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Copendium by Julian Cope
Eschewing the usual criteria of chart success or acknowledged influence, the Copendium - a collection of album reviews and themed track samplers - takes energy, originality and heaviness as its bearings. The result is a feast of obscure and neglected masterworks that together form a surprising but entirely credible new tradition. Krautrock, motorik and post-punk, stoner and doom metal, occasionally even jazz, spoken word and hair metal: they are all represented in a wholly persuasive sequence.
Cope is the perfect guide to this novel terrain: impeccably informed, passionate, insightful and deeply funny. The Copendium is his re-imagining of a useful canon of popular music, and it is set to become required reading.
Cope is the perfect guide to this novel terrain: impeccably informed, passionate, insightful and deeply funny. The Copendium is his re-imagining of a useful canon of popular music, and it is set to become required reading.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
28 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Julian Cope
30 books90 followersJulian Cope (born Julian David Cope, on 21 October 1957) is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator. Originally coming to prominence in 1978 as the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band The Teardrop Explodes, he has followed a solo career since 1983 and initiated musical side projects such as Queen Elizabeth, Brain Donor and Black Sheep. Additional to his own work as a musician, Cope remains an avid champion of obscure and underground music.
Cope is also a recognised authority on Neolithic culture, an outspoken political and cultural activist, and a fierce critic of contemporary Western society (with a noted and public interest in occultism, paganism and Goddess worship).
As an author and commentator, he has written two successive volumes of autobiography called Head-On (1994) and Repossessed (1999); two volumes of archaeology called The Modern Antiquarian (1998) and The Megalithic European (2004); and three volumes of musicology called Krautrocksampler (1995), Japrocksampler (2007) and Detroitrocksampler.
Cope is also a recognised authority on Neolithic culture, an outspoken political and cultural activist, and a fierce critic of contemporary Western society (with a noted and public interest in occultism, paganism and Goddess worship).
As an author and commentator, he has written two successive volumes of autobiography called Head-On (1994) and Repossessed (1999); two volumes of archaeology called The Modern Antiquarian (1998) and The Megalithic European (2004); and three volumes of musicology called Krautrocksampler (1995), Japrocksampler (2007) and Detroitrocksampler.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 21, 2013
This is an epic book in every sense of the word. Large, snakeskin bound, and containing the most righteous of writings on rock and roll's underbelly that befits the arch drude of Wessex's legendary status. And it's taken me most of the second half of this year to read it.
Copendium is a compilation of Julian Cope's "album of the month" reviews from his headheritage website, in which he explores (mostly) rare, lost or overlooked gems from music history, from the 1950s to the new millennium. Just as Van Gogh, and many others, were not celebrated in their lifetimes, Cope asserts, that in the fullness of time, it is the artists from these pages who will be celebrated as the true heroes of rock and roll, long after the Beatles and The Stones have been forgotten (but not the Velvets). And he writes with such passion, conviction and knowledge that you can almost believe him.
I have tracked down a number of albums from the book, and seen a few youtube clips of other artists (where it was possible to find them) and have now also fallen for the brilliance of Musiccargo, Matt Baldwin and Vision Creation Newsun amongst many others. But I have to confess to being left cold by the sight and sound of many of the heavy metallers and axe wielders that Cope feels should rightfully be drinking blood in Valhalla with Odin by now. For instance, Lord Sir Baltimore are cited so often that the sound I eventually heard could never hope to live up to the billing that Cope gives them.
But although this book should be about the music, as much as anything it's about the mythical man beast of Julian Cope himself. His anecdotes, insights and fluid writing style are a joy to read (as anyone who has read "Head On" would know). Sir Julian, I salute you.
And to cap it all, at the back are Danskrocksampler, Postpunksampler, Detroitrocksampler, Glamrocksampler - fascinating insights into scenes, times and genres that music history has overlooked, simplified or misunderstood (or all three). In particular his writing on punk, and post-punk are every bit as insightful and acerbic as you would expect them to be.
Whatcherwaitingfor?
Copendium is a compilation of Julian Cope's "album of the month" reviews from his headheritage website, in which he explores (mostly) rare, lost or overlooked gems from music history, from the 1950s to the new millennium. Just as Van Gogh, and many others, were not celebrated in their lifetimes, Cope asserts, that in the fullness of time, it is the artists from these pages who will be celebrated as the true heroes of rock and roll, long after the Beatles and The Stones have been forgotten (but not the Velvets). And he writes with such passion, conviction and knowledge that you can almost believe him.
I have tracked down a number of albums from the book, and seen a few youtube clips of other artists (where it was possible to find them) and have now also fallen for the brilliance of Musiccargo, Matt Baldwin and Vision Creation Newsun amongst many others. But I have to confess to being left cold by the sight and sound of many of the heavy metallers and axe wielders that Cope feels should rightfully be drinking blood in Valhalla with Odin by now. For instance, Lord Sir Baltimore are cited so often that the sound I eventually heard could never hope to live up to the billing that Cope gives them.
But although this book should be about the music, as much as anything it's about the mythical man beast of Julian Cope himself. His anecdotes, insights and fluid writing style are a joy to read (as anyone who has read "Head On" would know). Sir Julian, I salute you.
And to cap it all, at the back are Danskrocksampler, Postpunksampler, Detroitrocksampler, Glamrocksampler - fascinating insights into scenes, times and genres that music history has overlooked, simplified or misunderstood (or all three). In particular his writing on punk, and post-punk are every bit as insightful and acerbic as you would expect them to be.
Whatcherwaitingfor?
September 7, 2017
I believe every word Cope has written.
January 29, 2019
great sampling of essays from JC website, covering heavy figures large and small. Crucial consumer guidance
November 15, 2020
A great if overly long dive into the Julian Cope world of music. His samplers and 70s reviews are prime. His writing is superb throughout.
December 23, 2020
Who would win in a fight, Cope or God?
December 18, 2021
Essential sourcebook.
September 10, 2023
Julian Cope, facendo un'ipotetica lista, è una delle 'cose' per le quali vale la pena vivere. Questo libro lo conferma appieno.
September 2, 2013
Slightly dishonest of me to mark this as "read" and to review it at all but it's not really one of those linear books (although the musicians discussed are arranged chronologically) but one to dip in and out of and then hyperlink to some other chapter 100 pages later on etc. While many of the bands I have never even heard of, and frequently with those I have I disagree quite strongly with Mr C, his enthusiasm and energy are so much fun I just shrug my shoulders and read on, with a grin. As someone who's only now dipping my feet into the deep deep waters of "Krautrock" it's fun to have Copey as a guide.
March 17, 2014
A hefty slice of Julian Cope's album reviews and extended essays on underground music since the 1950s.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews