Blur reunion was a cash-grab and even though Alex stressed this wasn’t the case he also wrote about having no money and borrowing money from his family members. I also didn’t find his anecdotes particularly endearing, he writes as though his lifestyle is relatable but he seems to lead an extravagant lifestyle of Michelin-starred meals out, regular spa treatments and trips away where he and his family do whatever they like.

The timeline of the book is sometimes out such as when he says the warm-up gigs were in June 2023 when they were actually in May, its minor but would have been easily rectified. Also after saying for Blur to continue it needed to end on a high, he also conveniently doesn’t cover Coachella which wasn’t a high point for group, I’d have been interested to read his take on these shows.

Alex has a child-like sense of wonder and it was nice to read the world from this perspective, his descriptions of nature and the farm in particular were enjoyable to read. His passion for Feastival was clear throughout and it was lovely to see how much he loves this aspect of his life, it seemed he felt more able to speak freely about this part of his life and it flowed a lot more naturally than the Blur sections. His enthusiasm for life is palpable and he seems to be someone who wants to experience as much of life as possible and is willing to give his time to his various interests and I liked reading about his attempts to make a plate from a giant Frazzle, the concept of the Cheese Hub going back in time and how he has helped some family friends take their first steps into a music career.

It wasn’t what I was expecting but I still enjoyed the book, it just needed marketing more honestly.

[Francesca · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a dickhead

[Kim Arrowsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read some of the criticisms others have made of this book and I understand where they are coming from. There is a lot about Alex James that it's easy to dislike, but I knew all those things about him and wanted to read the book anyway. No, it's not all about Blur, but Alex's life isn't all about Blur either. I found his affection and admiration for his band mates touching and his love of music inspiring. His love for his [ probably over indulged] children is very clear, as is his commitment to managing his farm in a decent and mostly sustainable way. He may be a bit of a tosser, but he's a loveable one and I enjoyed the time this book gave me to spend in his company.

[Jay Slayton-Joslin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping it would be a bit more about Blur and the new record. Instead, it was a little bit but a focus on drinking, throwing a festival and hanging out in estates with a load of Tories.

Listened to the audiobook and sometimes James sounded bored or like he was reading it for the first time. A shame as I enjoyed his other book way back when, but this didn't really have much going on other than the occasional insight and some nice descriptions of things. I guess his love for the English countryside and food is quite infectious.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Blur and I thought I loved Alex James but when he explained that his kids were only happy in water or in Scott’s of Mayfair then I started to think he might be a bit of a nob.
I kept pushing that to the back of my mind until he said his kids ran off to go to a concert and had to abandon their ‘dessert wines and tiramisu’ and then I could push it back no longer. Nob. I still love Blur though.

[Adam Parrilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex, from the band Blur, has impeccable style as a writer, who knew? This book reads like a love letter to his matured, lifelong mates and bandmates. BUT, a good lot of the content is devoted to the planning and setup of a food and music festival, called Feastival, that is hosted by Alex and his wife on their humongous farm each year. This dude lives an interesting life. Good on you mate. Great book.

[Sophia Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. Better than expected, although the ending was random I thought. I know absolutely nothing about the band blur or how much that this guy loved cheese. All in all a good audiobook to listen to.

[Karen Wickham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. His lifestyle seems exhausting. Running a farm, dealing with a large family (5 kids), organising a festival on his farm every year, recording an album in London, and touring with Blur. It made me tired just reading it.

[Caroline Opacic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this with no expectations and as someone who loves music and food, liked that it was a mixture of Blur & lots of talk about the farm / Feastival. An easy, interesting read for a winter weekend.

[zuzia · Rating 2 out of 5]

only about 30% of this is about blur

[Clutterbuck12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following James through Blur reunion & a year on his farm. Chaotic, funny & rock n roll in the countryside/around the world.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, enjoyed this! just trying to be more selective with what i rate 4 stars and above. entertaining but nothing revelationary

[Paul Lehane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that is enthusiastic & full of life..just like AJ..he seemingly lives a v full & indulgent life..exhausting!

[Toby Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for any Blur fan. A great companion piece to the To The End documentary which is also excellent.

[Tracey Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was not an arc but a paperback copy which I received from library. it was published in UK in December 2025. review to follow

[Georgina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast paced whirlwind. Very little insight into the band or the other members. This won't endear you to James. He comes across as very smug.

[Jo Turnbull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex James clearly enjoys language, dotes on his family and takes each day at a time. An exhausting year and the title a perfect summary.

Some typos need to be corrected if there’s another print.