Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Popular music collections will relish its approach and depth
DANCE OF DAYS: TWO DECADES OF PUNK IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL offers a compelling account of the culture and nature of punk rock, with a narrowed focus on Washington, D.C.'s insurgent punk scene. This fourth edition updates and expands prior information and provides a fine history of a grassroots rock movement that came of age in the early 90s. Popular music collections will relish its approach and depth.
... Read more

Product Description
Sometimes being a Washington DC insider means access to political movers and shakers--sometimes, as in the case of photographer Cynthia Connolly, it means access to a great collection of photographs from the glory days of DC hardcore punk. Taken both by Connolly and an assortment of punk enthusiasts, BANNED IN DC is a set of vibrant shots that portray the anarchic spirit, pure energy, and camaraderie of the DC scene in a series of 450 black and white photographs. Major figures in the hardcore movement, like Dischord Records co-owner and then-Minor Threat member Ian MacKaye and Bad Brains vocalist HR, share space with naked musicians, ubiquitous scenesters, shaven-headed audience members, and riotous punks, in a freewheeling combination of pictures and quotes. Vividly capturing the scene's idealistic intensity, BANNED IN DC is an invaluable document of Washington hardcore's exuberance and aspirations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

but where's Pussy Galore?
Cynthia is brilliant and the book is brilliant - Jenny Toomey is brilliant - i just wish they hadn't skipped the great Pussy Galore - a band that went on to spawn Royal Trux and John Spencer's Blues Explosion - the former being one of the most influential bands of the 90's.Neil Hagerty, Jennifer Herrema deserved some ink - hell even Calvin Klein understood that :)Still a brilliant book!

a visual history of hardcore
This is a big book, full of candid photographs of some of the rawest moments in punk rock history in DC. Anyone who is interested in the history of the scene, especially Dischord, should be able to appreciate how extensive this collection of words and images is, and will enjoy the sense of urgency and life it conveys.

Best punk hardcore book in existence
Without a doubt, this book is the best around on punk and hardcore.Banned in DC was put out long ago, about at the height of the infatuation with Dischord, just as that DC scene was beginning to shun itself and others, in a way.

But this collection of b/w photos is amazing.Simple and smart, the pix capture the essence of the scene, including the bands and the people.Because this music is best experienced live, the photos do it justice unlike words can.

Anyone into punk, hardcore or indie music needs to have this book.Unlike many British and 70's NY or LA punk books, Banned in DC means something to anyone who grew up on 80's and 9's underground music.

Long live harDCore
This book rocks! I feel so lucky to have grown up in the area during this time skating and listening to these legendary bands that helped pioneer and shape the domestic punk rock scene. That time in my life had such a great influence on who I am today. In what was normally a stuffy conservative area, the DC punk scene was a culture of it's own that forced me to think outside the box. I have long since left the area for the west coast, but I will never forget that time and all the great shows I saw at the 9:30. This book really helps bring those memories back to life.

great book - feels like a punk yearbook to me!
I've had this book for years!I even found three pictures that have me in them!

It's a collection of photos that could be submitted after the fact - because of that, the photos were of people and bands that were around the photographer/submitter - thus the limited perspective that some reviewers commented on.

I don't think that the people taking the pictures had planned to publish something of this magnitude, and try to make a documentary of it, but the stories and pictures of people that I remember make it worthwhile.Some of these people are still very influential in the music scene.

If you want to get a feel for what it was like during the late 70's and into the 80's in the DC punk scene, this book is invaluable. ... Read more

Product Description

Unlike other volumes on the punk era that focus on just the music—and primarily on British punk bands—Punks: A Guide to an American Subculture spans the full expanse of punk as it happened in the United States, from the late-1960s blast from Iggy Pop and the Stooges to the full explosion of punk in the mid 1970s to its next-generation resurgences and continuing aftershocks.

Punks covers it all—not just music, but the punk influence on film, fashion, media, and language. Readers will see how punk spread virally, through fan-created magazines, record labels, clubs, and radio stations, as well as how mainstream America reacted, then absorbed aspects of punk culture. The book includes interviews with key members of the punk subculture, including new conversations with people who participated in the punk scene in the 1970s and 1980s.

Product Description

Product Description

Product Description
Punk expert George Gimarc presents the ultimate, day-to-day reference guide to this often misunderstood rock music era. It's all here--from the great bands and musicians to the famous and obscure record labels. Each book is accompanied by a CD featuring revealing conversations with artists who shaped the Punk era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Dangerous book!!!
This book is riveting. I label it dangerous, because after you'ver read it, you will be compelled to go out and spend all kinds of money seeking out records from all the bands that are spoken of in the book. Nothing is missing. Concerts that I attended are there with dates, times and copies of ticket stubbs. You thought you knew who played for who...........then you read this. Fascinating.

Punk Diary
Getting this book is like striking gold for anyone who loves punk rock. It's a treasure-trove of information, in meticulous order.This is the kind of book you can open randomly at any page and just start reading.The author really did his homework.If you want to learn more about punk, you can definitely get the information reading this book.

George Gimarc is one of my heroes
I routinely taped his radio program "Rock and Roll Alternative" in the late 70s to early 80s. He was always introducing new songs and educating me about the new music going on. If one of the new bands happened to be in town he almost always had them in the studio for an interview. This book is a great retrospective on that period of my life.

Excellent rock trivia book!
Anyone interested in the history of Rock should get this book. It's written in chronological order, and I found myself spending hours following the intricate relationships between the various bands.

Looking for the definitive Punk History of the 1970s?
Unlike any other book on the market about the Punk Rock revolution.It can be read cover to cover (as I did!) or you can pick and choose the entries searching for information on your favorite bands.If you are amusic enthusiast, this book is definitely for you.It has all the storieson ALL of the bands whether they were comercially successful or not. Perhaps the best thing about the book is the excellent CD that comes withit.I can't wait to read the follow up! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

PROMISES MORE THAN IT DELIVERS
Look, I love Best-Albums collections more than anybody.In the Introduction, there's a suggestion by the author that he intends to move beyond the Critical Canon and present a new set of choices that come from both the proletariat and artsy contingents.But then you get in the body of the book, and sure, yes, the ROLLING STONE/Jann Wenner Sixties-As-End-All-And-Be-All Canon is subverted, but it's still full of the standard rock critics bromides: politico foaming instead of telling us things like (oh, I don't know) how the music sounds, albums and artists chosen for their Mainstream-Opposition traits, and predictable choices for a certain kind of British critic from a particular time.And you can list all the house music in the world, but the man on the street that you claim as representational ain't gonna go for it.With good reason. ... Read more

Product Description
Unlike studies that consider punk as subculture and style, this innovative book maps the field of punk-rock labels. Using the ideas of Pierre Bourdieu, it describes the social life of the field and the struggles of punks to live up to their ideals. ... Read more

Product Description
Exploring MacGowan’s childhood in England and Tipperary, the book goes on to trace his alcohol-soaked life from pop success with the Pogues through a painful breakup to a heroic solo career. B/w photos. ... Read more

Product Description
The product of six years of work, this book by Eighties punk scene veteran George Hurchalla is one of the most comprehensive looks at the nationwide punk underground of the era. Featuring over 100 photos and a great deal of flyers, the book is graphically rich as well as a great read. Rather than trot out the usual suspects from LA, NY, and DC that are typically written about, Hurchalla delves deeper into the underground's underbelly to root out stories from Chicago, Philadelphia, Austin, Lawrence, Annapolis, Iowa, Cincinnati, Florida, and elsewhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Best Book on Punk & Hardcore
Staring at you with a middle finger salute from the cover of this book is Big Boys frontman "Biscuit." Letting you know immediately that this book isn't another myopic volume of punk/hc history, but the most thorough book yet published on this corner of music.

Inside you get detailed writing covering the rise of punk and hardcore in North America with deserved attention paid to the Midwest, Canada and less cosmopolitan scenes where punks had to struggle twice as hard as their big city peers to make it happen.

Of course you still get all the heavy hitters from the coasts but you also get great coverage of bands like Zero Boys, Die Kreuzen, Husker Du, etc. not to mention all of the crucial Texas bands like Big Boys, Dicks, Really Red, MDC, DRI, and on and on.

Hurchalla shows punk and hardcore as it really was in the US and Canada; a thriving underground network of kids and bands all across the country. This is by far the best starting point for anyone interested in punk and hardcore, no other book comes close. And like a true punk Hurchalla published this through a tiny independent without the help of corporate cash like Sony or MTV as some other books have done.

A must read for any fan of hardcore punk
This is without a doubt one of the best works of non-fiction Ive ever read, and I read alot of non-fiction. Any fan of the American hardcore scene will find this book not only informative, but highly entertaining. Hurchalla does a great job covering the national scene as a whole. So many books about the subject only cover the larger scenes in LA, New York, DC etc...but in this one you finally get to read about the scenes in places like Philidelphia, Texas, Cincinatti and Vancouver. I was afraid the author would concentrate alot of info on the places he was familiar with (Florida and Pennsylvania) but he really did his research and covered the nation as a whole. I didnt expect to read anything about the areas Im most familiar with-Detroit and Columbus OH, so I was very pleased to see bands like the Necros and Scrawl covered extensively. If youre sitting on the fence about this book, by all means, buy it! You wont be dissapointed.

Going Underground is awesome!
This is the first book I have ever read by author George Hurchalla but if it is any indication of his writing skills and knowledge of the topics he covers then he has a bright future ahead of him in publishing.Going Underground is the rarely told (and often inaccurately I might add) story of the early US underground
hardcore punk music scene. Author Hurchalla not only talks
about his own experiences within this time period but also includes those of numerous other people who had been involved,and Hurchalla makes it a point to not just interview the same old people who have been quoted a million times before.The book is also filled with many never before seen photos of the era as well.What really made Hurchalla's writing special is the way he knows and understands his subject yet never comes off as another stuffy know it all "expert".This book is for anyone interested
in this music scene and will appeal to both the scene veterans
and the complete novices.I cannot recommend this book enough.

The best of the post-punk histories
Music is inextricably linked with autobiography.There are albums you love, not for the songs per se, but for the fact that the minute that first note hits the speaker, you're for a moment 16 again.

In "Going Underground", Hurchalla doesn't shy away from placing his own life front and center.The book isn't a band history, ala "Our Band Could Be Your Life", though it's full of fantastic quotes, stories and interviews from dozens of incredibly bands.The Big Boys, Naked Raygun, Articles of Faith, the Dead Milkmen, Scrawl, Minus Man, and hundreds of others fill every page.
It's not a taste of the indie gossip-mill, ala "Hardcore: a Tribal History", either.In total, it's a history of scenes, often focusing on those scenes you never heard of, like Lawrence, Kansas or Des Moins, Iowa.It's a history of punk and hardcore based on the people who made these scenes possible:fans, zine writers, musicians, club owners.

Above all, though, it's about Hurchalla himself.His journey through the hardcore scene is so full of awe and wonder and joy that the whole book comes alive in his stories.He jumps from reportage and interviews to short personal stories, nervy and quick like a Wire tune, that never fail to electrify.

In the end, like Azzerand's book, "Going Underground" reveals that this scene which, from the outside often seemed just angry and violent, was built on and held together by the love that these people had.

Plus, there's no way to have a bad book with the Randy Biscuits on the cover.

For The Punks, By A Punk-- A true DIY project
One of the more notable things about this book, that I don't think many people realize, is that it is a 100% DIY product. I got to know the author, George Hurchalla a little bit after he contacted me, wanting to use some of my photos in the book. George spent six years of his life researching, interviewing, writing, re-writing, editing and designing this book. Then he put up his own money to have it published. He doesn't just talk the talk... He walks the walk.

George felt that too much history was being repeated by the same few "usual suspects." He felt that lesser known participants should have their say. He wanted to introduce his readers to the smaller, lessor known scenes of the U.S.. It didn't all happen in just L.A., N.Y., D.C. and Boston, ya know. As George says, "Since punk rock was meant to be an anti-hero movement, it's a tragedy to let the winners write the history of it, and to make counter-culture heroes of people who were never meant to be anything more than inspirational peers."

This book is an exhaustive history of the punk/hardcore scene from the period of 1979 - 1992. George chose the time-frame arbitrarily. He felt that there was already a tremendous amount of history recorded about the first wave of punk from 1976 - 1980 and his ending at 1992 marks when he dropped out of the scene. "Going Underground" chronicles the rise of the punk/hardcore movement from the perspective of George's discovery of the music via his older, college-aged, brother. George was in high school when his brother brought home a Sex Pistols record. Bored with the standard, classic rock fare that was common in 1980, this music lit a fire in him. There's a great quote by Karen Allman of the Tucson band, Conflict, regarding her own intro to the Pistols that kinda says it all, "That's horrible! Play it again!"

George's personal narrative, combined with quoted stories from band members and scenesters weaves a fascinating account of the era. There is a tremendous amount of detail dedicated to the accounts from lessor known areas, such as my own mid-western area. I finally feel like my own hometown scene in Chicago has been more accurately represented, exposing us as a city with much more going on than merely the infamous Effigies/AoF feud. As the book states, many of us locals felt that the "personality conflict" between the two bands got too much attention at the expense of everything else that went on in our scene. Finally, finally, the stories of the lessor known bands are told. Finally, the voices of the average participants are heard.

Especially poignant was an account by Austin photographer, Geoff Cordner, regarding the misfit status of which most of us felt we belonged to:

"We were gathered out back in the alley after some kind of punk/new wave performance art thing - this was back before anyone made a distinction between punk and new wave. Everyone was drinking beer and nobody was saying very much because we were all a profoundly uncomfortable bunch - that was our common ground, it seemed - punk as a gathering of angry losers and rejects who, without sufficient beer in our systems, remained too uncomfortable with ourselves to really be comfortable with each other. It was a powerful thing just knowing there were others as f*ck*d up as you."

We came together and built our fledgling punk scenes for many differing reasons, but the one thing we all had in common was our dissatisfaction with the status quo. If the mainstream society wouldn't accept us, no problem, we created our own underground society. We wanted to break away from the old tried and true norms of just about everything we encountered.Our motivation was powerful, as George says, "Knowing that no one would ever put out our records for us, no managers would set up tours for us, no clubs would open their doors to us, no radio stations would play our music, and that situation would only get worse, a generation of punks took the steps necessary to have our voices heard the best we could."

I highly recommend this book, it's truly a great read. If you were a punk back then-- every page turn will bring you back into some memory. If you are a current punk- this is an accurate account of the times, a highly informative piece on the genre. It's a chronicle of punk history written FOR THE PUNKS, BY A PUNK. A true DIY project, so be sure to support the effort and buy this wonderful book! ... Read more

Product Description
A novel about a young Jewish punk who moves from a smalltown in Tennessee to Washington DC in the early 90's.A tale ofmilitant vegetarians, riot grrrls, and manifesto-writing shoplifterswho live together, rock together, and publish zines together.Thestory is told through journal entries, zines, and letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

So good and still so damn true
Ever been part of a youth movement? Ever grow up?

One wouldn't think so but this book is timeless. The setting and scene are both finite but the themes and the internal struggles that plague the main character in this book ring true for every generation. The story is about finding ones identity within a strict social scene at an age when you don't even know who you are. The struggle between conformity and non-conformity and how one sometimes masquerades as the other and trying to make it out in the end without going bonkers while holding on to one's integrity

Guacamole
Unorthodox writing making it a zine category in its self if that's at all possible.
Story will grow on you.

Sex, tofu, and rock -n-roll.
Having worked in a number of health food stores over the years with riot grrrl feminists and more-vegan-than-thou punk rockers, I found this novel both fun and very realistic. (I also worked with many New Age hippy characters unfortunately absent from this book). Besides being a highly entertaining novel, it is also very creative. Rather than being structured around a traditional linear narrative, this novel is a collage of journal entries, letters, and zines. So if you're looking for a fun little novel about the punk subculture, activism, and granola, pour yourself a nice cold glass of carob soymilk, sit back, and enjoy.

Interesting
I enjoyed the style this book was written in.It was a good read.Nothing phenomenal or life-changing, but definitely enjoyable if you are interested in the punk subculture.

Loud and fast
The unconventional form of the book - the mix of journals, zines, letters - works very well. That's no small accomplishment. Also, the characters are compelling, and it's great that someone has documented a fascinating music scene.

I would have liked more. It's all over way too fast. It doesn't need a big dramatic conclusion, but I wish it were fleshed out a bit more.
... Read more

Product Description

Music has always been central to the cultures that young people create, follow, and embrace. In the 1960s, young hippie kids sang along about peace with the likes of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and tried to change the world. In the 1970s, many young people ended up coming home in body bags from Vietnam, and the music scene changed, embracing punk and bands like The Sex Pistols. In Sells Like Teen Spirit, Ryan Moore tells the story of how music and youth culture have changed along with the economic, political, and cultural transformations of American society in the last four decades. By attending concerts, hanging out in dance clubs and after-hour bars, and examining the do-it-yourself music scene, Moore gives a riveting, first-hand account of the sights, sounds, and smells of “teen spirit.”

Moore traces the histories of punk, hardcore, heavy metal, glam, thrash, alternative rock, grunge, and riot grrrl music, and relates them to wider social changes that have taken place. Alongside the thirty images of concert photos, zines, flyers, and album covers in the book, Moore offers original interpretations of the music of a wide range of bands including Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Metallica, Nirvana, and Sleater-Kinney. Written in a lively, engaging, and witty style, Sells Like Teen Spirit suggests a more hopeful attitude about the ways that music can be used as a counter to an overly commercialized culture, showcasing recent musical innovations by youth that emphasize democratic participation and creative self-expression—even at the cost of potential copyright infringement.

Product Description
England's Dreaming is the ultimate book on punk, its progenitors, the Sex Pistols, and the moment they defined for music fans in England and the United States. Savage brings to life the sensational story of the meteoric rise and rapid implosion of the Pistols through layers of rich detail, exclusive interviews, and rare photographs. This fully revised and updated edition of the book covers the legacy of punk twenty-five years later and provides an account of the Pistols' 1996 reunion as well as a freshly updated discography and a completely new introduction.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

an infamous musical genre taken seriously
Oi! A Sweeping epic not only of punk music but of the British political and social culture from which it arose and the culture it left in its wake. Savage uses the Sex Pistols' very brief but very bright existence to chronicle the story of the punk genre. told in painstaking detail, England's Dreaming covers everything from the life of Malcolm McClaren to the inner workings of the band (including the tragic Sid and Nancy story) and its impact on popular culture and music.England's Dreaming elevates punk from its notoriety into a serious (if hated and controversial) art form and critique of modern culture. Savage manages to keep the personalities front and center, and walks the reader through the punk movement in all its fame and infamy. A must-read for any serious student of music. Book contains many photos and documents, and an appendix and discography which are very helpful for further research.

The UK havin' its say
The information in this book is top notch, but I had to knock off a star for it's ABYSMAL index in the edition that I read. It's incredibly skimpy for a book of this length... leaving so many things out, that it's hard to find what you want by subject. Worse still, a few entries are misspelled or strangely labeled. Examples..."The Buzzcocks" are listed as "The Buzzcoats" and Iggy Pop is listed as "Stooge, Iggy" when he is consistently referring to as "Iggy Pop" in the text. The index is a HUGE blight on an otherwise extremely fine work.

Now that I've gotten the negative out of the way, the positives are stunning. This book is arranged using The Sex Pistol's, Malcolm McLaren, and Vivienne Westwood as the linchpin around which he weaves the tale of the UKand the NYC "punk" scenes from roughly 1975-1978.Considering the vast scope of the topic, the book is actually rather brief, IMHO. The extensive coverage of Westwood and McLaren really helped clarify so much for me. As someone who also loves fashion, it gave me insight into Westwood's ongoing aesthetic and what she hopes/hoped to achieve with it. Understanding Westwood and McLaren's backgrounds/obsessions really helpedput the look and sound of UK punk into some context. In many ways, although much older, they shared the sense of urgency with these kids who came their way, channeled it, and had it suited and booted. The Manchester scene with the Buzzcocks (properly spelled in the text)as the linchpin is also given a nice amount of time (John Cooper Clarke isn't forgotten). I only wish the young Don Letts had been given a more thorough examination considering his extensive role in the early London scene.

This author hadpersonal experience with the UK scene and many of its players as a teen, yet has an admirable sense of objectivity....unlike I've found in later books of this type, notably Legs McNeil's "Please Kill Me". I feel that this music genre deserves a scholarly treatment and I find nothing about this book pretentious in the least. While being scholarly in attempting to explain and recreate the socio-economic conditions giving birth to this music, it's an easy read and highly enjoyable.

The stance the author takes in this book is very much UK based/biased and of the "punk is dead" school. He feels that the scene evolved into other things or died out because it was the reflection of a society in constant flux. This, he feels, is a GOOD thing.....punk served it's original purpose and in doing soopened up possibilities that were unthinkable before.This author feels that it's temporary nature was the essence of it's revolution. The punk era produced no Rolling Stones, in other words.

Savage really highlights the differences between what was called "punk" in the UK vs the US in these years and why that was.The main difference presented here is age. The Americans were OLD and the Brits were very young.That, according to him, made the most difference in look, sound, aggression, coverage, and delusions of grandeur which divided the two. The Americans (ie the CBGB/Punk Magazine gang), by contrast,were on a big nostalgia trip. The bands and the people who coveredNYC were seeking the 2:50 length song of paradise circa 1956 whereas the UK kids were BORN in 1956!The oft-stated CBGBs influences are stuff ranging from 5-20 years old (circa 1976)while their UK counterparts were mostly influenced by the recent past works of active artists (circa 1976) .In other words, even if they played very early Who stuff (circa 1964), The Who was very much an active band in '76. The role reggaeplayed in the UK scene created a vast difference between these two scenes, helping to lend diverse sounds and social commentary almost completely lacking on the US scene. While the UK scene was somewhat influenced by the NYC current (circa 1976) scene (namely the Ramones),the vast majority lies with rather theatrical UK working artists (ie The Who, glam era Bowie/Boland/Roxy Music) or reggae.Unlike most "punk" books discussing this era, there's none of the obligatory "Influences" chapters that occur in book s about the NYC scene...ya know, the usual suspects: Velvets, Iggy, the MC5, The Dolls, Patti Smith,etc....I think this lack is NOT accidental.

The bulk of this bookis dedicated to discussing the unique role youth cultures have and how they launched nationwide phenomena in the UK since WW2. The history of youth cults is really at the bottom of why UK punk got more media attention than it's musical output (quantity or quality) justified. Savage is interested what punk tapped into on a national level and what reactions came about as a result. In short, he puts it into a culturally specific context and does a fine job of it.

While I don't agree with all of his theories or conclusions, Savage argues them well and within reason. His knowledge of the US scene of this erais extensive as well, so his points of compare and contrast read true to me. I enjoyed the "nostalgia trip" while reading this, though all of this came before I started kindergarten. It's a look at a world and music scene which no longer exists. It highlighted just how much things have changed since the 70s and made me wonder if such things were still possible.

Great book
This book had exactly what I needed to due my research paper on the Sex Pistols

England's Dreaming
I sought out this book because past reviews I'd read had said it accurately captured the feel of England in the late 1970s.This it does as well as provide an entertaining read, no mean feat for a 600-plus page tome on the birth of the English punk rock movement.

Irony abounds.The Sex Pistols, a ragtag group of petty criminals and anarchist wannabes, pressed just one album and five singles in their brief history yet gave rise to the punk movement and became national icons.The group was the spin-off of a clothing store and thus, a group nominally devoted to anarchy was in fact, a marketing ploy.

All the rest are here as well.Siouxsie and the Banshees.The Clash.Recommended.Holds your interest despite a length absurd for the subject at hand.

A MUST READ
The definitive book on Punk history, placing it in an historical context, very informative and well-written - inspiring to read. ... Read more

Product Description
It's now over twenty years since punk first pogoed its way into our consciousness. Punk Rock: So What? brings together a new generation of writers, journalists and scholars to provide the first comprehensive assessment of punk and its place in popular music history, culture and myth. Combining new research, methodologies and exclusive interviews, Punk Rock: So What? brings a fresh perspective to the analysis of punk culture, and kicks over many of the established beliefs about the meaning of punk.

Punk Rock: So What? re-situates punk in its historical context, analyzing the possible origins of punk in the New York art scene and Manchester clubs as well as in Malcolm McClaren's brain. The contributors question whether punk deserves its reputation as an anti-fascist, anti-sexist movement, challenging standard views of punk prevalent since the 1970s, and discussing the role played by such key figures as Johnny Rotten, Richard Hell, Viv Albertine and Mark E. Smith.

Tracing punk's legacy in comics, literature, art and cinema as well as music and fashion--from films such as Sid and Nancy and The Great Rock `n' Roll Swindle to the work of contemporary artists such as Gavin Turk and Sarah Lucas--the contributors establish that, if anything, punk was more culturally significant than anyone has yet suggested.

Contributors: Frank Cartledge, Paul Cobley, Robert Garnett, David Huxley, David Kerekes, Guy Lawley, George McKay, Andy Medhurst, Suzanne Moore, Lucy O'Brien, Bill Osgerby, Miriam Rivett, Roger Sabin, Mark Sinker. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Title Says It All
This book unfortunately amounts to what happens when career academics apply themselves to the task of analyzing what was fundamentally a street-level movement. It's Dullsville, man, unless you happen to be an aspiring career academic in your own right -- and even then.

Nick Knox was in The Cramps, not The Vibrators...
When I first found this book I was suspicious, expecting a disaster of misunderstanding and pedantic musings that miss the point (and soul) of the vital underground/independent rock music of the mid to late 1970's. I myself have problems with the label 'punk', a term I'm old enough to associate with 1960's 'garage rock'. In the liner notes he wrote for the classic 1972 'Nuggets' compilation of garage and pop peculiarities, Lenny Kaye used the term 'punk' to describe the sounds and mindset of those 1960's gems.Academics and journalists engaging rock music always has its risks (Greil Marcus' pretentious 'Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century', for example, which gets some well-deserved criticism in the chapter I'm about to recommend).
But I bought 'Punk Rock: So What?' for a great a chapter that REALLY gets it right; 'Chewing out a rhthym on my bubble-gum: The teenage aesthetic and geneologies of American punk', by Bill Osgerby. He explores among other things the connections between bubble gum, the Monkees, and the Ramones, sidesteps any pretentious musings, and provides useful insights. The book is worth it for those valuable insights into the connections and influences of some great, inspired and timeless music.
By the way, drummer Nick Knox was a member of The Cramps, not The Vibrators, as mistakenly written on page 206, in a chapter by someone else. The name of the singer/guitarist in The Vibrators was simply 'Knox'; one word only. I saw The Vibrators, the original Ramones, and others in that halcyon year of 1977, and The Cramps some years after that. And bless ya, Nick, wherever you are. Thanks for your contribution to some brilliant and timeless music.
Oh, uh, pardon my momentary stroll down memory lane. This book will help to capture some of the essence of that essential 'cute noise' (Marc Bolan's description of mid seventies 'punk' rock) and its surrounding aesthetics.

A little too pedantic for punk.
There is one fantastic essay in this collection, "'I won't let that dago by:' Rethinking punk and racism," by Roger Sabin. Its totally great, and I think its mandatory reading for anyone interested in punk. Other than that essay though....

Well, I picked this book up from the library hoping to get a little more context for the 1970s UK punk scene. Listening to Gang of Four, Sham 69, and Stiff Little Fingers day after day, I wanted some specifics. I wanted Margaret Thatcher horror stories and shocking welfare statistics. This book really doesn't do that. Furthermore, it kinda reads like a bunch of professors waxing nostalgiac about listening to the Rezillos and buying bondage pants. I'd have been better served re-reading the liner notes to Crass's "Best Before." This book might be a good resource if you're writing a paper on punk, but its not much use for someone with a general interest, and it doesn't touch much at all on social or political issues, which to me seem crucial to UK punk. But do check out that Sabin essay!

Uneven but interesting ideas
A collection of essays, primarily about the British scene. The writing is very uneven, which gets in the way of some interesting ideas. In particular I appreciate the inclusion of essays on gender and race, as these issues are usually glossed over in books on punk. I also liked to essay on regional British punk in contrast to London, and the influences of surf & garage music and comix on American punk. These would be best as starting points for discussion, as each is fairly short, and has shortcomings.

Punk
This book is a great punk book i recomend it to all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Yawn...
With chapters consisting of the Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, CBGB's, the Pistols, and even a chapter devoted to fanzines, you'd suspect this was a great book. Sadly, it is just a big waste of time. The book is the product of eight years of "scholarly research" into the punk rock "style." So we get such important information as: where the style came from, and she points out direct links between the New York underground and the British punk movement. You know, the important elements of punk rock. She continually emphasizes that this aspect of punk was never studied in a "scholarly" way. And upon completion of this book, I understand why. It's boring and stupid.

Printed back in 1988, it reads as though it was a project done by a high school student who had no prior insight into punk rock - and certainly never listened to the music. The primary method of her research was through previously written material in books and magazines. Of the countless sources of invaluable information she accumulated, she must have gained a wealth of information by reading not one, but two books about Boy George.

What wins me over is the comparison she makes of punk to an art form called Dada, which existed between 1916-1922 in France. "Members of the punk movement have often referred to themselves as neo-dada." I know I always do, how `bout you? Not surprisingly, key players from the early days of punk (Johnny Rotten, Malcolm McLaren, Lou Reed, etc.) declined doing interviews with the author.

At one point, she states: "To my knowledge, no sheet music of original Ramones compositions has been published, though the chorus to "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" is decipherable." She then writes out the chorus of the song. She did the same thing with Richard Hell's "Blank Generation." In the same chapter, she explains, "Punk Magazine can be categorized as a fanzine." She illustrates her point by giving us Webster's definition of a fanzine. Brilliant!

In her intro, the author states that the zines that were available (to her) weren't documented in a manner that allows extensive verification. I don't know what kind of extensive verification she was looking for, but for whatever reason, she still wrote a chapter about fanzines. Unfortunately she only had a few issues of a couple different zines to use as reference and base her statements on (a few issues of Punk, a couple Sniffin' Glues, and one Ripped & Torn). With this extensive library at her fingertips, she went on and compared the content of Punk Magazine (issue 1) to that of Sniffin' Glue (issue 3). She compared the number of pages, the amount of staff members each publication had, which one was devoted more to music than humor. I mean, come on, is that really necessary?
She continued aggravating me by stating that: "as we study the fanzines, it's important to remember that not everything the punks say can or should be taken at face value." Why are we studying fanzines!? They are written by fans of the music, because they love the music. And they are read and enjoyed (not studied) by fans of the music, because they love the music too. It's as simple as that.

In her conclusion, I read the first intelligent statement, but quickly realized it was a quote from none other than Lester Bangs. Needless to say, this is the worst book I've ever had the displeasure of reading. I can't even figure out who this could have been directed to - certainly not punks. If you made it this far, congratulations! (MS)

not worth it
I can't believe the cost of this tiny book (listed at [price]!). It is very very brief, and very very dry. It glosses over and over simplifies a lot, to the detriment of anyone trying to understand punk.There's almost no mention of politics, for instance. Does have some song lyrics and sheet music, butbig deal. The clinical approach is obsessive. I suppose the brevity could be useful in some cases if accompanied by other material.
Ch 1 - Velvet Underground
Ch 2 - Glitter Rock
Ch 3 - CBGBs
Ch 4 - Sex Pistols (the worst one)
Ch 5- Zines

Overly-academic, but not uninformed
I disagree with the assumption in the other Amazon reviews that Trisha Henry was an uninformed outsider, looking in on punk and getting it all wrong... She's just an academic, fercrissakes, writing for an academic audience!!I'm sure she was just as punk as you are, it's just that when you're writing your graduate thesis (which is what this book originally was) you kinda have to be a bit, um, academic.She does an admirable job translating the anti-authoritarian, pro-artist ethos of punk into scholarly jargon -- the trouble with this book isn't that she didn't know what she was talking about, it's just that hearing it all expalined so clinically is nowhere near as fun as playing a Sex Pistols album at full blast. It's worth checking out, if you want to see how DIY translates into PhD.

Overly-academic, but not uninformed
I disagree with the assumption in the other Amazon reviews that Trisha Henry was an uninformed outsider, looking in on punk and getting it all wrong... She's just an academic, fercrissakes, writing for an academic audience!!I'm sure she was just as punk as you are, it's just that when you're writing your graduate thesis (which is what this book originally was) you kinda have to be a bit, um, academic.She does an admirable job translating the anti-authoritarian, pro-artist ethos of punk into scholarly jargon -- the trouble with this book isn't that she didn't know what she was talking about, it's just that hearing it all expalined so clinically is nowhere near as fun as playing a Sex Pistols album at full blast. It's worth checking out, if you want to see how DIY translates into PhD.

Don't Bother!
I read this book in the course of gathering information for a research paper.Having a deadline on my tail and lots of better material at hand, if only I had known a little sooner, I should not have even opened this bland, inadiquit peice of dribble.It has no depth about the ethics or momentum to punk rock and merely inacuritely restricts it to the mid and late 70's in NYC and London.Spend your money and time on better things than a book this! ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the hard dance band, The Prodigy. This official history contains lengthy and extensive interviews with the band, exclusive and previously unpublished photographs from the band's own personal albums, and a full discography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A biography of Liam Howlett and his band "The Prodigy"
This book goes into the history of band "The Prodigy" and its founder Liam Howlett. Nice pictures of the band and a few interesting quotes.

A good buy for a mega fan ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Encyclopedia 1977ica
I nicked off a star because it only covers England and It only covers bands that released their first records in or before 1977.
It also has either a bad translation to English (or Henrik Bech Poulsen does not write English fluently).
However, it is a VERY good book for arcane trivia about ANY punk band from the u.k. - from the Acme Sewage Company to Zhain. ... Read more

Product Description
A look back at Ed Roth, Von Dutch, and Robert Williams. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Vivid descriptions by people who were actually THERE
For anyone interested in the history of West Coast punk music, this book is an absolute must.Like the reviewer below, I have had this book since it came out in 1983 and even then it was an essential first person document of an already-over scene.Many terrific bands emerged from the LA and SF punk scenes post-'83, and some of them (The Three O'Clock, the Bangles, and the Gun Club among others) are mentioned here, but where this book really shines is in Craig Lee's passionate but also accurate descriptions of the first amazing days of the punk scene in LA, and its seeds in the glitter and powerpop movements of the mid-70's.Anyone looking for in-depth sociological analysis might be disappointed and should go read one of Greil Marcus' over-analyzed doorstops instead.But anyone looking for the raw feel and emotion of those early days of a major music movement will find this a captivating read.As an example I give Craig Lee's description of the effects of the first Damned show in LA in May 1977:



This is as perfect a description of the amazing power of rock in general and punk in particular as I've ever read.Punk has always been like this--you either get it, and love it, or you don't.
There are certainly other books out there that seek to catalog the emergence of the LA punk scene, and I recommend all of them as well.But one thing you will find is that even longer books like Brendan Mullen's "We've Got the Neutron Bomb" simply add a few more details to Craig Lee'sdescription here.As much as I liked Mullen's book, its main contribution beyond what Craig Lee describes here is his greater fleshing out of the pre-punk glitter scene and some of the seminal bands involved (Christopher Milk, Zolar X, the Berlin Brats, and the Quick).Buy THIS book, look at the many amazing pictures, and let yourself get swept up in the excitement of one of the most electrifying musical movements and vital scenes of the last 30 years.

Grab One If You Find One!!
This is definitely one of the best of the punk books. Written in 1983, the photos are wonderful, the text informative - this was clearly done by people who were part of the scene back then, who knew and understood what was going on.

Excellent Book
Yeah, I agree with the guy below.What do you want, a textbook?This was written AT THE TIME and has been in my collection since 83.If you are lucky enough to find a copy somewhere, GRAB IT!

I mean, why go through all the revisionist history that is pumped out nowadays when you can read an actual document from the place and time?

lots of bands you may never have heard of
the book hasn't been updated since 1983 -- for the reason that it's written by and about a past scene.the lack of objectivity makes it a worthwhile read.what do you want, a punk rock textbook?buy this -- it's hard to find.

Great if you want an overview of CA punk
From the perspective of a researcher I could maybe see how this book could be disagreeable, but for those interested in an overview of the bands & the scenes it's fine.The book doesn't get philosophically deep about any one band in particular or CA punk in general, but it does outline a lotta info for those who aren't already familiar (more LA than SF)....It's pretty linear and conversational.The pictures are teriffic.Too bad there's no index, though. ... Read more

Product Description
Punk Diary is a comprehensive chronicle of the punk rock era, combining for the first time in one volume the previously published Punk Diary and Post Punk Diary, and expanded with new material never before published. Readers can experience this volatile period in popular music and culture firsthand, as author George Gimarc uses original archival material and in-depth interviews to present a day-by-day accounting of over 1,000 bands and 4,000 recordings, including record releases, live gigs, band breakups, riots, arrests, and revealing quotes.

The story begins with the 1970 release of the second LP by The Stooges and details the careers of well-known bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash, as well as giving credit to many smaller, often unfairly forgotten, bands who helped mold the punk revolution. Readers can make their own connections between the people and events to see who influenced whom, what was real, and what was contrived. The companion CD includes interviews with many of the book’s subjects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Truly a must have Punk encylopedia!
I have been involved and collected Punk music since nearly the beginning and this book is very well done and a must have for anyone who loves this music and thnks they knew everything about the "scene"

Huge chunk of Punk!
This is such an impressive bible of information, with a mind-boggling array of bands and artists - a book that can serve as a great resource but one that's easy to dip in and out of - you'll find yourself flicking through the pages reliving those lost years of musical youth.This was obviously a complete labour of love, bringing together what must have been year upon year of dogged research.The text is accompanied by plenty of illustrations and memorabilia and on the inclusive audio CD is a great collection of exclusive interviews, many with artists that were still fresh on the scene.Relive the most important and influential years of musical history, day-by-day - if it's not in here, it didn't happen!

The history that matters to the rest of us
Remember when you were a kid and the teachers kept telling you to memorize dates and places and people and you were like, "but I don't care about these dates and places and people! Why can't they give us a history book about stuff that actually matters!?" Well, here it is. George Gimarc's Punk Diary is nothing short of an historical tome about a time in the world where music evolved from The Carpenters to The Sex Pistols. It's chock full of dates and times and places, but more importantly it lays out the progress of people who revolutionized a culture in the latter half of the twentieth century. Punk Diary lays it out for you, and doesn't limit itself merely to punk music. In reading this work, you see how the lines blur and how punk isn't just a particular style of music but an approach to it: a way of bucking what was conventional at the time and exploring entirely new avenues of musical expression. Punk Diary goes to the clubs and the studios and presents the angst and the zaniness as well as the dark sadness of unbridled fervor for a generation of artists whose brief urban culture clash is but a memory captured on vinyl and now reproduced digitally for future generations.

When reading Gimarc's Punk Diary, one can opt to look for particular names of bands one has enjoyed over the years, research specific talents of the time period to understand them more, read through the book cover to cover from date to date, or just randomly peruse it and learn something new and novel with each turn of the page. One can learn random trivia from the book, like how Sting got his name. It's just a lot of fun to read. Complete with a CD of selected clips from George Gimarc's radio show from the time, where he interviewed many of the provacateurs of the punk movement, Punk Diary is a must for anyone who considers themselves an afficianado of contemporary music.

To those who question the validity, referring to entries in the diary that may conflict with other sources? Where would the fun be with history if there were nothing to argue about? Gimarc lived through that scene personally, and history is written by the victors.

Not just for trainspotters...
Original, entertaining....this Herculean effort surveys the genesis of the only music that matters. Gimarc is the clearly the go-to guy for all things punk. The definitive reference work of the genre, and a must for any serious collector. Don't miss the interviews on the included CD.

Punk You
It's rare when a cultural anthropologist presents his or her work without an agenda.Yet here it is.Gimarc's astounding breadth of content and painstaking attention to detail has resulted in a book that is of the moment and could only have been accomplished by an author who lived, and loved, Punk.With thousands of bands covered, only the most pathetic critic will find the material wanting.Gimarc's mission isn't to exclude or place an academic significance to Punk, but to document its every breath.If "Punk Diary" isn't in your book collection, then the "Sex Pistols" probably aren't in your music library either.

The bottom line is this, if you love Punk or if you simply want some insight into one of the most disruptive movements in pop culture, you should read this book.Even for people who were there, there are details that some of us never knew or, as the saying goes "if your memory is too good, you probably weren't there."Gimarc's book makes memories unnecessary.
... Read more