Punk rock and hip-hop. Disco and salsa. The loft jazz scene and the downtown composers known as Minimalists. In the mid-1970s; New York City was a laboratory where all the major styles of modern music were reinventedmdash;all at once; from one block to the next; by musicians who knew; admired; and borrowed from one another. Crime was everywhere; the government was broke; and the cityrsquo;s infrastructure was collapsing. But rent was cheap; and the possibilities for musical exploration were limitless.Love Goes to Buildings on Fire is the first book to tell the full story of the erarsquo;s music scenes and the phenomenal and surprising ways they intersected. From New Yearrsquo;s Day 1973 to New Yearrsquo;s Eve 1977; the book moves panoramically from post-Dylan Greenwich Village; to the arson-scarred South Bronx barrios where salsa and hip-hop were created; to the Lower Manhattan lofts where jazz and classical music were reimagined; to ramshackle clubs like CBGBs and The Gallery; where rock and dance music were hot-wired for a new generation. As they remade the music; the musicians at the center of the book invented themselves: Willie Coloacute;n and the Fania All-Stars renting Yankee Stadium to take salsa to the masses; New Jersey locals Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith claiming the jungleland of Manhattan as their own; Grandmaster Flash transforming the turntable into a musical instrument; David Byrne and Talking Heads proving that rock music ldquo;ainrsquo;t no foolinrsquo; around.rdquo; Will Hermes was theremdash;venturing from his native Queens to the small dark rooms where the revolution was taking placemdash;and in Love Goes to Buildings on Fire he captures the creativity; drive; and full-out lust for life of the great New York musicians of those years; who knew that the music they were making would change the world.
#695125 in eBooks 2010-05-11 2010-05-11File Name: B0049H9C4K
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The band breaks their silence and its real...By MimiExcellent read! I bought this book because I was interested in the band. not just Michael. Ive heard and read some of the Michael stories. but from my experience. and I worked in the music industry from 79 to the early 90s when I left to enter Cable TV. no one knows the real story of a musician like his/her bandmates. Families have insight on their upbringing up to the point where they leave home for fame and fabulousness. But are clueless of what their dear child or sibling becomes during that journey. Thats been proven a million times over by recollections from members of The Beatles. Stones. Pink Floyd. The Runaways. GR and even The Jam. Nobody knows the true highs and lows. trials and excesses like the band. Ive always admired the Farriss brothers and their immense talent. Unlike most. although I love Hutch with his sensual charisma and voice. believe their contribution was just as major along with Kirk and Garry. All their humble beginnings and their tenacity to success is the stuff rock n roll dreams are made of. Of course. there are the would of. should of. could of moments to their stories. But we all have them in life. No one could forsee the fall that would cause changes to Hutches personality and cause a spiral that would effect all band members. The drama that would crack the fabric of their relationships and the end of beautiful music that was yet to be made. However. they still left a legacy of wonderful work that stands the test of time. Thank you for sharing.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Disappointed fanBy CustomerOnly a good read if youre a devoted fan. Otherwise not much of interest. Quite a self indulgent book and I agree that they couldve gone into further depth in some areas. Cheesy rock cliches on nearly every page. one paragraph is just a transcription of an AC/DC song. I know how these rock bands behaved in their era. its no surprise. But the incessant bragging about drug and groupie exploits was distasteful. especially considering the effect it had on Michael (who these days would probably be classed as a sex addict).Ive long had a love hate feeling towards this band. They were my favourite group at one time and soundtrack to my growing up. Im Australian and first saw then when I was 12 on Live Aid. So ironic now. the event that Bob Geldof organized introduced them to so many and probably broke them internationally. I was hooked on their early work. less so from Kick onwards though its Kick and the following two albums that receive the most attention here. I wouldve liked to have heard more about the inspiration for the work on their earlier albums. though considering the way they were living probably not much surprise there isnt much recall. except for Kirks well kept diaries.They were a force to be reckoned with during the Listen Like Thieves era. but I think they lost some of that when they graduated to big stadiums. The fame went to some members heads. and there was a noticeable deteriorating effect on Michael after he had his brain trauma injury. growing increasingly erratic and unstable in public. It wasnt just the Tall Poppy Syndrome that contributed to their downfall.Could have been done so much better.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not just for INXS fans - well-written and insightful book about the music business. band dynamics and much moreBy salemme@mit.eduJust like INXSs music. this well-written and engaging book really holds up well. You read about what got the band started. how they kept going. and how they had to deal with a sudden death of an important member after 20 years touring together. Its a book about bands. music. the music business. dealing with touring. dealing with fame. dealing with money. dealing with problems. and much more. Oh. and you learn about INXS and the band members individually. What is nice now (in 2014) is that you can see clips of almost every recording. video and concert mentioned in the book online. as well as TV interviews and live performances from back in the day. What a band. what band members. what families and support people for the band. what fans! All good!The band was tight. solid and musically adventuresome. The music still sounds good. and many great performances were recorded. so I imagine INXSs musical contributions will live on for a long time. This book will be essential reading for the fans in that now-distant future.
