Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk, 1978-1984

Reynold's book is a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable read- far more so than it ought to be, given its length (over 540 pages), and the fact that the book's momentum is carried forward more by the author's enthusiasm and writing ability than by any compelling thesis. Reynold's claim is that the late 70s/early 80s was a kind of golden era for music, a claim which hardly holds any water, because it boils down to his being a teenager during the period in question, hence viewing the whole shebang through rose-tinted spectacles. Its true that this period gave us Joy Division, Pere Ubu, Television and Talking Heads. But it also gave us a lot of crap too (Bow Wow Wow, ABC etc), as well as the massively over-rated PiL and the oh-so-pretentious Scritti Politti, both of whom Reynolds spends a lot of time on.

I think the bottom line is that if you analyse any period with the kind of obsessive detail which Reynolds does here, you're bound to unearth a lot of interesting material. And Reynolds has certainly done that, due in no small part to his obsessive love for the period in question. And this ossession is what drives the book, making it such a great read. The prose brims with passion- particularly in his descriptions of the music itself, which are superb throughout. I particularly liked his description of the "flinty peal" of Will Sergeant's lead guitar on Echo & The Bunnymen's debut LP, and Peter Hook's compressed bass-line on She's Lost Control (described as like a "steel cable" running through the song.) He even manages to get excited about describing the sound of Trevor Horn's Fairlight sampler on Frankie Goes to Hollwood's "Relax." (Now that's what I call obsessive!) In addition to this musical nous, Reynolds also offers some enlightening intellectual and socio-historical context, albeit a rather summary overview.

There's also some pretty disturbing stuff in here. The early 80s music scene (like any underground scene, I guess)had its fair share of psychos and misfits. Some of the "musicians" here were admirers of Charles Manson, The Moors Murderers, and Hitler. Somewhat less extreme (although no less distasteful) was Devo's support for hardcore pornography, proclaiming that it was the only means for the working-classes to get "real" sex (conveniently passing over the porn industry's constitutive exploitation and misogyny). Most shocking of all was Malcolm McLaren's (thwarted) attempt to set up what could only be described as a magazine for paedophiles in the early 80s. Reynolds avoids making too much of this, partly because to moralise would be rather un-rock'n'roll, but mainly because he entertains a rather naive idea of the avant-garde as a kind of playground for adults, where "anything goes." (This hand-me-down idea was particularly fruitful for the rock'n'roll lfestyle). Having said that, the way in which Reynolds combines the music with its unruly context is one of the books main strengths. Highly recommended.

Zeitgeist Regained (3/3 people found this helpful)

Can music change the world? In this book, Reynolds deftly sketches a context for the stampede of genres that followed on the heels of punk, striking out in every direction from the rediscovered rudiments of rock as rendered by The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, and seeking revolution as profound as the Beatles' achieved with "Revolver". As a member of the Chicago post-punk band "The Imports" (1979-1980), I can recall endless and passionate discussions with my bandmates on key issues such as the importance of originality, the insufferable arrogance of guitar solos, and the innovative promotion of the bass from the ranks of rhythm to the role of melody. At the time, we felt this discourse to be our own, or at least reasonably esoteric. "Rip It Up and Start Again...", however, demonstrates that our little discussions on Chicago's South Side were part of a much larger discourse that strove to find new direction from the apparent cul de sac of three chord bombast. Reynolds not only performs the yeoman's task of documenting the many diverse planks of the post-punk platform, but also manages to construct with them an elaborate structure that stretches from the earliest beginnings to the final throes of what was indeed an inspired period of "popular" music history. Providing as it does a coherent narrative of the complex and intertwined streams of influence and collaboration, "Rip It Up and Start Again..." makes the perfect companion to George Gimarc's "Post-Punk Diary", which approaches the same subject from a perspective of daily events such as gigs, label signings, and record releases.

A Challenging Read (3/3 people found this helpful)

This ambitious work is a major contribution to popular music. I love big, detailed works on popular music as long as they're full of insight and fresh perspectives and this perfectly fits the bill. Reynolds has honed in on an area that's been highly neglected over the years. I've read more punk books than I care to remember, so it's great to sit back and enjoy the period that immediately followed. It's like reading a secret history of a time when the NME and John Peel were the taste makers and rock really was art. Politically, too, it was a different age and reading about the aesthetics of it all and the sheer love of experimentation is really gratifying. Reynolds interweaves the stories well and the cast list is epic. It's also a book that will be re-read as a reference book for students of the era. I also liked his eclectic choices!

A critical read no a forgotten period. (6/6 people found this helpful)

If the post punk period fills the reader with visions of bouffant hair cuts and silly trousers, prepare to have your eyes and ears (once you've bought a few key records) opened to a critical period in music, far more creative than punk.

One could say that without punk, post punk wouldn't exist. But against punks raw and ready back drop, post punk suddenly exploded into life bringing hundreds of new ideas to the studio almost without bounds.

Bands rediscovered the synthesizer, distorted their guitars and drums and combined it with the ferosity of punk, and created the art based sounds that fuelled the imagination of John Peel and his like for years. The guitars were stripped down and bands rediscovered an artistic license which allowed them to create soundscapes unimaginable during the early 70's.

To put it into context, punk gave us the Ramones, Pistols, Buzzcocks and one or two other luminaries.....post punk gave us, Gang of Four, PiL, Slits, Black Flag, Husker Du, Killing Joke, Magazine, Wire, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Minutemen and too many more to mention, before it gave us a new pop movement that contained the likes of ABC, Frankie and others.

If you like music in any form and wonder what happened after punk, somehow believing that it was the end of modern music. Read this....I guarantee you're lost years and hungry ears will love you for it.

it can not get better. Can it, Simon? (5/5 people found this helpful)

This is the best book out there by the best music critic out there and it talks about the best period in pop music history there's ever been. Mr Reynolds is not only authoritative, accurate and robust; he is also engaging and passionate. This is him at his best, going through those late 70s early 80s musical excellence without disregarding socio-economical context. To list the musical milestones discussed here would take me far too long, so let's keep it simple: If you like The Fall, Gang Of Four, Joy Division, PIL, Talking Heads etc. etc. etc. you should read this; if you like Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party, then you must.

Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk, 1978-1984

Simon Reynolds

Reader Reviews:

A Great Read (1/1 people found this helpful)

Zeitgeist Regained (3/3 people found this helpful)

A Challenging Read (3/3 people found this helpful)

A critical read no a forgotten period. (6/6 people found this helpful)

it can not get better. Can it, Simon? (5/5 people found this helpful)

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