John Robb (1) (1961–)

The title says it all. A collection of reminiscences by many of the movers and shakers of the Punk Rock explosion of the late 1970s, including John Lydon, Mick Jones, Captain Sensible, Poly Styrene and Mark Perry. The book begins at the turn of the 1970s so we get an idea of what the contributors listened to in those days, interesting enough in itself, but it's from 1976 onwards when events really move up a gear. And it's all there: the gigs in grotty, half empty venues, the violence, the gobbing, the infamous Sex Pistols interview with Bill Grundy, the antipathy to Margaret Thatcher's government and so on. Robb provides an index of contributors and the bands they played in (in case you'd forgotten) and the Oral History is littered with footnotes which can prove a distraction in some books, but not this one; and I was left with a real feeling of time and place. Thoroughly enjoyable, funny in parts and absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Punk Rock.… (altro)

If, like me, you're a 'Roses' fan then you want to know more, you want to know everything, you want to know why ... why after 5 years do we only have 2 albums and a mystique of the "laziest band in showbusiness"? Well here are the answers ... or at least as much of an answer as I think you are likely to get ... for now anyway.
This is not the greatest written biography of a band, there are no interviews with the band members, indeed there are no revelations or explanations, just a heartfelt enthusiasm by John Robb for possibly, arguably, unequivocally the greatest band of the '90's. The band's career is followed and detailed year by year with excerpts from the press, from Robb's own perspective (and he was 'inside', he does have some stories to tell of life on the road and in the studio) and it's great to be reminded of their high and low points.
This is not the best biography of a band but it is the best biography of the Roses and for that I love it ...… (altro)