By Charlotte Lewis
A Far Cry from Sunset is a short novel written by British musician Billy Franks. It follows a dual story line of Billy from his impoverished childhood beginning in a slum aptly named the Battersea Bridge Building. The hardships he endures from an absentee father to the anarchic social hierarchy in his housing development are written with a sparse unaffected style. Interwoven into the telling of Billy’s life story is a quest to approach highly successful musicians to perform on a tribute album with the proceeds going to charity. The catch is that Billy and a few close friends plan to create a film that captures the artists “Guerilla Style” with their proposal. They devise that their plan is full proof based on the appeal of a fellow artist that didn’t make it big desiring only musical recognition without monetary gain.
The film is unsuccessful, the production falling apart at every turn ending painfully in an angry lecture from Bryan Adams at the impropriety of their actions. Billy Frank has an interesting life story; he repeatedly states that he is a man who had dreams that didn’t come true. However he did acquire a level of success in the music industry and with different choices perhaps could have gone further. Samples of his work and the film are offered throughout the novel by digital barcode. An interesting approach that neatly markets Mr. Franks work while providing a multisensory experience for the reader.
