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Product Description

Book Description
I grew up with punk rock. It changed my life. So to write abook about it was perfect for me. The music is timeless an all the interviewies were still
really cool people...

Synopsis
'To see the Clash on the White Riot tour was like discovering how to be a rock star: you just did it yourself. You didn't wait for someone to come and discover you. That was the most important thing that came out of punk...We came home and we cut our hair and bought skinny trousers. It was year zero. That was the moment for me' Billy Bragg. "Punk Rock" is a book like no other. It is an oral history of a radical movement which exploded in Seventies Britain. With its own clothes, hair, artwork, fanzines and radical politics, Punk boasted a DIY ethos that meant anyone could take part. The scene was uniquely vibrant and energetic, leaving an extraordinary legacy of notorious events, charismatic characters and inspirational music. John Robb has spent over a year interviewing more than 100 contributors including Glen Matlock, Mick Jones, Don Letts, Slash, Billy Bragg, Hugh Cornwell and Captain Sensible.

Now, for the first time, they give the inside view on events such as the Sex Pistols' swearing live on the Bill Grundy TV show and staging their anti-Jubilee riverboat party on the Thames, famous gigs at the Roxy and 100 Club, and the groundbreaking records by the Pistols, the Clash, the Damned and others. From the widely debated roots of punk in the late-Sixties through to the fallout of the post-punk period in 1984, and the ongoing influence on today's bands, Punk Rock is the definitive oral history of an inimitable and exciting movement.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

brilliant book, 25 Jul 2006

By	Jos (New York) - See all my reviews

For me this is the best book about punk. I always loved Jon Savage's 'England's Dreaming' but John Robb's book is the one now. First hand experiences are expertly meshed together to give a feel of just how fast, furious and exciting the whole period was. If you are looking for a book that really captures the diversity and excitement of the period then look no further...

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

A brilliant slice of cultural history..., 11 April 2006

By	Jason Parkes "We're all Frankies'" (Worcester, UK) - See all my reviews

John Robb is one of the most passionate music journalists - a passion that overwhelmed any flaws in his book on '90s culture (though Oliver Craske's role as editor means less mis-spellings than Robb's 90s tome - we still get Eddie Cochrane rather than Cochran for some reason!)and one that is apparent in this book. Robb, through extensive researching, has collected the memories of many key figures of the punk scene - Howard Devoto, Budgie, John Lydon, Captain Sensible, Don Letts, Siouxsie Sioux etc/their fans (Billy Bragg, Ian Brown) and simply let them tell their story. The stories sometimes contradict each other and seem inaccurate or in the case of Marco Pirroni's criticism of Cabaret Voltaire, get a responding footnote from Robb. There are sections in italics that are similar to Robb's 1990s book - those who dislike or disagree with his opinions will probably think these short sections are about right, personally I'd like to have had more Robb, as he's always got something interesting to say whether I agree or not (there's a bit on The Stranglers' here that makes me want to check out 'The Meninblack'!).

'Punk Rock: An Oral History' is punctuated with lots of great photographs, from Don Letts' looking like the coolest dude in front of his Beatles memorabilia, to the gorgeus Gaye Advert, to The Jam (who get a warranted criticism over some of their apsects) to those art-rock gods Wire. It's all great stuff and a brilliant slice of cultural history - one to file alongside Jon Savage's 'England's Dreaming' as you sit down to watch Don Letts' recent film 'Punk:Attitude.' I won't go on much longer as you really should enjoy it for yourself - I had a browse in a bookshop and found myself reading several pages this Saturday. I had to buy it. & then I sat down, sometimes with the music of the artists featured here, playing on my mp3 player and was just lost. Lost in great anecdotes and attitude and feeling that this and Simon Reynolds' 'Rip It Up & Start Again' have set a benchmark for music history literature. Interesting to note how often Can were mentioned - while Billy Bragg's line about Roxy Music fans is worth the price of entry alone. I hope Robb follows this up with a related work - his outro here suggests that the focus of punk is quite wide, so I'd like to see him get to grips with the work that followed in its wake post-1984. This book simply has to be read...NOW!!!!!!

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Even I, Japanese, want to pay the most compliment , 17 Jul 2007

By	Takemasa Wakuta (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews

What a thick paper back of total 576 pages! Isn't it a Bible? That was my first impression when I got it. And maybe I am only a person in Japan who read it through wearing smart suits and tie in crazy packed Japanese morning trains on the way to work surrounded and pushed by also smartly dressed busy business men. "Punk Rock?" Many people were sneering at 42-year-old. But this is a brilliant book and the most efficient to learn the UK punk history especially from mid '70 to beginning of '80 among some books I had ever read. This book comprises short interviews of total 112 punk musicians, punk journalists, and etc. telling individuals' stories by going back in time. I mean these real voices made me feel the scene in more real and understand the history in more detail than any other punk books. My English is not that good, when I came across obscure English expression I could skip some interviews to others, but it was not a problem. Because this book is not a long novel, but loads of interesting short interviews. UK punk's been part of my life since I was 18 despite the fact that I am now 42 and quite a normal office worker. My treasure is a T-shirt signed by Captain Sensible when I saw him upon my queuing in front of the venue in Oxford in 2002. It reads "Phil Collins must die - Captain Sensible".

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