THE BOOK:
Ron lives in the working-class Nottingham suburb of Sneinton. In the early 1950s, whilst still a schoolboy, he stumbles on Rock & Roll music and becomes besotted. Owning any records is beyond his means, but Ron wants them. His aspirations are raised further when, as a teenager, he becomes involved with a sophisticated older woman who opens his eyes to another world. In a parallel storyline, Joe, the likeable son of a wealthy brewer, finds himself living a dream selling records to a public infatuated with popular music. Joe is a few years older than Ron, and we follow him as he is presented with the opportunity to sell rock & roll/blues records—first in a department store and later in his own record shop.
The second half of the book jumps forward to 1977 as punk rock is dominating the British music scene. Joe has continued to do well for himself, and we discover more about his private life and the rise of record shop culture. Meanwhile, Ron, now working at a large country house, has spent time in prison and has become a desperate man who is willing to take criminal actions to achieve his goal of a life of luxury. As the title of the book (a reference to a Muddy Waters’ song) implies, there are elements of “road trip” (Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland) to Ron’s somewhat nomadic pursuit of a better/easier life. The paths of Joe and Ron occasionally cross in benign ways, but it seems that they may yet be destined to meet in more dramatic circumstances.
THE AUTHOR:
Tim was born in the swinging Sixties. As a youth he would avidly read ‘Sounds’ magazine and still subscribes to the ‘NME’—though he assures us he can read books without pictures too.
The arrival of Punk (Richard Hell, The Clash, Johnny Thunders) and his discovery of Malt Whisky opened his
eyes to a wide variety of possibilities. Since then his tastes (both musical and alcoholic) have always been eclectic and adventurous—so much so that it would be impossible to list his constantly changing, top 10 bands (though he is more confident that Jura is his favourite Whisky).
After working for the BBC for many years he now lives in a woodland glade in Nottinghamshire and occasionally emerges from his music room to attend gigs, speak to his wife and children—or refi ll his glass.
thE Music:
The musical references in the book are reflective of what people would have been listening to in the period that the book is set. Many artists are Blues or Rock & Roll in the first part of the book - while much of the second part refelcts that Punk had taken over the speakers of the public. however not everyone liked that sort of music and the book acknowledges this too.
The author would very much like you to listen to - or better still purchase - music by these artists.
