On the front jacket of The Lonely Planet Boy there's an endorsement from novelist Jonathan Coe. A great favourite of mine. It says 'As good as they come.'
This is overstating things slightly. Coe's own The Dwarves of Death, which I've reviewed on here recently is far better. It has novelist's guile,and depth, which this lacks.
In this section Kip Wilson finds his love interest. Her name is Mina. She's Nico essentially. If she'd been born Austrian and not German. And born in the late fifties, not the late thirties. The doomed glamour and despair are essentially the same.
Kip is deeply smitten. Sees her live where she threatens and performs a partial strip onstage. She also does a version during the set of this Brel number. Kip interviews her and writes a rave review. It's all a rather palid young male fantasy. Hoskyns should know better and supply greater depth and critical comment. It's evident how much basic misogyny pervades the music scene during these years.
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