The Trouser Press Guide to 90's Rock (Trouser Press Record Guide) (Paperback)

~ Ira A. Robbins (Author) "In New Zealand, where bands routinely break up, trade members and then form anew in order to requalify for state-sponsored funding grants, the Able Tasmans..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Warner Bros, Sub Pop (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

You won't find Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston in The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock, but you will find thoughtful, informative entries on P. J. Harvey, Sugar, Ani DiFranco, and many other talented, vital artists. Best of all, Ira Robbins, founder of the original Trouser Press magazine eschews the callow "more alternative than thou" attitude that sinks so much criticism of new music. The entries have an edge, but when they're smart-ass, which they often are, they are also intelligent. This is an indispensable addition to the bookshelf of every fan of alternative music.

From Library Journal

Robbins has edited the definitive guide to rock in the Nineties. Designed not as an update but as a companion to the fourth edition of The Trouser Press Record Guide (Macmillan, 1991), which covers rock to 1990 and is now available on the web , the book concentrates on the explosion of bands in the wake of Nirvana. Leaving mainstream rock workhorses such as Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi for the next Rolling Stone Album Guide, this work deals with the new directions rock has taken by covering hundreds of bands from Mudhoney to Yo Yo, from Beck to the Wipers. More than 50 reviewers provide generally incisive descriptions, placing the Nineties output of rap, alternative, punk, and metal acts in musical and historical context without pigeonholing. Robbins and his fellow contributors give readers an exciting view of the rock renaissance in its various forms during the last six years. Essential for anyone interested in rock'n'roll.?David P. Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 848 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; 5 Sub edition (March 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684814374
• ISBN-13: 978-0684814377
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #945,896 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Shame it isn't Updated, May 24, 2002

By	Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Trouser Press Guide's Fifth Edition calls it a "Guide to 90s Rock." Unfortunately, it is now nearly six years out of date and only covers from 1990 until mid 1996. That said, it features some of the best rock and roll criticism (and writing) anywhere. It purports to cover so-called "alternative rock," which even editor and major contributor Ira Robbins freely admits is a fuzzy definition at best. The artists included range from rap to heavy metal to college rock to punk to "alternative" country and everything in between. The main requirement is that they have to have released albums in the 1990s. Hence many rock icons of the new wave 1980s are missing from this latest volume. The artists also range from the megastar level (R.E.M., U2, Metallica) to the truly obscure (Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver?). The one constant is the writing, which is uniformly excellent. As music guides go, this one is top of the line.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent and Essential, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

I've been buying Trouser Press's record guides since the early 80's, when the original magazine unfortunately went under. This book, like previous editions, is totally unrivaled. It's uncanny how many facts it provides about a band along with a lucid and intelligent review of their music, all in a few paragraphs. In this way it makes a total fool out of its rivals, particularly the spotty, psuedo-"hip" and self-conscious Spin Record Guide.

It has the same flaws you would expect of any passionate reviewer--some neglected talents, like Foetus, are hyped like they're the Second Coming, while okay acts like Janes Addiction are unjustly reamed. Its trashing of the Offspring, though, is merely an indication of good taste and integrity. And these are qualities that this guide has in abundance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, just get the damn thing!, August 10, 2001

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Fabulous. The best book of its kind. No rock reference book is better. Period. It's also worth tracking down older editions, since with each revision the series undergoes interesting transitions, shedding some reviews, changing or adding others.