Nothin' But A Good Time

by Justin Quirk

The Spectacular Rise And Fall Of Glam Metal

Genres: Music

291 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2020

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4 Stars

Back in the 80's I was a yuppie working in the Wall Street Area, and have very fond memories of listening to so called metal "hair bands" on my Sony Walkman cassette player during my commutes. I had grown up on The Beatles, transitioned to The Bay City Rollers and then KISS, back to The Beatles again...and then it happened: Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Cinderella, Stryper, Poison, Guns n' Roses, Warrant, Skid Row, Europe, Ozzy and others. This melodic heavy rock music made me feel alive like no other, and I still react that way to it today. When I'm working and I feel like I'm getting drowsy, all I need to do is launch my ipod on the playlist I created called "Metal Orgy" and the blood starts coursing through my veins again. These were bands who teased their long manes of hair to the max and kept it there with Aqua Net spray, wore leather or colorful tight stretchy pants, and makeup. It was an androgynous look, but seemed to attract scores of women to their audiences. I became a devotee of watching the "Headbangers Ball" on MTV every weekend and subscribed to magazines such as Hit Parader, RIP and Creem (I still have every issue). I read these magazines cover to cover, even if I wasn't familiar with all the bands. They were still interesting to read about. They weren't just a bunch of guys in jeans, they were eye catching and each had their own mystique and schtick. People who don't know me that well are surprised when they find out what a penchant I have for these bands, as they know me primarily as a huge Beatles fan. I still am, but I'm also a big Hair Band fan! So I gasped when I saw this book dedicated to the story of this music genre and jumped at the chance to read it.

I was privileged to read a book on this exact same topic months ago which (confusingly) bore the exact same title, but by an entirely different author. It was in oral history format (which I love), but this offering reads more like the almost poetic cultural and philosophical musings of a music critic. It covers many of the glam metal bands I've already mentioned in chronological order of their rise to fame. I was interested to learn that in the wake of musicians coming together on two occasions for charity recordings such as "We are the World" and "Do They Know it's Christmas", hair metal bands also came together for a similar type project (check out the video on YouTube for "Hear N' Aid - Stars" from 1986). Another fresh topic covered was a very young and talented guitar virtuoso named Jason Becker who was supposed to go on a world tour with solo David Lee Roth in 1989 only to learn that he had ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. After his diagnosis he was told that he would only live another 5 years- but still lives and writes music with the help of technology.

In summation, I reveled in the warm and fuzzy nostalgia of revisiting these bands from when I was a young spud, and gleaning some new kernels of information.

Thank you to the publisher Unbound for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.

[Andy Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin Quirk's look at 'the spectacular rise and fall of Glam Metal' 

Glam was the big sound of the 80s. The sound, the performers and (especially) the hair were huge. This book takes a year by year look at where Glam came from, why it vanished and 'why nobody admits to being a Glam Rocker anymore'. The anecdotes are brilliant (like when Slash was an errand boy for Motley Crűe - he lasted one day and nicked  $100 from them into the bargain). As for where it went - well, it's no secret that Grunge came along and sucked all the fun out of Rock. 

It feels like the author has a real feel for the era and I can certainly say that this book took me back to my youth and 'the good old days' 

Highly recommended 4/5*

[Joe Mugford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the music that I adored as an impressionable adolescent, and it's just brilliant that the first serious book about it not only captures its appeal but treats it as the cultural phenomenon it was: simultaneously preposterous and preposterously brilliant. The way it fits it in the context of its times makes this book way more than just one for rockers - anyone who likes a good yarn or a bit of cultural history should enjoy it.

[Karen Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today I’m sharing my review for this fascinating new book, looking at the emergence and then rapid decline of Glam Metal. Thank you to Unbound for a copy of the paperback in return for an honest review – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift. Thank you to Anne of Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour. I will also be sharing an extract from the book later today.

Thank you to Justin Quirk for supplying a Spotify playlist to listen to alongside the book at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3JG.... I’m listening to it whilst writing my review.

I must admit that I don’t remember the rise of Glam Metal – in 1983 I was too busy listening to Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Human League. However by the late Eighties my tastes in music had expanded, as friends recommended bands and albums, and I enjoyed listening to the Hysteria album by local band Def Leppard.

This book was a fascinating read – full of statistical information but also lots of ‘human interest’ stories – the highs and lows of the bands, the personalities and the problems they faced. The story is told in chronological date order and includes many quotes from the bands during the era (or more recently).

I must admit that I hadn’t heard of some of the bands, but the majority were familiar. The Spotify playlist is helping me find out more about the earlier tracks and bands, and to enjoy the music of the late Eighties again.

A must read book for anyone who enjoyed listening to this genre of music – maybe to be given for Christmas 2020 with a can of extra strong hairspray, spandex and a denim jacket. The only thing missing from the book, in my humble opinion, was some photographs of the bands so that younger readers could appreciate the ‘look’.

[Mat Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant, funny and never less than entertaining this is a welcome and much needed addition to a largely derided aspect of the history of heavy metal and the broader music business. Quirk writes with passion and authority but this is no hagiography: he’s rightly harsh on some terrible bands and equally fair on those who have perhaps been overlooked. Overall this is a blast and pretty essential for anyone who knows the difference between Whitesnake and White Lion. Recommended.

[Giuseppe Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the book in one sitting, Justin Qurick retrospective of Glam Metal from 1983 to 1991 is very good, we need more books like his as the genere is terribly undervalued. I lived through the era and reading the book made me go back in time as I know all the facts. Great book , great writing .

[Dave Pirtle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of typos and disorganized thoughts, this reads like a series of album and concert reviews strung together with a flimsy narrative. It reaches a low point when drawing a parallel between Jason Becker's ALS diagnosis and Adam Curry's ousting from Headbangers Ball as figures from the glam metal scene who had been "laid low".

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Michael Hann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic reappraisal of the unreappraisable. I’ll never be convinced of the merits of Poison, but this book nearly got me there.