As Amazon are apparently too busy shifting units to update our lowly book entry with the new endorsements sent to them by our publisher several weeks ago, we hope you’ll indulge a tiny toot of our own trumpet by sharing them with you ourselves. We’re very excited about these; praise is always a wonderful thing of course, but to say that we’re proud to receive it from such brilliant and qualified minds as the ones belonging to Stanley Booth (author of rock-biog-to-end-all-rock-biogs The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones) and the poet and arts critic Diann Blakely, is to commit an act of criminal understatement:

“Among those rare volumes which are not only a joy sui generis, but also – and better yet – a joy to be shared by reading aloud. Mere satire is cheap; the blood in these pages is more authentic than any Nashville approximation of Americana.” Stanley Booth, The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones, Esquire, Georgia Music Magazine

“I howled myself silly. But like me, readers of Live Fast, Die Young will find their aching sides soothed by the heart-warming rhythms of mutual and musical harmony pulsing from two human hearts at their best.” Diann Blakely, National Book Critics Circle, Harvard Review, BookPage, Antioch Review, Nashville Scene

“A thoroughly enjoyable ride through the American musical wilderness. Live Fast, Die Young brings out the inner geek in every rock and roll dreamer.” Zane Lowe, BBC Radio 1

“A book that shows how your obsessions can shape and change your life. Excellent.” James Dean Bradfield, Manic Street Preachers

“The thinking man’s Dumb & Dumber.” Mike McCormack, Universal Music Publishing

Toot toot!

The book goes to print today, and just in the nick of time the final cover design has arrived. Chris got so excited when he saw it that he let out a small wee. And cover art that makes a man wee should be shared, we hope you’ll agree.

Here’s what to look for when you’re browsing your local book store for Live Fast, Die Young: Misadventures in Rock & Roll America on May 4th. Or if you’re ordering from the interweb, they’ve sent you the wrong book if it arrives and doesn’t look like this (click on the image to see it full size):

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If we sound a little too excited by the prospect of an actual book with an actual cover with our actual names on it, containing actual pages with words on them that we actually wrote – well, it’s because we probably are. Thanks again for your help making it happen – helpful Parsons can find out if they have qualified for the ‘Most Helpful’ title in the acknowledgements at the back of the book. Naturally we’re keeping quiet about who they are for now, winky smiley face.