{"title":"Kevin Rowland","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"my-beauty","title":"My Beauty","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in 1999, \u003ci\u003eMy Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e was the second solo album from Dexys \/ Dexys Midnight Runners’ lead singer Kevin Rowland. The album was mostly unfairly received by critics at the time, but in the years since has come to enjoy cult status. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eMy Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e comprises twelve cover songs, personally chosen by Kevin and adapted to make the lyrics more directly reflective of his life. The result was an autobiographical concept record about his battle and recovery from addiction, and his own struggle with self-esteem, exemplified by his incredible version of George Benson \/ Whitney Houston classic \u003ci\u003eThe Greatest Love Of All\u003c\/i\u003e. This vinyl reissue is presented with it's originally intended track-listing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cherry Red","offers":[{"title":"Clear | LP","offer_id":50436000940363,"sku":"1145746","price":20.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8d33be4e-8ad3-4298-94e5-c2b81a924e0f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726910912"},{"product_id":"my-beauty-1","title":"My Beauty","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in 1999, \u003ci\u003eMy Beauty \u003c\/i\u003ewas the second solo album from Dexys \/ Dexys Midnight Runners’ lead singer Kevin Rowland. The album was mostly unfairly received by critics at the time, but in the years since has come to enjoy cult status. This reissue is the first time\u003ci\u003e My Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e has been available on vinyl and on CD with its originally intended track-listing. \u003ci\u003eMy Beauty \u003c\/i\u003ecomprises twelve cover songs, personally chosen by Kevin and adapted to make the lyrics more directly reflective of his life. The result was an autobiographical concept record about his battle and recovery from addiction, and his own struggle with self-esteem, exemplified by his incredible version of George Benson \/ Whitney Houston classic \u003ci\u003eThe Greatest Love Of All. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKevin’s choice of style for this record was men’s dresses – in stark contrast to the prevailing mood in the late 1990s of British lad rock. The cover design was a radical look for the time – silk dresses, stockings and make up, not cross-dressing but a look that was undoubtedly feminine. The album was released on Oasis’ label Creation, after Kevin was signed by Alan McGee (who loved Kevin’s new look and labelled it “punk rock”). However, \u003ci\u003eMy Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e was to be the last record released before Creation folded and the chaos that surrounded the label meant they hadn’t secured approval for the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s \u003ci\u003eThunder Road\u003c\/i\u003e. Despite its flowing, elegant music, the album was viciously savaged by most critics, with some focussing on Kevin’s choice of attire rather than the quality of the music. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow in 2020, on the album’s 21st birthday, the world has changed and it’s high time to re-evaluate this modern masterpiece. Only ever previously released on CD,\u003ci\u003e My Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e has been remastered by original co-producer (with Dexys stalwart Jim Paterson) Pete Schwier and Marco Migliari. Over time, some music critics have re-evaluated \u003ci\u003eMy Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e as a lost classic. Kevin has lived through all of this, and it was a painful experience to be outcast and dismissed. Now that attitudes have changed, hopefully the music can finally reach the audience it deserves and Kevin can tell his story. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirst time on vinyl for this long-overlooked classic and is a Limited Edition pressing on Baby Pink vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cherry Red","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50447647441227,"sku":"1095459","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8f0c1167-d5ab-44bf-b408-bdecd96f22dc_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727080577"},{"product_id":"bless-me-father-a-life-story","title":"Bless Me Father: A Life Story","description":"\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/collection\/books-of-the-year-2025\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooks of the Year 2025: #2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKevin Rowland\u003c\/strong\u003e takes us on an incredible journey in his memoir, from his troubled teenage years to his massive chart success with \u003cem\u003eDexys Midnight Runners\u003c\/em\u003e in the early 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite being celebrated as a creative genius, inner turmoil and self-sabotage were never far away. From shocking audiences with his embrace of gender fluidity with \"\u003cem\u003eMy Beauty\u003c\/em\u003e,\" to Dexys' triumphant appearance at Glastonbury in 2024, Kevin's story is one of resilience in the face of adversity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough vivid detail and a rare degree of self-insight, Kevin shares his deeply personal account of an extraordinary life, raw and unvarnished. This remarkable memoir is as compelling and original as you would expect from one of the great mavericks of British music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin","offers":[{"title":"Hardback Signed Book and Bookmark - BOTY","offer_id":53562651705675,"sku":"R1098-8380","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardback Signed Book with Exclusive Postcard","offer_id":51439813394763,"sku":"R1098-9875","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":51784339685707,"sku":"R1098-4150","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback - Signed","offer_id":56878528823627,"sku":"R1098-3158","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/81que-SzRGL._SY522.jpg?v=1774441527"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/kevin-rowland.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}