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The England's Dreaming Tapes: The Essential Companion to England's Dreaming, the Seminal History of Punk
Jon Savage's 1991 book, England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond, was hailed by the New York Times Book Review as "the definitive history of the English punk movement." Widely imitated but never equaled, it remains that rare work of music history that appeals to music fans, critics, and scholars alike. In researching England's Dreaming, Savage conducted hundreds of hours of interviews of which only a fraction made it into the finished book. Now, in The England's Dreaming Tapes, Savage makes available for the first time the full, uncut, sensational story behind the cultural moment that was punk.
Here is the story of a generation that changed the world in just a few months in 1976, as told by the scene's major figures: all four original Sex Pistols as well as Joe Strummer, Chrissie Hynde, Jordan, Siouxsie Sioux, Viv Albertine, Adam Ant, Lee Black Childers, Howard Devoto, Pete Shelley, Syl Sylvain, Debbie Wilson, Tony Wilson, Jah Wobble, and many others. Together, they offer a sweeping history of the late 1960s and the 1970s-not just the era's music, but also its radical politics, social issues, fashion, and culture.
An invaluable source of information about a movement that has become obscured by myth, these vivid, unvarnished interviews were conducted when punk was only a decade old. In many cases, this was the first time that the subjects had talked about the period. The interviews describe the founding of the Sex Pistols; 430 King's Road, site of the legendary boutique Sex, which helped establish the punk aesthetic; punk rock New York; the cultural landscapes of London and its suburbs; the writers who covered punk; and the Manchester music scene centered around Factory Records.
With The England's Dreaming Tapes, Savage gives us the first and final word on the music, fashion, and attitude that defined this influential and incendiary era.
Here is the story of a generation that changed the world in just a few months in 1976, as told by the scene's major figures: all four original Sex Pistols as well as Joe Strummer, Chrissie Hynde, Jordan, Siouxsie Sioux, Viv Albertine, Adam Ant, Lee Black Childers, Howard Devoto, Pete Shelley, Syl Sylvain, Debbie Wilson, Tony Wilson, Jah Wobble, and many others. Together, they offer a sweeping history of the late 1960s and the 1970s-not just the era's music, but also its radical politics, social issues, fashion, and culture.
An invaluable source of information about a movement that has become obscured by myth, these vivid, unvarnished interviews were conducted when punk was only a decade old. In many cases, this was the first time that the subjects had talked about the period. The interviews describe the founding of the Sex Pistols; 430 King's Road, site of the legendary boutique Sex, which helped establish the punk aesthetic; punk rock New York; the cultural landscapes of London and its suburbs; the writers who covered punk; and the Manchester music scene centered around Factory Records.
With The England's Dreaming Tapes, Savage gives us the first and final word on the music, fashion, and attitude that defined this influential and incendiary era.
752 pages, Paperback
Published August 4, 2010
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About the author
Jon Savage
64 books116 followersJon Savage (born Jonathan Malcolm Sage) is an English writer, broadcaster and music journalist, best known for his definitive history of the Sex Pistols and punk music, England's Dreaming (1991).
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 26, 2011
This is a tough one to review - I found it extremely engrossing, but that may be because I recently read England's Dreaming.
This takes the narrative of that book, and exposes the source material, and it's a real treasure trove of memories and anecdotes.
However without the narrative drive, I could understand how some people would find this disjointed and rambling. There is some attempt to section off the book, but ultimately that is a difficult thing to achieve.
If you're a fan of the music, the era or just hanker for days when there was something new in the music market, this will tick lots of boxes.
This takes the narrative of that book, and exposes the source material, and it's a real treasure trove of memories and anecdotes.
However without the narrative drive, I could understand how some people would find this disjointed and rambling. There is some attempt to section off the book, but ultimately that is a difficult thing to achieve.
If you're a fan of the music, the era or just hanker for days when there was something new in the music market, this will tick lots of boxes.
April 29, 2012
This book is essentially a collection of interviews which allows you to explore more about the music/society/fashion at the time. How punk started and why it lost the initial glow && how it shook things up.
I bought it by mistake, i wanted the England's Dreaming, not the Tapes but it was a great suprise.
Because of its huge size i couldn't bring it with me everywhere i went so that's why it took me so long to finish it.
Jon Savage is awesome.
I bought it by mistake, i wanted the England's Dreaming, not the Tapes but it was a great suprise.
Because of its huge size i couldn't bring it with me everywhere i went so that's why it took me so long to finish it.
Jon Savage is awesome.
July 23, 2014
I must have the earlier printing, which contains one big error in the Where are they now? chapter at the end. It says Joe Strummer died in 1992, when in fact, he died in 2002. I hope this got corrected in later editions. Good as a supplemental piece. It's pretty much transcripts of taped interviews.
March 29, 2022
Transcribed raw interviews from Savage's 1991 masterpiece. Probably best-suited for completists, but I found it made for excellent bedtime reading. Lots of insight from people you're familiar with, and even more from those you've never heard of. Often conflicting opinions made me realize that history really is written by the victors.
Read
August 2, 2011Does music have the power to change lives or even society? In today's sensationalist, cynical and fractured world that's certainly hard to imagine. Rewind over 30 years and Savage's interviewees vividly describe the cultural void that was early-seventies Britain and how one band, The Sex Pistols, single-handedly changed lives and inspired an entire generation of musicians.
That the band itself quickly imploded is neither here not there - the shock waves reverberate still, both for those interviewed here and anyone whose interest in music extends beyond the latest Beatles reissues.
The book replaces the polemic and theory of Savage's England's Dreaming with uncommented first-hand narratives and these are without exception fascinating - whether it's Sid Vicious' mother's account of her son's last hours or Don Letts' memories of The Roxy.
The wide range of interviewees and viewpoints means it is also one of the few books on the subject that even manages to find a few kind words for Malcolm McLaren and the universally-demonised Nancy Spungen.
That the band itself quickly imploded is neither here not there - the shock waves reverberate still, both for those interviewed here and anyone whose interest in music extends beyond the latest Beatles reissues.
The book replaces the polemic and theory of Savage's England's Dreaming with uncommented first-hand narratives and these are without exception fascinating - whether it's Sid Vicious' mother's account of her son's last hours or Don Letts' memories of The Roxy.
The wide range of interviewees and viewpoints means it is also one of the few books on the subject that even manages to find a few kind words for Malcolm McLaren and the universally-demonised Nancy Spungen.
July 10, 2012
Fascinating interviews with punk's original movers and shakers. Reads much better than Savage's rather pretensious England's Dreaming book he wrote using some of the material from these interviews.
July 2, 2015
I've read quite a few accounts of punk rock's story so I don't remember anything specific that was in this book...except for things relating to boutique Sex. On the other hand, I remember enjoying many of the stories told within these covers so it wasn't all too bad at all.
March 5, 2011
The original England's Dreaming is better because this is a collection of interviews asking the same questions so you're essentially reading the same story repeatedly without deviation.
July 7, 2011
This was like catnip to me. It got a little repetitive at times, but it was great to read interviews with not just the usual suspects.
February 21, 2016
A perfect companion to England's dreaming. Took me 2 years to finish, but enjoyed the first hand perspectives of 75-78 in during the punk revolution
March 27, 2017
This will likely be far too much for readers with only a casual interest in the beginnings of British punk rock, but it's a feast for obsessives, containing long, thoughtful interviews with everyone from the Sex Pistols and Joe Strummer to the suburban fans who made up the "Bromley contingent" to witnesses to the Pistols' catastrophic 1978 US tour and the sad end of Sid Vicious.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews