Mick Karn's Autobiography

[inkinthewell]

On Mick's forum (YES, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO LIFE ONCE AGAIN! ) there is a veeeeeery positive review by Rymerster, one of the lucky ones who's already got the book.
This is what he/she writes (in 2 posts):

Post 1
*** Spoiler warning ***
I've finished reading the book now and I found it a very moving experience. It made me pretty sad, made me laugh, and has changed the way I percieve Mick. He's a real person now, no longer an "idol".

The saddest thing is that I feel, with better communication, more could have been done by the fan community for Mick's career. Not one individual is to blame, but personally I'm saddedned that *my* own lack of courage meant that I didn't try harder to contact Mick to get more information for the nightporter site and help publicise various events, tours etc - or to involve him more in the site's content and subsequent work on Japan re-issues. I figured he wouldn't be interested, having better things to do and thought he wouldn't want to be pestered very often by a fan. Nothing I can do to change the past but having read the book I feel stupid that I didn't push BMG harder to involve the ex-members in the back catalogue, their own work.

Post 2
It really is worth it, I would strongly urge any Mick Karn or Japan fan to buy it. In terms of "new" information it is the motherlode!

I'll write more here about specific parts of the book once people here have read it. There's something for everyone really - those wanting more detail on Mick's music, his technique, session work, tour stories, record company and management challenges and successes, encounters with fans... but most of all the book covers Mick's relationships with others - friends, bandmates, wives and girlfriends - everything is interlinked and the way the book is sequenced works well.

Best book about Japan the band, easily, if that's what you want, but it is so much more.

[karnsculpture]

That's me - I didn't want to use "karnsculpture" on Mick's forum as I've got nothing to do with Mick's sculptures. It's a username I'm phasing out over time.

I warn you, although the book is great, it is very emotional and you will experience some highs and lows while reading it. I'm going through it for the second time now, reading properly, and it's a lot more amusing. I'm really looking forward to other people's reactions.

SPOILER....

Whole sections of the book may well fit into Baht Habit's "Trauma Theropy" thread

[Astronaut]

I've ordered my copy - no surprise there! But it's being sent to my new address in the US as I didn't think it would reach me in the UK before I leave. So I have to wait til 14th October to get mine. But I don't mind "spoilers" ... Can't wait to read it x

[heartofdavid]

I agree with Paul to a certain extent - the parts of the book concerning Mick's technique, sculpting, solo recordings, session work, and some of the personal relationships made for fascinating reading - whatever I had previously known lacked the detail and, of course, Mick's own perspective. I didn't expect this part to be as candid as it was; Mick doesn't hide his own failings and frailties, and in that I think he showed a lot of honesty and strength of character. He points out when he went against his beliefs and experience, stating clearly that he at times acted in the same ways he'd criticized and was hurt by others. Because of this, he came across to me as immensely likeable and I found myself empathisizing greatly with his disappointments and joys.

However, I'd hoped for more with the parts concerning Japan. I don't know, maybe it's the fan in me who will never be pleased, never satisfied, wanting to be as close to living the memories as possible. I didn't think there was much that hadn't been said elsewhere, to some degree. A few anecdotes that were cute, some things a bit more fleshed out, but overall, sort of the same old. I was disappointed in the pictures, very few were new to me. However, that is me, and I'm sure others will be seeing them for the first time. I did think it was rather pointless to put in photos that he knew had been previously published - surely in his personal scrapbooks (as he referred to them), there were others which could have been substituted for those.

One thing that never really came across to me was...why he considered David his best friend. The connections they had, as he describes them, seem superficial in comparison to those he has with Steve, for example. Granted, he's remained close with Steve to this day and I'd guess that history colored the wording a bit. I did get the sense that at one time he cared very deeply for David, but exactly what made him feel that way didn't come across, to me.

[Astronaut]

Thank you Heart, thats interesting that he doesn't dwell too much on the David relationship, or rather didn't elaborate enough. Perhaps theres still a certain amount of sensitivity there. (No pun intended).

[heartofdavid]

Thank you Heart, thats interesting that he doesn't dwell too much on the David relationship, or rather didn't elaborate enough.

He's quite 'no holds barred' about some aspects, the ones to be expected by anyone familiar with the lows - and I thought those have already been well covered in past interviews. For me, it is just what you said, that the positive wasn't elaborated enough - what made their relationship special to Mick is missing, at least I thought so. You catch glimpses of it in the reading, but that's all, like a brief but lovely incident he relates from the Rain Tree Crow sessions.

[deadbees]

I am about 20 pages into the book so far and it's a fascinating read. There are however a surprising number of very basic typos that seem to crop up; 'where' instead of 'were' for example and when MK is referring to looking again at the very first Japan setlist from 1974 he states it is 25 years old instead of 35.

[Chet]

tell us more – TELL US MORE

[sisterlondon]

I need to get this, seems quite interesting...

[Crickett]

Incredible Read!!!! I devoured the Book in 2 days... Emotional Rollercoaster of sorts.. I Loved how he wrapped the book up and we reconnected with his parents and his personal parallels with them in a way.. Most of the characters really came to life, especially in his relationships.. I just really feel like he let Rossina go... WHY didn't he go to Peru with her.. cause he had to depend on her for the language barrier and he didn't like the lack of electricity come on man.. What? He really dropped the ball there... maybe he wanted to.. that was possibily the saddest part of the book for me when he moved to San Fran and Rossina went to find her family again... She wanted You there Mick! Why didn't You go? Or like you said it was more or less time for you both to continue on in seperate ways? Dude why were You so attached to Tiew? Was she really that Beautiful? ..She kept breaking Your heart! It just seems like Rossina really LOVED Mick... and he saw/realized it too late.. Curious why we don't learn much about Kyoko? Serves You Rice has always been one of my favorite tracks... I was always curious about Apache 61... WOW! You really dodged a bullet on that one Mick....

Of course learning more in depth detail of Sylvians controlling nature was not as much as a suprise as it was simply frightening and how Dave continues to financially collect on the energy, time and creativity of Mick, Steve and Rich is simply WRONG!!!! Almost as wrong as trying to listen to Manafon... (Ok Just kidding Everybody.. well kind of..)

I'd Love to delve deeper into a more coherent conversation with anyone else that read the book......

Mick's albums have been on shuffle on my ipod straight for the last 4 days!!!!!!!

[deadbees]

Mick's bitterness towards David crops up again and again. I didn't know MK hated Taking Islands In Africa or that he only agreed to the Japan/RTC reformation (in final stages) to be loyal to Steve/Rich.
You get a sense that despite (in the early days) David not having a strong (in a controlling sense) personality, the others esp. MK allowed him to have his own way, way before it was out of their hands; a precident was set.
MK seems to want to scratch at the mystique until reaching the bones; removing all artistic embellishments that David is fond of attaching to each project.
One quote that sticks in my head is where MK states that David's albums are less about his talent and more about his tastes at a given point in time.

[missouriman]

Finished the MK book and got it yesterday pm. Wow. The man is kind of twisted all out of shape. Sylvian that is! I think those two really deserved each other. Water signs clash or merge and they did both. Karn has his own demons obviously and sought help professionally. Sylvian still has his and tries religion to absorb them, but fails. Steve and Richard come out as the only two half likeable ones. I am pretty sure it is Steve who keeps David under control and not the other way around. Funny stuff about MK telling Sandii to take a hike that night. And the Gazza Numan story is hilarious. I am glad MK didn't talk shop and bass and stuff. Too muso. Interesting stories from Cyprus. And if you can read about his cat w/o a tear then you are dead. As a guy who obsesses about his kitty friends it really moved me. Mick Karn? He is messed up, but he is cool. The best usually are.

[Haldeman Gracie]

Are Karn, Jansen and Barbieri still pals? Hard to even be sure about Jansen and Barbieri - other than RB saying that SJ was mixing his album, I didn't pick up any signs that they were still close.

As for that comment about Sylvian's albums reflecting his tastes, not his talent... surely even he can see that it's both?!

[sisterlondon]

Question: is this on sale only online or also on shops in the UK? I am now travelling to London (Porcupine Tree!) and I wonder if I could find it there

[Blemished]

It's online only (printed on demand by Lulu).

Been dipping in and out - fascinating stuff - lots of great stories from the early days - the non-linear structure sort of works although I would have preferred a straight run through.

He's very, very critical of David ("shame on him and his greed" etc ), and it's hard not to have a huge amount sympathy for Mick (although his criticisms of DS's musical ability are unfair and I don't think Mick is short of ego either!) - in a sense he has come out of things worst of all of them. I hope his wife can forgive the detail on past relationships!

But it's so easy to forget that they were kids when most of it was happening...it's a bit like hearing one intensely-felt side of the story from a squabbling family, with Steve as the poor guy stuck in the middle trying to keep the peace...

I find myself swinging from the joy of being afforded such an intimate glimpse into a great band and sadness at the depth of antagonism still apparent.