Never Surrender (or Nearly Good Looking)
by Biff Byford & John Tucker

Charismatic frontman reminesces

Biff Byford's excellent and well produced autobiography is much like Saxon's music: unpretentious, hard-edged and compelling. Byford's is a familiar story: the tough childhood in working-class Yorkshire; the escape from the coal mining environment that rock music provided; the forming of a band; the rise to fame and excess (bear in mind that Saxon toured with Mötley Crüe in the mid-80s); poor management ; financial difficulties and the long slog to their current status as respected elder statesman.

The reason it works so well is that Biff's persona, indeed, his tone of voice, comes through so strongly that the book has the aura of a chat with the singer over a pint (or, as it's Biff, a cup of tea). His story is told with passion, warmth and self-deprecating humor throughout. He muses philosophically over the commonly-held belief that the band never fulfilled their potential for superstardom , and approaches their management and personnel problems with little regret or bitterness, and with the air of a man at peace with his lot in life. Essential headbanging history.

ISBN 3931624447

Reviewed by William Pinfold
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