Music Biography - Reference, Popular Music - General & Miscellaneous, Music Dictionaries & Guides, Music Bibliography, Rock Music - Biography, Pop, Rock, & Soul Musicians - Biography, General & Miscellaneous Music Biography
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Overview
WELCOME TO THE STRANGE AND WILD WORLD OF CULT ROCKERS!Rock and roll success is most often attained by mainstream performers, those whos eimage and music are conventional enough to appeal to the largest number of people. On the other end of the spectrum are the cult rockers, whose singular artistic vision and bizarre idiosyncrasies inspire enthustiastic loyalty among distict groups of fans.
In 150 profiles, many of them based on interviews with the artists themselves, Cult Rockers turns the spotlight on the superstars and the obscure alike, who have carved out their own special niches in the rock pantheon. They include:
- The outrageous (The Dead Kennedys, Iggy Pop)
- The avant-garde (Brian Eno, Frank Zappa)
- The mysterious (The Residents, Devo)
- The poetic (Lou Reed, Patti Smith)
- The iconoclastic (The Sex Pistols, The Clash)
- The gloomy (Joy Division, The Cure)
- The virtuosic (Todd Rundgren)
- The mythologized (The Grateful Dead)
- and many more!
With detailed descriptions of each group's or individual's music style and key recordings, and revealing portraits of their behavior both on and off stage, Cult Rockers takes us on a colorful journey into the heart of the alternative rock world.
Hailed--and obsessively followed--by groups of passionate fans, ignored or derided by mainstream audiences, here are the musicians who, through their bizarre idiosyncrasies or their unique musical styles, have carved their own special niches in the rock pantheon. More than 200 profiles spotlight the Grateful Dead, Dead Kennedys, Phish, John Hiatt, Sonic Youth, Big Star, Blue Oyster Cult, and more. 75 photos.
Editorials
Library Journal
When The Jam belted out "A Town Called Malice," a chord was struck with some fans; after the band called it quits, a few devotees were left craving for more. Here lies the mystique behind journalist Jancik (Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, Watson-Guptill, 1990) and former Billboard Books editor Lathrop's work: Long after commercial success or even life had abandoned them, some rock musicians could still claim cultlike followings. Included are the obvious (e.g., the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett) as well as the lesser-known of alternative music's deities. The concise entries, arranged alphabetically, attempt to explain the phenomena surrounding the artists and chronicle their paths to fame. When applicable, the musicians' creative contributions to the world of music are provided, but thankfully the authors do not attempt to portray each artist as a misunderstood creative genius. Although the Spin Alternative Record Guide (LJ 8/95) provides a more extensive history of many of the same artists, Jancik and Lathrop's work gives the reader a bit more insight into motivation behind the fanaticism. Recommended for performing arts collections.-Julie C. Boehning, "Library Journal"School Library Journal
YAA book that's sure to be popular. Its short features on "150 of the most controversial, distinctive, offbeat, intriguing, outrageous and championed rock musicians of all," according to the authors, are all over the charts and span the last three decades. Readers learn that Captain Beefheart, who worked with Frank Zappa, lives with his wife in a trailer on the Mojave Desert. A child prodigy who never attended elementary school, his "Dog Breath Variations" score was once requested by the U.S. Marine Corps Band. Sometimes the narrative is nearly poetic in describing music as in the assertion that Fugazi's sound is "like peak activity at a construction site." Or the genre is clarified: Kate Bush, folk and Beatles-influenced, is considered progressive "art" rock. A succinct commentary with a sophisticated tone.Ginny Ryder, Lee High School, Springfield, VABook Details
Published
May 6, 1996
Publisher
New York : Fireside, c1995.
Pages
352
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780684811123