Espedair Street - Iain Banks

Book Details:

Country: Scotland
Language: English
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Macmillan 
Publication Date: 1987



Fictional Artist:

Band: Frozen Gold
Genre: Rock
Country: Scotland
Real World Analogue: The band is generally thought to be a hybrid of Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac. Bassist songwriter Weird is said by Banks to have been influenced by ex-Marillion singer Fish.

Some of Frozen Gold's songs actually exist, having been written by Banks back in the 1970s, influenced, he said, by "the usual suspects at that time, the Stones, Family, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Hendrix, Cream". The writer had recorded the songs, just him and a guitar, to tape. When the BBC came to adapt Espedair Street for the radio, Banks' songs were arranged by Dodgy's Nigel Clark and recorded with Clark, Brian Kellock (keys), Nick Clark (guitar) and Gordon Wilson (percussion), with Monica Queen singing the parts of Frozen Gold's Christine Brice.

Jacket Blurb:

Daniel Weir used to be a famous - not to say infamous - rock star. Maybe still is. At thirty-one he has been both a brilliant failure and a dull success. He's made a lot of mistakes that have paid off and a lot of smart moves he'll regret forever (however long that turns out to be). Daniel Weir has gone from rags to riches and back, and managed to hold onto them both, though not much else. His friends all seem to be dead, fed up with him or just disgusted - and who can blame them?

And now Daniel Weir is all alone. As he contemplates his life, Daniel realises he only has two problems: the past and the future. He knows how bad the past has been. But the future - well, the future is something else.