Murray McLauchlan says he wrote this autobiography to pass his stories on to his kids before he got “too old or too dead.” His children are lucky to have such a caring father. Readers are fortunate to have such an eloquent story teller. Getting Out of Here Alive breezes along for most of its 387 pages, written in a conversational style that recalls a fireside chat.

McLauchlan’s story echoes that of many immigrants who came to North America in the postwar era. McLauchlan’s family left their native Scotland in 1953 and set out for a better life. He writes with great humour (and detail) about the long sea voyage that brought him to Quebec, and the subsequent train ride that ended in Toronto.

McLauchlan had thought that he was moving to sunny California, with its promise of exotic goodies like big, fat navel oranges. But he soon grew to like his adopted home and absorbed all things Canadian. He became a rabid Maple Leafs fan, a sure sign of his assimilation. The story is told with great enthusiasm, although his prose sometimes takes an over-the-top “gee whiz” tone.

Most interesting is McLauchlan’s ascent in the music business. Since his rise to stardom closely follows the birth of an industry infrastructure in this country, these chapters present a fascinating insider’s account of the early days of the Canadian music scene.

The real beauty of this book, like all good show business biographies, is its ability to draw you into McLauchlan’s life’s work – his music – and ultimately send you back to his large catalogue of recorded work.