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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Rock Book Corner
Wednesday 05 June @ 10:44:05 |
 Reviews by Celeste Tabora
THE SHARPER WORD
A Mod Anthology
Edited by Paulo Hewitt
(Helter Skelter Publishing)
KRAFTWERK
Man Machine and Music
By Pascal Bussy
(SAF Publishing)
WE OWE YOU NOTHING Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews
Edited by Daniel Sinker
(Akashic Books)
A JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICA WITH THE ROLLING STONES
By Robert Greenfield / Foreword by Ian Rankin
(Helter Skelter Publishing)
Reviews by Celeste Tabora
THE SHARPER WORD
A Mod Anthology
Edited by Paulo Hewitt
(Helter Skelter Publishing)
The Mod revolution has found devotees in every generation since the 1960s. Though nearly 30 years have passed, all things Mod have sustained their underground status. With this book, Hewitt has developed a great compilation of the Mod lifestyle. Providing a variety of brief views on the subject, the book is comprised of published and unpublished excerpts. Readers will learn about what makes up Mod: from their bands to the importance of imported R&B and Blues records. But the Mod idea isn’t limited to music: Mod style extends from the bands to clothes, pill popping to hairstyles, custom motor scooters to dancing all night at clubs like The Scene. Yeah, The Who is mentioned and so is Small Faces, but far more interesting are the lesser-known bands like The Action, The Creation and The Eyes from Ealing. The layout of short excerpts makes this book an easy and pleasant read, though it remains quite informative. If you’re thirsting for info about the Mod lifestyle, this should quench your thirst.
KRAFTWERK
Man Machine and Music
By Pascal Bussy
(SAF Publishing)
This is a great book about that German band who invented the fusion between man and, well, machine. Perhaps it’s all you ever wanted to know and more about Kraftwerk—but how fascinating it is! With this new 2001 edition, the author adds more detail to his original insight. It not only covers the history of this historical and enigmatic band, but their influence as well. There are not-too-flashy black and white pictures in the book’s middle, typical of a biographical band book. This is a must-own for any modern music lover. If you didn’t already know how important Kraftwerk is to music today, this book will make sure you do.
WE OWE YOU NOTHING Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews
Edited by Daniel Sinker
(Akashic Books)
Once I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. The contents cover basically every aspect of the DIY ethic and culture. If you’re familiar with Punk Planet the fanzine, you probably already know how well-written and probing their interviews are. This book compiles the most invigorating and revealing interviews with some of the most groundbreaking artists, political organizers, designers, filmmakers, and writers (Ian MacKaye, Jello Biafra, Thurston Moore, Kathleen Hanna, Mordam Records, Steve Albini, Frank Kozik, Noam Chomsky, Central Ohio Abortion Access Fund, Ted Leo—to name a few.) The interviews read like historical documents of the punk underground and indie rock world of today. It’s well worth the money, as you’ll most likely reference the contents more than just once to grasp the meaning behind the words. The book is also a great conversation piece for your coffee table.
A JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICA WITH THE ROLLING STONES
By Robert Greenfield / Foreword by Ian Rankin
(Helter Skelter Publishing)
You’ve probably heard stories about The Rolling Stones’ 1972 tour. The murder of a concert-goer by a Hells Angels member at the Altamont racetrack during their previous tour caused this one to better accommodate The Stones: bigger arenas for a larger entourage and of course, more sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll. Greenfield documents this tour as honestly and earnestly as we watched that kid in “Almost Famous” do it. This book would be as great for those who experienced it the first time around as well as for those who just wanted to be there. It’s the next best thing to time traveling to 1972 and being on the road with the band yourself! The arrest of Keith Richards in Boston before a concert, and the events to make sure the show does go on, was one of many exciting accounts. The book features no pictures, and at first I was disappointed but the story is told so vividly that your imagination won’t need much to help you with the visuals. Although many fans say this book is the best chronicle of the best tour of The Rolling Stones at their peak, I wasn’t around at the time to be able to fully agree with this statement—but after reading this, I can say it quite possibly could be.
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