I still remember it, the first time I heard an unambiguous, ‘80s new wave song. I was about 15 or so and Hungry Like the Wolf came on the radio, and it was like nothing I had ever heard. My life changed, the course of my musical future took a dramatic turn right then and there. And I loved it!
The ‘80s brought us some damn good new wave songs, and more than a few bad ones. But bad or good, those bands were out there trying something new, exploring hitherto unknown terrain, and it was a fun journey to be on. Of course, the music came first, but also the fashion (ok, more bad than good on that front), the outsider attitude, the dancing, the scene, it was all a blast.
This MAD WORLD book brought back a lot of those memories. Actually starting in the late ‘70s (a bit ahead of my time), the book gives a then-and-now perspective on a number of memorable, flamboyant artists who no longer felt constrained by the rote manner of making music. Using then-modern technology to come up with something different, they made their own way in the world.
The book presents a pretty wide perspective of artists, from the very good (New Order), the unbelievably successful (Duran Duran), the bad (Animotion), the ridiculous but still fun (A Flock of Seagulls), and the self-defeating (ABC). We get a nice behind the scenes look at the sounds that made a decade, and also a view of the memories, some warm, other bitter, of the artists nowadays.
If you used more hair gel in a day then you now use in a month, wore too much eyeliner (or any, if you’re a guy), and despite being in prime shape still danced yourself into a slather Wednesday through Sunday back in the day, this book is for you.
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (April 15, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1419710974
- ISBN-13: 978-1419710971
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 136 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#284,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #122 in Pop Artist Biographies
- #359 in Popular
- #384 in Popular Music (Books)
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