In the early 80s Sonic Youth regenerated the spirit of punk by creating their own spectacular brand of noise rock. Without them; much of the independent rock community that followed would never have come into being and it was a direct result of their influence that Nirvana releases Nevermind on a major label. Drawing on interviews with the group and the people closest to them; Steve Chick gives a fascinating insight into this most fearless and adventurous of bands; charting their revolutionary path and exploring the aftershocks they left both on pop culture and the counter-culture.
#1107634 in eBooks 2008-12-11 2008-12-11File Name: B002UM5BW8
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Hiding in the backstreetsBy Andy in WashingtonThe only way I can review this book is to divide it into two parts. The first is a history of Asbury Park. NJ. I have spent quite a bit of time in this area over the years. and was somewhat familiar with the history of the city before I read this book.Wolffs narrative is a bit choppy. His habit of starting off chapters on the 4th of July of a certain year comes across as forced. and distracts from the flow of the story. Some of the book appears incredibly well researched. while other parts seem to be one step above local oral histories told in any NJ bar.The history of Asbury Park is not pretty. especially if you were the wrong color. but Wolff doesnt really get his arms around the problems minorities faced. There are a few stories and anecdotes. but no serious consideration of how a NJ beach resort town became as segregated as any city in the American South. When violence did erupt. Wolff misses the rage and sense of hopelessness that drove it.Wolff spends a lot of time on the early history of the city- how it was founded. the motivations of the early leaders. the towns geography and business climate. This section appears well researched. and was interesting and new to me. Later parts of the narrative. including corrupt politicians and stalled growth seem to lack detailed research and specifics.In short. as a history. I found the work to come up a bit short. Certainly there are interesting elements to it. and some of these are related quite well. However as a whole. I think the book misses some of the more important parts of the towns history and it light on facts and research.The second piece of the book is an attempt to relate Bruce Springsteen lyrics to the history of the town. For the most part. I cringed when I came across one of these passages...and I am a Springsteen fan. The Boss is hardly Friedrich Nietzsche. The meaning of "All men want to be rich. Rich men want to be king. And kings just want to rule everything" seems pretty obvious. and really doesnt need to be explained.In summary. the book wasnt too bad. and if you are interested in this little corner of the US. you will find it an interesting read. As a more general history of the US. its racial relations. or of life in the 20th century. I find it comes up a bit short. If the book wasnt about an area of the country that I am interested in. it would be a 1 or 2 star effort.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Asbury Park:A History Of The Promised LandBy Betty W ButlerAn excellent book no disappointments. Ive resided just outside of Asbury Park for seventy five years and learned some and authenticated other facts. Id recommend highly to those familiar and those not with Asbury Park. well written and enjoyable.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. ... dry to read but the info is so incredibly amazing. especially as someone who lived at the Jersey ...By matt cadenelliA bit dry to read but the info is so incredibly amazing. especially as someone who lived at the Jersey Shore as a kid.
