Bøger af Simon Reynolds

'A fantastic tribute to an amazingly creative musical period . . . An instant pop classic, worthy of a place on your shelves beside the handful of music books that really matter.' John McTernan, Scotland on Sunday Punk revitalized rock in the mid-seventies, but the movement soon degenerated into self-parody. Rip It Up and Start Again is the first book-length celebration of what happened next: post-punk bands who dedicated themselves to fulfilling punk's unfinished musical revolution. 1978 - 1984 rivals the sixties for the sheer amount of fabulous music created, the spirit of adventure and possibility that infused it, and the way the sounds felt inextricably connected to the political and social turbulence of the day. Simon Reynolds, acclaimed author of Energy Flash, recreates a time of tremendous urgency and idealism in pop music. Packed with anecdote and insight, populated by charismatic and maverick characters, Rip It Up and Start Again stands as one of the most inspired and inspiring books on popular music ever written. 'I had never expected there to be a book on this subject; had I done so, I would never have dared to hope it could be as good as this.' Nicholas Lezard, Guardian Book of the Week 'This remarkable and perfectly timed cultural history is required reading.' Q Magazine

Twenty-five years since acid house and Ecstasy revolutionized pop culture, Simon Reynolds's landmark rave history Energy Flash has been expanded and updated to cover twenty-first-century developments like dubstep and EDM's recent takeover of America.Author of the acclaimed postpunk history Rip It Up and Start Again, Reynolds became a rave convert in the early nineties. He experienced first-hand the scene's drug-fuelled rollercoaster of euphoria and darkness. He danced at Castlemorton, the illegal 1992 mega-rave that sent spasms of anxiety through the Establishment and resulted in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill. Mixing personal reminiscence with interviews and ultra-vivid description of the underground's ever-changing sounds as they mutated under the influence of MDMA and other drugs, Energy Flash is the definitive chronicle of electronic dance culture.From rave's origins in Chicago house and Detroit techno, through Ibiza, Madchester and the anarchic free-party scene, to the pirate-radio underworld of jungle and UK garage, and then onto 2000s-shaping genres such as grime and electro, Reynolds documents with authority, insight and infectious enthusiasm the tracks, DJs, producers and promoters that soundtracked a generation. A substantial final section, added for this new Faber edition, brings the book right up to date, covering dubstep's explosive rise to mass popularity and America's recent but ardent embrace of rave. Packed with interviews with participants and charismatic innovators like Derrick May, Goldie and Aphex Twin, Energy Flash is an infinitely entertaining and essential history of dance music.

Over the course of the past 25 years, a quiet but persistent revolution has been taking place in English cathedrals, in some larger churches in major towns and cities, as well as the chapels of university colleges. The numbers of people drawn by the distinctive musical character of their worship has risen significantly, with Choral Evensong becoming the locus of this persistent growth in the numbers of worshippers. A significant proportion of these people are under 40 years of age; and many others have, until now, lived their lives on the edges of the Church - if not completely beyond it.Simon Reynolds believes Evensong is providing a place of sanctuary for people seeking space for reflection in a frenetic world. It is becoming a significant part of the Church of England's mission. Lighten Our Darkness provides the definitive guide to Choral Evensong, and will be a fascinating introduction for newcomers to this historic form of worship, and for clergy and students wishing to explore its roots.

We live in a pop age gone loco for retro and crazy for commemoration. Band re-formations and reunion tours, expanded reissues of classic albums and outtake-crammed box sets, remakes and sequels, tribute albums and mash-ups . . . But what happens when we run out of past? Are we heading toward a sort of cultural-ecological catastrophe, where the archival stream of pop history has been exhausted? Simon Reynolds, one of the finest music writers of his generation, argues that we have indeed reached a tipping point and that although earlier eras had their own obsessions with antiquity - the Renaissance with its admiration for Roman and Greek classicism, the Gothic movement's invocations of medievalism - never has there been a society so obsessed with the cultural artifacts of its own immediate past. Retromania is the first book to examine the retro industry and ask the question: Is this retromania a death knell for any originality and distinctiveness of our own?

The Glitter. The THEATRICS. The EXCESS. The Music.The true story of the gender-bending artists who changed rock and roll.Simon Reynolds has been hailed as ?the foremost popular music critic of this era? (Times Literary Supplement [UK]), ?unassailable? (New York Times), and ?the most provocative pop music writer of his generation? (Boston Globe). Now, the acclaimed author of Rip It Up and Start Again and Retromania delivers the definitive cultural history of glam and glitter rock, celebrating its outlandish fashion and outrageous stars and tracking its vibrant legacy in contemporary pop.Reacting against the drab, denim-clad long-hair bands of the hippie era, glam rock was the first true teenage rampage of the Seventies. Pioneered by David Bowie, Alice Cooper, T. Rex, New York Dolls and Roxy Music, this new look and sound reveled in artifice and spectacle over earnestness and authenticity. In Shock and Awe, Simon Reynolds takes you on a deeply researched and wildly entertaining cultural tour through the glam explosion?a period defined by glitzy costumes and alien makeup, thrilling music, and larger-than-life personas. Shock and Awe offers a fresh look at the glam phenomenon, placing it the context of the era's social upheaval and political disillusion. Probing the genre's major themes?fame, androgyny, decadence, apocalypse?Reynolds traces glam's influence as it reverberates across subsequent decades, from art-pop aesthetes like Kate Bush, Prince and Morrissey in the Eighties to contemporary pop icons such as Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé. Shock and Awe reveals how the original glam artists' obsessions and provocations continue to ripple through our culture today.

As a breast cancer survivor, I now spend over half of my time fighting for access to treatment within underserved communities, especially women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Simon, my husband without benefits, has been by my side from the first moment. To you, Simon, I say, "Behind every person that wants to change the world is the person you want the world to be." If the world had your heart, courage, and persistence in all that you do (including this book), it would be a much better place. Also, I am thrilled to tell you, I have launched my first foundation with Nima Oberoi. With every Wishbone she sells, proceeds will go to the Ricks Oberoi Foundation. Our tagline, "Grant wishes, removing barriers." I would be honored if you would donate to our foundation. -Dee Dee Ricks From the moment my brilliant husband first told me of his idea for this book, I was so excited to see his vision come to fruition. And I'm truly honored to be a part of it. The book is absolutely beautiful! When my best friend, Dee Dee, was diagnosed with breast cancer, it changed my life forever. I am thrilled that a portion of the proceeds will go towards her wonderful foundation. She is such an amazing woman, and it is such an incredible cause! -Patti Reynolds

A collection of writing by Simon Reynolds, centred on music that seemed, in its moment, to prefigure the Future

DO YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHO ALL THE GAME OF THRONES CHARACTERS ARE, WITHOUT HAVING TO WATCH HOURS AND HOURS OF PAST EPISODES? Of course you do, or else you wouldn't be reading this right now! GET THIS FUN & ENLIGHTENING GAME OF THRONES CHARACTER GUIDE AND BE IMMEDIATELY UP TO DATE! IT'S FILLED WITH THE 28 MOST-IMPORTANT CHARACTERS & WHAT THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH OVER THE PAST SEASONS, INCLUDING: Eddard StarkRobert BaratheonCersei LannisterTyrion LannisterArya StarkDaenerys TargaryenJorah MormontJon SnowStannis BaratheonJaime LannisterTywin LannisterCatelyn StarkSansa StarkJoffrey BaratheonBran StarkRobb StarkTheon GreyjoySandor Clegane, aka The HoundPetyr BaelishVarysBrienneMargaery TyrellSamwell TarlyMelisandreDavos SeaworthRamsay SnowYgritteBronn Also, if you download the Kindle version, you'll receive a link to more awesome ebooks absolutely free!

Rev. ed. of: Generation ecstasy. Boston: Little, Brown, c1998.

One of The Telegraph's Best Music Books 2011 We live in a pop age gone loco for retro and crazy for commemoration. Band re-formations and reunion tours, expanded reissues of classic albums and outtake-crammed box sets, remakes and sequels, tribute albums and mash-ups . . . But what happens when we run out of past? Are we heading toward a sort of culturalecological catastrophe where the archival stream of pop history has been exhausted? Simon Reynolds, one of the finest music writers of his generation, argues that we have indeed reached a tipping point, and that although earlier eras had their own obsessions with antiquity-the Renaissance with its admiration for Roman and Greek classicism, the Gothic movement's invocations of medievalism-never has there been a society so obsessed with the cultural artifacts of its own immediate past. Retromania is the first book to examine the retro industry and ask the question: Is this retromania a death knell for any originality and distinctiveness of our own?

Are you looking for the Ultimate Game of Thrones Character Description Guide?This guide is for Ultimate Game of Thrones Fans. It is loaded with crucial information regarding the Game of Thrones that every fan needs to know!Characters Include:1. Eddard Stark2. Robert Baratheon3. Cersei Lannister4. Tyrion Lannister5. Arya Stark6. Daenerys Targaryen7. Jorah Mormont8. Jon Snow9. Stannis Baratheon10. Jaime Lannister11. Tywin Lannister12. Catelyn Stark13. Sansa Stark14. Joffrey Baratheon15. Bran Stark16. Robb Stark17. Theon Greyjoy18. Sandor Clegane, aka The Hound19. Petyr Baelish20. Varys21. Brienne22. Margaery Tyrell23. Samwell Tarly24. Melisandre25. Davos Seaworth26. Ramsay Snow27. Ygritte28. BronnIncludes A Special Surprise At The End.

Reynolds offers a guided tour of rave culture and techno music in this first critical history of the genre--and the drug culture that accompanies it. 40-page discography. of illustrations.

As the sixties dream faded, a new flamboyant movement electrified the world: GLAM! In Shock and Awe, Simon Reynolds explores this most decadent of genres on both sides of the Atlantic. Bolan, Bowie, Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, New York Dolls, Slade, Roxy Music, Iggy, Lou Reed, Be Bop Deluxe, David Essex -- all are represented here. Reynolds charts the retro future sounds, outrageous styles and gender-fluid sexual politics that came to define the first half of the seventies and brings it right up to date with a final chapter on glam in hip hop, Lady Gaga, and the aftershocks of David Bowie's death.Shock and Awe is a defining work and another classic in the Faber Social rock n roll canon to stand alongside Rip it Up, Electric Eden and Yeah Yeah Yeah.

From the author of the bestselling postpunk history Rip It Up and Start Again comes Totally Wired, a companion book of conversations with the brilliant minds who made the late seventies and early eighties such a creative era for radical music and alternative culture. Totally Wired features thirty-two interviews with postpunk's most innovative musicians and colourful personalities - Ari Up, Jah Wobble, David Byrne, Green Gartside, Lydia Lunch, Edwyn Collins - as well as other movers and shakers of the period: label bosses and managers like Anthony H. Wilson and Bill Drummond, record producers such as Trevor Horn and Martin Rushent, and influential DJs and journalists like John Peel and Paul Morley. Crackling with argument and anecdote, the conversations in Totally Wired bring a rich human dimension to the postpunk story chronicled in the critically acclaimed Rip It Up. We get to follow these exceptional (and often eccentric) characters from their earliest days through the glory and sometimes disaster of their musical adventures to what they went on to do after postpunk. We gain a vivid sense of individuals struggling against the odds to make their world as interesting as possible, in the process leaving a legacy of artistic ambition and provocation that reverberates to this day. Along with the interviews, Totally Wired also includes a bonus 'overviews' section: further reflections by Simon Reynolds on postpunk's key icons and crucial scenes, including John Lydon and Public Image Ltd, Ian Curtis and Joy Division, art school conceptualists and proto-postpunkers Brian Eno and Malcolm McLaren, and the lineage of glam grotesquerie running from Siouxsie & The Banshees to the New Romantics to Leigh Bowery. Buzzing with ideas and insights, Totally Wired is an absolute mind rush.

An anthology of writings spanning Simon Reynolds's extraordinary career as a music writer, Bring the Noise weaves together interviews, reviews, essays, and features to create a critical history of the last twenty years of pop culture. Bring the Noise juxtaposes the voices of many of rock and rap's most provocative artists - Morrissey, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, The Stone Roses, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, The Streets - with Reynolds's own passionate analysis. With all the energy and insight you would expect from the author of Rip It Up And Start Again, Bring the Noise tracks the alternately fraught and fertile relationship between white bohemia and black street music. The selections transmit the immediacy of their moment while offering a running commentary on the broader enduring questions of race and resistance, multiculturalism and division. From grunge to grime, from Madchester to the Dirty South, Bring the Noise chronicles hip hop and alternative rock's competing claims to be the cutting edge of innovation and the voice of opposition in an era of conservative backlash. Alert to both the vivid detail and the big picture, Simon Reynolds has shaped a compelling narrative that cuts across a thrillingly turbulent two-decade period of pop music.