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  • The Story of the Streets

  • By: Mike Skinner
  • Narrated by: Mike Skinner
  • Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (515 ratings)
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The Story of the Streets cover art

The Story of the Streets

By: Mike Skinner
Narrated by: Mike Skinner
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Summary

Winner of the Best Book Award 2013 at the NME Awards

"This book is going to try and get as close as possible to the full story of what informed the noise of The Streets. Obviously that's something I should be fairly well qualified to know about, and I'm going to be as honest as the publisher's lawyers will allow."

With the 2001 release of The Streets' debut single "Has It Come to This?" the landscape of British popular music changed forever. No longer did home-grown rappers have to anxiously defer to transatlantic influences. Mike Skinner's witty, self-deprecating sagas of late-night kebab shops and skunk-fuelled Playstation sessions showed how much you could achieve simply by speaking in your own voice.

In this thoroughly modern memoir, the man the Guardian once dubbed "half Dostoevsky… half Samuel Pepys" tells a freewheeling, funny and fearlessly honest tale of Birmingham and London, ecstasy and epilepsy, Twitter-fear and Spectrum joysticks, spread betting and growing up. He writes of his musical inspirations, role models and rivals, the craft of song writing, and reflects on the successes and failures of the decade-long journey of The Streets.

©2012 Mike Skinner (P)2012 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Cleverer, funnier, more illuminating and beautifully written than anything I have read in the longest time." (Decca Aitkenhead, Guardian)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a geezer.

More than just a musician
A really interesting man
With many ups & downs
Thanks Mike
I loved it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Should've got someone else to narrate it

I am not a huge Streets fan but I like them enough to be interested and I was not disappointed. I felt Skinner told an insightful story about the 5 albums from The Streets. He comes across as humble and honest without any silly showbiz gossip, no self-indulgent stories of crazy parties and no bad mouthing any contemporaries (apart from one). He talks about song writing and structure in a way that I never appreciated and I intend to go back and re-visit the albums with this insight.



HOWEVER! I wish he hadn't read it himself as he is truly a terrible narrator! For a guy who raps on songs and is a good laugh in interviews I've heard with him, he is articulate and amusing but all of this is lost in the dreadful monotone with doesn't abate for the entire 7 hours! If you can stick with it it's worth it but if I were you, I'd buy the book and read it yourself. At least listen to the sample first.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love Mike even more now

For me, this book revealed a whole new side of Mike Skinner. Before listening to this, I mainly loved his music, now I'm a big fan of both Mike and his music!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

timeless

Have read this book at least 10 times. Mike is such an interesting man and it was such an interesting time.
I will definitely read again for many years to come.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Smart bloke

Better than expected, smarter than expected, preety accurate, , , , , , , ,

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

sensational

informative amd emotional journey into the history of Mike Skinner''s world. uniquely wonderful and true.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A searingly honest and gritty story of The Streets

A searingly honest and gritty story of The Streets.

As a passing fan of Mike Skinner, I loved this book for how well it’s written and how honest his voice is rather than a love for the music itself (which, the the way, I now have a newfound love for).

One of the best musical autobiographies I’ve ever read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable

Great story and a wellknown recognizable voice that feels great to hear again. Like listening to a 7 hour long The Streets-acapella! Mike Skinner should remix it with some ambient beats!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Mike!

As growing up listening to The Streets, Mike is somebody that I’ve idolised. A genius in his field & an incredible story that goes with it. I recommend this to anyone with a passion of The Streets.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well worth a listen

If you like listening to the streets you will really like the book and Mike reading it. You will go back over a few songs/albums after.

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