Despite those horrors, Winwood appears hopeful, and it is the credit of great writing that a reader does not feel that same despair and fear so brutally explained by Winwood's personalised account.

Bodies relates a number of incidents where an artist is pushed or feels impelled to work despite being clearly unwell, sometimes with terrible consequences. It's a moving, poignant and sometimes harrowing account of musicians struggles with depression, addiction and other mental health concerns. Even though we're all familiar with the history of the Lostprophets lead singer (I refuse to mention him by name), it's still very, very hard to read that particular bit. Still, if you are interested in the music business and rock music in particular, this is a book worth reading.

A sensitive, raw and fascinating look at substance abuse and mental health within the music industry. Anyone with any interest in the real stories behind the music they love should devour this; but they should brace themselves for some difficult stories. It’s a situation compounded by a noticeable lack of duty of care on the part of management and record companies. I'm certainly more aware now of the huge pressures they face, I just wish they had been able to get support for their struggles. Much more than a touchline reporter, Winwood also tells the tale of his own mental-health collapse following the shocking death of his father.

Also not sure about his assertion that Brian Warner's (aka Marilyn Manson) career is over post allegations of abuse from multiple women. Conversations about mental health and support for those with issues should be an essential part of looking after artists. In Bodies , author Ian Winwood explores the music industry's many failures, from addiction and mental health issues to its ongoing exploitation of artists. To quote Jarvis Cocker who appears in this book far too briefly "Nobody ever says Oh what a lovely person they've become since they started doing loads of Class A drugs".

Winwood is excoriatingly honest in his appraisal of both the artists and himself, in this visceral examination of art, drugs, mental health and music. On top of this the record companies do not come off well, depicted as using the musicians as commodities, making money out of tel gem and not looking out for their mental health - once in motion tours do not get cancelled if some of the band is struggling! If I may brag a little, the author didn't mention a single band or artist I hadn't at least heard of, and I even recognised some musicians who weren't mentioned by name. He drops a lot of band names and places he's visited as if to reinforce the privileged position he found himself in but for me this just makes his cliched decline into substance abuse even more idiotic.

So many have died, I really hope that the destructive stories shared here become less common in the future. Winwood makes a compelling argument and overturns some long-held notions about “rock and roll excess” by deftly tying together a vast amount of information .Eric calmly explains the comparatively mundane things he’ll be doing at the same time his son arrives in The City Of Angels, before signing off. Listen to the Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-produced songs Even It Out and North, taken from Fever Ray’s recent-released album Radical Romantics.