Blood & Glitter (Paperback)

~ Mick Rock (Author), David Bowie (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If Mick Rock had taken only two photos in his entire life- the 1972 shot of Iggy Pop as a burnished statue of sinew and make-up, used for The Stooges' Raw Power cover, and the hazy, ethereal 1972 portrait of David Bowie, which made it onto the sleeve of Space Oddity - he'd still have been a living God amongst anyone who grew up through the 70s. As Blood And Glitter demonstrates with relentless panache, Rock did not stop at a pair of zeitgeist-freezing images. From the rare, revealing session with Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett in 1971, through to 1977 when his Johnny Rotten portrait took Brit-punk style to the US via the Cambridge-educated rock'n'roll photographer conveyed a procession of key music exposures into his darkroom. What becomes clear, as the lipstick-smeared pages of Blood And Glitter turn, is that Rock was far more than a 'glam photographer.' His engorged gallery of studio, live and hanging-out depictions of the 'Unholy Trinity' - Iggy Pop, Bowie and Lou reed - along with Roxy Music, Queen, Debbie Harry and more, were as much as creative input to the era of sexshow turbulence as Bowie's space age strumming or Freddie Mercury's feather boa. Moreover, Rock was equally interested in recording fringe influences on the scene, from choreographer Lindsay Kemp to the cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. As an encyclopedia of prototypical New York-cum-London bohemia, with an arch forward from Bowie and quintessential quotes from Rock and his megastar subjects, Blood And Gliter is an invaluable tome; it is also a major argument for adding Mick Rock's name to the list of great image-makers of the last century. As the man himself says: "I was not an outsider looking in. I lived it."

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Vision On Publishing; illustrated edition edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0953747999
• ISBN-13: 978-0953747993
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,549,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aleister Crowley meets Goethe at the drag races, February 10, 2002

By	KSG "ksgnyc" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Looking at the pages of this explosive book, one feels as if they are taking a glimpse into an alternative universe and in many ways you are. Mick Rock was the supreme chronicler of the fantasy world of Glam. His images and Bowie's quotes are juxtaposed and further mythologize this highly original period. David Bowie states that he would be going to hell because he sold his soul to the devil. The book is arranged chronologically and ends with images of the Punk Rockers. Compared to the fey and sexually charged Eno, Amanda, Lou and Freddie they look so sober and serious. Debbie Harry being the sole exception, of course. Viva la Glam !

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ultra-Glam, January 2, 2003

By	SisterRay73 (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This is a truly- well, faaaaaabulous book. Mick Rock's excellent photography captures glam rock and its' artists at their top prime. The fact that Mick Rock knew many of his subjects personally helped with the many candid behind the scenes shot that fills this book. From David Bowie and Lou Reed to Mick Jagger, Blondie, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and even the Ramones and Johnny Rotten, this book has incredible photography of music's most incredible stars. My personal favorites are the pictures of Lou Reed, and the David Bowie pictures are wild and ample throughout the whole book. The layout of the book is also great, with many quotes from the shown artists and Mick Rock commenting on...well, everything, and many of the quotes are set to vibrant colored backgrounds. The reason why I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was that there were just too many people I had never heard of. It would have been better if there had been just even small explanations- I mean, there are on some of them, but I have no idea who "Leather Nun" was or many of the people in some of these party shots. But hey, that's okay. For people with the some of the best taste in music, I recommend this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars you better buy two..., December 5, 2002

By	Michael (New York City) - See all my reviews

Look, this book is absolutely fantastic. Five stars at least for the material.

However, the binding of the book is so poor that it falls off the spine after 2 viewings. Inexcusable!