Synopses & Reviews
This is the never-before-told story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan Eighties--when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations, and other subversives reenergized American rock with punk rock's do-it-yourself credo and created music that was deeply personal, often brilliant, always challenging, and immensely influential. This sweeping chronicle of music, politics, drugs, fear, loathing, and faith has been recognized as an indie rock classic in its own right.
Among the bands profiled: Mission of Burma, Butthole Surfers, The Minutemen, Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Big Black, Hüsker Dü, Fugazi, Minor Threat, Mudhoney, The Replacements, Beat Happening, and Dinosaur Jr.
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
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
"This book will be fresh even for those whose lives these bands were...All thirteen profiles are page-turners." --Robert Christgau, Village Voice
This is the never-before-told story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan Eighties--when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations, and other subversives reenergized American rock with punk rock's do-it-yourself credo and created music that was deeply personal, often brilliant, always challenging, and immensely influential. This sweeping chronicle of music, politics, drugs, fear, loathing, and faith has been recognized as an indie rock classic in its own right.
Among the bands profiled: Mission of Burma, Butthole Surfers, The Minutemen, Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Big Black, H sker D , Fugazi, Minor Threat, Mudhoney, The Replacements, Beat Happening, and Dinosaur Jr.
Synopsis
The definitive chronicle of underground music in the 1980s tells the stories of Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Replacements, and other seminal bands whose DIY revolution changed American music forever.
"This book will be fresh even for those whose lives these bands were...All thirteen profiles are page-turners." --Robert Christgau, Village Voice
This is the never-before-told story of the musical revolution that happened right under the nose of the Reagan Eighties -- when a small but sprawling network of bands, labels, fanzines, radio stations, and other subversives reenergized American rock with punk rock's do-it-yourself credo and created music that was deeply personal, often brilliant, always challenging, and immensely influential. This sweeping chronicle of music, politics, drugs, fear, loathing, and faith has been recognized as an indie rock classic in its own right.
Among the bands profiled: Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Minutemen, The Replacements, H sker D , Minor Threat, Mission of Burma, Butthole Surfers, Big Black, Mudhoney, Beat Happening, and Dinosaur Jr.
"A compelling book...Azerrad exhaustively chronicles thirteen legendary, wholly deserving bands." --Spin
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 503-505) and index.
Synopsis
This is the story of post-punk indie rock in America and the bands whose do-it-yourself ethic paved the way for the grunge phenomenon of the 1990s. Without major label support, these bands depended on resourcefulness and creativity to survive.
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.
Table of Contents
Black Flag -- The Minutemen -- Mission of Burma -- Minor Threat -- Hèusker Dèu -- The Replacements -- Sonic Youth -- Butthole Surfers -- Big Black -- Dinosaur Jr -- Fugazi -- Mudhoney -- Beat Happening.