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Simon Matthews has had a varied career including a spell running the British Transport Films documentary film library and several years singing in semi-professional rock groups. He has contributed articles on music, film and cultural history to Record Collector, Shindig! and Lobster magazines. Psychedelic Celluloid, his illustrated history of UK music, film and TV between 1965 and 1974 was published by Oldcastle Books in 2016; its sequel, Looking for a New England, followed in 2021.
Matthews doesn't hold back when it comes to detail, and this makes for a fascinating read as we uncover a whole new perspective on the well-worn history of underground London. -- Sarah Gregory * Shindig! * But Simon Matthews weaves a web around the story of Tinto Brass, adding dozens of links with people and organisations from the underground, the avant-garde, the rock scene, and the movie world. (Just like Julian Palacios did in Dark Globe, but around Syd Barrett and the early Floyd.) In that aspect, it is much more than a Tinto Brass biography. Just like the title predicts, it gives an overview of 'swinging London and the 60s pop culture scene', through the cinematographic lens of Giovanni Brass. People who have read some of my reviews know that I am a sucker for footnotes (Men On The Border is mentioned in one of those) and that I can't resist a bulky index. Free Your Mind! has a 23-page index, making it a joy to jump from page to page. Free Your Mind! is the kind of book I like to read. -- Felix Atagong * The Holy Church of Iggy the Inuit *
