Swing! The New Retro Renaissance (V/Search) [Paperback]

V. Vale (Author)

Book Description

Series: V/Search | Publication Date: May 1998

Music. Fashion. Ultural Studies. SWING! THE NEW RETRO RENAISSANCE documents the first major lifestyle change since punk. After a 50-year absence, partner-dancing is back with a vengence, propelled by a new generation of bands with roots in Hot Jazz, Jump Swing, Western Swing, and Rockabilly. Also documented are the exciting retro clothes, hairstyles, furnishings, cars, etc. saved from extinction by cutting-edge visionaries of this movement. Lavishly illustrated, this is the first comprehensive guide to a new state of mind being pioneered on the West Coast.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The newest book from SF's fave source of sedition, V/Search Publishing, has everything your zoot-suited little heart desires: jump-blues, rockabilly, big-band swing; dancers, hairstyles, cars, and clothes; directories to recordings, books, and films. Most important, it's got fabulous photos and interviews with everyone from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to the New Morty Show to Lavay Smith to the Royal Crown Revue to just about any West Coast swinger who matters." -- SF Bay Guardian, May 6, 1998

"A gift from heaven landed in our hands, a killer book titled Swing! The New Retro Renaissance, chock full o' information and tasty pictures for all the cool cats and kittens that are into the swing/rockabilly/twang thing." -- Gavin, April 17, 1998

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Re/Search Publications (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889307025
• ISBN-13: 978-1889307022
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,365,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My ambivilant opinion on excellent reportage., January 5, 1999

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swing! The New Retro Renaissance (V/Search) (Paperback)

V. Vale has served as the counter-culture's principle archivist and preservationist. The richly varied subjects of his books read like an anthology of dissent with the status quo. The potentcy of each topic is (or at least was) due in part to its' rupture with the overall views of the general public. The work is comprehensive, thurough and has always provided a great deal of insight to the subject, oftentimes in the subject's own words. SWING! is no exception. It is the definitive text to the what, the who, the wheres and the whys of the neo-swing movement. The one problem I have is that every time Vale releases another great book on another sub-culture, it doesn't seem to be soon after that that sub-group is eventually consumed by the status quo... castrating the subject of its' adverse positioning which debilitates its' power altogether. In this respect Mr. Vale is much like Columbus: A passionate explorer who's arrival foreshadows the coming of many uninvited strangers. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this book very much. All the musicians, dancers and other luminaries are very commited to this thing that they love very much. Though such a thing tends to be its' own reward, the dedication should be recognized, accredited and applauded which is exactly what this book does. At the same time, there is the imfamous GAP advert as well as some automobile commercials, The Cherry Poppin' Daddy's in an ad for BEST BUY and, of course, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy appearing on MELROSE PLACE, as the halftime entertainment at the ROSE BOWL (complete with flag twirlers in sequense fedoras) and the up-coming SUPERBOWL. In one respect, all this popularity has enabled some great musicians to make a full time living at what they do best and they deserve to cash-in. On the other hand, all this hype does seem to detach from this thing most of what made it interesting to begin with. Like so many others before it, the Neo-Swing scene seems less and less disposed to define itself on its' own terms and more at the mercy of how it is pecieved by an outside population of faddists and other avid magazine subscribers. For me, one of the most appealing things about going to rockabilly and swing shows was the noticeable LACK of Yuppies. That was three years ago. Today, kookery abounds. More actors than action. Too bad.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Rertro-Swing Style Book, December 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Swing! The New Retro Renaissance (V/Search) (Paperback)

Although not much in the way of dancers and Swing Dancing, it does capture somewhat the Retro-Style of The Bands, Attire, Cars, Martinis, Cigars, Tattoos, etc. It would have been nicer to include more dancing and more People in the dance. Alot of the Information is NOT FACT and should not be taken Historically as so, but... it is based on what some of those people doing it now believe! If you are in the Boonies or not local to Los Angeles Or San Francisco this book is Awesome. Even if you are it is worth the Money.. Every Swing Fan should not be without it...I Liked It.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most comprehensive coverage of the swing culture, August 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Swing! The New Retro Renaissance (V/Search) (Paperback)

This book interviews over 15 of the major bands including big players like Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. In addition to the bands, this book covers multiple swing dance groups, clubs, and record labels. For those topics where words simply aren't enough, this book packs hundreds of pictures from milestone preformances to Vice Grip's 1947 Cadillac to Mark Jordan's vintage tie collection.