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Review
‘THE LAST PARTY is a title that deserves to stick around the book charts.' Mark Lawson, Guardian
'THE LAST PARTY is that rare thing, a book principally about rock musicians that is a compulsive page-turner.’ The Sunday Times
'Compelling … it reminds us what a corrosive and mean place the pop world can be.' Mojo
'A fine, bittersweet read.' Q Magazine
Robert Sandall, Sunday Times Christmas Books 2003
'A brilliant study of Britpop and the human story behind it.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've just finished reading it and while I couldn't put it down at the same time I was desperate not to reach the end. I was a student during the final years of Britpop and "The Last Party" is a fascinating insight into the music, people and politics of the era. Even just reading about the backgrounds and music of Blur, Oasis, Elastica and Suede was enough to evoke the memories of the day Labour got into power - the only day that the university caretaker was pleasant to the students! If you don't buy another book this year, then buy this - it's more than worth it.
36 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This excellent book about the Britpop and the "Cool Britannia" years in the mid 1990's. The book has an extremely broad appeal. It can be read as a cultural/sociological piece or just as a music biography in it's own right. The writing is perfect for both schools - it's always readable, informative and descriptive but never sensationalist or patronising. You get a lot of detailed information about Blur, Oasis, Pulp and the other Britpop bands. The information on Blur alone is as thorough as 3862 days - their official biography - but also comes from a neutral standpoint. Blur's Country House and Oasis's Roll With It were both rather poor singles and some of the bandwagon-jumping Britpop bands were simply plain awful. Harris is not afraid to say so in no uncertain terms. Oasis in particular are often painted as stupid and graceless yobs throughout, particularly towards the end of the book as they take too much Cocaine and release the disappointing album Be Here Now.
Harris tells the story of the 1990's chronologically starting by setting the context with the Smiths, Happy Mondays and 1980's Acid House. Then the rise of Grunge & Suede and the start of the Britpop years are explored. The music and culture of 1994 - 1997 are poured over. Everything from the emergence of Loaded Magazine to Jarvis Cocker's stage invasion at the Brit Awards is analysed and excellently researched.
Harris bases his story on the relationships within the story. The romantic links, the fighting and animosities between Albarn/Frishman/Anderson/Blair/Gallagher are all examined in great detail. This gives the book a very strong structure and focus and is surprisingly coherent as a whole.
This book is also well worth reading for the music fan because so many details and facts are revealed for the first time. Even as a long-term avid reader of the music press I had no idea as to the true horrific depths of Elastica's drug habits, or to the extent of the violent drunken behaviour of Blur's Graham Coxon during 1995. Brett Anderson and Justine Frishman go from being a perfect couple in 1991 to painfully separate & bitter drug addicts in 1997. These things all help to contribute to the rapid decline and embarrassment of Britpop in hindsight.
The end of the scene is covered in nauseating detail as the tabloid overexposure of the tedious Cocaine-addled Gallagher brothers and the disgraceful behaviour of Chris Evans and his "New Lad" following help the whole thing turn sour. The ending is particularly bleak as Harris suggests that rather as a reaction to US grunge following Kurt Cobain's death (as it was intended) Britpop actually helped encourage American Rock in the long term. Seven years later and American Nu Metal, US Skate Punk and American inspired Emo bands rule the pages of (what is left of) the music press. At the end London is just another grey city and Tony Blair is just another politician who has let down his voters. Most of the bands have long since split up and none of the survivors enjoy anywhere near the same levels of success and prestige as they once had. Britpop is long dead and is now remembered as a slightly embarrassing moment of madness. How could it have ended any other way?
One minor critism of the book is that it tends to enjoy focusing on the negative aspects of the scene more than the positives. The book does highlight that a lot of the characters in the Britpop scene were not very intelligent or progressive. The whole scene was extremely masculine and unglamourous, with only Pulp (or occasionally a few members of Blur) showing much wit, class or sophistication. If Oasis are your favourite band you'll probably be offended by this book. You have to remember that although Britpop was fun and colourful at times it was also a time where everyone looked to the past for inspiration. It had little chance for the future and it would be naive to expect otherwise. I can remember feeling relieved when Britpop finally finished.
To sum up: this is a very detailed and informative book about the Britpop years in the mid 1990's. I would highly recommend to any music fan or anyone interested in 1990's popular culture.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was something else. At last, a truly objective look at the key figures of mid '90s dominant groups. Sure, with time and distance, it's easy to criticize the once mighty Gallagher Bros., but it's hugely astonishing how the Oasis machine bullied and intimidated everyone around them and had the media in their collective pocket (how else to explain the sub-standard "Be Here Now" receiving nearly unanimous praise upon its release?). Add to that the Gallaghers' (Liam in particular) appalling behavior in numerous recollections and you've got a great read on your hands! It doesn't matter if you love the bands (Oasis from '94-'96, Pulp)or hate them (never liked Blur), this book is essential. Don't pass it by.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Copy
Amazon recomment "Britpop-Cool Britiania" as a purchase with this but don't be fooled it is the same book just a revised publisher. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Gazza
The defining book of an era
The early 1990s was something of a low period for rock and indie music in the UK. The so called Madchester era had come and gone and the music scene was dominated by the American... Read more
Published on 3 July 2007 by D. Evans
Hang our heads in shame
I liked Britpop. You liked Britpop. It was great, wasn't it?
It takes a dispassionate observer like John Harris to open our eyes. Read more
It takes a dispassionate observer like John Harris to open our eyes. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2007 by Mr K
Unputdownable.
John Harris on the subject of Britpop is a dream combination. While effortlessly contextualising the phenomenon of Britpop, getting great material out of the major players, evoking... Read more
Published on 10 Aug 2004
Memorable moments but fundamentally flawed
A well written romp through the Britpop years, this is a great nostalgic read for those of us who turned 30 around the same time as Noel and Damon in the mid 90s. Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2004 by "niazalam"
Memorable moments, but fundamentally flawed!
A well written romp through the Britpop years, this is a great nostalgic read for those of us who turned 30 around the same time as Noel and Damon in the mid 90s. Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2004 by "niazalam"
brit-flop?
i was looking forward to reading this book as the whole britpop era is when i really started to get into music and develop my own tastes. Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2004 by M. black
Too negative and too anti-Oasis.
Now, I always look back on the 'Britpop' era as MY era. A time when I could finally put away by Smiths records and be entertained by a new breed of British musicians. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2004 by CoolGeek
The first book on a lost music scene.
At last a book about the 90s music scene known as 'Britpop'. Harris cleaverly intertwines the music scene and the rise of New Labour. Read more
Published on 3 July 2003 by "tony_burroughs"
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