Hollywood Dream – The Thunderclap Newman Story by Mark Ian Wilkerson (Third Man Press, available October 1).
This is an exhaustively researched history of a band whose actual lifespan was stunningly brief, while creating ripples that reverberate to this day. Who fans with a taste for Pete Townshend trivia will find a lot to luxuriate in here, as the chapters devoted to the group’s formation and recording inevitably revolve around him. But each of the three band members is a remarkable character of his own, with a completely different background to the others, and it’s seems impossible they could have come together under any other circumstances than being three people in Townshend’s orbit. And with this trio of unlikely bedfellows, he produces the only number-one hit single of his entire career.
A good rock bio should resemble several evenings out at the pub, hearing the principals tell long rambling stories about the old days. There’s a lot of swinging sixties/ London stuff, but we also spend a good amount of time in the Scottish rock scene that birthed guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, who went from neighborhood whiz kid to actual rock star, before either joining Thunderclap Newman or turning fifteen years old. Wilkerson is an enthusiast for the material, and for good writing about rock music, and his latest addition to the canon is a real gem. And it might just inspire some more people to listen to the record, which is a treasure.
Mark Ian Wilkerson will appear at Book Soup in West Hollywood on December 3 at 7pm in conversation with Matt Pinfield.
Rebel Girl: My Life As A Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna (Ecco Press)
I read this one in no time flat. Kathleen has always had a compelling voice, although the lacerating tone of her lyrics softens in these pages to something approaching conversational. The Bikini Kill history carries the implicit threat of violence throughout – I remember those times and my memory is that they got a lot of resistance for their point of view but not that they had to perform in the face of bomb threats. Some of the big stories are familiar to anyone who saw the documentary The Punk Singer years ago, but the book definitely scratches a level deeper into the relationships and key events that shaped the direction of the band, and her life afterwards. I think she’s a righteous person and I hope a lot of people read this.
Teenage Wasteland – The Who At Winterland 1968-76 by Edoardo Genzolini and Joel Selvin (Schiffer Press)
Continuing the style established in his previous Who photographic history, Concert Memories From The Classic Years 1964-76, Genzolini returns with a set of snapshots and reminiscences surrounding a couple of key Who gigs in Bay Area history. These images were acquired the old fashioned way, going deep into the personal archives of amateur and professional photographers who were in attendance, getting them to share their recollections of the events. The result is a deep dive into a specific couple of nights in February of 1968 and March of 1976 from multiple points of view. SF Chronicle writer Joel Selvin contributes to the historical notes. Of the many books produced about the Who, this one is more for the core fan than the casual listener, but those in the former category will be most pleased.
Toxic Shock Records – Assassin Of Mediocrity, A Story Of Love, Loss and Loud Music by Bill Sassenberger (Fluke Publishing)
I was one of those people who discovered the independent music scene of the 1980s as it was happening, and I came to fall in love with many of the weird, mundane but unforgettable things that were part of that era. The relationships between my college radio station and the promo reps at SST or Touch & Go Records were of greater concern to me than my actual job back in my college radio days. We wanted the people there to like us, so we interviewed their off the wall artistes like Zoogz Rift with as much enthusiasm as the Descendents. If any of this sounds relatable, you will page quickly through Sassenberger’s book, a first person history of Toxic Shock, the shop and distributor. This is a day by day chronicle of one of those people that made that music happen by throwing their whole life at it. We could use some more of those.
