Reviews:

The Shindig (Music) Magazine review
★★★★

Picture the scene: Bury St Edmunds, sleepy Suffolk market town, 1970. A minority of long-haired young men trying against the odds to pull together a stable group from a frankly tiny pool of musicians. Dreams of hitting the big time, securing a prestigious support slot or even simply plying their trade beyond a handful of local haunts, are thwarted at every turn. Countless provincial rock bands faced such dilemmas, and Andrew Ridgeon’s memoir-cum-cautionary tale paints a vivid picture (albeit in shades of brown and white) as he and his bandmates in the titular Julius Pam – in thrall to the heavy sounds of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple but expected to churn out the hits of the day to satisfy “leading talent agency” Norwich Artistes – navigate the perilous travails of day-to-day existence, balancing home life, dole money, HP repayments, lucrative yet soul-sapping live engagements and the ever-present threat of their van Gertrude running out of petrol before they reach the venue. This could easily have been a desperate affair – a literary bedfellow of grim period films like Groupie Girl and Permissive. Instead, it’s full of joy, love, small mercies and big ambitions. Andrew’s naturalistic, conversational writing style and extremely vivid memory evoke the minutiae of life at a time when band meetings took place in the café and the music shop, and records, instruments and clothes were items of luxury rather than casual acquirements. Everything must be worked for .It’s a joy to read, even the passages where little appears to happen, and will prove reassuringly familiar to anyone who’s ever tried to start a band – small town or otherwise. 

Andy Morten (Reviews Editor)

★★★★★

“Julius Pam Beyond Reason” is a pleasure to read. For a book of 400 pages it is remarkably accessible, with short chapters, driving the reader on to find out what happened next, and a light easy humour, (often at the expense of the narrator, or with intimate asides to the reader), that captures the adventure and the triumphs, and also the frustration and the disappointments, of a band’s journey. The East Anglian music scene of the 1970s, so different to that of today, (more accessible and chaotic, less exclusive and contained), is captured, along with all of the distractions and diversions along the way. Characterisation is entertaining, often tongue in cheek, but never cruel. Even local accents are there, handled with humour but also with affection. (We forget how ever- present local dialect was in the 1970s and how much it added to the flavour of daily life). The whole book is well structured with good use of quotations and visual design.

The story ends quite abruptly with the bite of personal tragedy, brutal and intrusive, and with the bands uncertain future, which is left largely unresolved. Even this is skilfully handled in the way in which the reader’s attention is, quite roughly, seized and then they are left, bereaved, and wanting more. All this happened 50 years ago. So what happened to Andy and the other band members? Was there ever a “son”, (“or a daughter”), of Julius Pam.

In the end this is a personal journey, with more than a touch of wistful “what ifery” and loads of local colour in the mix. Julius Pam did not find fame and fortune, but they were not irrelevant. Nor was their journey a waste of time at a personal level. They achieved at lot in a very short space of time, but they also played a small part in something much bigger and more significant that helped to shape the culture of the second half of the twentieth century. 

David G Smith

• I was captivated, couldn’t put it down. What a great way to write, so natural Just had to go back and read it again. The characters, the humour, the places, and the unpretentious story. Brilliant and clever.

• I have just spent dawn to dusk reading your book…. WOW! I really can’t understand why I have been so sometimes emotionally effected by your story one minute and elated with enthusiasm and joyful laughter the next! That’s the only book in my life that I’ve felt in some way so attached to.

• Wonderfully written story portraying the hectic journey of a semi pro band in early 1970s.

• Loved this book, kept me up at night, couldn’t put it down. Some great humour, sad moments and nostalgia. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

• Well what can I say!!....I hardly ever have the patience to read a book...too many other things normally come in preference...but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Just spent the last couple of hours sitting on the swing seat in the garden totally absorbed. So many questions unanswered...so you'll have to write a sequel. I wish I had your capacity to remember as many things about my late teens as you have. I especially enjoyed the way that you referred to your parents... you have had more than your fair share of tragedy and sadness in your life. Bought a tear to my eye reading about it.

• I've just read Julius Pam Beyond Reason. It was an excellent read and brought back many memories of growing up in Bury St Edmunds in the 1960s &1970s.
Just finished reading Julius Pam. Wow, the memories from those wonderful days so long ago. The book is a superb story and the writing style brings it all back to life.

• Fascinating read especially for those who remember the 70s . DS.

• A fine read indeed, a gem. The printing and overall quality of the book itself is excellent, and the artwork superb. Great 'local book', for more than 'local people'

• A thoroughly entertaining romp, with a real heart and a rare depth of memory.

• Really enjoyed reading this - very easy and relaxed writing style and very attractively produced.