Paul Simpson, the frontman of Liverpool band the Wild Swans, has spoken about his music memoir, Revolutionary Spirit, which charts the city’s vibrant 1980s music scene. Simpson has been rewriting the book for years, and its historical present tense gives a detailed account of Simpson’s involvement with Liverpool’s punk and psych scenes. Simpson has been something of a peripheral figure in the city’s musical history, but this, he argues, ensures his voice is genuine and worthwhile. Critics have praised Simpson’s ability to observe scenes from alternative angles, making the book rich with detailed accounts of significant moments in Liverpool’s music scene.
Simpson began his musical career with cult band A Shallow Madness, and went on to co-found the Teardrop Explodes before leaving in 1979. He helped co-found literate pop duo Care, before leaving midway through the production of their debut album. In 1982, he shared a flat with a teenage Courtney Love, then an aspiring musician. That same year also saw the Wild Swans release their influential single Revolutionary Spirit. Simpson’s book of the same name charts his own experiences during this flattened history.
For Simpson, this memoir also remedies the lack of documentation around his role in Liverpool’s musical history. As he admitted to The Guardian, “I don’t know what I’ve written, and I’m far too close to it.” Although larger publishers failed to recognise Simpson’s talent for writing, his precise accounts of Liverpool’s music scene, coupled with his absorbing style, make Revolutionary Spirit an essential read.
Published by indie press, Route, Revolutionary Spirit demonstrates Simpson’s ability to recall the important moments of Liverpool’s musical past. The style of the book is almost like a time machine, and the historical present tense allows the reader to witness the Fall in Eric’s nightclub in 1977, or drink wine and listen to Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours at Ian McCulloch’s house. Simpson describes events like sharing a flat with Pete de Freitas, the Echo and the Bunnymen drummer, using a story about the Wild Swans B-side, “The Coldest Winter for a Hundred Years.” The memoir is a treasure trove of unique observations and memories from his years within Liverpool’s music scene.
Despite his anxiety about the book, Paul Simpson’s Revolutionary Spirit serves as a testament to his invaluable contribution to Liverpool’s dynamic musical culture.
Read the full article from The Guardian here: Read More