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You Know What You Could Be: Tuning into the 1960s
You Know What You Could be
- GenresMusic
384 pages, Hardcover
Published April 6, 2017
6 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Greig
56 books86 followersAndrew Greig is a Scottish writer who grew up in Anstruther, Fife. He studied philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and is a former Glasgow University Writing Fellow and Scottish Arts Council Scottish/Canadian Exchange Fellow. He lives in Orkney and Edinburgh and is married to author Lesley Glaister.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 27, 2017
Absolute piffle.
Mike Heron probably has a story to write, about being in one of the most wonderful bands ever, where their inspiration came from, how they came to write and perform in such a brilliant way. As it is, one gets the impression that most of his life has been erased from his memory, presumably by drugs, and that he was paid £20 to write a couple of chapters by someone using Heron’s name to get their tedious story published.
No insights, no interesting stories, no style and little substance.
It was like reading a book by Salvador Dali, meant to illuminate the story behind his work, but turns out to be a catalogue of where he bought his paint.
Hey, man, I think I’ve been ripped off.
I am perhaps being unfair to Andrew Greig, whoever he might be, because I only managed a few sentences of his story. It was enough to convince me that he would be as keen to read my memoirs as I his.
Mike Heron probably has a story to write, about being in one of the most wonderful bands ever, where their inspiration came from, how they came to write and perform in such a brilliant way. As it is, one gets the impression that most of his life has been erased from his memory, presumably by drugs, and that he was paid £20 to write a couple of chapters by someone using Heron’s name to get their tedious story published.
No insights, no interesting stories, no style and little substance.
It was like reading a book by Salvador Dali, meant to illuminate the story behind his work, but turns out to be a catalogue of where he bought his paint.
Hey, man, I think I’ve been ripped off.
I am perhaps being unfair to Andrew Greig, whoever he might be, because I only managed a few sentences of his story. It was enough to convince me that he would be as keen to read my memoirs as I his.
May 3, 2017
You Know What You Could Be: Tuning into the 1960's by Mike Heron and Andrew Greig I found to be an absorbing, interesting book to read. It is unique as an autobiographical work as it is two memoirs that relate to each other published together to tell one story. The first part of the book is by Mike Heron, once a member of the Incredible String Band, one of my favourite groups from the 1960's. He tells his tale well, beginning with his memories of being a schoolboy in Edinburgh, Scotland, to when he decided not to take the path his parents wanted him to take and continue on, to become an accountant, but to follow his love of music, which led him to become a member of the Incredible String Band. You Know What You Could Be is the title of one of his songs and an apt one for the book. For while he was reluctantly training to be an accountant, he knew what he wanted to be, a musician. To become one was a far less safe path than that which his parents had laid out for him but he took it, and thanks to his own talent and meeting the right people, he became a successful musician, singer and songwriter. I enjoyed reading about how he met and first played music with Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer, how they decided to call themselves the Incredible String Band, how Joe Boyd, the record producer, came to sign them, to make their first album, how he took the photograph of them for its cover in an Early Music shop in London.
The first part of the book, the memoir of Mike Heron, ends after the release of the album, simply called The Incredible String Band. So now I know what Mike Heron lived through, how he got to be where he was, when I saw the Incredible String Band on stage, twice in the Philharmonic Hall and once in the Stadium, Liverpool, in the late 1960's. The second part of the book, the memoir of Andrew Greig, tells the story of a fan of the Incredible String Band who tried to follow in their footsteps by forming his own folk band. Though he failed to get a record contract with Joe Boyd he did eventually become a successful writer of novels and non fiction books. He has even managed to appear on stage with Mike Heron. His is an interesting tale. I enjoyed reading his opinions of the albums and concerts by the Incredible String Band. The book would be enjoyed by people like me who love the songs of the Incredible String Band and the memories they summon.
The first part of the book, the memoir of Mike Heron, ends after the release of the album, simply called The Incredible String Band. So now I know what Mike Heron lived through, how he got to be where he was, when I saw the Incredible String Band on stage, twice in the Philharmonic Hall and once in the Stadium, Liverpool, in the late 1960's. The second part of the book, the memoir of Andrew Greig, tells the story of a fan of the Incredible String Band who tried to follow in their footsteps by forming his own folk band. Though he failed to get a record contract with Joe Boyd he did eventually become a successful writer of novels and non fiction books. He has even managed to appear on stage with Mike Heron. His is an interesting tale. I enjoyed reading his opinions of the albums and concerts by the Incredible String Band. The book would be enjoyed by people like me who love the songs of the Incredible String Band and the memories they summon.
July 17, 2020
A beautiful, evocative take on growing up in the late 60s and being entranced by the Incredible String Band, spliced with the story of the early days of the ISB
I wasn’t there and I’m not a massive ISB fan, but I can’t recommend this book highly enough
I wasn’t there and I’m not a massive ISB fan, but I can’t recommend this book highly enough
May 12, 2021
I'm not aware of how this project took shape but plenty of Mike's fans have hoped for a biography for years. Author Andrew Greig, a longtime devotee of Mike's music, collaborated on this and perhaps got Mike to write his own story.
Mike's portion is full of delightful descriptions of life in Edinburgh in the late 1950's when early rock 'n' roll music moved to the burgeoning folk movement. He describes life up to his first recordings for Elektra Records. By page twelve I had already laughed out loud several times.
He starts off at 6:30 am getting ready to go to school. You smell the coffee and get a taste of the contrast between his loose disorganized self and his accomplished and organized dad. They commuted together because he attended the school where his dad was head of the English Department. Geoge Heriot School, est. 1628 in Old Town Edinburgh, sits beneath Edinburgh Castle. It took two double decker buses from Sydney Terrace to Regent Road, half way along Princes Street, up The Mound to The Meadows and then a half mile walk to get there by 8:50 am.
His dad went to a turret top room that had already been heated by a fire set by a caretaker, while he and the rest of the students went to a damp, chilly morning assembly for the headmaster to deliver a pep talk and an obligatory hymn like, "We Plough the Fields and Scatter".
Amidst the sea of blue, white and gray uniforms he befriended a student who also played guitar named Atty. They bought some cheap guitars and shared the chords they knew. They rehearsed in a huge room at his friend's parent's home and played for students waiting in line at the cafeteria. Girls were screaming and clapping and they knew this was for them.
They added a drummer whose dad owned a preppy clothing store so they got outfitted for their shows. One member was older and got some interesting gigs: Trinity Scout Hall, Corstorphine, Portobello, Oxgange, Lotus Club Musselburgh, Palladium Theater, a popular club called Gamp. Mike described the audiences and the girls were not as plentiful as he and Atty had hoped, so they decided that ballroom dancing classes at Edina School of Dance would help. They were 'promoted' to the Central School of Dance. When they got to dancing, 'The Twist' had become the craze.
When asked by the career counselor Mike knew that he did not want a anything resembling a regular job. He could not bring the word "music" out of his mouth and suggested that he be allowed time in the library to research.
More gigs followed at the Burnitisland Palais, the Edinburgh University Nigerian Union, Kirkconnel Miners Welfare Club and their favorite gig at the American Air Force logistics base at Kirknewton. The audience was male but their American rock covers were appreciated and the burgers were the best ever. It would be 30 years before Edinburgh would have anything close.
To be continued...
Mike's portion is full of delightful descriptions of life in Edinburgh in the late 1950's when early rock 'n' roll music moved to the burgeoning folk movement. He describes life up to his first recordings for Elektra Records. By page twelve I had already laughed out loud several times.
He starts off at 6:30 am getting ready to go to school. You smell the coffee and get a taste of the contrast between his loose disorganized self and his accomplished and organized dad. They commuted together because he attended the school where his dad was head of the English Department. Geoge Heriot School, est. 1628 in Old Town Edinburgh, sits beneath Edinburgh Castle. It took two double decker buses from Sydney Terrace to Regent Road, half way along Princes Street, up The Mound to The Meadows and then a half mile walk to get there by 8:50 am.
His dad went to a turret top room that had already been heated by a fire set by a caretaker, while he and the rest of the students went to a damp, chilly morning assembly for the headmaster to deliver a pep talk and an obligatory hymn like, "We Plough the Fields and Scatter".
Amidst the sea of blue, white and gray uniforms he befriended a student who also played guitar named Atty. They bought some cheap guitars and shared the chords they knew. They rehearsed in a huge room at his friend's parent's home and played for students waiting in line at the cafeteria. Girls were screaming and clapping and they knew this was for them.
They added a drummer whose dad owned a preppy clothing store so they got outfitted for their shows. One member was older and got some interesting gigs: Trinity Scout Hall, Corstorphine, Portobello, Oxgange, Lotus Club Musselburgh, Palladium Theater, a popular club called Gamp. Mike described the audiences and the girls were not as plentiful as he and Atty had hoped, so they decided that ballroom dancing classes at Edina School of Dance would help. They were 'promoted' to the Central School of Dance. When they got to dancing, 'The Twist' had become the craze.
When asked by the career counselor Mike knew that he did not want a anything resembling a regular job. He could not bring the word "music" out of his mouth and suggested that he be allowed time in the library to research.
More gigs followed at the Burnitisland Palais, the Edinburgh University Nigerian Union, Kirkconnel Miners Welfare Club and their favorite gig at the American Air Force logistics base at Kirknewton. The audience was male but their American rock covers were appreciated and the burgers were the best ever. It would be 30 years before Edinburgh would have anything close.
To be continued...
June 30, 2025
Before I begin this review, I just would like to say, in the second half of this book Andrew Greig is talking about the Incredible String Band's Edinburgh, homecoming, Gig. He mentions that Licorice and Rose enter the stage accompanied by Robin's Dog, Leaf.
This to me encapsulates the Incredible String Band and why they still have so many fans. The looseness, the feel that they were 100% themselves, the Homely feel of the front room, even on stage, The silliness of bringing a dog onstage, whilst at the same time asking why not? Of course none of this would matter if they didn't have the songs or the musicality and they had this, the Dog just adds to the mystique.
This book is two tales that are very Scottish. For all their exoticness and Otherworldliness, the String Band were a very Scottish entity, like the Strips of Oor Wullie when he visits his Canadian relatives, Worldly, but very Scottish.
The first part deals with String Band member as he almost becomes an Accountant after performing in Rock bands at School, dreaming of Bohemia and discovering "Turkish delight and Morrocan Cushions" in Bohemian Edinburgh, and more importantly finding fellow musicians to make exotic sounds with.
The second part deals with a Fife Schoolboy who too dreams of this life, but the difference being, the ISB have inspired his dreams. Starting a band at School and playing within these confines. We follow him trying to make his dreams come true, interacting with his heroes and their management and meeting many interesting characters.
I loved this Book and I would highly recommend it. The ordinary and mundane can be exotic and mystical, this book details how.
Now I shall make myself a Cup of Tea, and maybe partake in a celestial biscuit.
This to me encapsulates the Incredible String Band and why they still have so many fans. The looseness, the feel that they were 100% themselves, the Homely feel of the front room, even on stage, The silliness of bringing a dog onstage, whilst at the same time asking why not? Of course none of this would matter if they didn't have the songs or the musicality and they had this, the Dog just adds to the mystique.
This book is two tales that are very Scottish. For all their exoticness and Otherworldliness, the String Band were a very Scottish entity, like the Strips of Oor Wullie when he visits his Canadian relatives, Worldly, but very Scottish.
The first part deals with String Band member as he almost becomes an Accountant after performing in Rock bands at School, dreaming of Bohemia and discovering "Turkish delight and Morrocan Cushions" in Bohemian Edinburgh, and more importantly finding fellow musicians to make exotic sounds with.
The second part deals with a Fife Schoolboy who too dreams of this life, but the difference being, the ISB have inspired his dreams. Starting a band at School and playing within these confines. We follow him trying to make his dreams come true, interacting with his heroes and their management and meeting many interesting characters.
I loved this Book and I would highly recommend it. The ordinary and mundane can be exotic and mystical, this book details how.
Now I shall make myself a Cup of Tea, and maybe partake in a celestial biscuit.
June 21, 2021
Disappointing. I committed the same mistake that others will, no doubt, make: thinking that a book authored per the cover by Mike Heron, formerly of the Incredible String Band, would actually contain, at least for the most part, autobiographical material by … Mike Heron. But no. Three quarters of the book is a coming-of-age account written by Andrew Greig, a fan of the Incredible String Band. I’ve no doubt Andrew is a nice man and there are aspects of his story which were quite engaging. But passing this off as a book written by, or about, Mike Heron is disingenuous. Yes, the first 40-50 pages are written by Heron, and are an evocative and well-written recollection of Edinburgh in the heady days of psychedelic folk’s emergence. But the rest of the book is written by and focuses on Greig, with Heron just a remote character that he admires and aspires to emulate. Disappointing. There is a much more interesting tale to be told by Heron. Why didn’t he simply ask Greig to write it for him? This felt like a waste of my time.
October 16, 2023
Despite the slight con - the implication that the whole book is written by Mike Heron, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip through my teen years.
Mike Heron’s relatively brief contribution about his very early years and the first days of the Incredible String Band was a useful addition to the history of this object of my adoration.
I loved the ISB. None of my friends did. I attended concerts solo, I skipped down the road from the Albert Hall gig singing ISB at the top of my voice, alone! ISB changed my perception of what music could be, of how songs could be constructed.
The author also adored the ISB, so much so that he formed a duo to write songs and sing them in the same vein. The story of Fate & ferret’s unsuccessful career, albeit somewhat jumbled together with the ISB was fascinating with its account of those times and culture. With a lovely coda that he now occasionally plays with Mike Heron - both older, wiser and neither bathed in massive success.
I suspect a similar undying loyalty to the music of ISB might be a requirement for enjoying this book as much as I did.
Mike Heron’s relatively brief contribution about his very early years and the first days of the Incredible String Band was a useful addition to the history of this object of my adoration.
I loved the ISB. None of my friends did. I attended concerts solo, I skipped down the road from the Albert Hall gig singing ISB at the top of my voice, alone! ISB changed my perception of what music could be, of how songs could be constructed.
The author also adored the ISB, so much so that he formed a duo to write songs and sing them in the same vein. The story of Fate & ferret’s unsuccessful career, albeit somewhat jumbled together with the ISB was fascinating with its account of those times and culture. With a lovely coda that he now occasionally plays with Mike Heron - both older, wiser and neither bathed in massive success.
I suspect a similar undying loyalty to the music of ISB might be a requirement for enjoying this book as much as I did.
August 22, 2021
A book about one of my favourite artists I thought - Only half right. of a book of 357 pages the first 147 pages were dedicated to Mike Heron of the Incredible but then the other 200 pages revolved around the author and his mate who were Incredible String Band wannabeeswho were friends of the ISB and how they realised that the didn't have the musical talent and Charisma of Mike and Robin, It was still quite interesting as they were involved with Joe Boyd for a while but he didn't sign them aftyer all their efforts.
The Plus factor - the book introduced me to the Natural Acoustic Band
The Plus factor - the book introduced me to the Natural Acoustic Band
August 8, 2017
Will read anything Andrew Grieg writes having first come across him through his mountaineering book "Summit Fever" and then enjoyed his John McNab novels. I even read his golf book. He lives by his own dictum that it doesn't have to be perfect. He's good company.
December 1, 2017
If you were around in 60s you have probably heard of the Incredible String Band. If not find out about them. You have missed a treat. and this double memoir is a treat in itself. Worthy of 4 stars.
May 31, 2021
Not a chore to read, and quite intriguing in spots, but my overall impression is l learned rather more about Andrew Greig than l wanted, and not as much about Mike Heron as l had hoped.
August 6, 2021
Evocative of the times I lived through
I recognised so much of this as a child of the 60s and enjoyed Andrew’s beautifully described memories of it.
I recognised so much of this as a child of the 60s and enjoyed Andrew’s beautifully described memories of it.
April 22, 2017
Probably a 3.5 but I'll round it up to a 4. Mike Heron's third of the book will be more readily digested by the String Band's fans. It took me a little while to get over the disappointment of Mike's part ending and the unknown to me Andrew Greig's more weighty section. However, I warmed to it before long. Sensitively written, it's tender messages come through a feel, rather than being more rudely broadcast.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews