“Silent Runner” - The new biography of Mike Rutherford by Mario Giammetti reviewed by Alan Hewitt.

Mario has been chronicling the careers of Genesis and its various protagonists for over twenty years now, initially with the excellent Italian language Dusk Magazine, and latterly with a series of books detailing the individual careers of the band members. Thus far, among the other books Mario has written, he has written excellent biographies of Tony, Phil, Steve, Ant and now it is the turn of Mike Rutherford to be put under the spotlight.

Silent Runner therefore, is the first biography of Mike’s career to appear in print (at least as far as I know) and as such once again Mario has undertaken the task with not only evident relish, but also with his customary eye for detail. With several book on Genesis already under his belt, Mario here gives us a thumbnail sketch of Mike’s time with the band before launching into the meat of the subject which is Mike’s career outside of Genesis.

Lavishly illustrated with a gamut of photographs which leaves me feeling slightly envious I have to admit, every aspect of Mike’s solo career is here in glorious detail and if any of Mario’s books ever gain a translation into English I for one will be first in line to purchase them such is the wealth of detail and information which is no doubt there for the reading. As an example of musical journalistic excellence Mario’s efforts are always first rate and this one is no exception - bravo, Mario!

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Mario Giammetti - Mike Rutherford Silent Runner. Edizioni Segno ISBN: 978-88-6138-412-5. 20 Euro. For more information on Mario’s other books, check out the publisher’s website: www.edizionisegno.it