rumbledethumps's review against another edition
3.0
A fascinating personal look at the heyday of rock and roll, from the 1960s into the early 21st century. Hyden's basic argument is that rock and roll, or what he calls "classic rock," is a music genre that is basically dead. His takes on some of the the luminaries, (The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, David Bowie, Nirvana, Pearl Jam) are really interesting, and offered some insights I had never before considered. But perhaps the biggest insight is that the classic rock he so admires is just a genre or form, much like Motown, Disco, or Rockabilly, and is possibly just as dead as those genres.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was a bit stilted and halting in parts, making it feel like it was being read rather than told.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was a bit stilted and halting in parts, making it feel like it was being read rather than told.
jervonyc's review against another edition
4.0
As good a survey of classic rock as you're going to get, warts and all.
colinmcev's review against another edition
3.0
A very good read. Steven Hyden is a really entertaining writer and the subject matter was very interesting to me. When I first heard about this book I wasn't sure because obviously so much has been written about the topic already, and I wasn't sure a white guy born in the late 70s would have much to say, but it was actually interesting to hear his takes written from the hindsight and perspective of the 21st century.
I didn't agree with EVERYTHING he had to say, particularly what bands and time periods would constitute "classic rock." He thinks classic rock lasted a LOT longer than I do, and so he spent a lot of ink writing about bands that I don't think are classic rock at all (Prince, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon & Styx). But that didn't bother me at all because classic rock is such an objective (and, honestly, meaningless) term that everybody has their own definition of it. And I still liked reading about the bands that I didn't think fit the classic rock mold; I DEFINITELY wouldn't agree that classic rock ended with NiN's The Fragile, but I get his reasoning behind it and thought it was an interesting argument.
If I had one issue with the book, it was that I didn't necessarily feel like it had a common thread running through the book to connect the various chapters and stories, so at times it could feel more like a collection of essays than a complete book. But I liked reading the standalone chapters and snippets enough that this didn't bother me too much. Besides, I can't help but enjoy a book that includes this quote: "I'm not a religious person, but if there is a God, I was sure I had found Him on side two of Abbey Road."
I didn't agree with EVERYTHING he had to say, particularly what bands and time periods would constitute "classic rock." He thinks classic rock lasted a LOT longer than I do, and so he spent a lot of ink writing about bands that I don't think are classic rock at all (Prince, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon & Styx). But that didn't bother me at all because classic rock is such an objective (and, honestly, meaningless) term that everybody has their own definition of it. And I still liked reading about the bands that I didn't think fit the classic rock mold; I DEFINITELY wouldn't agree that classic rock ended with NiN's The Fragile, but I get his reasoning behind it and thought it was an interesting argument.
If I had one issue with the book, it was that I didn't necessarily feel like it had a common thread running through the book to connect the various chapters and stories, so at times it could feel more like a collection of essays than a complete book. But I liked reading the standalone chapters and snippets enough that this didn't bother me too much. Besides, I can't help but enjoy a book that includes this quote: "I'm not a religious person, but if there is a God, I was sure I had found Him on side two of Abbey Road."
oceanwalk's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic journey into the origins and ends of classic rock. With a wealth of knowledge and a sly sense of humor, Steven Hyden dives into what makes a band classic rock, why these albums are so integral to the identities of many, the flawed system that neglected the voices of women and minorities, and what happens once the last of the 60s-90s rock stars are gone.
Despite the "Twilight" in the title and the loss of several rock titans in the last few years, Hyden also finds hope in the next generation of musicians, more diverse and creative than ever before. For someone who loves artists like U2, Radiohead, David Bowie and Depeche Mode, this was an excellent read. Hell, if Hyden could make even REO Speedwagon sound interesting, than it's worth the time of any music fan!
Despite the "Twilight" in the title and the loss of several rock titans in the last few years, Hyden also finds hope in the next generation of musicians, more diverse and creative than ever before. For someone who loves artists like U2, Radiohead, David Bowie and Depeche Mode, this was an excellent read. Hell, if Hyden could make even REO Speedwagon sound interesting, than it's worth the time of any music fan!
andrewlemek's review against another edition
5.0
I had such a fun reading experience with this book, it was my first physical book after many ebook/audiobooks. Any time the author highlighted a specific artist or album I took a moment to pull that up on Spotify and immerse myself in the music. This book has opened me up to exploring a whole genre of music novels.
lunargiraffe's review against another edition
3.0
Sort of made me want to listen to Phish, which is a new feeling for me.
msand3's review
3.0
3.5 stars. Hyden’s swan song to classic rock is a fun, light read for people just like Hyden: late Gen Xer/early Millennial white guys who grew up listening to classic rock radio in the 90s -- not old enough to see most classic rock musicians in their prime, but just in time to catch classic rock in the last years of prominence/relevance before the post-Napster era. One point he makes, rather obviously, is that the decline of classic rock paralleled the decline of the importance of the physical album due to the rise of streaming. And that’s probably the biggest problem I had with this book: just about every major point is rather obvious to his readers. (Unless they happen to be 14-year-olds born in the aughts who are just getting into classic rock, in which case this book would be a great reference point.)
The second smaller flaw is that while the “decline of classic rock” bookends the essays, the middle section strays from this theme, becoming mostly just a collection of essays on various classic rock tropes, from the “life-on-the-road album” to the power ballad. Clearly, the unifying notion of “the end of classic rock” was just an excuse to write a book about classic rock which, again, is a-ok for fans of the genre. The other controlling theme of the book -- that rock is a mythology that will live on even after the god-like stars have died -- is also a trite sentiment that has been around about as long as rock’n’roll (or even earlier if you count the delta blues mythos).
In short, the fans who would read this book will learn nothing new here. We’ve read most of the books Hyden mentions, know all the stories he tells, and obviously love the music. There’s not much depth of analysis here, but that’s also not why one would read this book. Like listening to a classic rock album for the thousandth time, it’s more about the journey and the shared nostalgia as Hyden describes his encounter with classic rock radio in his teens and traces that love into middle age as his heroes begin to quickly die off. We’ve all been there; and we have all lamented that this type of musical journey doesn’t happen any more in the era of YouTube and Spotify. In that sense, Hyden is able to distill all these very relatable shared moments -- like Springsteen leading a concert sing-along on a tune that so many audience members feel speaks directly to them. In that sense, it’s pleasurable to spend a few hours sharing these memories with a fellow fan who has a passionate, life-long knowledge of the topic. Recommended as a summer beach/airport read for fans. Everyone else can skip it.
The second smaller flaw is that while the “decline of classic rock” bookends the essays, the middle section strays from this theme, becoming mostly just a collection of essays on various classic rock tropes, from the “life-on-the-road album” to the power ballad. Clearly, the unifying notion of “the end of classic rock” was just an excuse to write a book about classic rock which, again, is a-ok for fans of the genre. The other controlling theme of the book -- that rock is a mythology that will live on even after the god-like stars have died -- is also a trite sentiment that has been around about as long as rock’n’roll (or even earlier if you count the delta blues mythos).
In short, the fans who would read this book will learn nothing new here. We’ve read most of the books Hyden mentions, know all the stories he tells, and obviously love the music. There’s not much depth of analysis here, but that’s also not why one would read this book. Like listening to a classic rock album for the thousandth time, it’s more about the journey and the shared nostalgia as Hyden describes his encounter with classic rock radio in his teens and traces that love into middle age as his heroes begin to quickly die off. We’ve all been there; and we have all lamented that this type of musical journey doesn’t happen any more in the era of YouTube and Spotify. In that sense, Hyden is able to distill all these very relatable shared moments -- like Springsteen leading a concert sing-along on a tune that so many audience members feel speaks directly to them. In that sense, it’s pleasurable to spend a few hours sharing these memories with a fellow fan who has a passionate, life-long knowledge of the topic. Recommended as a summer beach/airport read for fans. Everyone else can skip it.