“John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash.” — Alan McGeeDo You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from music writer John Robb, with the music still ringing... Read More
Description
“John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash.” — Alan McGee
Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from music writer John Robb, with the music still ringing in his ears. This collection follows Robb’s journey from the late 1970s, when he was first caught up in punk’s high-octane thrill, to the present day, via the early days of the rave scene, the birth of electronic and techno, and myriad bands that spun off on their own idiosyncratic paths.
Robb was the first person to write about Nirvana, he coined the term Britpop, and he documented the Stone Roses’ rise out of Manchester before anyone else was interested. He was at every pivotal gig, and has interviewed every key player in the business, including Jordan, the queen of punk, founding father of new American rock Steve Albini, goth-rock guitarist Daniel Ash, infamous Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher, and music greats like Lemmy and Poly Styrene. Few others have witnessed first-hand so many important moments of the last forty years of rock history. Here, they come together to form the essential history of a personal quest to document the ever-changing soundtrack of the modern world.
Details
- Price: $22.95
- Pages: 400
- Carton Quantity: 40
- Publisher: Unbound
- Imprint: Unbound
- Publication Date: 3rd October 2023
- Trim Size: 5.12 x 7.88 in
- ISBN: 9781800182189
- Format: Paperback
- BISACs:
MUSIC / Essays
MUSIC / Genres & Styles / Punk
MUSIC / Genres & Styles / Rock
Reviews
“John Robb is a great writer.”— Mick Jones, The Clash
“John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash.”— Alan McGee
“[An] exhilarating compendium….Music fans nostalgic for the spiked hair, thrashing guitar riffs, and electric energy of the ‘punk revolution’ will be eager to get their hands on this.” — Publishers Weekly
"If you love rock music and are a fan of music not MOR this is the book for you. Informative, well researched and entertaining. Highly recommended." — Anna Maria Giacomasso, Librarian
Author Bio
Table of Contents
The 1970s
Introduction - 3
Xerox Machine! - 9
The 1980s
The Jesus and Mary Chain: Like a Virgin - 13
The Stone Roses - 18
Rudimentary Peni - 22
A Guy Called Gerald - 27
Nirvana - 30
Tackhead - 41
The 1990s
The Fall - 49
Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley - 54
Summer 1990: The Madness of the Summer of Hope - 70
The Stone Roses: Spike Island - 76
James - 79
The Manic Street Preachers - 90
Sonic Youth - 98
Aphex Twin - 103
The Manic Street Preachers (2) - 107
The Cure - 122
Nirvana (2) 1- 30
The Charlatans - 137
The 2000s
Einstürzende Neubauten - 145
Anthony Wilson - 160
Linder - 179
Mick Jones - 190
Jason Orange: I Bet You Looked Good on the Dancefloor - 209
Poly Styrene - 214
Noel Gallagher - 238
The 2010s
Lemmy - 257
World of Twist: The Great Lost Band - 268
Michael Gira (Swans) - 274
Daniel Ash (Bauhaus) - 292
Jordan - 313
Echo & the Bunnymen - 327
Steve Albini - 345
The 2020s
Peter Hook: In-Depth Interview on Ian Curtis and Joy Division - 365
Jason Williamson (Sleaford Mods) - 378
A Note on the Author - 385
Supporters - 387
“John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash.” — Alan McGee
Do You Believe in the Power of Rock & Roll? is a history of alternative rock from music writer John Robb, with the music still ringing in his ears. This collection follows Robb’s journey from the late 1970s, when he was first caught up in punk’s high-octane thrill, to the present day, via the early days of the rave scene, the birth of electronic and techno, and myriad bands that spun off on their own idiosyncratic paths.
Robb was the first person to write about Nirvana, he coined the term Britpop, and he documented the Stone Roses’ rise out of Manchester before anyone else was interested. He was at every pivotal gig, and has interviewed every key player in the business, including Jordan, the queen of punk, founding father of new American rock Steve Albini, goth-rock guitarist Daniel Ash, infamous Oasis co-founder Noel Gallagher, and music greats like Lemmy and Poly Styrene. Few others have witnessed first-hand so many important moments of the last forty years of rock history. Here, they come together to form the essential history of a personal quest to document the ever-changing soundtrack of the modern world.
- Price: $22.95
- Pages: 400
- Carton Quantity: 40
- Publisher: Unbound
- Imprint: Unbound
- Publication Date: 3rd October 2023
- Trim Size: 5.12 x 7.88 in
- ISBN: 9781800182189
- Format: Paperback
- BISACs:
MUSIC / Essays
MUSIC / Genres & Styles / Punk
MUSIC / Genres & Styles / Rock
“John Robb is a great writer.”— Mick Jones, The Clash
“John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash.”— Alan McGee
“[An] exhilarating compendium….Music fans nostalgic for the spiked hair, thrashing guitar riffs, and electric energy of the ‘punk revolution’ will be eager to get their hands on this.” — Publishers Weekly
"If you love rock music and are a fan of music not MOR this is the book for you. Informative, well researched and entertaining. Highly recommended." — Anna Maria Giacomasso, Librarian
The 1970s
Introduction - 3
Xerox Machine! - 9
The 1980s
The Jesus and Mary Chain: Like a Virgin - 13
The Stone Roses - 18
Rudimentary Peni - 22
A Guy Called Gerald - 27
Nirvana - 30
Tackhead - 41
The 1990s
The Fall - 49
Andrew Weatherall and Terry Farley - 54
Summer 1990: The Madness of the Summer of Hope - 70
The Stone Roses: Spike Island - 76
James - 79
The Manic Street Preachers - 90
Sonic Youth - 98
Aphex Twin - 103
The Manic Street Preachers (2) - 107
The Cure - 122
Nirvana (2) 1- 30
The Charlatans - 137
The 2000s
Einstürzende Neubauten - 145
Anthony Wilson - 160
Linder - 179
Mick Jones - 190
Jason Orange: I Bet You Looked Good on the Dancefloor - 209
Poly Styrene - 214
Noel Gallagher - 238
The 2010s
Lemmy - 257
World of Twist: The Great Lost Band - 268
Michael Gira (Swans) - 274
Daniel Ash (Bauhaus) - 292
Jordan - 313
Echo & the Bunnymen - 327
Steve Albini - 345
The 2020s
Peter Hook: In-Depth Interview on Ian Curtis and Joy Division - 365
Jason Williamson (Sleaford Mods) - 378
A Note on the Author - 385
Supporters - 387