Predictable 'Man behaving boorishly'

The chronicle of Mike Pratt's 'Sex and Drugs and Rock'n Roll' life as he spans the globe playing bass for the great and famous...
...actually it's more drink and drugs and pranks and mishaps....Ha Ha Hilarious? Not really - it's all silly overgrown boys being naughty away from home. Predictable, repetitive, monotonous. Not as funny as he thinks it is...I suppose you would have to be out of your head on stage in Venice to really get the joke, maaaaaan.
Not really impressed mate.
Despite rubbing shoulders with the legends there are no revelations here: What was Robert Palmer really like? what does David Gilmour talk about? did Johnny Marr ever say anything interesting? how did Brian Ferry come across in private...? No idea...
Where did he go, what did he see?...no idea
We do know just how smashed and stoned he was all the time (I do hope his children don't read this self glorification).
We're missing out here - perhaps he's missed out too - all those things he would have seen and done if he hadn't been out his head all the time.

3 people found this helpful

Dude! This was a brag fest!

I really wanted to like Guy, and he had his truly inspiring moments, however, bragging about drugs and conquests was always awful and this book really wasn't worth the money.

2 people found this helpful

Great stories for the pub but not a great book

I really wanted to like this book. Guy and I are similar ages and he’s been involved with so many bands I’ve listened too. He’s also a great bass player and seems a very likeable, self-deprecating bloke. But while a lot of the material would work great as anecdotes shared in a pub, it’s hard work wading through as an audio book. It’s basically not very well written and the nudge-nudge, wink-wink asides rapidly become tiresome. There’s probably a much better book here had Guy got some proper help with the writing and been a bit more reflective rather than trying to play to the gallery. A gentle warning to others who might be tempted by this.

1 person found this helpful

An entertaining and interesting companion

Guy is a classic side man. He's played on numerous well-known albums and been a touring bassist with some of the biggest names: Pink Floyd; Bryan Ferry; Jimmy Page; Madonna; etc, but I'd never heard of him. He came to my notice through his excellent podcast with Gary Kemp, so I took a chance on his book.

It is an entertain canter through his life and times and as he is a natural communicator, it makes for an entertaining listen. Given the number of artists he's lent his skills too, he really plays down his obvious talent, which must be unusual in the music industry. I especially enjoyed the insightful tales of working and touring with all the artists/bands he's been associated with. The tales of drunken/drug excesses during the 80s/90s does become a bit repetitive, but everyones entitled to be young and foolish, especially when touring the world in a band.

So, if you've any interest in music of that period or just music generally, it's well worth a listen, especially as he strikes a nice balance between keeping 'musos' happy without alienating the general listener. Then go and check your record collection and see how often his name materialises.

1 person found this helpful

Fantastic

Brilliant narration by the author. Interesting stories and a brilliant David Coverdale impersonation. His Jimmy Page wasn’t too shabby either. Didn’t want it to end. Always a good sign.

1 person found this helpful

Just brilliant!

If you are a Floyd head its fantastic listening to Guy's stories about touring and the hi jinx that seemed to ensue around every corner, if you arent i can still recommend this book very very highly as he has a way of narrating as if you are the only person in the world and you are his best mate!

Get it now you wont be disappointed, promise!

1 person found this helpful

Brilliant stories

I was recommended this book from a friend, who like me, loves music, now I have to confess I am not a huge Pink Floyd fan and had never heard of Guy Pratt but was told this would make no difference to my enjoyment of listening to Guy's rise from session musician to base player in one of the worlds biggest bands and how he would go on to play with many other international singers and bands.
I took a punt and bought the audio book, what a great recommendation this turned out to be, it does not matter if you are not a fan of the many artists he has played with, Pink Floyd, Maddonna, Michael Jackson, Ice Works, Brian Ferry, Bowie etc etc you will soon be drawn into his world of touring, writing and generally having a great time doing something you love, you will soon realize that this man who you may not have heard of is a fantastic comedian, song writer and artist. I have also booked to see him live in one of his One Man Shows and look forward to his follow up book, highly recommended.

1 person found this helpful

Amiable but repetitive

I saw session bassist extraordinaire turned stand up comedian Guy Pratt perform extracts from this book at the Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2007. As a raconteur, he did a decent job, so I had high hopes for the audiobook version.

Unfortunately, what proved to be amusing over the course of an hour or so proved to be pretty wearing for nearly nine. Pratt has played for a variety of artists from Madonna and Michael Jackson through David Coverdale & Jimmy Page to Australian Roxy Music impersonators Icehouse, but most famously for Pink Floyd, for whom he played Roger Waters' bass parts once he'd departed from the band.

My Bass and Other Animals mainly consists of tales of tour hi-jinks, largely involving what he got up to following the consumption of large quantities of alcohol and often stronger substances, mixed with pen portraits of the various stars he's played with, most of which conform to the perceptions one already has of them: Madonna is domineering, Michael Jackson shy and eccentric due to a botched nose job etc. With a band like Pink Floyd, where the music was always larger than the people who made it, David Gilmour and cohorts simply come across as your average multi-millionaires.

This is a laddish, larky reminiscence about an over-indulgent 1980s and '90s. Fun, but probably best consumed in small doses.

1 person found this helpful

lighthearted account of some great muso yarns

Guy's experiences definitely warrant recounting. his irreverent approach made it fun to listen to

what a yarn

loved it laughed from start to finish well worth it. if you like music or comedy give it a bash you will not be disappointed