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Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism
Part memoir, part social history, Revolutionary Spirit is the poignant, often hilarious story of a cult Liverpool musician’s scenic route to fame and artistic validation, and marks the arrival of an original literary voice. If Morrissey was the Oscar Wilde of the 1980s indie scene, Simpson was its William Blake; a self destructive genius so lost in mystical visions of a new arcadia that he couldn’t meet the rent. Simpson’s career begins alongside fellow Liverpool luminaries Ian McCulloch, Bill Drummond, Will Sergeant, Pete Wylie, Pete Burns, and Holly Johnson at the infamous Eric’s club, where, in 1976, he finds himself at the birth of the city’s second great musical explosion. He cofounds and christens the neo psychedelic pop group The Teardrop Explodes with Julian Cope but walks out of the band just as they are about to break big and goes to work in a tearoom instead. He then forms The Wild Swans, the indie band of choice for literary minded teens in the early 1980s, and Care with Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds, sharing a flat with a seventeen year old Courtney Love along the way. Marriage, fatherhood, tropical illness, and divorce follow, interspersed with artistic collaborations with Bill Drummond and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others. Following an onstage reunion with Cope at the Royal Festival Hall, Simpson discovers that seven thousand miles away, in the Philippines, he is considered a musical god. Presidential suites, armed guards, police escorts—you couldn’t make it up, and, incredibly, he doesn’t need to. Revolutionary Spirit is the story of a musician driven by an unerring belief that artistic integrity will bring its own rewards. It concludes with an exorcism of sorts as Simpson finally rids himself of the debilitating demon of psychological depression that has, from the age of nine, run like malware in the background of his life.
288 pages, Paperback
Published January 23, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 12, 2024
As in life, so in lit: In a bumper year for memoirs from Scouse musicians of a certain age, Paul Simpson’s comes in at the very close when in fact it was meant to have been published five years ago. What sets this book apart from typical tales of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and dead men’s suits is the fact that Simpson has one hell of a way with words. No ghosts here, other than the ones he’s trying to exorcise from his past: Simpson can actually write. Several of these stories you’ve likely heard before from Simpson’s contemporaries, but never with such a deft stylistic touch. With a novelistic eye for vocabulary and syntax, Revolutionary Spirit is, simply put, a pleasure to read.
Reaching his sixties, Simpson is coming to terms with a life of professional self-sabotage and could-have-beens. Don’t look to people in the arts for sensible decision-making or stable living. That’s rarely interesting. Simpson recognizes that he’s lived a life less ordinary, and he’s paid a high price for it - yet he’s achieved a form of peace and contentment on his own terms which is something you can consider yourself lucky to have should you manage to achieve it. There’s also a particular dignity here. Even the people who have wronged him are treated with respect, not resentment. Turns out that the delay to this book being published was a blessing in disguise. Having recently moved to Glasgow for his third? Fourth? Fifth act of life, with a new partner and renewed interest in his work, Simpson can grant grace to his younger self, the man who romanticized squalor and nearly drowned his potential in self-destruction and cough syrup. At the closing, you can only wish him, and all who may travel like him, the very best.
Reaching his sixties, Simpson is coming to terms with a life of professional self-sabotage and could-have-beens. Don’t look to people in the arts for sensible decision-making or stable living. That’s rarely interesting. Simpson recognizes that he’s lived a life less ordinary, and he’s paid a high price for it - yet he’s achieved a form of peace and contentment on his own terms which is something you can consider yourself lucky to have should you manage to achieve it. There’s also a particular dignity here. Even the people who have wronged him are treated with respect, not resentment. Turns out that the delay to this book being published was a blessing in disguise. Having recently moved to Glasgow for his third? Fourth? Fifth act of life, with a new partner and renewed interest in his work, Simpson can grant grace to his younger self, the man who romanticized squalor and nearly drowned his potential in self-destruction and cough syrup. At the closing, you can only wish him, and all who may travel like him, the very best.
December 14, 2023
Finished this in 2 days and it's easily my fave music book of the year, and one of my fave books of the year full stop. Paul Simpson has a way with words and tells a great anecdote. Hugely enjoyable and entertaining.
March 28, 2025
3.5 Stars!
I'm a fan of all three of the bands Simpson has played in or been a part of over the years, and yet if you asked me who he was before reading this I wouldn't have been able to tell you. Simpson writes well enough and we get an enlightening and at times entertaining insight into his life and work.
This is an engaging if somewhat fragmented biography which is maybe a little rough around the edges, which is also part of its attraction. There are some good stories and anecdotes, but many gaps, but overall I'd say this will please fans of his work and his contribution fills in another one of the pieces of the vast and intricate broader picture of the Liverpool post-punk scene of the late 70s and 80s.
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May 2, 2024For all that I wanted to read Paul Simpson's memoir, its existence did feel like confirmation of a publishing bubble - is there really that much of a market for the reminiscences of post-punk's perpetual nearly man, who seemed so close to making it with the Wild Swans and again with Care, but always seemed to find it blowing up in his face? Who'd been in bands with Julian Cope, Ians Broudie & McCulloch, and Bill Drummond, yet contrived to remain strictly a cult figure? Well, as the book opens, it's 2011, and he's about to play his first show in the Philippines, the one place where, to his surprise and the reader's, he turns out to be absolutely massive.
Inevitably, there's a typhoon.
Spinal Tap comparisons are easy, and overused, but hard to resist when surveying some of the ridiculous antics in Revolutionary Spirit. At the same time there's a deep but mostly self-aware seriousness to Simpson, an absolute determination to complete the mission even if he's not entirely sure what that entails (spoiler: it wasn't hijacking a heavy metal band and renaming them Three-Speed Crucifix Powertool). Looking back over his life in this compressed form, you can see the contradictions, and increasingly he can too, leading to a joint realisation of how much he spent decades hamstrung by his own perfectionism, not least a far greater adherence to the pieties of (post-)punk than any of his peers maintained for long - and this despite his not remotely punk tendency to see everything in cosmic terms of angels and astral projection. Factor in a temperament he compares to a rescue greyhound's, and an array of foes ranging from Thatcherism through ghosts to a teenage Courtney Love, and frankly it's amazing he managed to achieve as much as he did, let alone turn the ongoing mess into an often very funny book. As much as anything, I finished it thinking that Simpson's thin skin and self-sabotaging insistence on sticking to his guns are really not that hard to understand, and that it's all the other books by stars who just blithely powered through the betrayals and changes of tack that record the abnormal temperaments.
Inevitably, there's a typhoon.
Spinal Tap comparisons are easy, and overused, but hard to resist when surveying some of the ridiculous antics in Revolutionary Spirit. At the same time there's a deep but mostly self-aware seriousness to Simpson, an absolute determination to complete the mission even if he's not entirely sure what that entails (spoiler: it wasn't hijacking a heavy metal band and renaming them Three-Speed Crucifix Powertool). Looking back over his life in this compressed form, you can see the contradictions, and increasingly he can too, leading to a joint realisation of how much he spent decades hamstrung by his own perfectionism, not least a far greater adherence to the pieties of (post-)punk than any of his peers maintained for long - and this despite his not remotely punk tendency to see everything in cosmic terms of angels and astral projection. Factor in a temperament he compares to a rescue greyhound's, and an array of foes ranging from Thatcherism through ghosts to a teenage Courtney Love, and frankly it's amazing he managed to achieve as much as he did, let alone turn the ongoing mess into an often very funny book. As much as anything, I finished it thinking that Simpson's thin skin and self-sabotaging insistence on sticking to his guns are really not that hard to understand, and that it's all the other books by stars who just blithely powered through the betrayals and changes of tack that record the abnormal temperaments.
January 30, 2024
This book has put be back on my kick for reading about and listening to music made in the Liverpool area in the early 1980s - early 1990s. Such an inspiring period of British and punk rock and so much music that doesn't really fit your definitions of what any of those terms really suggest. It was really a unique time and place. I read Julian Cope's two-volume memoirs Head On and Repossessed years ago, and through Cope's website Head Heritage I found out about so many of the other records and books from that scene. So, reading Paul Simpson's book was a great joy, and I also finished it in just a few days. It is very funny and entertaining and also packed with interesting insights and unique perspectives. The style is different and very inventive, which I quite liked. Others mileage may vary, I suppose. This book re-energized my interest in other memoirs or accounts of this time and place. Will Sergeant's books are likely up next for me, but I'm now also interested in finding out about other books to add to my reading list for the coming year. Such a good sign when a book leads you to read more about a particular topic, style, or personality.
August 29, 2024
Paul Simpson best known as leader of The Wild Swans is a remarkable figure who has penned this extremely enjoyable and well written memoir. He was eye witness to all kinds of interesting post punk history in Liverpool. He was in bands with Ian McCulloch, Will Sergeant and Julian Cope, and suggested the name for The Teardrop Explodes.
Despite being something of a footnote in musical history Paul Simpson is somewhat improbably a huge star in the Phillipines, something he only discovered relatively recently.
Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism covers key moments from Paul Simpson's life and there are plenty of them. Among this book's many highlights it's his memories of Liverpool in the late 1970s and early 1980s that are most fascinating.
Paul Simpson has always stayed true to his artistic vision which, aligned to a penchant for self sabotage, means success and acclaim have always passed him by however, as a consequence, we now have this wonderful chronicle of a life of no compromise which makes a compelling read.
Highly recommended
4/5
Part memoir, part social history, Revolutionary Spirit is the poignant, often hilarious story of a cult Liverpool musician’s scenic route to fame and artistic validation, and marks the arrival of an original literary voice. If Morrissey was the Oscar Wilde of the 1980s indie scene, Simpson was its William Blake; a self destructive genius so lost in mystical visions of a new arcadia that he couldn’t meet the rent. Simpson’s career begins alongside fellow Liverpool luminaries Ian McCulloch, Bill Drummond, Will Sergeant, Pete Wylie, Pete Burns, and Holly Johnson at the infamous Eric’s club, where, in 1976, he finds himself at the birth of the city’s second great musical explosion. He cofounds and christens the neo psychedelic pop group The Teardrop Explodes with Julian Cope but walks out of the band just as they are about to break big and goes to work in a tearoom instead. He then forms The Wild Swans, the indie band of choice for literary minded teens in the early 1980s, and Care with Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds, sharing a flat with a seventeen year old Courtney Love along the way. Marriage, fatherhood, tropical illness, and divorce follow, interspersed with artistic collaborations with Bill Drummond and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others. Following an onstage reunion with Cope at the Royal Festival Hall, Simpson discovers that seven thousand miles away, in the Philippines, he is considered a musical god. Presidential suites, armed guards, police escorts—you couldn’t make it up, and, incredibly, he doesn’t need to. Revolutionary Spirit is the story of a musician driven by an unerring belief that artistic integrity will bring its own rewards. It concludes with an exorcism of sorts as Simpson finally rids himself of the debilitating demon of psychological depression that has, from the age of nine, run like malware in the background of his life.
Despite being something of a footnote in musical history Paul Simpson is somewhat improbably a huge star in the Phillipines, something he only discovered relatively recently.
Revolutionary Spirit: A Post-Punk Exorcism covers key moments from Paul Simpson's life and there are plenty of them. Among this book's many highlights it's his memories of Liverpool in the late 1970s and early 1980s that are most fascinating.
Paul Simpson has always stayed true to his artistic vision which, aligned to a penchant for self sabotage, means success and acclaim have always passed him by however, as a consequence, we now have this wonderful chronicle of a life of no compromise which makes a compelling read.
Highly recommended
4/5
Part memoir, part social history, Revolutionary Spirit is the poignant, often hilarious story of a cult Liverpool musician’s scenic route to fame and artistic validation, and marks the arrival of an original literary voice. If Morrissey was the Oscar Wilde of the 1980s indie scene, Simpson was its William Blake; a self destructive genius so lost in mystical visions of a new arcadia that he couldn’t meet the rent. Simpson’s career begins alongside fellow Liverpool luminaries Ian McCulloch, Bill Drummond, Will Sergeant, Pete Wylie, Pete Burns, and Holly Johnson at the infamous Eric’s club, where, in 1976, he finds himself at the birth of the city’s second great musical explosion. He cofounds and christens the neo psychedelic pop group The Teardrop Explodes with Julian Cope but walks out of the band just as they are about to break big and goes to work in a tearoom instead. He then forms The Wild Swans, the indie band of choice for literary minded teens in the early 1980s, and Care with Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds, sharing a flat with a seventeen year old Courtney Love along the way. Marriage, fatherhood, tropical illness, and divorce follow, interspersed with artistic collaborations with Bill Drummond and members of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, among others. Following an onstage reunion with Cope at the Royal Festival Hall, Simpson discovers that seven thousand miles away, in the Philippines, he is considered a musical god. Presidential suites, armed guards, police escorts—you couldn’t make it up, and, incredibly, he doesn’t need to. Revolutionary Spirit is the story of a musician driven by an unerring belief that artistic integrity will bring its own rewards. It concludes with an exorcism of sorts as Simpson finally rids himself of the debilitating demon of psychological depression that has, from the age of nine, run like malware in the background of his life.
July 18, 2024
Paul Simpson’s Revolutionary Spirit: A post-punk exorcism is mandatory reading for any music fan and especially for anyone who has ever gunned for artistic glory. The first section alone does a magnificent job of detailing a key element and event in the story - The Wild Swans traveling to The Philippines in 2011 to play for thousands of rabid fans, the one outpost in the world where they are given their rightful due - whilst also giving a grand overview of Paul’s career and ambitions. He conveys so well the huge presence of magic in artistic creation, and the importance of ‘stepping into the stream’ that I felt a sustained rush through reading the entire book, like that Mary Chain line from Head On - ‘makes you wanna feel, makes you wanna try’. So inspired by Paul’s musings there were numerous times I put the tome down to kickstart plans for my own creative projects.
As well as offering his own artistic vision, the book is very funny. Self-deprecating, never cruel. His experiences with LSD are most amusing and the chapter about him attempting to front a heavy metal band in the early 90s is hilarious and also quite genius. And throughout it all there’s running commentary on his sartorial sensibilities. As Paul says, he “changes clothes to greet the postman”.
As well as offering his own artistic vision, the book is very funny. Self-deprecating, never cruel. His experiences with LSD are most amusing and the chapter about him attempting to front a heavy metal band in the early 90s is hilarious and also quite genius. And throughout it all there’s running commentary on his sartorial sensibilities. As Paul says, he “changes clothes to greet the postman”.
September 21, 2025
A memoir by Paul Simpson, who was a member of Liverpool bands The Teardrop Explodes & The Wild Swans. I enjoyed it quite a bit as he writes with a lot of humor and wit, but in a lot of ways a hard knock sort of story. He's friends with all the prominent Scouser musicians of the time, including the guys in Echo & the Bunnymen and Julian Cope. He was a childhood friend of Les Pattinson of Echo, and he was a roomate of Pete DeFreitas their drummer. Lots of interesting anecdotes about the scene for those who are interesting in that sort of thing. My one gripe is that he doesn't say very much about the Wild Swans comeback album, Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years, which I think is an excellent record. Mostly it comes up in recollections about him performing gig in Manila, where decades later The Wild Swans were still quite popular. I have to believe there is some reason why this is so, but I simply don't know the reason. Perhaps because it wasn't a big seller.
February 20, 2024
I knew with near certainty that this was going to be great. Paul has had an interesting musical career (if that is the right word - he's certainly made some great records) and the advance snippets more than whet my appetite. The book didn't disappoint either. It's not just Paul's music that is interesting - he's had some up's and down's and writes openly about his difficulties. He's also got a great way with words and isn't afraid to take the pee out of himself. There are some really funny moments here! I could go on but I will just say this - this is up there with the best music autobiographies such as those by Julian Cope and Mark Lanegan x
July 1, 2025
Once the initial chapters focussing on his childhood were out of the way, I really enjoyed this book. It's perhaps not quite up there with the other books I've read by post-punk Liverpool luminaries Julian Cope, Will Sergeant and Bill Drummond, but a great addition to their accounts of a scene which spawned a number of seminal bands. It's a shame I can't find all of the Wild Swans songs mentioned on Spotify, as I'm intrigued to hear them.
January 15, 2024
I really enjoyed it.
January 26, 2025
Paul Simpson was part of the same Liverpool post-punk scene that included Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes and The Pale Fountains. Unfortunately, Simpson's band - The Wild Swans - never managed the success of the other bands.
This book explores Simpson's experiences in the punk/post-punk era and beyond. It's entertaining and often very funny.
Probably the best autobiography by a pop star who's not actually a pop star!?!
This book explores Simpson's experiences in the punk/post-punk era and beyond. It's entertaining and often very funny.
Probably the best autobiography by a pop star who's not actually a pop star!?!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews