[.uk] Midge Ure, If I Was... (ISBN 0753510774)

Awesome:
Not only is Midge Ure a good singer/songwriter but he also has a way with writing books. Here's hoping he considers writing more.

A Man of Two Worlds:
This is among the most entertaining autobiographies I've recently read. Midge narrates with emotion, recalling his childhood up till his recent problems and small victories. He was for a while incredibly prolific and influential in creating what became the sound and vision of the eighties. Not only did he contribute via his work as a band member of Ultravox, but also via the leading force of Visage. Although Visage never became huge, despite being popular, the influence of their electronic and androgynous sound and accompanying videos set the stage for other electronic bands. On top of this all he became, of course, something of an operating manager of Band Aid and had for a while success going solo. By and large, Ure is humble by his achievements and acknowledges other people's part in his success and yet points out that sometimes he didn't get the respect he deserved for his work; Visage is a case in point, most people actually didn't realize that he was the driving force of the band. He has been extremely generous to his parents, who were constantly unfortunate in moving into house that burned down to the ground, only to have Jim (Midge derived from his name pronounced backwards) step in to buy another house. Midge was actually very generous to himself and basically everyone around him, so generous that he eventually became more or less bankrupt. Despite some finger pointing, he realizes that the fault lies first and foremost in his own doings. What struck me, though, was that among so much generosity and hospitality is his treatment to his former mates in Ultravox. He spends a great deal of the text describing how difficult it was working with them, their envy of his star persona (take a look at the videos, it's Midge all over the place) and how poor their contribution was as the group developed, as in the work they had done while he was on a sabbatical with his solo project. Heck, he didn't even bother inviting them to the Band Aid bonanza, making sure he would remain in the spotlight. Ure split up the band, saying that they could have kept on, since there was an Ultravox before him joining the band. This is simply ridiculous as recent compilations of Midge Ure and Ultravox suggest; people view the band as Midge and the other guys (something like Culture Club without Boy George). Ultravox did continue in some fashion without him but nobody, understandably, bothered. He states that he leaves messages to his former band mates and is somewhat baffled why they don't return his polite greetings, stating that he may be ready re-uniting the band. Obviously what he needs to do is pick up the phone and say: I'm Sorry. This is a touching reading of a man of two worlds, mostly sincere and likeable. I hope he manages to keep performing and steer away from alcohol. He would also do many a favor by contacting his former band mates in the same vein as he seems to treat his family and friends, with warmth and generosity.

At last - an autobiography worth reading!:
I'm sick and tired of all these biographies and autobiographies about the likes of Churchill, Ghandi and Benjamin Franklin who people really aren't interested in nowadays. Midge Ure on the other hand is clearly a different story. I was particularly interested to hear about how Dancing With Tears In My Eyes got to number 6 in the charts in 1985. Riveting stuff.

Nice one Midge!:
Ideal for people who are obsessed with autobiographies and have already bought all the other ones available.

Love Midge Ure!:
Love you, man! Don't you wish all your idols could write intelligent autobiographies that give you insight into their lives and not dash your ideas of what they might really be like? Kind of like when you're afraid to meet them because they might be a jerk and ruin it for you? Happy to say, Midge did not. Very well-written, and shows he's as good a writer as he is musician, and also funny and human. And a good Dad. No images shattered here.