Synopses & Reviews
visually documents the explosion of Grunge, the Seattle Sound, within the context of the underground punk subculture that was developing throughout the u.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s. The book serves as a companion and contextual backdrop to the exhibition, which opens at Seattle's Experience Music Project in 2011. This decade-and-a-half musical journey will be represented entirely through the lens of EMP's oral history and permanent object collection, an invaluable and rich cultural archive of over 800 interviews and 140,000 objects -- instruments, costumes, posters, records and other ephemera dedicated to the pursuit of rock 'n' roll. focuses on 100 key objects from EMP's permanent collection that illustrate the evolution of punk rock from underground subculture to the mainstream embrace (and subsequent underground rejection) of Grunge. These objects are put into context by the stories of those who lived it, culling from EMP's vast archive of oral histories with such Northwest icons as Mudhoney's Mark Arm, cartoonist Peter Bagge, design legend Art Chantry, Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson, Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman, the Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan, Nirvana's krist Novoselic, photographer Charles Petersen, Soundgarden's kim Thayil, and dozens of others. From the Northwest's earliest punk bands like The Wipers, to proto-grunge bands of the 1980s like Green River, Melvins and Malfunkshun, through the heady 1990s when bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney rose to the national stage and popularized alternative music, Taking Punk to the Masses is the first definitive history of one of America's most vibrant music scenes, as told by the participants who helped make it so, and through the artifacts that survive. Over the past 15 years, Experience Music Project has amassed over 800 filmed oral history interviews with musicians, producers, club owners, fans, and others associated with every genre of music. These interviews, along with the museum's massive artifact collection, form the basis for every exhibition. The exhibition includes footage from over 100 interviews. A selection of those interviews are included in a DVD, exclusive to the .
Review
"Paradoxically for a volume dedicated to such a proudly ragged and rough-hewn aesthetic, Taking Punk to the Masses is a beautifully constructed gem. Even more peculiarly for a history lesson wedged between hard covers, it'll make you hear the music that has so spectacularly inflamed your speakers and headphones for three decades." Jason Diamond
Review
"This is a good thing right here." Lil Wayne
Review
"This book rules. It is very, very fun to read if you care about this stuff.... If you... have an interest in punk or the Seattle indie rock scene then you'll love this thing to death." Lil Wayne
Review
"...[T]he artifacts included in the exhibit wonderfully illustrate everything that was exciting, vibrant, and anti-establishment about the scene that eventually went mainstream. The item descriptions are explanatory but concise, and the artist commentary is insightful and revelatory." Frank Valish
Review
"Despite its coffee table book appearance, McMurray tries to keep the punk rock do-it-yourself ethic by letting the artifacts and punk denizens speak for themselves.... The quotes from the publisher/artists who created them and musicians who were featured weave together nicely to give a sense of moment." Under the Radar
Review
"This is a good thing right here." Ian S. Wilder Boog City
Synopsis
Taking Punk to the Masses: From Nowhere to Nevermind visually documents the explosion of Grunge, the Seattle Sound, within the context of the underground punk subculture that was developing throughout the u.S. in the late 1970s and 1980s. The book serves as a companion and contextual backdrop to the Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses exhibition, which opens at Seattle s Experience Music Project in 2011. This decade-and-a-half musical journey will be represented entirely through the lens of EMP s oral history and permanent object collection, an invaluable and rich cultural archive of over 800 interviews and 140,000 objects instruments, costumes, posters, records and other ephemera dedicated to the pursuit of rock n roll. Taking Punk to the Masses focuses on 100 key objects from EMP s permanent collection that illustrate the evolution of punk rock from underground subculture to the mainstream embrace (and subsequent underground rejection) of Grunge. These objects are put into context by the stories of those who lived it, culling from EMP s vast archive of oral histories with such Northwest icons as Mudhoney s Mark Arm, cartoonist Peter Bagge, design legend Art Chantry, Beat Happening s Calvin Johnson, Sub Pop founders Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman, the Screaming Trees Mark Lanegan, Nirvana s krist Novoselic, photographer Charles Petersen, Soundgarden s kim Thayil, and dozens of others. From the Northwest s earliest punk bands like The Wipers, to proto-grunge bands of the 1980s like Green River, Melvins and Malfunkshun, through the heady 1990s when bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney rose to the national stage and popularized alternative music, Taking Punk to the Masses is the first definitive history of one of America s most vibrant music scenes, as told by the participants who helped make it so, and through the artifacts that survive. Over the past 15 years, Experience Music Project has amassed over 800 filmed oral history interviews with musicians, producers, club owners, fans, and others associated with every genre of music. These interviews, along with the museum s massive artifact collection, form the basis for every exhibition. The exhibitionNirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses includes footage from over 100 interviews. A selection of those interviews are included in a DVD, exclusive to the Taking Punk to the Masses book. "
Synopsis
- A visual and oral history of Grunge, the "Seattle Sound," with a forward by Nirvana's Krist Novoselic.
- Taking Punk to the Masses: From Nowhere to Nevermind and Beyond serves as a companion and contextual backdrop to the Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses exhibition, which opens at Seattle's Experience Music Project (EMP) in 2011. It visually traces Grunge, the Seattle Sound, from the punk subculture of the late '70s through the heady 1990s when bands such as Nirvana rose to the national stage. This decade-and-a-half musical journey will be represented by 100 key objects from EMP's object collection -- instruments, costumes, posters, records, and other ephemera -- that are put into context by the stories of those who lived it, culled from EMP's vast archive of oral histories with such Northwest icons as Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and many more. The exhibition Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses includes footage from over 100 interviews: selections are included in a DVD exclusive to the Taking Punk to the Masses book.
Synopsis
A visual and oral history of the "Seattle Sound," including an exclusive DVD.
About the Author
Jacob McMurray is the Senior Curator of Seattle's Experience Music Project.