[paperback]

by Stephen Colegrave & Chris Sullivan

Not quite a definitive record (how could one exist), but a rather mindblowingly huge collection of interviews (plus thousands of photographs, many in full color) from the formative years of 1975-1979. A largely oral history, woven together from the 100s of interviews with the bands, managers, prime-movers, artists, film-makers, progenitors, precursors etc etc. I like the way they have various folks commenting, in their own words, on various bands, clubs, movies and the like. Leee Childers, John Cooper Clarke, Jerry Dammers, Howard Devoto, Chris Duffy, Marianne Faithful, Danny Fields, Brian James, Tony James, Hilly Kristal, Don Letts, Glen Matlock, Chris Stein, Tommy Ramone, Kevin Rowland, Nils Stevenson, Steve Strange, Suggs, Paul Simonon, Marco Pirroni, Dennis Morris, Legs McNeil, John Holstrom, Jayne County, Paul Cook and hundreds more were interviewed, to help produce th is rather gargantuan 400 oversize page tome! A more th an worthy addition to the ever-expanding genre.