In 1977 punk music had already peaked and those who had been there before it had succumbed to the forces of commerce were looking for something new. They found it in the blending of sharp punk and pub rock which was New Wave. Along with household names Ian Dury, Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, the New Wave tag embraced some more leftfield characters, maverick talents like Wreckless Eric / Eric Goulden, who briefly surfaced with a handful of sparkling, gem-like records such as ‘Whole Wide World’ and ‘Semaphore Signals’ before slipping down beneath the parapet and becoming a legend of the underground. Wreckless Eric’s song are up there with those of Ray Davies and Squeeze – finely focussed snapshots of quirky home-grown characters and strange personal experiences. Goulden’s biography is quite as honest as his songwriting, and charts his life from his childhood in Peacehaven, Sussex, through his years in London and his signing by Stiff Records, to his battles with the booze. Without doubt, the best and most original music biog we’ve seen in a very long time.