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Amazon.co.uk Review
A music history like no other, Manchester England comes complete with a recommended soundtrack for each chapter evoking aural memories as Haslam unleashes an assembled cast of artists, musicians, hooligans, writers, workers, students, entrepreneurs and poets playing out a unique history of a unique city.
Haslam is not the first to write on Manchester's musical heritage, but while many of his predecessors' overwhelming desire was to cry "me! me! me!", hoping to convince us that they were there and that, as such, they had something to do with the numerous mini cultural revolutions that have taken place in the city, Haslam's approach to Manchester is different. His meticulous style contrasts with the rough, eager spontaneity of his subject, yet the book works because of this. Mapping out the city's creative and industrial history from the early 19th century to the ecstasy-fuelled dance culture of the 80s and 90s, you begin to realise the profound extent to which the city has always been part of a cycle of cultural upheaval, innovation and desperation. A mix of immigrant cultures and classes at loggerheads: it's this cocktail of human influence that has enabled the city not just to survive, but to inspire its populous to innovate rather than imitate.
From "Immigrants, Merchants and Anarchists", via "Punk, Post Punk and the Punk Postman", to "Hard Times and Basslines", the headlines alone reveal the eclectic references uniquely brought together here, united not for the purpose of self-congratulatory navel-gazing but to enable an understanding of the city's past and its future. Haslam presents a completely holistic view of how Manchester has ended up, for better or worse, the city it is today. "We're living in an uneasy city in a very tough world ... but the so-called experts ... can't stifle the desire to break the silence", Haslam tells us, asserting that creativity in the city has always won out, not just in spite of, but because of the challenges that face it.
Manchester England is not simply about Dave Haslam flexing his academic muscle alongside his DJ-ing credentials. The book is absorbing, insightful and entertaining. There's been enough overblown hype surrounding this rainy Northern city. Haslam's earnest and intelligent approach betrays his quiet conviction that "on the third day", as the t-shirts used to shout, "God did create Manchester". --Tony Martin
Review
* ‘About bloody time. The city that gave us every significant band of the lasty 20 years has finally made it into print. ****' Uncut
* A serious book about the city's pop heritage was inevitable and Dave Haslam's Manchester, England does the job admirably. Awesome.' NME
* ' Filled with a personal love of music and urban life and Saturday nights.' Andrew O'Hagan
* 'Excellent' Mojo
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was a real surprise, originally bought for my Manchester styled headonist boyfriend, i began reading this myself, as it was recommended reading for a social science course i was taking.
The last thing i expected was an extemely well written, and well researched study into the history of Manchester's music and club scene, stretching back to the start of the industrial revolution, and taking into account the social conditions and politics of the day.
This book is not a superficial, single-opinioned coffee-table read. I honestly expected something more along the lines of Tony Wilson's '24 hour party people', what i got was an indepth and well researched study into the social, political, and economic development of Manchester.
At times it seemed a little slow to get going, but on the whole a gr8 book.
The last thing i expected was an extemely well written, and well researched study into the history of Manchester's music and club scene, stretching back to the start of the industrial revolution, and taking into account the social conditions and politics of the day.
This book is not a superficial, single-opinioned coffee-table read. I honestly expected something more along the lines of Tony Wilson's '24 hour party people', what i got was an indepth and well researched study into the social, political, and economic development of Manchester.
At times it seemed a little slow to get going, but on the whole a gr8 book.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One of the real reasons the 'Madchester' thing happened was Dave Haslam. Where indie and dance were previously like oil and water, Dave would mix up hip hop with The Fall or the psychedelic Beatles and it somehow worked. For me, the most eye-opening part of the book is when he pinpoints the week he thought he noticed something beginning to happen on the Hacienda dancefloor - late August 1986. Purely by coincidence, I moved to Manchester a week later and made a bee-line for the club. So I got to see with my own eyes how Fac51 went from being a cavernous white elephant to the coolest place on Earth.
I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in why Manchester and dance music in particular are inextricably linked. Machine rhythm is in the soul of the city. If you don't believe me, visit the science museum and have a listen.
I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in why Manchester and dance music in particular are inextricably linked. Machine rhythm is in the soul of the city. If you don't believe me, visit the science museum and have a listen.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I expected to be reading an interesting book about a period of 15 years in Manchester. What I actually read was a fascinating book that transported me from Manchester 200+ years ago through to the end of the Millenium. The book tracks social history in Manchester over the last 200+ years (it touched briefly on the Romans at Castlefield!) Most of all, it gives the history of places and people that would suprise many Mancunians (I am a Manc, by the way). I wish that we had been given this book to read at school. I might have been better informed about my city of birth. Buy this book - you will love it!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Manchester in a book
If you think you're going to get a run through of the lively excesses of a music mad city, then you'll be (a little) disappointed. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mr. Andrew Palmer
Outsiders View of Manchestere
Reads like a University dissertation. I'm afraid factually it's pretty poor when it comes to Manchester post punk. Read more
Published on 18 Dec 2008 by Old Trafford kid
Ambitious book for an ambitious city
Haslam takes on a big project here. He could've stuck to his niche and just covered more recent developments on the music scene but he digs deep, really deep, and the book is so... Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2007 by Matt Wilson
As good as it gets
Very ambitious book, and not just about music but about the whole city and the people and the history, but it would be of interest to anybody. Read more
Published on 6 Dec 2002
Worthy but dull
Much of the best British music of the last forty years, and many of popular music's most memorable characters, have emerged from Manchester. Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2002
How History will be writern in the future
Haslam's Manchester, England provides the reader with an extraordinarily detailed account of the development of what Paul Willis termed "Common Culture" in Manchester... Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2001
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