Street Corner Talking: The Autobiography of Kim Simmonds

This panoramic posthumous debut memoir from Simmonds, who died in 2022, chronicles his career as founder and leader of the blues rock group Savoy Brown. Born in 1947 in a Welsh mining town, Simmonds was introduced to rock by his older brother—and eventual manager—Harry. Later, he drew inspiration from the “tough, mean distorted blues” of Chicago and the Mississippi Delta. As a teen, Simmonds immersed himself in London’s underground R&B scene and formed the first iteration of Savoy Brown in 1965, launching a decades-long career of near-constant touring and recording. He breezes through some of the more personal elements of his life—including his first marriage—lingering instead on gritty stories from the road, recollections of the many musicians he shared a stage with, and technical descriptions of his guitar models and amplification techniques. He also catalogs the dizzying rotation of band members throughout the group’s history, sometimes with jarring flippancy—at one sound check, he recalls “firing everyone” in a “blind fit of angst.” Though somewhat rough around the edges, it’s a revealing glimpse into the life of an architect of British blues rock. (Feb.)