Friday, May 19, 2006

'77 The Year of Punk & New Wave by Henrik Bech Poulsen (Helter Skelter).
And yet another book on punk rock!, this one bein' of the reference guide variety. The basic "theme" is that it details every UK band that released a record in '77. The scope is surprisingly broad, everything from the Acme Sewage Co. to the Tyla Gang is included. Short biographies, detailed discographies, handsomely illustrated, in short; the works. I can well imagine pullin' this from the shelves frequently in the years to come to look up some arcane detail. Minor points? Well, it obvious that English ain't Poulsen's first language, and referin' to a punk-rock band as "cats" and their output as "platters" certainly feels kinda awkward (bein' in the same position, I'm well aware of the difficulties involved here!). And because they didn't have any records out in '77 the book misses out on seminal acts like Siouxsie, Slits and Subway Sect. That said, this does come recommended, just dig around a bit for a decent price and you're well set...

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