Synopses & Reviews
Vibrant and volatile, the punk scene left an extraordinary legacy of music and cultural change, and this work talks to those who cultivated the movement, weaving together their accounts to create a raw and unprecedented oral history of punk in the United Kingdom. From the Clash, Crass, Henry Rollins, and John Lydon to the Sex Pistols, the Stranglers, and the Buzzcocks, this reference features more than 150 interviews that encapsulate the most thrilling wave of rock and roll pop culture ever seen. Ranging from its widely debated roots in the late 1960s to its enduring influence on modern bands, fashion, and culture, this history brings to life the energy and anarchy as no other book has done.
Review
"Its unique brand of energy helps make it a riot all its own." —Harp Magazine
Review
"Robb, in an ambitious compendium, with brief forewords by Michael Bracewell and Black Flag's Henry Rollins, provides those who were there and many of us who listened from a distance in time or space the sensation of freedom." —www.PopMatters.com
Synopsis
With its own fashion, culture, and chaotic energy, punk rock boasted a do-it-yourself ethos that allowed anyone to take part. Vibrant and volatile, the punk scene left an extraordinary legacy of music and cultural change. John Robb talks to many of those who cultivated the movement, such as John Lydon, Lemmy, Siouxsie Sioux, Mick Jones, Chrissie Hynde, Malcolm McLaren, Henry Rollins, and Glen Matlock, weaving together their accounts to create a raw and unprecedented oral history of UK punk. All the main players are here: from The Clash to Crass, from The Sex Pistols to the Stranglers, from the UK Subs to Buzzcocks--over 150 interviews capture the excitement of the most thrilling wave of rock 'n' roll pop culture ever. Ranging from its widely debated roots in the late 1960s to its enduring influence on the bands, fashion, and culture of today, this history brings to life the energy and the anarchy as no other book has done.
About the Author
John Robb is the founder of the 1970s punk rock band the Membranes and is a current member of the group Goldblade. He is the author of Death to Trad Rock, The North Will Rises Again: Manchester Music City 1976-1996, and The Stone Roses. He lives in Manchester, England. Lars Fredriksen is a member of the punk rock band Rancid. He lives in Oakland, California.