5 comments about Days of Hope and Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen.

1. 1978 was a key moment in Bruce Springsteen's career, and Frank Stefanko was there to capture it in black and white. In these photos, you see a rock star breaking out, but still struggling and working his [tail] off. Stefanko had not even heard the Darkness album when he took the photos that would lead to its cover (and the cover of The River), but he captured the mood and the tone perfectly, of both the music and the musician. Even if you're not into photo books, if you have an interest in Springsteen, do yourself a favor and get this book.



2. This book engrosses you from the moment you start reading you cant stop.I am giving this book to my clients and friends as it makes the perfect gift for Bruce Springsteen fans.I was also very moved by Authors tribute to his late wife Sheila and feel there may be another story there Frank ?



3. This is a wonderful book. The photographs are uniformly compelling and insightful, as is the text. The reader is treated to a rare, unvarnished glimpse of an American hero about to "burst like a supernova." The images are timeless, and harken back to a simpler, perhaps more poignant time -- before MTV and the Internet changed the way we obtained and enjoyed our music. The author's spare text is thoughtful without being intrusive; a perfect compliment to the compelling images that accompany it. The text conveys a straightforward warmth and appreciation for the author's subject that are both refreshing and inspiring. This is a book to pore over, savor, and return to. Thank you, Frank, for sharing your gift -- and thank you, Bruce, for recognizing his genius, and for allowing us a little glimpse of yours.



4. Just thought everyone would like to know that the cover photo was taken in front of Frank's Men's Hairstyling on Kings Highway in downtown Haddonfield, New Jersey!



5. this is not only a book about an era in the beginning of the career of bruce, but a book about friendship as well. very nice photos. i recommend it to bruce fans

2 comments about Attracting Genuine Love.

1. Drs. Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks offer a step-by-step learning manual complete with a CD on attracting in love. The path is developed from inner love, removing emotional and sub-conscious blocks to a healthy loving relationshipw ith oneself ... and then extending it outward. The meditations offer a chance to experience the lessons in action. If you want to learn from people who have achieved what you are looking for, the Hendricks are one of the best teachers in conscious loving.



2. This book has good ideas-it's a short, simple read. It's another book about thinking positive thoughts and looking at your fears and confronting them. The included CD skipped on the 8th track which had the 'big secret' ..so I am not fully sure what that is. I survived.
   Using this and other positive thoughts I opened myself up and am going on a 2nd date with a girl I met a few weeks ago. So basically the message is to think, percieve and believe and you'll get it. I know I had and still do have fears and apprehensions about stopping 'the seach' for 'the one' --this book assisted in hammering into my head that I am the one who is behind the lack in my life- and if I REALLY want something- I need to focus on it, define it, let go of fears and go get it.

4 comments about Guided by Voices' Bee Thousand (33 1/3).

1. I've read several of these 33 1/3 books, and this one is one of my favorites. Woodworth has stitched together lots of different bits and pieces for the book--listener testimonials, interviews with band members and people in Pollard's group of friends, short analyses of songs, etc. that bump up against each other and put each other in context by putting them in contrast. And much like the songs on Bee THousand, as you read/listen, you begin to realize that all the little disparate components are just parts of a bigger coherent machine. Woodworth has Pollard's aesthetic down, and his is an unique and inspiring approach to writing about music. It got me to bust out the 4 track again anyway...



2. I guess, in short I would just say the best parts of this book are: The bits of interviews, say from Thrasher, Fennell, Tobin sprout, Demos...and of course thee best part of the book (in my opinion) is a play by play description of each song and kind of what went into creating this LP, via Bobby! Which really, just puts the purpose of the book into prespective. You know?,...you get the stories from the people involved, or anyone who was around them while it was going on & you have it, simple! There is also a great picture of the Memory Man pedal they used for Hot Freaks and the 4-track they recorded with which are just some neat extras! But I give this book a 3* because there's allot of just, pretentious clammer, I'll say, from the other bits in the book.. kinda like - "How many words can I toss together to make me sound extremely deep and poetic about this astonishing band & novel of epic proportions & peice of art for the ages...blah blah blah.....!"
   You know,...I just don't have allot of time for all the extra junk, I guess I will say. The people outside the realm, wanting to get their two cents in or whatever, with run on sentences that have nothing to with anything- It's like being in a bar with a hundred micro beers or whatever and trying to gush about all the different flavors & how great it all is..OR?... just ordering a Budweiser. Sorry for the drinking refrerence...it's a bit cliche i know. I'm sorry for that one. But look, you ask Bob or any of the others some questions...record it on a cassette...re-write it for this book......and your there! Which Marc did...
   kinda?
   And I must say, I'm not one really for saying negative words about anyones work....I try and stick with the positive points! I think people should do more of that instead of putting people down...ecspecially when people get on these things, like reviews or Blogs or any other computer crumb dummies. So I want to apoligize if it sounds mean. But anyways....
   So yeah, I think this book needed to be done. It's worth every penny just for Bobs section alone! If you are a fan...or just want to know a little bit about GBV during this period & or this LP...spend the $9 and enjoy, right?!
   The 33 1/3 series is pretty nice. A small book of some info & opinions about some of the really great Albums over time. I have a list still of some others I would like to read from this series.
   So I am glad this was done.
   I give this a Gold *! (I know, more lame reference's..sorry)



3. A very informative book that makes you think about such great songs in a brand new way. The fact that Robert Pollard has not one, but two long essays in the book (one is by Bart J Hooper LLD or something similar, very obviously bob himself) makes this alone worth the price of entry. Add that to the great commentary by Tobin Sprout and a very competent author and you have a perfect celebration of the glory that is Bee Thousand and GBV.



4. starbuck couldn't be more wrong. Woodworth's book is a wonderful one because it avoids obvious trappings associated with rock music fandom as well as the temptation to present a dry, step by step history of the making of Bee Thousand. Instead, Woodworth opens the wide angle for a look at creative impulse, and how that's found a home in the person of Robert Pollard. And he does so with beautiful language, unusual commentary from other artists, and a careful scrutiny that ranges from intimate listening to a proper (and necessary) distancing from the subject. Greer's "history" is not a very good history at all, nor is it well written. It does offer a few interesting stories and insights that only an ex-GBVer could offer. But those are rare. Greer's book often bogs down into cheap, tabloidesque tattling (particularly regarding Bob's ex-wife and his brother), and carries with it a smarmy brand of "Hey, I was in the band" sort of insider-ism. The book's final chapter is its most valuable portion, in which Greers asks Pollard about his songs and the subject becomes the creative impulse (hey, there it is again!). Read Woodworth's contribution to the 33 1/3 Series. It's terrific.

5 comments about Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation (33 1/3).

1. Stearns' 33 1/3 contribution is a well thought out and contextualized treatment of this influential and groundbreaking album and cultural moment in American music history. Though some pages are too thickly covered in rich adjectival icing, the firmer core of the author's discussion is insightful, thought-provoking, and a unique perspective in some well-trodden territory in writing on Sonic Youth and this album in particular. Definitely worth a careful look (eat the cake, and let the icing slide off).



2. This is my first 33 1/3, so I can't speak to the comparisons with other 33 1/3 offerings, but I'll definitely be checking out more of the series after reading this. There are tons of lengthy quotes from band members about the album's conception; the real charm of the book, though, is in the psyched and loving, irreverent but awed attempt to communicate the experience of listening to this epochal album. Sure, there are some rough and jagged edges. But that seems part of the point. The author's enthusiasm for listening hard and closely is infectious. If you're looking for a killer little book to listen to Daydream Nation with, this is it.



3. Though I'd be the first to admit that Daydream Nation is easily one of the greatest albums ever created, that doesn't mean that this book does it any justice.
   
   All in all, the author's repetitive use of hyperbole and fanboy descriptions did nothing but agitate me. He continually tries to convince the reader that this album is good...but chances are, if you're reading the book (heck, even if you're reading this review), you already understand that it's a good album. Therefore despite a few interesting band quotes, this book is pointless and not worth your money or time.
   
   If you're interested in learning more about Sonic Youth, then might I recommend either "This Band Could Be Your Life" by Michael Azerrad or "Confusion is Next" by Alec Foege. Other books in the 33 1/3 series are wonderful, but definitely not this one.



4. I got this book after a friend recommended it, unfortunately I've had little previous experience with Sonic Youth. I bought it along with the album and used it as a guide (for which the author's layout was perfect) as I immersed myself in a new experience. I believe that to fully appreciate a work of art one must understand the context in which it was created and Stearns did a wonderful job painting a picture of how both the New York music scene and the band member's personal lives helped shape the music. I also enjoyed the lyrical analysis, and although I don't agree with all of the author's conclusions, I found his analysis interesting and provocative. Stearns invites us to wonder with him what these lyrics could mean and opening it up for debate is far more important than coming to the "right" conclusion.
   
   I can understand the die-hard fans who may complain that the author spends too much time raving about an album they already love. For someone new to the music though, this enthusiasm is infectious, and I found myself listening to the same track over and over again letting Stearns point out some of the moments he so obviously adores.
   
   Daydream Nation has been off my radar for the last twenty years (yes, I've been under a rather large rock), I thoroughly enjoyed the new experience and I highly recommend Matthew Stearns' book as a companion to the album.



5. Not only is the writing bad, there is no research, no interviews, no insight into the work being reviewed. The author chokes in front of the crucial moments of the work he is in awe of. He regurgitates the words, no insights, no information, sometimes worse- free association. The writer has no critical, interpretational or comparative skills, not to mention lack of research. This books only value is the partial printing of the lyrics. The liner notes of the reissued CD have more information on the recording process and the ideas of the artists than this book. I think the editors must be aiming at 12 year olds with this publication. Dont bother to waste your time or money.

5 comments about The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes.

1. (this is the updated verion of Marcus' "Invisible Republic")
   
   In 1965, Bob Dylan played Newport with an electric band. Playing songs from the groundbreaking "Highway 61 Revisited", Dylan-- in one of the finest performances of his career-- was roundly booed by the audience and condemned by critics.
   
   Why?
   
   Greil Marcus' fascinating book starts with this question: why were audiences so hostile to Dylan's new material and style? Marcus' thesis is that Dylan on Highway 61 rediscovered the folk music that America had forgotten, a folk music which had been co-opted by the '30s (and subsequent) Left, a music which was much older and much, much weirder than the work of Woody Guthrie and other late '50s exemplars of the folk tradition. Audiences were in for a shock when Dylan's surreal imagery and often apolitical but weirdly resonant lyrics replaced his plainer earlier folk tunes and protest songs.
   
   The book's former title is an allusion to Ralph Ellison's novel "The Invisible Man," whose protagonist is invisible to his fellow Americans because they choose not to see him. In the same way, the very, very weird music of Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt and many others, documented with loving care by Harry Smith, the compiler of the seminal "The Anthology of American Folk Music," was invisible to mainstream audiences during the 1950s and '60s, just as the history they documented was invisible to the majority of its time. It is a countercultural history in song of the U.S., including everything from slave narratives, love ballads, ancient blues, mythical re-tellings of political events, etc. This music is much richer and more complex than the mid-twentieth century folk music familiar to Dylan fans.
   
   Marcus illuminates the connections between Dylan's mid-60s work and the "The Anthology of American Folk Music" and shows how Dylan's leap forward-- into surrealism, wild juxtaposition, historical allusion, electric instrumentation and only elliptical allusions to politics-- was also a leap backward into the Anthology's traditions.
   
   This is one of those books whose ideas make the head spin. Marcus writes clearly but manages to keep the imagination running on overdrive. Like Pynchon, Levi-Strauss, Murakami and Dylan himself, the work is as much a set of ideas as an invitation to connect the many dots. As well as a fascianting tour through the work of Dylan, the Band and the Anthology, this is partly an alternative history of the U.S. and a pretty incisive reminder that folk music, as Dylan once said "is pure mystery."



2. Taking Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes as a starting point this book wanders through the foundations of American music investigating some shadowy folk byways.
   
   While the metaphor (actual towns populated by the characters in the songs) is a little overwrought the overall effect of the book is powerful.
   
   I found it particularly exciting to see links to other musicians I like such as Nick Cave and Kirstin Hersh.



3. Greil Marcus Should Marry Bob Dylan...he's already written a long love-letter. True there are a lot of interesting musical relationships brought out in the author's discussion, but the details of the Basement Tapes are just not there. Marcus' approach is that of an ethno-musicologist, and one who is too close to his subject. Personally, the bias from the start of the book and the torturous prose were very hard to stomach. I can not recommend this book to anyone, and it will keep me away from anything else by Greil Marcus again. I only wish I could have been warned before I bought it.



4. Greil Marcus has somehow parlayed his college degree in the obsolete "myth-symbol" school of American Studies into a career as a philosopher of American music. In the process, he has conjured up some of the worst books ever published on rock and roll. Marcus confuses "myth" with the LSD-fuelled '60s fan dreams of musicians as shamans, elves and hobbits. Imagine Jim Morrison, Marc Bolan & Robert Plant attempting to be critics while still on the Kool Aid that produced "Prophets Seers and Sages, The Angels of the Ages", "Stairway to Heaven" and Morrison's ideas about rock concerts as Dionysian rites. Marcus fashioned "Mystery Train", his first sycophantic journey into over-stimulated ego-crazed fan-boy fantasy. Then, after spending too many nights rolling joints on the sleeves of John Wesley Harding and trying to figure out which one was Quinn The Eskimo, Marcus encountered Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music and completely lost his mind. In this horrible re-issue of "Invisible Republic" Marcus treats early American folk artists like Dock Boggs and Robert Johnson as if they were mythical beings rather than men. He then tries to turn Dylan's Basement Tapes into a natural successor to the "mystery school" of these artists. Mere words cannot express the mediocrity of Marcus's meditations. Please, if you have any soul, avoid this book. But dont let Marcus's mind-rot put you off Dock Boggs and Harry Smith's Anthology and Dylan's Basement Tapes -- Marcus does have good taste in music, he just doesn't have anything worth saying to say about it.



5. This book starts as bombastic, bloated, unintelligible drivel--and goes downhill from there. The best thing about it is the cover. The second best thing is that it is biodegradable, so it won't hurt the environment when you toss it into the trash, where it belongs.

2 comments about Guitar Rock Shop 1.

1. What I like about Stang's method is that he teaches the student to follow the chord changes right from the start. The book teaches the A, D, and E power chords, rhythm riffs to the 12 bar blues in A based on classic rock songs, boogie woogie variations, and simple lead riffs. The rhythm riffs and lead riffs lock into the chord changes by using the A, D, and E minor pentatonic scale or by using target tones of the chords. Teaching the student this from the beginning is just fantastic.

   There are companion method and "song trax" books (ensemble and theory books, too, if you need them) that can be used give the student a well-rounded music education.

   IMO, this is a superior approach.




2. This is typically one of the first books that I use with my students. There is a good progression of exercises based on open position power chords, one octave minor pentatonic scales, quarter and eighth note syncopations and simple riffs based upon the 12 bar blues form. I only have two criticisms of the book (1.) the 12 bar form is overused; the open power chords could be moved to resemble pop/rock patterns (2.) the last section on lead lines should be written w/ the rhythm parts to perform w/ the student. Those two items are the only exceptions. Good job A. Stang!

5 comments about The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics.

1. Overall, this is a nice volume which augments the lyrics of the Beatles with striking and memorable illustrations, particularly from editor Aldridge, which very well capture the spirit of the Beatles' music. However, the book contains one serious shortcoming: its inexplicable (and unexplained) leaving out of almost all of the Beatle numbers not written by Lennon/McCartney. This means that such indispensible songs such as "Here Comes The Sun", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Something", "Old Brown Shoe", and "Octopus's Garden" (among others) are conspicously absent from this collection. Why? Instead, we get at least a dozen Lennon/McCartney compositions that were never actually recorded by the Fab Four, as well as Lennon's three most famous songs from his early solo career.
   Another drawback is that the lyrics are presented in a seemingly random, haphazard order as opposed to any kind of a chronological or even thematic one.
   A wonderful concept well-executed, but must be docked points for incompleteness because of the missing Harrison and Starr songs.



2. This 263 page hard cover book is a collector's dream! Full of beautiful color artwork and lyrics to hundreds of Beatle's songs.Definitely for every Beatle's fan! Excellent!!



3. I was delighted to see this book is still in print. The illustrations, ranging from line drawings to wonderfully Psychedelic Sixties from artists such as Beatle John Lennon to Peter Max add a touch of whimsical charm to the written lyrics. The songs are not arranged in alphabetical order or chronological order, which gives the entire book a free-formless and free-flowing feel.
   
   I was highly displeased that Harrison and Starkey tunes were not included; rather, this book should have been more aptly titled "Illustrated Lyrics of Lennon & McCartney." There is just no excuse for omitting masterpieces such as "I Want to Tell You," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun," to name three.
   
   As much as I enjoyed the book, the omission of Harrison and Starkey and the seemingly random placement of song lyrics has cost this otherwise excellent book one star.



4. The Beatles were among the first to be treated to an "Illustrated Songs of..." and so this book,originally issued as 2 seperate ones,is pretty essential stuff when you realise the Beatles were ascloseasthis to Art.
   There's plenty of variety here



5. I am comparing this book to an older version published 1969 by a different publisher. As The Beatles fan and maniac I was literally hypnotized watching the pictures of Alan Aldridge, Peter Max, and others when I saw it for the first time. It so perfectly creates an image of the 60s and atmosphere of that time.
   
   I was holding the same expectations for this version but it was a kind of disappointment to see the low quality of the pictures - prints.
   
   Let's make one point clear here: This book is NOT about The Beatles lyrics, this is ABOUT the ILLUSTRATIONS-pictures to each of the lyrics that make this book so valuable.
   You can download lyrics anywhere on the net for free so I was devastated to see why the publisher Mariner Books DOES NOT GET IT?! How can they cheat us in such deceptive way?! Hey, this is not fair really. People who buy this book are doing so mainly because of the pictures, not for the lyrics!!!
   
   If you pay cash for something, it should have more value in it than the cash you pay for it. This is not rocket science and suckers just don't seem to get it.

No comments about Hooks That Kill - The Best of Mick Mars and Motley Crue (Play It Like It Is Guitar).

5 comments about Harrison (Editors of Rolling Stone).

1. I must challege Candace Scott's remark in her review :
   
   "But it's a stretch, to put it mildly, to place Harrison in the same league as Lennon & McCartney as a songwriter. Ouch! I love George as much as anyone, but still expect truthful history to be written"
   
   I agree, George should not be placed in the same league as Lennon & McCartney because he was totally in his own league ! What is Candace making the comparison to here ? It was George, partially inspred by Pattie, his first wife, who led the other Beatles into the rich Vedic culture of spiritual India that inspired so many of their finest musical and lyrical masterpieces.
   
   So in that context, the "truthful history to be written", is that George was even partially responsible for some of the finest compopsitions of Lennon and McCartney.George gave great emphasis to the chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord, as in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, as found in "My Sweet Lord", and "It Is He ( Sri Krishna )", which is the ultimate function of music, according to the ancient wise sages, gurus and spiritual masters . This Krishna mantra has helped millions of people to give up harmful drugs, animal killing, etc...How many song-writers are doing that with their music today ? George was the innovator, to turn scripture into pop songs. He was divinely empowered and had the integrity to do this, not caring if he was "fab" to the eyes of the masses, unlike anyone before him.
   
   To minimize George's ability as a song writer in anyway only helps to disclose one's own superficiality, and lack of spiritual consciousness.
   
   George's songs overflow with essential messages of the futility and temporality of things material, such as "All Things Must Pass", the dangers of becoming too materially attached "Beware of Darkness" , the concern for living in harmony with this planet "Save The World", etc...
   
   In "Isn't It A Pity", George gives the essence of spirituality, by prompting us to develop equal vision and gratitude toward all beings, including animals :
   
   "Some things take so long
   
   But how do I explain
   
   When not too many people
   
   Can see we're all the same
   
   And because of all their tears
   
   Their eyes can't hope to see
   
   The beauty that surrounds them
   
   Isn't it a pity
   
   I was very disappointed by Candace Scott's inabiity to see that "beauty that surrounds her" and lack of gratitude towards the very substantial and deep contribution George made through his music in transforming the lives of millions of people. I went on to become a Hare Krishna monk over thirty years ago because of his music, and devoted the best years of my life to feeding free vegetarian meals to tens of thousands of people, helping others off drugs, and so many other volunteer activities.
   
   George Harrison is my first guru, and awareness of his contribution to the upliftment of the world will only increase as time goes by. Please read this book for it's deeper purpose.
   gaura_acbsp@yahoo.com



2. For the recent Birthday of Georgie Boy, I can review this item as the best way of remembering one of the best humans that have ever walked this earth.



3. Having been a "LLOG" (Lifetime Lover of George)I have read plenty about him. In general, his music is the best way to get to know George: it is unique, multi-textured, honest, witty, loving and spiritual. However, for reasons I certainly can't fathom, generally his post-Beatles work (with about two exceptions) got no respect!
   Of course I loved the photos, but in my opinion the written tributes from his wife, Olivia, and his friends/fellow musicians are what sets this book apart. Paul Simon's is particularly descriptive: I felt as though I was visiting Friar Park (the Harrison's home in England) right along with him; walking through George's beloved gardens, sitting in front of the fire, listening to an impromptu ukelele concert, receiving a thoughtful surprise upon returning home to the U.S. "He wasn't particularly quiet, he just didn't DEMAND to be heard." Beautifully put. (Note to Paul Simon: you just might have a second career there; I would buy your first novel!)
   This is also a great book for aspiring guitarists, as it gives mini-descriptions of particularly noteworthy ("Essential") Harrison performances, illustrating the subtleties and unusual but brilliant choices George made (at times even innovative or ground breaking) musically. People who previously believed that Lennon and McCartney were the ONLY geniuses in the Beatles will re-think that belief after reading this section particularly: they might even listen for certain passages in certain songs and think, "YEAH, WOW! That IS amazing!" They might give George's solo work (besides "All Things Must Pass") a listen and be pleasantly surprised. But we "LLOGs" have heard and appreciated the subtle brilliance of George Harrison all along.
   This book is a must-have for any George Harrison or Beatles fan, or any guitar or rock history aficionado.



4. Geroge is consider one of the quiet one in the band "i think" but not on the music, his talent surpass any
   other musician and is really sad not to have him anymore . In this book you'll find a great deal of pics since
   the Beginning and from his solo career , a must have book to put in your collection



5. This is a beautiful and lovingly produced book of George Harrison's life in pictures with comprehensive articles and tributes written about George and heaps of great photographs and more. George's wife, Olivia Harrison wrote a moving personal Foreword that brings tears to the eye and touches chords of hearts. No George Harrison fans could miss this much sought-after item. However, whether or not you are a George Harrison or Beatles fan, this is a great book to read and a wonderful gift to give.

5 comments about Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984.

1. Heard about this book in a review in Wire magazine, and my girlfriend kindly ordered the book from amazon.co.uk for me for Christmas. When the book came to the States it had lost about 200 pages and any sections on music that wasn't "as popular" on this side of the ocean. In the day of global information and the lowering of borders, this is just absurd. Buy the full book (a 5 star proposition), it's worth it.



2. It's well-researched and well-written - that much we can all agree on - but I think the writing is a bit dry. This book has been sitting next to "Please Kill Me: the uncensored oral history of punk" on my bookshelf for nearly a year, and I can only read a chapter or two at a time. I've tried reading "Rip it Up" several times, but it lacks the energy and compulsive readability of its shelf-mate. I sorely want to read this book, but my mind starts wandering every time I start reading it...it feels kind of like homework. It just lacks the energy of the music it describes.



3. Don't make the mistake of buying the US version
   Get the whole story and buy the UK version. It contains chapters on US bands on the SST label, 2nd Gen. Industrial bands (Foetus, Test Dept.) a very important part of the post-punk aural landscape.
   
   Ironic (or maybe typical) that a book on the highly political post-punk era is as cut up and censored as the US edition is.
   
   from Simon Reynold's blog:
   
   
   DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE UK AND US EDITIONS
   
   * the chapter sequence is different from the UK version
   
   * three chapters are cut for reasons of space: the Devoto/Subway Sect chapter; the Conform to Deform Second Wave of Industrial chapter; and the SST/Blasting Concept chapter
   
   * two chapters compressed into one for reasons of space, the Goth chapter and the Glory Boys/Big Music chapter
   
   * Timeline is absent for reason of space
   
   * in the US edition, the Appendix on MTV and the Second British Invasion is folded into the chapter on New Pop's peak
   
   * no illustrations in the US edition
   
   * the Mutant Disco chapter is written up as proper historical prose in the US edition, as opposed to the oral history in the UK edition
   
   * no bibliography in the US edition
   
   
   I don't understand this "reason of space" explanation. Wonder if they cut out some words from the dictionary for "reason of space"?
   Approximately 200 pages missing from the US edition.
   
   Very Very Lame
   
   Don't waste your money. Get the UK edition and skrew the US publishers.



4. A great book. Makes you want to dust off those old vinyl records and rejoice again at those wonderful sounds.



5. It's hard to find fault with one of the few documents of post-punk's history. The book is essential reading if you want to learn about the music and how critics have tried to write it off for more than 20 years. The problem with the book is in the details - how do you write about post-punk and gloss over a band like The Sound (one mention)? Quite possibly one of the most loved bands from that era. Also, no Comsat Angels or Chameleons, let alone any mention of cult acts Lowlife (Cocteau Twins) or Sad Lovers and Giants. Some of these bands might seem like mere blips on the radar, but their importance to the current scene grows every year. Otherwise, I still found tons of information that was new to me and more reasons than ever to believe that after the original British invasion, this was the 2nd greatest time for music ever!
   
   P.S. Buy the UK version of the book - better cover, more pages, pictures - better in every way.