'Finally, Will has written his masterpiece. I'm glad I could be of service.' -- Lawrence 'This book will make you laugh and cry - Lawrence is a monument to the power of Pop. The best and the worst of it. Essential reading.' -- Jarvis Cocker 'In a music world awash with fakes, straights and careerists on the make, Lawrence is that rare creature - an artist committed to realising his vision no matter how many humiliations and bad rolls of the dice he's had to endure. Lawrence is the one true poet of austerity Britain and Will Hodgkinson's wonderful book captures the essence and strangeness of the man.' -- Bobby Gillespie 'I can't tell you how good this book is' -- John Niven 'I've known Lawrence - off and on - since we were both in our teens, but I never really understood what makes his brilliant mind tick. I think I do now. A truly fabulous book about a truly unique and gifted man and one of the best music books I've ever clapped eyes on' -- Marc Riley 'Street-Level Superstar has the same sense of discipline and whim as Andy Warhol's From A to B and Back Again, with a hint of the entirely personal philosophy of Huysman's À Rebours. A fantastic, singular book.' -- Mat Osman 'There's success and there's failure but Lawrence's destiny was to be something uniquely in-between. A fascinating tale beautifully told.' -- Brett Anderson 'A litany of perceived slights, unrequited lust, milky tea and liquorice quests. Celibacy, control-freakery, glitter and grit. Lawrence is elusive and obsessive. The enigmatic auto-didact. This funny and often impossible tale of the romantic who always fails in love is grandiose, unflinching and low-rent. His world of vagrant glamour exists in the rare place where fame and destitution meet. It is champagne taste and beer money.
Street-Level Superstar is a masterclass in self-sabotage from a connoisseur of 20th-century pop.' -- Adelle Stripe 'If you admire Lawrence for his timeless songs and sublime lyrics, his embrace of the absurd and all-sacrificing dedication to his art - you'll love this book. If you've dismissed him as a self-deluded, self-sabotaging fuck-up of niche interest - you'll love this book. If you're fascinated by the legions of anecdotes mythologising Lawrence's eccentricities, control-freakery and failed attempts at pop stardom - you'll love this book. If you want to read a hilarious, infuriating and ultimately insightful and touching account of what it is like to spend a year in Lawrence's company - you'll love this book. I've felt all of the above and I loved this book' -- Miki Berenyi 'Lawrence is Britain's greatest enthusiast for the arcane and unloved, who can find magic in suburban sweet shops, high-end book shops, or Chas and Dave b-sides.' -- Bob Stanley
