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Rating: 
Summary: Genius!
Review: "The Manual" is a golden relic of that late '80s/early-'90s era when UK pop singles were utterly disposable, throwaway pieces of trash concocted by virtually anybody who had the nerve, back when the charts were a playground for the glorious marriage of daft imagination and studio techno-trickery. It's a period piece, for sure, but an oddly timeless one. Structured as a literal step-by-step manual, the book serves as a means for Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty to de-mystify the whole pop process in a series of riveting chapters that effortlessly switch from the achingly funny to the utterly banal. Whether describing the characteristics of studio employees, the virilent ignorance and wrongs of the music industry, or the genius and consummate artistry of Pete Waterman, the writing is consistently gripping, achingly literate and frequently hilarious. That this is due largely to the authors' honest and refreshingly un-ironic enthusiasm and passion for the simple joys of trashy, three-minute pop is almost besides the point. The point being, "you CAN conquer the pop charts if you want to, and here's how to go about doing it". As much situationist propaganda as a genuine 'how to' guide, Drummond & Cauty's page-turning witticisms seem hellbent on elevating such trashy thrills almost to a level of high-art. And it's a convincing argument, especially when pointing out that the lyrics to Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky" are, to people of a certain persuasion, invested with more meaning than the complete works of Shakespeare. Or, in this case, Morrissey. The book even comes punctuated with a do-it-yourself guarantee, stating that if following the manual to the letter does not grant you a hit single within a year of purchase, you'll get a refund. All in all, a bizarre, engrossing, informative, hilarious, thoroughly worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: Drummond's Gift
Review: Most of Drummond's writings are filled with optimism and a "just do it" attitude. This is no exception. Probably dated and localized for a U.K. audience, I found it a great read nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: Drummond's Gift
Review: Most of Drummond's writings are filled with optimism and a "just do it" attitude. This is no exception. Probably dated and localized for a U.K. audience, I found it a great read nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: Drummond's Gift
Review: Most of Drummond's writings are filled with optimism and a "just do it" attitude. This is no exception. Probably dated and localized for a U.K. audience, I found it a great read nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: There's no business
Review: These guys are what we should all aspire to be. They've burnt one million pounds, walked to the north pole to sacrifice a tiny picture of Elvis, worked with norwegian comics' grand old man Øystein Runde sr, nailed 100 000 pounds to a piece of wood and sold it for 50 000 pounds, and now they're going to sell you the ticket to one-hit-wonderland. A pop hit is guaranteed if you follow their instructions. Really. Guaranteed.Now, go and make mom some pop.
Rating:
Summary: There's no business
Review: These guys are what we should all aspire to be. They've burnt one million pounds, walked to the north pole to sacrifice a tiny picture of Elvis, worked with norwegian comics' grand old man Øystein Runde sr, nailed 100 000 pounds to a piece of wood and sold it for 50 000 pounds, and now they're going to sell you the ticket to one-hit-wonderland. A pop hit is guaranteed if you follow their instructions. Really. Guaranteed. Now, go and make mom some pop.
Rating:
Summary: There?s no business
Review: These guys are what we should all aspire to be. They?ve burnt one million pounds, walked to the north pole to sacrifice a tiny picture of Elvis, worked with norwegian comics? grand old man ?ystein Runde sr, nailed 100 000 pounds to a piece of wood and sold it for 50 000 pounds, and now they?re going to sell you the ticket to one-hit-wonderland. A pop hit is guaranteed if you follow their instructions. Really. Guaranteed. Now, go and make mom some pop.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone's a winner
Review: This book pulls no punches when it analyses the UK's pop industry. The references may be lost in the US but if you can locate someone who lived in the UK in the late 80's, they can fill in the blanks. The writing style is compulsive and the book is hard to put down. I have every confidence that ,if you have the courage to follow this book , you will get to number one. The authors have got to number one on two occasions and had a nummber of near misses. This books looks at ways to "produce" your number one, manipulate the charts but misses out how to make a great video. For anyone who wants to have a number one in the UK this is a must.
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