Verse, Chorus, Monster! - by Graham Coxon

Book Synopsis

A
long-awaited memoir of Blur co-founder, guitar legend and visual artist Graham
Coxon.

Among the noise and clamour of the Britpop era, Blur co-founder Graham Coxon managed to carve out a niche to become one of the most innovative and respected guitarists of his generation - but it wasn't always easy.

Graham grew up as an Army kid, moving frequently in his early years from West Germany to Derbyshire and Winchester before settling in Colchester, Essex. A shy child, he had a thing for eating soil and drawing intense visions; his anxiety was tempered by painting and a growing love of music.

These twin passions grew into obsessions, and as he honed his artistic skill at school, Goldsmiths and beyond, his band with school friend Damon Albarn, fellow student Alex James, and a drummer called Dave Rowntree began to get noticed.

But there are things they don't tell you before you get famous.

There are monsters out there. And some may even be lurking inside yourself.

Verse, Chorus, Monster! is an intimate, honest reflection on music, fame, addiction and art by one of Britain's most iconic musicians.

Review Quotes

"[Coxon] tells his self-aware, self-analytical
tale with a disarming, unfiltered honesty . . . A bizzarely engaging read." ― Classic
Rock Magazine

"Refreshingly modest . . . [A] very rare thing: a memoir by a rock star who doesn't have too much of an ego." ― The Times

"Charting the hedonism of his Nineties heyday and the ensuing
fallout, Blur's reluctant guitar hero is finally making himself heard." ― Evening Standard

"Covers a huge amount of ground - everything from [Coxon's]
early years as a kid growing up in army barracks to his current musical
incarnation, the Waeve . . . Compelling." ― Irish Independent

"Verse, Chorus, Monster! breaks off with Coxon, a classically tortured artist, on a blessedly even
keel." ― Observer

"Coxon paints a picture - specifically, a self-portrait - of
the tortured artist perpetually at odds with his bandmates, the escalating
demands of success and the abject horror of being shackled to the runaway train
that was Britpop." ― i newspaper