From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World (Paperback)

by Clinton Heylin (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Ramones. Suicide. Pere Ubu. This book explores the origins and evolution of the fiery history of punk and New Wave. Filled with insights from such music legends as Lou Reed, Debbie, Harry, David Byrne, Patti Smith, and Richard Hell, this book is a great read for music lovers and pop culture afficionados.

From Library Journal
This book's unwieldy title is misleading. The volume offers a history of punk music, with the focus narrowed to the New York scene, especially as it revolved around the legendary music club CBGBs (short for Country, Blue Grass, and Blues). Heylin's loosely chronological study is organized around stories of the rise and often precipitous fall of bands as varied as the Velvet Underground (the godfathers of the punk movement), the Ramones, Blondie, Television, and Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Heylin too frequently interrupts the narrative with chunks of interview material. One also wishes for more perspective on the scene. There is plenty of valuable information here, but scholars and fans will have to do some serious digging. For large music collections.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140179704
• ISBN-13: 978-0140179705
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #912,311 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INDISPENSABLE & A GREAT READ!, July 6, 2000

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This would make an excellent companion volume to Roni Sarig's The Secret History of Rock: The Most Influential Bands You'Ve Never Heard and In the Fascist Bathroom: Punk in Pop Music, 1977-1992 by Greil Marcus, esp. since Marcus' book mostly ignores the NY scene. It details the origins of the US punk and art rock scene, like Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell & The Ramones who were the originators of many stylistic and musical traits evident in latter-day bands. It's an American punk Who's Who and a rock 'n roll What's What, a detailed history and a valuable reference work. Starting with the Velvet Underground, it covers The Stooges, MC5, Modern Lovers, Electric Eels, Suicide, NY Doll, Wayne County, Blondie, The Heartbreakers, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Lydia Lunch and other seminal artists. This is done in the form of interviews with the artists concerned, so you hear about the times in their own words. The famous venues CBGB's & Max's Kansas City also get their due. The bibilography provides a cross-section of the most useful published sources on American punk an there's an extensive discography. Black & white photographs (some very rare, like a pic of Patti Smith's graduation) enliven the text. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent rock music.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From The Dirt Great Flowers Grow!, October 29, 2004

By	Glenn S. Hawley "glenn with 2 'n's" (NEW YORK, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This Book Is one of the Best of it's Kind!
Covering the Bands You Know & love But Also Opening up Your Ears to The Best of What came Before or after...

Where Else Can A GREAT band Like Rocket From The Tombs get their Due? They are just as Valuable As Television or The Dolls! The Velvets, The MC5, Richard Hell, Peter Laughner, And Others All Given their Rightful Place in Rock's history!

This is Required Reading for All you Kids out there, who Want to Make it Real again. No Ham-fisted tales of Limos or Mountains of coke, Just Busted Vans, Empty Clubs & a little Dope to make it all go down easy.

The Best Bands, The Best Tunes, The Best Albums. Everything Covered for the Best Reason! "cause they are the Best! The Best that Rock'n'Roll has to Offer.
Step Aside MTV, the Old Folks are Coming Back!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive History., January 31, 1999

By A Customer

This is the book that once and for all gives credit to the United States for creating the dynamic scene stolen from us by the Sex Pistols. Brilliantly written. The story of the Stooges, the Velvets, Pere Ubu, Modern Lovers, MC5, Television, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Devo and many, many more. Also, Mr. Heylin gives selected discographies so that you can go out and find all of this great music. Since the publication of _From the Velvets to the Voidoids_ there has been one very notable addition to Pere Ubu's collection. There is now a box set available that has all of the first four albums, a live Pere Ubu compilation, and a compilation disc of many of the Cleveland bands discussed at length in the book (ie: Rocket from the Tombs, Peter Laughner etc.).