Punk: The Illustrated History of A Music Revolution

Judging from the recent spate of punk-rock histories and memoirs--not to mention the Sex Pistols' reunion tour last summer--there is enduring interest in the 1970s punk scene. This punk tome is more evocative than most, thanks to Boot's 200 period photos and music journalist Salewicz's informed and engaging commentary. Although it begins with a profile of the U.S. punk precursors, the New York Dolls, and ends with a nod to today's nouveau-punk bands (e.g., Green Day), the book concentrates on the British scene, in particular the Pistols and their master-manipulator manager, Malcolm McLaren, as well as the Clash. Although the volume's "cutting edge" design (varicolored pages, differing column widths of type, etc.) accentuates the innate edginess of the subject, it doesn't always enhance readability or show off the photos--a genuine treasure-trove--to best advantage. With the help of a couple of decades' distance, those pictures reveal punk's underlying artifice and make it seem more fun and even more innocent than, as it seemed then, angry. -- Gordon Flagg

Artes / Fotografia / Música