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jedbird's review
4.0
My preferred more-or-less-contemporary music history is an oral history, but this history is a bit more like a textbook. I remember all these post-punk bands but realized in reading that I hadn’t been particularly fond of any of them back in the day, so that reduced my reading enjoyment somewhat. I’m still hopeful of running across an oral history of the same time period, but I’m glad enough to have read this.
kshgr's review against another edition
4.0
good history, readable and thorough, though good insights of post-punk's (and rock/youth culture) relationship with race and gender presentation are not schematised into larger frame, leaving something to be desired
storiesofsilva's review against another edition
4.0
It's a great, very descriptive book on the U.K. (and partially on the U.S.) post-punk/new pop/new wave scene from 1978-1984, and even reaching into other eras as well. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this time period of music, especially since post-punk has been a favorite sub-genre of rock of mine.
The only caveat with this book, like is the case for a lot of genre or era specific music books, is that if you're not genuinely interested in what you are reading about, or if your previous knowledge on the subject is limited, the book will come off as really boring and somewhat pretentious, as some sections did for me. Nonetheless, the book covered all of the bases, and Mr. Reynolds puts together one of the better music books I've read.
The only caveat with this book, like is the case for a lot of genre or era specific music books, is that if you're not genuinely interested in what you are reading about, or if your previous knowledge on the subject is limited, the book will come off as really boring and somewhat pretentious, as some sections did for me. Nonetheless, the book covered all of the bases, and Mr. Reynolds puts together one of the better music books I've read.
stuporfly's review against another edition
4.0
It's a fascinating subject, and Reynolds has clearly put a lot of time and effort into his research. But when that all came together on the page, much of the life of the music was sucked dry. He's somehow managed to take personal anecdotes and vivid descriptions and turned them into something a bit more cold and clinical than it ought to have been.
ericfheiman's review against another edition
3.0
An informative history of post punk that lacks the sweep of "England's Dreaming," but still fleshes out a necessary and fertile period of music,
theshadowplay's review against another edition
4.0
I wish this book came with a CD of all the musci. Good read.