Nineteen eighty-four was a momentous year for me, it was the
year I discovered Iron Maiden and its lead singer Bruce
Dickinson, respectively my all-time favorite band and
singer. I had seen Bruce Dickinson in interviews, and
thought him a charming, open, very witty and well- educated
man, that he also was a talented fencer and flew airplanes,
and that's about it. It's quite a lot, you say? In Mr.
Dickinson's case, it's only the beginning. WHAT DOES THIS
BUTTON DO? relates the English singer's school days, and
joining a band, which were not particularly eventful, as far
as rock stars go. He somewhat happened to be at the right
place, at the right time on a few occasions, such as when he
joined his first major band, Samson, and then the mighty
Iron Maiden. I felt it was at that point that the book got
really interesting. Mr. Dickinson is known for his unique
voice and delivery that revolutionized heavy metal music,
one of the most amusing anecdotes is how he got the moniker
of "human air-raid siren".
WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO? is unlike any biography I have
ever read, but in a way, how it should be. There is no
gossip, no name-dropping, and the author goes even as far as
not mentioning his marriages, divorces, and children, by
choice, only a couple of nameless girlfriends in passing.
This is not a book about sex and drugs and rock and roll:
drugs play an infinitesimal part in the author's life, who
barely touched them, and he did not surround himself with
drug users either. The sex? Does it really matter, beyond
the titillation factor? While I had thought at some point:
"Wasn't there a wife?" It really occurred to me only while
reading the Afterword, and I did not mind one bit if the
aspects that are usually predominant in biographies. This
book really is a biography in its pure meaning, that is the
author telling the reader about himself, and his life up to
the time of writing.
Bruce Dickinson's is not your average rock star. Obviously,
he has been a very successful artist for decades, but what
makes this book so very different is that music constitutes
only a part of what makes Bruce Dickinson who he is: a true
Renaissance man. He learned to fence early in life, it was a
passion, and he reached world-class caliber, and that is a
captivating part of the book. Then he got serious about
flying, his dedication is remarkable, and I will let the
readers judge for themselves. There are extraordinary
moments in WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO?, such as when the
author was in Sarajevo in 1994, which is hair-raising; he
was also in New York on 9/11, and although I always knew
that Mr. Dickinson was a compassionate human being, those
chapters are very touching. Bruce Dickinson has always been
very straightforward, and the chapter when he speaks about
his getting cancer is incredible; no thriller could ever
match this. WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO? is a riveting story of
a man's story: there are very few things that Mr. Dickinson
has not done, he excels at almost everything when he sets
his mind to it, and he has done an astounding amount of
things. When the author talks about music, it is almost a
transcendental experience: how he felt when he heard the
music that really moved him, and particularly his approach
to singing and perfecting his vocal technique; oddly enough,
those moments were absolutely riveting.
Bruce Dickinson has always come off as a genial man, and his
biography confirms it; I felt like I was having a pint or a
cuppa with a long-time friend, who had fabulous stories to
tell, and I hope he will grace us with more. Mr. Dickinson
is, as expected, clever and sharp; well- spoken, and very
private. Iron Maiden fans will gobble this up, but a reader
doesn't even have to know Bruce Dickinson, or even like
rock music for that matter, because WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON
DO? is indeed a book about an astonishing singer and
showman, but most of all it is an inspiring book about a man
who chose never to compromise and lives to its fullest by
giving it everything he's got. WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO? If
Bruce Dickinson doesn't know, he'll find out.
A long-awaited memoir from the larger-than-life,
multifaceted lead vocalist of Iron Maiden, one of the most
successful, influential and enduring rock bands ever
Pioneers of Britain’s nascent Rock & Metal scene back in the
late 1970s, Iron Maiden smashed its way to the top, thanks
in no small part to the high-octane performances, operatic
singing style, and stage presence of its second, but
twice-longest-serving, lead singer, Bruce Dickinson. As Iron
Maiden’s front man—first from 1981 to 1993, and then from
1999 to the present—Dickinson has been, and remains, a man
of legend.
But OTT front man is just one of the many hats Bruce wears.
In addition to being one of the world’s most storied and
well-respected singers and songwriters, he is an airline
captain, aviation entrepreneur, motivational speaker, beer
brewer, novelist, radio presenter, and film scriptwriter. He
has also competed as a world-class level fencer. Often
credited as a genuine polymath Bruce, in his own words (and
handwritten script in the first instance!), sets forth many
personal observations guaranteed to inspire curious souls
and hard-core fans alike.
Dickinson turns his unbridled creativity, passion, and
anarchic humour to reveal some fascinating stories from his
life, including his thirty years with Maiden, his solo
career, his childhood within the eccentric British school
system, his early bands, fatherhood and family, and his
recent battle with cancer.
Bold, honest, intelligent and very funny, his memoir is an
up-close look inside the life, heart, and mind of one of the
most unique and interesting men in the world; a true icon of
rock.
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