Saturday 3 May 2014

'Love Goes to Buildings on Fire' by Will Hermes


The subtitle of this book 'Five Years in New York that Changed Music Forever' says it all really. This book is set in New York, during the mid '70's where music and drugs were the main outlet from a world of economic depression and boredom.
Wow! Practically every genre of music has it's birth, re-birth or just a fantastic kick up the bum in these five years. Hip-Hop, Disco, Punk, Rock 'n' Roll, Salsa, Jazz and classical music all get there time within Will's book.
It's written (for the most part) chronologically, and in small bit-sized chunks. It's as if Will Hermes had travelled back in time to write a weekly music column for some magazine so managed to be exactly where he needed to be to get the most amazing music articles ever written, that are now collected here with no filler!
Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Grandmaster Flash, CBGB's, Fania All-Stars, Philip Glass and so much more. This is a book that you can dip in and out of or enjoy in one huge go. No matter what music you normally listen to and how much you may already know about it (there has been huge amounts written about CBGB's and the emergence of punk-for example) you will find more you didn't know and lots, lots more besides.
The only bad thing about this book is that by the time you've finished reading it, you'll have a list of albums you need to buy about a mile long!!!

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