This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Album Covers [Paperback]

Jennifer McKnight-Trontz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2005

Why did Frankie say "Relax"? Did anyone really want to hurt Boy George? And why didn't anybody walk in L.A.? This Ain't No Disco can't answer all these head-scratchers, but it does bring the New Wave era back with page after totally awesome page of 300 of the best album covers. This rad collection includes covers from the late 1970s to the mid-'80s and will have true believers of a certain generation totally spazzing. New Wave was defined as much by style, fashion, and graphic design as the music itselfwitness the ruffled cuffs and heavy makeup of the New Romantics, the skinny ties and peg-pants of the neo-Mods, and the unsettling robotic personae of Devo and Gary Numan. Bursting with wild hairstyles, futuristic typography, pastel shapes, and outlandish clothing, these are the album covers that defined an era and continue to influence music and fashion styles today. A nostalgic trek with a mental soundtrack, This Ain't No Disco will inspire readers to don those rubber bracelets once again and proclaim, "Let's dance this mess around!"

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Those who are nostalgic about the '80s-that era of leg warmers, big hair and stylized pop music-will enjoy this trip down memory lane via the best album covers from the decade's New Wave artists. New Wave refers not only to the style of music predominant at the time, a music based on unadulterated fun with "an appreciation of the synthetic and artificial," but to the fashion, art and prevailing attitude of the generation. The more than 300 album covers collected in this volume are alternately innovative, bizarre and hilarious, but they all perfectly encapsulate the outrageous New Wave sensibility. From classic portraits of artists like Billy Idol and Cyndi Lauper to a cartoon drawing of cats throwing a party, these designs are as varied as the music they represent. The book is most entertaining as a guide to the various fashion faux pas of the '80s, like the Romantics' red leather suits, Roni Basil's super shoulder pads and Boy George's familiar braided hair. Although the book would have benefited from more commentary on the history and significance of these album designs, it is still an entertaining look at a unique-and certainly memorable-era in pop history.
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About the Author

Jennifer McKnight-Trontz is a writer and designer, and author of numerous Chronicle books, including Hang in There! (0-8118-3997-4) and How To (0-8118-4085-9). She lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811845427
• ISBN-13: 978-0811845427
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,319,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bitter Suite, September 9, 2007

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J. Cherry (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Album Covers (Paperback)

This is a great little time capsule of 80s album graphics from the sublime to the silly. I was happy to see my illustration for Yello's "Claro Que Si" included but dismayed that the book's credit line reads "artist unknown" when my signature is clearly visible.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guiltless Nostalgia, February 24, 2006

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B. MOOGK "Benjamin Moogk" (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Album Covers (Paperback)

Just in time for designers looking for research material on the 80's and a good coffeetable book for serious vinyl collectors. Comprehensive reproductions of album covers that were the vanguard of the new wave style. Also for those, like me, who think MTV misrepresents the 80's. This book is proof that our teenage past was full of innovation and shocking imagery. Proof that there was something before rave culture. Had a blast going over the book with others in their late 30's.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, August 12, 2005

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globalove "karim djkreemy" (BIG APPLE) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: This Ain't No Disco: New Wave Album Covers (Paperback)

Great format -good quality - rare covers in this book of new wave period - nice layout, rigorous curation , bravo , love it. Found myself trying to buy these records again but on cd!
I wish there was a 70's version too.