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Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever by Will Hermes
mercenator's review against another edition
2.0
There were great anecdotes. However, the transitions in this book came out of left field, and I was often left wondering how, for example, we got from
Grandmaster Flash to the Talking Heads without even a subheading in between.
Grandmaster Flash to the Talking Heads without even a subheading in between.
heykstan's review against another edition
4.0
It took me forever to read this book because it was so dense with interesting information. There was so much to absorb about so many different types of music. I've read several books on the whole "punk in the 70's in nyc" thing, but this had a bunch of great stories that I didn't already know.
jefftakacs's review against another edition
5.0
While covering just five years in the history of music in New York City, Hermes takes the reader on a whirlwind trip through each of the five boroughs and dives into so many musical genres. The beginnings of punk rock, hip hop, Phillip Glass, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen are all documented along with the city’s next steps in jazz, salsa and more. All excellently researched and stuff to the gills with facts and anecdotes that keep the reader engaged.
His biggest accomplishment in this book is that he is able to cover so much ground and so many genres and musicians while telling a cohesive story. While I’m not a New Yorker, I felt like one as I read this. I learned so much while reading this and absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. Highly recommended for any music fan of any genre!
His biggest accomplishment in this book is that he is able to cover so much ground and so many genres and musicians while telling a cohesive story. While I’m not a New Yorker, I felt like one as I read this. I learned so much while reading this and absolutely enjoyed every bit of it. Highly recommended for any music fan of any genre!
staceysfeast's review against another edition
4.0
Splendid, exhaustive, and dense. It’s not for amateurs.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
caddysnack's review against another edition
3.0
New York in the mid to late 70s was one of the most creatively active and diverse periods in American history, and it's probably the number one destination for my time machine To Do list. So I expected to really love this book, but it lacks strong narrative and is an uninspired read. It's hard to say how much of that is due to the writer, because it's a necessarily overwhelming period to cover. I did find that his musical descriptions were not helpful, and I ended up skipping sections on genres I didn't care about (well, one: jazz) because his writing couldn't engage me. I think anyone interested in this period who already has a strong familiarity with it would be better off reading more focused books rather than this overview.
My favorite part of the book involved this quote from Robert Palmer, NY Times, responding to negative reviews of disco as "part of a general refusal to see disco partying as anything but mindless escapism when, in fact, a good case could be made for it as a vital tribal rite, an affirmation of high spirits and shared delight, a coming together to let loose that in no way ignores the problems of everyday life, but relieves them. Maybe we need a whole new aesthetics for the disco one that includes the ritual as well as the music."
My favorite part of the book involved this quote from Robert Palmer, NY Times, responding to negative reviews of disco as "part of a general refusal to see disco partying as anything but mindless escapism when, in fact, a good case could be made for it as a vital tribal rite, an affirmation of high spirits and shared delight, a coming together to let loose that in no way ignores the problems of everyday life, but relieves them. Maybe we need a whole new aesthetics for the disco one that includes the ritual as well as the music."
heavens_night's review against another edition
1.0
Surface level information presented in the blandest way possible. Could get more information from skimming over a few Wikipedia articles.
Also, the author insists on calling everyone that is vaguely androgynous the t slur. And at one point refers to a trans woman as "anatomically male". It can't make the book much worse then it is, but leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Also, the author insists on calling everyone that is vaguely androgynous the t slur. And at one point refers to a trans woman as "anatomically male". It can't make the book much worse then it is, but leaves a bad taste in the mouth.