Alternative Rock: The Best Musicians & Recordings

by Dave Thompson

This book looks inside the artists and music that transformed the American and British soundscape of the 1980s and '90s. Scene-setting essays ä some with interviews of key figures ä explore alternative rock's primary influences from Captain Beefheart to Brian Eno and its many subgenres from punk to grunge and Brit pop to trip hop. Reviews and profiles cover over 2 000 recordings and more than 500 musicians such as The Beastie Boys The Cure R.E.M. Marilyn Manson XTC and hundreds more. This comprehensive guide also examines the cultural scenes technologies and people behind the alternative sound. From the author of ÊDepeche ModeÊ and ÊNever Fade The Kurt Cobain StoryÊ.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Reference

800 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2000

About the author

English author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.

However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”

Raised on rock, powered by punk, and still convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf, Thompson lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.

Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he makes regular guest appearances on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hundreds of artists and 7000 recordings are discussed and rated. Ratings of '1-9' are for albums produced by a single artist/group. (A '1' for one group could mean that the record is better than a '5' for another group.) But '10' ratings cross all artists, and indicates an essential recording within Alternative Rock. I've bought a ton of vinyl and cds, and went through my collection for my '10's:

My List of '10' recordings:
Band - Recording
X - 'Los Angeles' 1980 - Book? 10
About this recording, Dave Thompson says, "Los Angeles is the sort of album that comes along once in a lifetime. I agree. It's my favorite rock album by my favorite rock band ever, easily. The rest of my '10's:
B-52's - 'Debut' 1979 - Book? 9
Clash - 'London Calling' 1979 - Book? 10
Sublime - 'Sublime' 1996 - Book? 7
PJ Harvey - 'To Bring You My Love' 1995 - Book? 10
Human League - 'Dare' 1981 - Book? 9
Portishead - 'Dummy' 1994 - Book? 10
Morrissey -'Vauxhall and I'1994 - Book? 10
Primal Scream- 'Screamadelica' 1991- Book? 9
Waitresses- 'Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful' 1984 - Book? NOT MENTIONED!
Oingo Boingo- 'Only a Lad' - 1983 - Book? NOT MENTIONED!
Sex Pistols -'Never Mind the Bullocks' 1977 - Book: 10
Soft Cell -'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret' - 1981 Book: 8*
Ramones - 'Debut' - 1976 - Book: 10
Moby - 'Play' - 1999- Book: 8
Sparks- 'Angst in my Pants' - 1982 - BOOK: NOT MENTIONED!
Gary Numan- 'Replicas' - 1979 Book:9
Circle Jerks 'Golden Shower of Hits' - 1983 - BOOK: 6
*I like that Thompson questions whether there ever really existed a video for a single, "Sex Dwarf" as rumour has it that it was so twisted no one would show it.
I'd give this 5 stars, it's a blast. But how could Thompson NOT list 'Only a Lad' or 'Angst in my Pants'? Oh well, Thompson and I agree on 7 of the albums/cds rated '10'. Thompson's 10 list includes Nirvana, Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Cure, and U2 (among others) that I don't consider as 'alternative'. And, if we ever had a conversation, we'd no doubt crown Ramones, Sex Pistols, and X as the Rulers of Alternative Rock. I'd throw in the B-52s, he'd argue they are too gimmicky. BUT, as far as singles, we'd both agree: the B-52's 'Rock Lobster' is THE classic among alternative rock singles.
GREAT trip down 'memory lane.' Now, time for a Circle Jerk afternoon.

[Will Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book can be really useful. This book can also be drawn out and boring. I really like that I can turn to a page and read all about a band's history. The band's description, however, is occasionally riddled with superfluous information about the band's inception. There are a lot of bands in the book that have no influence to the Alternative Rock scene at all. This band may have been really informative when it was written, but today I see it through the school of thought that of the book missing 15 years of Alternative Rock history. Bands that still played in their local bars by the time this book was written are now top tier rock bands. This book doesn't even have Radiohead's "Kid A" album. This book may be a really great resource for some people, but I found that I could not connect with most of the bands in the book.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda of funny exclusions/inclusions but this is a really good guide to alt rock/indie rock/whatever. I read it a ton in like 9th grade and it was fun. The articles in the beginning are really good too.

[Robert Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggist complaint...missing the Minutemen!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, but some glaring omissions and strange inclusions. Skinny Puppy?! Really?!