The most interesting pop-stars used to be outsiders, people who drifted into music because other work/life options were just a little less appealing. Blondie being a case in point. None of Blondie were musicians, had been to ‘fame school’, or had been groomed by rich parents or the music industry for a place at pop’s top table. That Blondie got there says more about the individuals involved than anything else. One of whom was/is Chris Stein, Blondie guitarist, co-songwriter and partner to Debbie Harry for many years. His memoir, Under A Rock, a tale of the usual kind of music memoir anecdotes, incidents and excesses but also, unusually, a tale about what being a pop music outsider used to entail. It used to entail, for instance, mixing with the demi-monde, artists, freaks, weirdos, and William Burroughs, which Chris Stein duly did and arguably gave him the grounding to approach fame in a way that was in more ways positive than negative. A genuinely off beat and witty bloke, who could have been just as successful as a photographer, Chris Stein has written the definitive history of Blondie and how New York, Debbie Harry and art in all its different forms shaped his approach to music making, songwriting and life. Ever wondered what being a genuine outsider from New York used to mean? Wonder no more, as the brilliant Under A Rock will give you the answer. Absolutely wonderful.

Under A Rock - Chris Stein published by Corsair - £12.99

Steven Long