Customer Reviews

Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock

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I just read a recent review of this book which was very negative. The critic didn't like the young Nik Cohn's opinions. Well, I am 60 years old and was there at the dawn of rock 'n roll and loved this book. I was pleasantly surprised that a 22 year old Brit back in 1968 could have captured the essence of the fifties music scene and also described in detail what happened soon thereafter. In fact, I agreed with most of his very descriptive analyses and even when I didn't, I understood his point of view. His knowledge on the topic and style of writing was superb.

Not everything you need to know about rock 'n' roll, but the best nonintellectual critique of the period ever, and all the better for it. Cohn has the manic energy of period reflected in his writing. Clapton was indeed God. Hell, I was there!

Cohn is stuck in his ways, he admits it, and I'd agree with him on most things but he makes it hard to view the general consensus of his topic because it's all in his opinion. He's describing the history of rock n' roll, but he's also one sided. He has extensive noting on the fads in England, and while he attempts to equal his observations of America, he generally fails to do the states justice. He's good for a quick timeline and a brush up on the basics. He's good if you like high school, or teeny bopper sleeper jams from the forties and fifties, but he's jaded if you want the whole picture. The book was written in the early seventies, and it's almost comical how oblivious he was to the wave of American rock n' roll about to come up. There's a faint mention of The Velvet's, but no mention of the MC5 or The Stooges. The text and these bands might've never crossed paths but it would've shook up the experience a bit. Even if the MC5 and Stooges had yet to pop up, there was still a wave of Detroit rock n' roll before them and the blues rock that came before. Sun Ra, The Amboy Dukes and so on. I guess what it comes down too is that Cohn and I have different tastes, but that shouldn't get in the way of a decent historiography. He felt the need to write about everything and nothing at the same time, barely brushing by the bands he claimed himself to be most important to relish on the tid bits of forgotten boy groups just to get their name in.

First Published in 1970 and then updated in 1973 Nik Cohn's observations during the historic Rock and Roll revolution
of the 50's 60's remains unsurpassed in music journalism.
Nik was one of the first of the Rock and Roll commentators in print media long before Rolling Stone magazine.
Some other U.K. Publications such as Melody Maker etc were operational but Nik's regular print contibutions still stand
out today.
Superb Book!!
Must own! for all those who have an interest in the 50'S and 60'S and for all of us who were there and can fondly remember
the absolute best era's in Rock music!

This 1969 book might have been great in it's time, but by today's standards, everything he's written about here is common knowledge and can be had off the internet, television and numerous documentaries and biographies written over the years. There's nothing new or special here.