Punk Rock: An Oral History

by John Robb, Henry Rollins (Foreword by)

Overview

With its own fashion, culture, and chaotic energy, punk rock boasted a do-it-yourself ethos that allowed anyone to take part. Vibrant and volatile, the punk scene left an extraordinary legacy of music and cultural change. John Robb talks to many of those who cultivated the movement, such as John Lydon, Lemmy, Siouxsie Sioux, Mick Jones, Chrissie Hynde, Malcolm McLaren, Henry Rollins, and Glen Matlock, weaving together their accounts to create a raw and unprecedented oral history of UK punk. All the main players are here: from The Clash to Crass, from The Sex Pistols to the Stranglers, from the UK Subs to Buzzcocks—over 150 interviews capture the excitement of the most thrilling wave of rock ’n’ roll pop culture ever. Ranging from its widely debated roots in the late 1960s to its enduring influence on the bands, fashion, and culture of today, this history brings to life the energy and the anarchy as no other book has done.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781604860054
Publisher:	PM Press
Publication date:	07/17/2012
Pages:	584
Sales rank:	655,695
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.32(h) x 1.52(d)

About the Author

John Robb grew up with punk rock in the late seventies forming his own critically acclaimed band, the Membranes, writing his own fanzine and releasing his own records in the DIY spirit of the movement. The Membranes powerful, abrasive, punk rock noise was very influential on the British and European underground and the band toured the world several times before stopping in the late eighties. Robb then went on to write for the music press, being the first person to interview Nirvana as well as coining key phrases like “Britpop.” He then started a new band, Goldblade, who tour the world to this day.

Originally from Washington DC, Henry Rollins fronted the Los Angeles-based punk band Black Flag and is well-known for his hard-hitting writing, music, and acting.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Its unique brand of energy helps make it a riot all its own."  —Harp Magazine

"John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash."  —Alan McGee, record label owner and musican

"John Robb is a great writer . . . and he is supremely qualified, in my opinion, to talk about punk rock."  —Mick Jones, The Clash

"Former Membrane John Robb recognized the gap in the tale that appears in any third person telling: the punks didn't get to tell their side of the story in their own words. So he went to work on picking the brains of over 100 first and second wavers and ended up with Punk Rock: An Oral History." —www.PsychoBabble200.blogspot.com

"With its brilliant balance of in-depth information and accessibility, this title will be equally at home on academic, public, and personal library shelves. Essential for punk fans and highly recommended for readers interested in firsthand accounts of the growth of new cultural movements." —Library Journal (December 2012)

"It takes a punker to write one of the definitive books on punk rock that exploded on the music scene in the mid-1970s before fragmenting into niches like Oi, Hardcore and Two Tone. John Robb (The Membranes) has written such [a] book." —www.IBRNews.com

"From the early pub scene, to the U.K. debut of The Ramones, from the grrrl power of The Slits, to the chaotic saga of The Sex Pistols, from 1977 to the peak of the second wave and beyond. Robb chronicles it all through those who lived through it." —www.DonPalabraz.com

Editorial Reviews

Its unique brand of energy helps make it a riot all its own.”
—Harp Magazine

“John Robb is a great writer...and he is supremely qualified in my opinion to talk about punk rock.”
—Mick Jones, The Clash

“John Robb is as punk rock as The Clash.”
—Alan McGee

From the Publisher

Longtime music journalist and founding member of The Membranes Robb (Death to Trad Rock) has collected the stories of over 100 eyewitnesses to the birth of British punk. From icons like John Lydon (Sex Pistols) and Mick Jones (The Clash) to lesser-known but no less outspoken musicians, managers, promoters, and fans, the interviewees bring a wide range of viewpoints to their tales of the scene's development. In scope and format, Robb covers much the same ground as Jon Savage's 2010 collection of interviews, The England's Dreaming Tapes. From an editorial perspective, however, the difference between the two works is striking. While Savage presented his transcripts in their entirety, Robb uses a cut-and-paste chronological arrangement, grouping together several subjects' takes on a given event or band. These multiple, often conflicting voices, together with the cheeky footnotes that clarify certain obscure references or blatant misrememberings, add a level of wit and chaotic energy to this book not present in earlier oral histories of the era. VERDICT With its brilliant balance of in-depth information and accessibility, this title will be equally at home on academic, public, and personal library shelves. Essential for punk fans and highly recommended for readers interested in firsthand accounts of the growth of new cultural movements.—Neil Derksen, Snohomish, WA

Library Journal