Diary of a Hyperdreamer Vol. 2, by Bill Nelson

A musician’s autumn years are seldom as interesting as their first flush of success, with all the pitfalls that go with it. Now that Bill Nelson, mastermind of 70s art rockers Be Bop Deluxe, can finally set his eyes on retirement, he’s keen to organise his recent past as neatly as possible.

Hyperdreamer Vol.2 settles on a run of diary entries from 2005-2006, recording the reflections of a man up to his neck in nostalgic quicksand. The passages were initially meant for users of his Dreamsville website, as a reward for their fandom. Throughout the book, it’s heartening to see how busy the middle-aged Nelson is: conventions, records and professional favours swamp his thoughts on love and life, and his panic over making essential music in spite of the selfish world he’s appeared to have landed in.

Despite wondering that we’re all “grasping, filching, fiddling while Rome burns,” dues are paid to other survivors of a once vibrant British pop scene – one of whom, Nelson's brother Ian, sadly died during the writing of these memoirs. His loss is shatteringly close to the message of instinct and individualism Nelson brings up between accounts of his days, giving his prosaic grumbles (A bathroom suite doesn’t arrive! His studio has no air conditioning!) space to steam. Still, he’s an engaging character, ripe with energy and self-deprecation. If you’re interested in how to manage the strands of a creative twilight, you’ll eat it up.