The Scream: The Music, Myths, and Misbehavior of Primal Scream

by Kris Needs

This biography of Primal Scream, by infamous rock journalist Kris Needs, is an incisive and impassioned account of one of the world’s wildest bands. Primal Scream anecdotes are numerous and unparalled in their hilarious excess. This unique brand of chaos usually occurs when they’re on the road, and has been witnessed at firsthand by the author. He has incorporated his experiences into a book which is as much a fly-on-the-wall witness as a group biography.
However, Primal Scream’s reputation often overshadows their raison d’etre – the music. It is widely accepted that they made one of the greatest, most influential albums of all time in 1991’s Screamadelica, which redefined and eroded the divide between rock’n’roll and dance music. The supporting cast throughout their nineteen-year history reads like a who’s who of living legends: from Funkadelic’s George Clinton, Tom Dowd (the man who produced almost every great Stax/Atlantic soul record) and Memphis session icon Jim Dickinson, to Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, reggae luminaries Augustus Pablo and Adrian Sherwood, and Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh.
The Scream lays bare the band’s musical influences, examining their roots via exclusive interviews and detailed analysis of their albums.

Genres: Music

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2003

Reviews

[zed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top band at their best are Primal Scream. Not too bad a bio either. I recall Kris Needs being a music press journo years back in Zig Zag fanzine. Written as an insider, Needs is a friend and fan of the band, so it does come over as a sycophantic read at times. I really liked the book so no issue with a fan grovel from me!

[Mikebee · Rating 5 out of 5]

all the dirt you could want, and written by someone who was not only there but who was in the thick of it. killer!

[Sonia]

yessssss