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No Big Deal

No Big Deal

By Dean Brownrout

From 1980 to around 2000, Dean Brownrout had an uncanny habit of finding himself at the forefront of cultural shifts—from the emergence of new wave and thrash metal music to the dawn of the commercial internet. No Big Deal is a very humorous and nostalgic journey through a seminal time in the music industry, told in a style reminiscent of Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. Its unfiltered view into this transforming era includes a glimpse at America’s technological influence and culture. And, of course, no show business memoir is complete without appearances by The Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, the Beastie Boys, models, actors, and countless other fringe characters and luminaries.

Details

Guernica World Editions (Memoir)

978-1-77183-909-9

170 pages |

$22.95 CAD
$22.95 CAD
Sale Sold out
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Reviews

It's both an honest, unvarnished portrayal of the independent record business at the end of the 20th century, and a well-told personal tale that manages to steer away from showbiz clichés and tropes.

John Lay, former co-manager Squeeze, Jools Holland, former manager, Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians, The Greenberry Woods

The book is a thoroughly enjoyable, great read, impossible to put down. It's quite witty, and funny, too. Zipping through the book, you'll be too busy gulping down the juicy anecdotes to stop and take stock of the author's natural storytelling gifts.

Alan Lord, author of High Friends in Low Places

Dean's story doubles as a cautionary tale about the "business" side of the music business. It made me nostalgic for the pre-internet record industry.

Francis Macdonald, drummer, BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub

A fascinating and insightful ride from the indie '80s to the bloated '90s, and the eventual crumbling of the record business, as the digital age creeps in.

Michael Shelley, WFMU DJ and former Big Deal recording artist

It's a big deal, for sure.

Robert Singerman, former manager, The Fleshtones, The Smithereens, Gipsy Kings, former agent, R.E.M., Violent Femmes

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Awards

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About the author

Dean Brownrout is a former music business entrepreneur who had an uncanny habit of finding himself at the forefront of cultural shifts—from the emergence of new wave and thrash metal to the dawn of the commercial internet. He is currently an art dealer working with galleries and museums around the world.