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Ian A. Anderson in concert. Photo credit: John Palmer

Alien Water by Ian A. Anderson – a book review

As Ian A. Anderson's memoir launches on Kickstarter, we explore a heartfelt, witty book that chronicles six decades of passion, innovation, and sacrifice for the folk cause.

HELP FUND THIS BOOK
This book is being brought to life through a Kickstarter campaign launching on 15 January 2025. Supporting the project helps preserve this remarkable story and celebrates the legacy of a figure who has done so much to keep the music you love afloat.

Ian A. Anderson’s Alien Water: Six Decades Paddling In Unpopular Music isn’t just a memoir – it’s a roadmap for anyone navigating the uncharted, often turbulent pond waters of a life in niche art. Equal parts handbook and cautionary tale, Anderson chronicles six decades of musical obsession with an enthusiasm that’s both infectious and grounding. For those of us who believe that a life without the thrill of a new sonic discovery is no life at all, it’s essential reading.

Anderson is excellent on the excitement of stumbling upon and falling head-over-heels in love with unchartered music, specifically in an era when finding a blues record in Weston-super-Mare was as rare as a yeti sighting – possibly rarer. You don’t have to be from Weston to relate; there’s a universal familiarity for anyone who has lived far from the action and longed to get closer. That’s where the handbook aspect shines: Anderson had the courage to reinvent himself as someone windswept and interesting (to borrow a Billy Connolly phrase). It didn’t always work, but when it did it benefitted the rest of us. Not enough folk and blues in the West Country? Ian started a club. No record label for English psych-folk pioneers? He created one. Frustrated by the music press’s treatment of folk? He founded a magazine. He even helped ignite an interest in global roots music. Time and again, Anderson made things happen.

Yet his successes often came at a personal cost. As a touring pioneer of psych-folk and British country blues (take a listen to ‘Stereo Death Breakdown‘ if you want proof), Anderson devoted so much energy to championing others that his own music career began to suffer. Many readers will know him as the founder and very-long-time editor of fRoots, a magazine that remains deeply missed and whose demise feels, at times, like a holing beneath the waterline for the British folk scene. Few will realise just how much that endeavour demanded of him. This book lays it all bare.

The pages on Les Cousins and the Bristol Troubadour, a period of particular interest to me personally, are riveting – perhaps the best writing on those legendary clubs. Anderson surpasses even his own excellent earlier work on the topic, offering a rare firsthand glimpse into the folkie hideaways of the era. It’s a valuable historical record, sure to leave future generations green with envy.

What elevates Alien Water beyond a mere collection of anecdotes is its underlying message: a life in music, however obscure or challenging, has a purpose beyond the self. Anderson reminds us that the joy isn’t always in the applause but in the connections forged through music. He perfectly captures what it means to be so infatuated with a song or an artist that you feel compelled to drop everything and share it with the world (even if it means devoting your best years to running a magazine for folk obsessives). His experiences highlight the importance of camaraderie, of building and being part of a community that values art for its own sake. These connections are the true treasure.

Alien Water is more than a memoir; it’s a rallying cry to keep paddling, even when the current pushes against you. Bravo, Ian. Bravo.

Support the publication of this book through the Alien Water Kickstarter campaign.