So Here It Is

Having known a bit more about Slade than the average American prior to “Run Runaway,” I was interested to read this autobiography by co-founder and guitarist Dave Hill. I read a lot of these “rock star” autobiographies and, while most tend to be a bit narcissistic or perhaps an attempt at some sort of justification, “So Here It Is” is neither. Hill's story is as refreshing as the manner in which he tells it. He lets the reader know right off the bat, by relating that he was living at home with his parents at the same time that his band had the number one song in the UK, that there is very little in the way of pretense here. Hill fills the story of Slade with anecdotes that one can tell are written exactly as he's told them dozens of times in the pub with his mates. Rather than putting on airs, Hill's narrative instead lays it on the line: here's what happened, and these are all the things we accomplished, these are the failures we endured, these are the things we did right, these are the mistakes we made, these are the things I'm proud of and these are the regrets I've had. Through it all, Hill's gregarious, humorous and down-to-earth manner makes for a pleasant, as well as informative, read. I quite enjoyed this book and found myself laughing along with Hill as he related incidents that obviously still crack him up or still fill him with wonder after all these years. It's nice to see someone who's gone through so much come out at the other end with a sense that they are content, and I think Hill's genuine humility has a lot to do with that.