Synopses & Reviews
Named One of the Best Books of 2011 by NPR andndash; Spin - USA Today andndash; CNBC - Pitchfork - The Onion - The Atlantic - The Huffington Post andndash; VEVO - The Boston Globe - The San Francisco Chronicle Remember the first time you saw Michael Jackson dance with zombies in andquot;Thrillerandquot;? Diamond Dave karate kick with Van Halen in andquot;Jumpandquot;? Tawny Kitaen turning cartwheels on a Jaguar to Whitesnake's andquot;Here I Go Againandquot;? The Beastie Boys spray beer in andquot;(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)andquot;? Axl Rose step off the bus in andquot;Welcome to the Jungleandquot;?
Remember When All You Wanted Was Your MTV?
It was a pretty radical idea-a channel for teenagers, showing nothing but music videos. It was such a radical idea that almost no one thought it would actually succeed, much less become a force in the worlds of music, television, film, fashion, sports, and even politics. But it did work. MTV became more than anyone had ever imagined.
I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV's programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands, learn about new music, and have something to talk about at parties. From its start in 1981 with a small cache of videos by mostly unknown British new wave acts to the launch of the reality-television craze with The Real World in 1992, MTV grew into a tastemaker, a career maker, and a mammoth business.
Featuring interviews with nearly four hundred artists, directors, VJs, and television and music executives, I Want My MTV is a testament to the channel that changed popular culture forever.
Review
"MTV changed America and this book will change how you think about MTV. It's a fascinating look deep inside how MTV became what it was from the mouths of those who made it. Everyone who loved or hated MTV will love this story filled with fights, drugs, sex and music."
-Toure, author of Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?
"Before Google and before Apple, MTV was the one post-60s American enterprise that really transformed the culture. And now we have this definitive, riveting, revealing, amazingly well-reported insiders' account of how an improbable group of visionaries made it up as they went along. You want I Want My MTV."
-Kurt Andersen, author of Heyday and Reset, and host of public radio's "Studio 360"
"I Want My MTV is such a big, wild joyride of book, made to be read with glee and nostalgia and marvel. It's also a thoughtful and astonishingly well-researched historical document, of course, but mostly it's just a total gas. It's all in here, folks! Girls in cages! TV executives on blow! Dudes in eyeliner! Chicks with guitars! Pyrotechnics, consumerism, fame, destruction and shamelessness! Anyone who came of age during the glory days of MTV will be-page by page-steadily transported right back to your boyfriend's parent's wood-paneled den, to savor once more the life-changing lessons of decadence and magic we learned from cable TV."
-Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed
"I Want My MTV is the definitively funny-yet loving-chronicle of music video's golden age: the hopes, the dreams, the drugs, the hair, the legacy of Tawny Kitaen. And for gossip, it's packed tighter than one of Heart's spandex bustiers."
-Rob Sheffield, author of the national bestseller Love is a Mix Tape and Talking to Girls About Duran Duran
Review
"Highly entertaining"
-Rolling Stone
"It reminded me of those long days watching MTV, back when it still played videos...riveting."
-New York Times
"Hilarious, with behind-the-scenes dirt on hundreds of videos. I guarantee you'll have a tough time putting it down."
-USA Today
"Riveting reading, and a book we expect to see on the best-seller lists."
-Very Short List
"The sheer entertainment value within these pages is priceless."
-Publishers Weekly
"I WANT MY MTV is compulsively entertaining, hugely edifying, and occasionally profound"
-TIME
"A smart, decadently entertaining oral history."
-Playboy
"Just as MTV hypnotized viewers, so the jump-cut structure of I WANT MY MTV swiftly compels."
-Businessweek
"Rollicking. The golden age of MTV was just as wild and debauched as you would hope."
-New York Post
"A rip-roaring, hilarious tribute to the cable channel that changed pop culture. A wonderfully entertaining and enlightening history, a magnificently enjoyable read."
-The National
"Riotous and irreverent. Crack it open to almost any page and you're guaranteed a giggle. Every gaffe, scandal, and sexual innuendo comes in for hilarious scrutiny."
-New York Daily News
"Insiders are already buzzing about the book, which does for music television what Fredric Dannen's Hit Men did for indie promotion."
-HITS
"A smart oral history."
-Billboard
"A wild trip down memory lane, this cool history makes us '80s and '90s kids totally nostalgic."
-NYLON
"Hugely readable and insanely fun."
-Pitchfork
"It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. I couldn't put it down. This is the best book I've read on how the music business really works."
-Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz Letter
"An obscenely entertaining (and entertainingly obscene) account of MTV's early days."
-Dave Holmes
"The entire Grantland staff is obsessed with the book"
-Grantland
"The writers certainly did their homework, chronicling the wild and crazy ride of the network in the words of its own eclectic cast of characters...there is plenty to sink your teeth into with this book."
-Hollywood Reporter
"It's part voyeurism, part nostalgia, part social commentary - the perfect pulp non-fiction read for the cooling months ahead."
-Modern Tonic
"I WANT MY MTV chronicles MTV as I, and many others, would like to remember it: a lot of fun when it first came on the scene and a joy to watch every day"
-TG Daily
"MTV changed America and this book will change how you think about MTV. It's a fascinating look deep inside how MTV became what it was from the mouths of those who made it. Everyone who loved or hated MTV will love this story filled with fights, drugs, sex and music."
-Toure, author of Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?
"Before Google and before Apple, MTV was the one post-60s American enterprise that really transformed the culture. And now we have this definitive, riveting, revealing, amazingly well-reported insiders' account of how an improbable group of visionaries made it up as they went along. You want I Want My MTV."
-Kurt Andersen, author of Heyday and Reset, and host of public radio's "Studio 360"
"I Want My MTV is such a big, wild joyride of book, made to be read with glee and nostalgia and marvel. It's also a thoughtful and astonishingly well-researched historical document, of course, but mostly it's just a total gas. It's all in here, folks! Girls in cages! TV executives on blow! Dudes in eyeliner! Chicks with guitars! Pyrotechnics, consumerism, fame, destruction and shamelessness! Anyone who came of age during the glory days of MTV will be-page by page-steadily transported right back to your boyfriend's parent's wood-paneled den, to savor once more the life-changing lessons of decadence and magic we learned from cable TV."
-Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed
"I Want My MTV is the definitively funny-yet loving-chronicle of music video's golden age: the hopes, the dreams, the drugs, the hair, the legacy of Tawny Kitaen. And for gossip, it's packed tighter than one of Heart's spandex bustiers."
-Rob Sheffield, author of the national bestseller Love is a Mix Tape and Talking to Girls About Duran Duran
Review
"Highly entertaining" -Rolling Stone -Rolling Stone
Review
"It reminded me of those long days watching MTV, back when it still played videos...riveting." -New York Times -New York Times
Review
"Hilarious, with behind-the-scenes dirt on hundreds of videos. I guarantee you'll have a tough time putting it down." -USA Today -USA Today
Review
"Riveting reading, and a book we expect to see on the best-seller lists." -Very Short List -Very Short List
Review
“Splendid. I Want My MTV is compulsively entertaining, hugely edifying, and occasionally profound.” -TIME
Review
"A smart, decadently entertaining oral history." -Playboy -Playboy
Review
"Just as MTV hypnotized viewers, so the jump-cut structure of I WANT MY MTV swiftly compels." -Businessweek -Businessweek
Review
"Rollicking. The golden age of MTV was just as wild and debauched as you would hope." -New York Post -New York Post
Review
"A rip-roaring, hilarious tribute to the cable channel that changed pop culture. A wonderfully entertaining and enlightening history, a magnificently enjoyable read." -The National -The National
Review
"Riotous and irreverent. Crack it open to almost any page and you're guaranteed a giggle. Every gaffe, scandal, and sexual innuendo comes in for hilarious scrutiny." -New York Daily News -New York Daily News
Review
"Insiders are already buzzing about the book, which does for music television what Fredric Dannen's Hit Men did for indie promotion." -HITS -HITS
Review
"A smart oral history." -Billboard -Billboard
Review
"A wild trip down memory lane, this cool history makes us '80s and '90s kids totally nostalgic." -NYLON -NYLON
Review
"Hugely readable and insanely fun." -Pitchfork -Pitchfork
Review
"The entire Grantland staff is obsessed with the book" -Grantland -Grantland
Review
"It's part voyeurism, part nostalgia, part social commentary - the perfect pulp non-fiction read for the cooling months ahead." -Modern Tonic -Modern Tonic
Review
"I WANT MY MTV chronicles MTV as I, and many others, would like to remember it: a lot of fun when it first came on the scene and a joy to watch every day" -TG Daily -TG Daily
Review
"Before Google and before Apple, MTV was the one post-60s American enterprise that really transformed the culture. And now we have this definitive, riveting, revealing, amazingly well-reported insiders' account of how an improbable group of visionaries made it up as they went along. You want
I Want My MTV." -Kurt Andersen, author of
Heyday and
Reset, and host of public radio's "Studio 360"
Review
"I Want My MTV is such a big, wild joyride of book, made to be read with glee and nostalgia and marvel. It's also a thoughtful and astonishingly well-researched historical document, of course, but mostly it's just a total gas. It's all in here, folks! Girls in cages! TV executives on blow! Dudes in eyeliner! Chicks with guitars! Pyrotechnics, consumerism, fame, destruction and shamelessness! Anyone who came of age during the glory days of MTV will be-page by page-steadily transported right back to your boyfriend's parent's wood-paneled den, to savor once more the life-changing lessons of decadence and magic we learned from cable TV." -Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed
Review
"I Want My MTV is the definitively funny-yet loving-chronicle of music video's golden age: the hopes, the dreams, the drugs, the hair, the legacy of Tawny Kitaen. And for gossip, it's packed tighter than one of Heart's spandex bustiers." -Rob Sheffield, author of the national bestseller Love is a Mix Tape and Talking to Girls About Duran Duran
Review
"MTV changed America and this book will change how you think about MTV. It's a fascinating look deep inside how MTV became what it was from the mouths of those who made it. Everyone who loved or hated MTV will love this story filled with fights, drugs, sex and music." -Toure, author of Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?
-Toure, author of Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness?
Review
"The sheer entertainment value within these pages is priceless." -Publishers Weekly -Publishers Weekly
Review
"It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. I couldn't put it down. This is the best book I've read on how the music business really works." -Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz Letter -Bob Lefsetz, The Lefsetz Letter
Review
"An obscenely entertaining (and entertainingly obscene) account of MTV's early days." -Dave Holmes -Dave Holmes
Review
"The writers certainly did their homework, chronicling the wild and crazy ride of the network in the words of its own eclectic cast of characters...there is plenty to sink your teeth into with this book." -Hollywood Reporter -Hollywood Reporter
Review
“Hilarious. One of my favorite books of the year. I guarantee you’ll have a tough time putting it down.” -USA Today
Review
“This is my kind of book.” -Howard Stern
Review
“This colorful oral history of MTV’s early years doesn’t pull punches or waste time. A relentlessly entertaining book, an endlessly quotable volume.” -The Onion
Review
“Wildly entertaining. Music and culture fans of a certain age – you will want this book.” -Washington Post
Review
“Marks and Tannenbaum make business meetings sound as fascinating as UFC Fighting, with anecdote upon anecdote about models, midgets, and coke-fueled mayhem.” -Spin Magazine
Review
andquot;Highly entertainingandquot; -Rolling Stone
Review
andquot;A smart, decadently entertaining oral history.andquot; -Playboy
Review
andquot;A smart oral history.andquot; -Billboard
Review
andquot;The entire Grantland staff is obsessed with the bookandquot; -Grantland
Review
andquot;Holy Human League!andnbsp;Mad Worldandnbsp;professes to not be a definitive history of New Wave, but its authors couldand#39;ve fooled me. Every fantastic detail of the era pops back to life via the vivid tales of its top titans, from Adam Ant to Kajagoogoo (thatand#39;s right! Kajagoogoo!). Getting lost in story after story made me never want to return to the world of twerking, texting and soy lattes. Come on, Eileen andmdash; canand#39;t we just whip it good forever?andquot;
Review
andldquo;Mad World is an exhaustive, revelatory history of one of the most important eras of modern pop music. Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein lived it, breathed it, and loved itandmdash;and make you want to relive it all over again. In a word: awesome.andrdquo;
Review
andquot;Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein take us behind the hairspray and eyeliner to reveal the inside stories of the songs that defined an often-overlooked era andmdash; tales of inspiration, ambition, tension, and, of course, hairspray and eyeliner.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Here it isandmdash;the whole glossy, gory, glorious story of the 1980s new wave revolution, in one addictive chapter after another. These are the artists who lived it all out, whether itandrsquo;s Duran Duran making the andldquo;Girls on Filmandrdquo; video or Kim Wilde finally explaining the andldquo;East Californiaandrdquo; enigma. Mad World captures the wild enthusiasm of the moment, evoking a time of perfect songs, innovative style, and lipstick cherry all over the lens.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;If you thrill to the sight of the MTV flag waving on the moon, if camera-click sounds make your heart skip a beat in anticipation of Duran Duranandrsquo;s andldquo;Girls On Film,andrdquo; and you know precisely what killed the radio star, thenandnbsp;youandrsquo;ll meltandnbsp;with Mad World! Interviews with artists (Adam Ant, Kim Wilde, Howard Jones, Morrissey!) provide inside scoop on the MTV Generation hits we love.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Remember the feeling you had in your youth, when youandrsquo;d meet a stranger who had your obscure favorite bandandrsquo;s pin on their jacket? Reading Mad World feels exactly like that, except your new friend is charming, much smarter than you, shockingly well connected, and ready to dish. My one problem with the book is my one problem with the New Wave era: that it had to end.andrdquo;andnbsp;
Review
andldquo;Co-authors Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein interviewed all of the bands and uncovered many tidbits that blew my mind. I called Lori to reminisce about the andrsquo;80sandmdash;and dang, Iandrsquo;d love to have 12 more conversations with her,andnbsp;because we didnand#39;t even touch upon INXS or Depeche Mode.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;The book tells the tale of some of the decadeandrsquo;s most unforgettable songs . . . in fascinating detail, letting the architects of these memorable records shine a light on how the sound of a generation came to be.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;In the book Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s, journalists Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernstein interviewed some of the most memorable musicians of the genre to find out how it came to be.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Many tomes about Rock and Roll exist, butandnbsp;Mad Worldandnbsp;is one of the first to give artists from the 1980s another day in the sun.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;If you miss the days when the world was made of mesh and lace, youandrsquo;ll want to check out Mad World . . . hugely entertaining.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;While Mad World is a must-have for the formerly frosted bangs set, it serves as a useful primer for anyone curious about the oft-maligned new wave era.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A really informative and insightful read.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Itandrsquo;s a book that pays due to an overlooked generation.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;I want to plug a book that I have nothing to do with but that Iandrsquo;m reading and loving and recommending to friends.andnbsp;Itandrsquo;s called Mad World. If youandrsquo;re a big fan of 80s new wave music, they take all of those songs, and each chapter is a behind-the-scenes about the song, like andldquo;Come On Eileen,andrdquo; andldquo;Take on Me,andrdquo; [andldquo;Trueandrdquo; by] Spandau Ballet.andnbsp;I am fascinated by this book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;As a good overview of new wave, this title should appeal to a wide audience of pop music lovers.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;There arenand#39;t many books where you find The Smiths sharing cover space with Adam Ant, or Echo and The Bunnymen considered peers of Duran Duran. But thatandrsquo;s Mad World for youandmdash;andldquo;An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s,andrdquo; in which all manner of unlikely bedfellows are assigned equal space and glory in a very American perspective on that early 1980s period of big hair, big mouths, and, in far too many cases, very bad trousers. (Or pants, if youandrsquo;re a Yank.) In gathering up copious first-person interviewsandmdash;including, to their enormous credit, a certain Morrisseyandmdash;the American-born Majewski and Scots-raised Bernstein have assembled a thorough, and thoroughly entertaining, oral history of a vital period in popular music.andrdquo;
Review
“Reading Slimed is like taking a trip back to summer camp to see your old friends. Mathew Klickstein has captured the outrageous, inventive, and crazy times of early Nickelodeon, and the stories are sweeter than a mug of bug juice. A nation of Nick fans will salute his shorts.”
—Steve Slavkin, creator of Salute Your Shorts
“Somewhere between a tribute, a belated yearbook, and an autopsy, Slimed! attempts to figure out--with the help of nearly 200 performers, writers, producers, and execs who worked at the network between 1985 and 2000--how a fledgling channel with virtually no original programming identified, captured, and entertained the hell out of its preteen demographic…. Slimed! is the best kind of blast from the past: dishy, unwholesome, and thought-provoking enough to make you question your own memories.”
—The Village Voice
Slimed! explores the behind-the-scenes drama of controversial shows like Ren and Stimpy and the family lives of its child stars, but it also reveals the networks unconventional programming and knack for recruiting up-and-coming talent (Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins was on the writing staff for Clarissa Explains It All)—as well as the secret ingredients to the networks famous green slime.
—The Atlantic, Fall Books Preview
“Culture isnt all serious business—sometimes its just good fun.”
—Publishers Weekly, Top 10 Social Sciences pick
Review
andldquo;The new wave era is often dismissed for its one-hit wonders and silly haircuts, but Lori Majewski and Jonathan Bernsteinandrsquo;s book examines the period with a great deal of love and reverence.andrdquo;
Synopsis
The first-ever history of MTV's first decade. In the beginning, nobody thought it would survive. Record labels were skeptical and cable operators were dismissive-perhaps rightfully so. MTV had an inventory of just one hundred clips, most by fringe British and Australian bands. The channel was available in only a few cities and towns. On the night the network launched, staffers celebrated at a bar in New Jersey because no Manhattan cable operator carried MTV.
When MTV debuted in 1981, its slogan was "You'll never look at music the same way again." But MTV's influence went beyond music-it soon changed network and cable television, radio, sports, film, fashion, teen sexuality, and even politics.
Highly respected music journalist Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum have assembled an unprecedented collection of stories from the early days of MTV, straight from the mouths of those who were part of the video revolution. I Want My MTV focuses on the network's first decade with accounts from major artists including Madonna, The Police, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Bon Jovi, and Chuck D of Public Enemy; executives; VJs; famous fans; and others whose careers were shaped by MTV. Their words chronicle the music industry's last great era-a time of excess, innovation, and grandiosity.
Reversible jacket featuring four music icons.
Synopsis
You will receive one of the two covers. We cannot guarantee which one. Remember the first time you saw Michael Jackson dance with zombies in "Thriller"? Diamond Dave karate kick with Van Halen in "Jump"? Tawny Kitaen turning cartwheels on a Jaguar to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again"? The Beastie Boys spray beer in "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)"? Axl Rose step off the bus in "Welcome to the Jungle"?
Remember When All You Wanted Was Your MTV?
It was a pretty radical idea-a channel for teenagers, showing nothing but music videos. It was such a radical idea that almost no one thought it would actually succeed, much less become a force in the worlds of music, television, film, fashion, sports, and even politics. But it did work. MTV became more than anyone had ever imagined.
I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV's programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands, learn about new music, and have something to talk about at parties. From its start in 1981 with a small cache of videos by mostly unknown British new wave acts to the launch of the reality-television craze with The Real World in 1992, MTV grew into a tastemaker, a career maker, and a mammoth business.
Featuring interviews with nearly four hundred artists, directors, VJs, and television and music executives, I Want My MTV is a testament to the channel that changed popular culture forever.
Synopsis
You will receive one of the two covers. We cannot guarantee which one. Remember the first time you saw Michael Jackson dance with zombies in "Thriller"? Diamond Dave karate kick with Van Halen in "Jump"? Tawny Kitaen turning cartwheels on a Jaguar to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again"? The Beastie Boys spray beer in "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)"? Axl Rose step off the bus in "Welcome to the Jungle"?
Remember When All You Wanted Was Your MTV?
It was a pretty radical idea-a channel for teenagers, showing nothing but music videos. It was such a radical idea that almost no one thought it would actually succeed, much less become a force in the worlds of music, television, film, fashion, sports, and even politics. But it did work. MTV became more than anyone had ever imagined.
I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV's programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands, learn about new music, and have something to talk about at parties. From its start in 1981 with a small cache of videos by mostly unknown British new wave acts to the launch of the reality-television craze with The Real World in 1992, MTV grew into a tastemaker, a career maker, and a mammoth business.
Featuring interviews with nearly four hundred artists, directors, VJs, and television and music executives, I Want My MTV is a testament to the channel that changed popular culture forever.
Synopsis
SLIMED! An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age tells the surprisingly complex, wonderfully nostalgic, and impressively compelling story of how Nickelodeon -- the First Kids' Network -- began as a DIY startup in the late 70s, and forged ahead through the early eighties with a tiny band of young artists and filmmakers who would go on to change everything about cable television, television in general, animation, and children's entertainment, proving just what can be done if the indie spirit is kept alive in the corporate world. Get the real back story about all of your favorite Golden Age Nick shows: Everything from such classics as You Can't Do That On Television, Out of Control and Double Dare to early 90s faves like The Adventures of Pete and Pete, the original three Nicktoons, Clarissa Explains It All and more ... All from those who made it happen!
Synopsis
Mad World is a highly entertaining oral history that celebrates the New Wave music phenomenon of the 1980s via new interviews with 35 of the most notable artists of the period. Each chapter begins with a discussion of their most popular song but leads to stories of their history and place in the scene, ultimately painting a vivid picture of this colorful, idiosyncratic time. Mixtape suggestions, fashion sidebars, and quotes from famous contemporary admirers help fill out the fun. Participants include members of Duran Duran, New Order, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Adam Ant, Echo and the Bunnymen, Devo, ABC, Spandau Ballet, A Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins, and INXS.
About the Author
Lori Majewski was a cofounder and editor-in-chief of Teen People. She was also an executive editor of Entertainment Weekly and Us Weekly. She lives in Weehawken, New Jersey.and#160;Jonathan Bernstein is a Los Angelesand#8211;based writer. He is the author of, among other titles, Pretty In Pink: The Golden Age of Teenage Movies, and has contributed to publications such as The Guardian, Spin, Rolling Stone, and The Face.