The Trouser Press Guide to New Wave Records

by Ira A. Robbins (Editor)

The first definitive guide to new wave records, 1,000 British and American bands, reviews of albums released in the United States and Britain since 1976, discographical information including titles, labels, release dates. It also has an appendix of mail-order sources.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

389 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[John Nestor]

At the time it came out, it was a bible. Now, it seems more like a time-capsule; perhaps a memoir for my children. Certainly, it contains that which was most important to a teen back then. I still pull it out once in a while, to thumb through while day-dreaming about listening to the Clash's first album in a long-gone car.

[Medio Mutante]

When it was published in 1983 the reviews might have read as snarky or hip - but in retrospect they seem like sad old rockers forced to contend with music not made for them, and that constantly seems to go over their head (they refer to both Joy Division and Kraftwerk as electronic heavy metal?!?).
This book deserves two stars instead of one because it was actually useful in the pre-internet era, when tracking down records was a more active endeavor, and even though many of the reviews rip into synth based records, they at least mentioned them in print (A Blaze Color, Polyphonic Size, Los Microwaves, etc etc)