What do you think?
Rate this book
From the Velvets to the Voidoids: A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World
Looks at the Punk and New Wave movements in rock music and shares the impressions of musicians who were a part of the movements
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
38 people are currently reading
4114 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 15, 2020
I have had this book on my radar since it first came out, but yes I am reading it 27 years later.
I always took the title as a cool alliteration but it’s choices are intended. The Velvet Underground was the first ‘proto punk band. Although they were inspired by American garage bands and British Invasion, they were really the first. Although many came between them, Richard Hell (of the Voidoids) was really the first artist to create what we think of as Punk, and last artist before the Sex Pistols would make it a worldwide phenomenon (based on Hell’s style).
This book’s importance in a largely pre-Internet age cannot be overstated and decades later is one of the few books that is a better record of the time than Wikipedia.
Indeed, the good and the bad is Heylin is an archivist. The book at times seems like a list of band lineups, gigs and rehearsals. One suspects if Heylin knew what Peter Laughner had for Breakfast on Christmas Day, 1976- it would have been included here as opposed to otherwise left out.
That’s not a bad thing though as Heylin describes the timeline, crowds and atmospheres at iconic locations like Mercer Arts Centre, CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City as opposed to a homogenous assumption. Again, it comes in correcting Suicide as a pre-punk band and not a post punk band based on their late recording date.
Heylin reveals that the path of the Velvet Underground may not have changed New York City much but grew scenes when they would play in Boston and Cleveland (chronicled in depth here). Heylin also takes a minute to catch the Detroit bands (which also drew in jazz influences) like the MC5 and the Stooges.
The book may be tough to the casual fan as it’s part oral biography and part narrative. Often more academic than one might expect on the subject matter.
For the most part, he talks the career of all major artists up to date and spends the last chapter on No Wave, a movement that almost inherently burned out.
I read the 2004 update which captures the world that Heylin’s book was released in. The 90s were a heyday for CD releases of found and largely unheard material, as well as unexpected reunions and returns from Television, Richard Hell and Patti Smith as well as the improbable and short lived reunion of the Velvet Underground and an artistically (if not commercially) fruitful three album run by a revitalized Pere Ubu.
The new edition finds an even more unexpected world in 2005 with reunions from stalwarts like the New York Dolls, Rocket from the Tombs and the MC5 despite the deaths of main players like Thunders, Nolan, Laughner, Tyner, and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith. Iggy even resurrected the Stooges and Television and Patti Smith continued to perform though producing nothing particularly of note.
Heylin in 2005 is (admittedly) combative. Whereas most punk chroniclers are too much in love with their subjects, Heylin seems almost dispassionate.
The biggest argument he presents is that the Ramones did not create a worldwide explosion of Punk. He posits that Punk movements in England and Australia would have started (indeed had started) independently of the New York bands and presents the time line that says so.
Harder to swallow, Heylin states that Johnny Thunders has peaked before the age of 21 and slightly less explicitly contends that with all of these seminal bands topped out with one, maybe two (or perhaps in Patti Smith’s case, three) great albums. It is a gut punch to the hero worship of the bands and yet it’s an argument that is hard to dispute.
Even as Heylin stakes his claim as different from his peers, his writing is interested. Of note, Heylin sees only two of the early bands as able to really transcend their work into a solid career- the Talking Heads and the completely revamped Jonathan Richman.
The book ends with a lengthy discussion of the many compilations and most famous bootlegs of the bands involved. It’s hard to think of a better resource for those interested even with the internet.
Overall, it’s hard not to recommend the book to people who are seeking detail on this incredible moment in American music history.
I always took the title as a cool alliteration but it’s choices are intended. The Velvet Underground was the first ‘proto punk band. Although they were inspired by American garage bands and British Invasion, they were really the first. Although many came between them, Richard Hell (of the Voidoids) was really the first artist to create what we think of as Punk, and last artist before the Sex Pistols would make it a worldwide phenomenon (based on Hell’s style).
This book’s importance in a largely pre-Internet age cannot be overstated and decades later is one of the few books that is a better record of the time than Wikipedia.
Indeed, the good and the bad is Heylin is an archivist. The book at times seems like a list of band lineups, gigs and rehearsals. One suspects if Heylin knew what Peter Laughner had for Breakfast on Christmas Day, 1976- it would have been included here as opposed to otherwise left out.
That’s not a bad thing though as Heylin describes the timeline, crowds and atmospheres at iconic locations like Mercer Arts Centre, CBGBs and Max’s Kansas City as opposed to a homogenous assumption. Again, it comes in correcting Suicide as a pre-punk band and not a post punk band based on their late recording date.
Heylin reveals that the path of the Velvet Underground may not have changed New York City much but grew scenes when they would play in Boston and Cleveland (chronicled in depth here). Heylin also takes a minute to catch the Detroit bands (which also drew in jazz influences) like the MC5 and the Stooges.
The book may be tough to the casual fan as it’s part oral biography and part narrative. Often more academic than one might expect on the subject matter.
For the most part, he talks the career of all major artists up to date and spends the last chapter on No Wave, a movement that almost inherently burned out.
I read the 2004 update which captures the world that Heylin’s book was released in. The 90s were a heyday for CD releases of found and largely unheard material, as well as unexpected reunions and returns from Television, Richard Hell and Patti Smith as well as the improbable and short lived reunion of the Velvet Underground and an artistically (if not commercially) fruitful three album run by a revitalized Pere Ubu.
The new edition finds an even more unexpected world in 2005 with reunions from stalwarts like the New York Dolls, Rocket from the Tombs and the MC5 despite the deaths of main players like Thunders, Nolan, Laughner, Tyner, and Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith. Iggy even resurrected the Stooges and Television and Patti Smith continued to perform though producing nothing particularly of note.
Heylin in 2005 is (admittedly) combative. Whereas most punk chroniclers are too much in love with their subjects, Heylin seems almost dispassionate.
The biggest argument he presents is that the Ramones did not create a worldwide explosion of Punk. He posits that Punk movements in England and Australia would have started (indeed had started) independently of the New York bands and presents the time line that says so.
Harder to swallow, Heylin states that Johnny Thunders has peaked before the age of 21 and slightly less explicitly contends that with all of these seminal bands topped out with one, maybe two (or perhaps in Patti Smith’s case, three) great albums. It is a gut punch to the hero worship of the bands and yet it’s an argument that is hard to dispute.
Even as Heylin stakes his claim as different from his peers, his writing is interested. Of note, Heylin sees only two of the early bands as able to really transcend their work into a solid career- the Talking Heads and the completely revamped Jonathan Richman.
The book ends with a lengthy discussion of the many compilations and most famous bootlegs of the bands involved. It’s hard to think of a better resource for those interested even with the internet.
Overall, it’s hard not to recommend the book to people who are seeking detail on this incredible moment in American music history.
June 2, 2020
I imagine this broke fresh ground when it came out, but it comes across as overly familiar today -- or maybe I'm just overly familiar with the material from other books. Still, I found out a lot of new things, especially about the Cleveland scene of the '70s, and there were fresh insights into New York City that I liked too.
The author is biased towards his favorites and isn't afraid to show it. That's a double-edged sword. For example, it was good to know more about Patti Smith, but the Patti-worship got to be a bit much.
The updated version also got really weighed down toward the end by detailed info about re-releases.
The author is biased towards his favorites and isn't afraid to show it. That's a double-edged sword. For example, it was good to know more about Patti Smith, but the Patti-worship got to be a bit much.
The updated version also got really weighed down toward the end by detailed info about re-releases.
April 10, 2008
"New York Rocker" was a cute newspaper but this is better. Cuts through all the nicety nice about the groovy CBGB's scene and lets you know what Blondie and Television and Richard Hell and Pere Ubu and Suicide were really going through. And Kiss and Lydia Lunch are in here, too. No stone unturned!
September 26, 2010
I read this years ago, but decided to write a review because it would look nice among my other books on my virtual Goodreads shelf. This book, along with "Please Kill Me" and "We Got the Neutron Bomb," completes the list of essential histories of 70s American punk. Unlike the other two oral histories, only about half of the text of From the Velvets is direct quotes, the other half being the author’s own history-telling. The result is that there is more of an argument to this book. Heylin makes the case for the U.S. being the birthplace of 70s punk and differentiates its scene from the UK’s. He argues that American punk envisioned itself as part of rock ‘n roll history, whereas the British punk bands took a more anti-rock, even anti-music stance. Accordingly, many of the punks who contribute to this book --Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Peter Laughner, Alan Vega, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay-- tend to represent the artier and intellectual aspects of punk. With the exception of a brief obligatory commentary on the Velvet Underground, Iggy & the Stooges, and the MC5, Heylin concentrates on Cleveland and NYC, so there are fewer voices included in this book than the others. While this oral history may not be as entertaining, it may be more informative and contextualized than the other two (the discography included at the end of this book is excellent, paring down the universe of bootlegs to only the most essential). This book is recommended for the more historical and dorky interested reader of punk.
October 1, 2007
This is an exceedingly decent account of one of the most exciting times in music history. This is when music was being disassembled and the raw energies were being extracted and amplified. Mr. Heylin does a commendable job of weaving authoratative, objective accounts of American punk rock's development with oral histories from some of the scene's all-stars (Debbie Harry, Richard Hell, Patti Smith etc.. etc..). I feel that the only downfall is that the narration sometimes works to sterelize the nit and grit of it all. In comparison with Legs McNeil's Please Kill Me, From the Velvets to the Voidoids seems awfully tame. However, where McNeil has "shock and awe" appeal in spades, Heylin provides a much more comprehensive and navigable road map to the era.
October 14, 2008
i got into this book a lot. it covers a lot of the same ground as please kill me (which i also love) but also goes into the cleveland scene which is really cool to read about. its less gossipy and kind of more music nerdy than please kill me. there's more about what was going through people's heads about their music, why they recorded a certain way, music-biz choices/struggles, what they were listening to, that kind of stuff. i thought it was pretty inspiring and thought provoking. good pictures that i hadn't seen before too!
August 24, 2019
Gave up on this one. Got to the chapter about Patti Smith and said fuck it. Feel like I've read all this shit before in better books. Patti Smith is the fucking worst. So was Television. The 'who cares' factor was off the chain. Yawnorrhea.
September 2, 2017
Clinton Heylin's From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk Rock was a captivating read that, not unlike Patti Smith's autobiographies or Greil Marcus's study of the world of Bob Dylan's Basement Tape sessions with The Band, transported me as I read it to another historical time and place, one with which I was vaguely familiar but much less so than I had at first thought. The book dealt with four periods in the development of American "punk" music (a label many of those associated with it disdain), the precursors (namely the Velvet Underground, the Modern Lovers, the Stooges, The New York Dolls and the MC5), the First Wave (Television, Blondie, the Ramones, Patti Smith, Rocket from the Tombs), the Second Wave (Talking Heads, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, The Heartbreakers [all three of these tied to Richard Hell], Suicide, the Dictators, Pere Ubu) and the No Wave movement.
I picked up the book at a (mostly used) record store that I frequent and was drawn in by two elements: First, it was written by Clinton Heylin and I enjoyed his All Yesterdays' Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966-1971, which compiled practically everything published about the Velvet Underground, one of my favorite bands, from 1966-1971. And, secondly, the cover caught my attention as it made reference not only to the Velvets in the title, but the cover art included an image of Debbie Harry with Iggy Pop, two favorites.
I enjoyed reading about the origins of bands with which I was previously familiar and also appreciated that the work introduced me to recordings by some of these artists with which I was unacquainted and also introduced me to other artists from the New York and Cleveland scenes of "punk" music (Rocket from the Tombs, Ubu, the Dictators, Suicide, Mink DeVille, etc.), whose music I quickly took an interest in.
What made Heylin's work so important was that at the time not much, and certainly not anything so in-depth, had been written on the history of American punk music, though much had been written on the British punk scene. Heylin's history of punk was influential and came out surprisingly just as there was a growing reevaluation of the bands (with the ascendancy of grunge in the 90s) that came out of New York and Cleveland and especially those New York bands associated with now famous venues like Max's Kansas City and CBGBs in the 70s, a time when creative genius was sparked in many places (though each movement seemed unaware of the others occurring elsewhere that drew on the same currents), genius that burned brightly and then imploded, with many bands releasing only about two albums (and great albums at that) before fizzling, thinking that they were doing something innovative at the time but unaware that their impact would extend beyond the socio-historical conditions at the time when they were giving birth to these new ideas.
For me, it was also interesting to get a deeper understanding of the roots of the bands and artists who came up in this period. Richard Hell says, "From the Velvets to the Voidoids is the first book I can remember reading about rock & roll that gives the impression that its subjects--the musicians/performers--are actually intelligent. That itself alone is enough to justify the book and make it important." I knew that Patti Smith was a poet before she was a music legend, and I learned from her autobiography that she was friends with the likes of Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, that she had an interest in world cinema (many of the same films that I personally enjoy) and worked at a bookstore (The Strand I believe) due to her love of books. Many of the artists who emerged from this period were similarly well-read and were also influenced by film and musical forms like classical and free jazz that are typically considered more "highbrow" than is the case with rock & roll. The (mis)perception that rock stars are somehow culturally inferior compared to other types of artists can perhaps be illustrated by the following example: In my Proust book group at one point someone had made a reference to Mick Jagger and many in the group scoffed, but she justified her Jagger reference by pointing out that he is apparently very well-read. I think there is a cultural bias that has diminished, but still exists, that suggests that rock (and especially punk rock, but really any type of popular art) is a substandard art form and that these types of artists are essentially just goofing off. Heylin clearly demonstrates that the artists that emerged in the American punk rock scene were not just a bunch of misfits looking for something to do, but that they often had a method and an aesthetic vision that shaped their work, though sometimes this vision was less clear than at other times -- artists like Blondie and the Ramones for instance (the former considered the least likely of the CBGB bands to succeed) developing their sound over the course of many years and many performances to small crowds. Others like Richard Hell, Television and the Talking Heads seemed to know early on exactly what they wanted to do (though with necessary adjustments here and there). And there was also a divide between the art-rock punk aesthetic (Television, the Heads, Patti Smith) and the "fuck-art" crowd, those who just wanted to rock without the pretensions.
From the beginning to the Postlude the book was very strong -- funny at times and extremely informative -- even if a bit biased in favor of certain acts (namely Pere Ubu and Rocket from the Tombs, both which arose in Cleveland). But by the time I reached the Postlude it began to fall apart. Much of the Postlude was occupied with Heylin lauding himself and tearing apart the efforts of others who have attempted a history of this scene and also being unnecessarily harsh in his criticisms of certain music artists (both those associated with these scenes and those who preceded it). This came across as very bitter. And if his bias in favor of Pere Ubu is not evident throughout, he makes it clear when he writes in the Postlude: "If I herein make the case for Marquee Moon, Horses, The Modern Dance and Blank Generation as the most enduring landmarks of American punk, it is because none of these have been superseded by the garage bands over the pond."
And I was then equally upset when, after this Postlude (written in 2004) I approached Appendix 3 (Dramatis Personae) and Appendix 4 (Discography and Bibliography), which appeared to be unaltered from the way they appeared when first published in 1993.
Overall, Heylin's work is a fascinating study of the roots of American punk, the author's analysis mixed with interview responses from leading figures from the scene. But as with an original issue of a CD, it seems that the original might be preferable to the remastered copy (new edition), the flaws in the latter more evident and inexcusable. If it is not going to be tastefully updated, it's best to just leave a good thing alone.
I picked up the book at a (mostly used) record store that I frequent and was drawn in by two elements: First, it was written by Clinton Heylin and I enjoyed his All Yesterdays' Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print, 1966-1971, which compiled practically everything published about the Velvet Underground, one of my favorite bands, from 1966-1971. And, secondly, the cover caught my attention as it made reference not only to the Velvets in the title, but the cover art included an image of Debbie Harry with Iggy Pop, two favorites.
I enjoyed reading about the origins of bands with which I was previously familiar and also appreciated that the work introduced me to recordings by some of these artists with which I was unacquainted and also introduced me to other artists from the New York and Cleveland scenes of "punk" music (Rocket from the Tombs, Ubu, the Dictators, Suicide, Mink DeVille, etc.), whose music I quickly took an interest in.
What made Heylin's work so important was that at the time not much, and certainly not anything so in-depth, had been written on the history of American punk music, though much had been written on the British punk scene. Heylin's history of punk was influential and came out surprisingly just as there was a growing reevaluation of the bands (with the ascendancy of grunge in the 90s) that came out of New York and Cleveland and especially those New York bands associated with now famous venues like Max's Kansas City and CBGBs in the 70s, a time when creative genius was sparked in many places (though each movement seemed unaware of the others occurring elsewhere that drew on the same currents), genius that burned brightly and then imploded, with many bands releasing only about two albums (and great albums at that) before fizzling, thinking that they were doing something innovative at the time but unaware that their impact would extend beyond the socio-historical conditions at the time when they were giving birth to these new ideas.
For me, it was also interesting to get a deeper understanding of the roots of the bands and artists who came up in this period. Richard Hell says, "From the Velvets to the Voidoids is the first book I can remember reading about rock & roll that gives the impression that its subjects--the musicians/performers--are actually intelligent. That itself alone is enough to justify the book and make it important." I knew that Patti Smith was a poet before she was a music legend, and I learned from her autobiography that she was friends with the likes of Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, that she had an interest in world cinema (many of the same films that I personally enjoy) and worked at a bookstore (The Strand I believe) due to her love of books. Many of the artists who emerged from this period were similarly well-read and were also influenced by film and musical forms like classical and free jazz that are typically considered more "highbrow" than is the case with rock & roll. The (mis)perception that rock stars are somehow culturally inferior compared to other types of artists can perhaps be illustrated by the following example: In my Proust book group at one point someone had made a reference to Mick Jagger and many in the group scoffed, but she justified her Jagger reference by pointing out that he is apparently very well-read. I think there is a cultural bias that has diminished, but still exists, that suggests that rock (and especially punk rock, but really any type of popular art) is a substandard art form and that these types of artists are essentially just goofing off. Heylin clearly demonstrates that the artists that emerged in the American punk rock scene were not just a bunch of misfits looking for something to do, but that they often had a method and an aesthetic vision that shaped their work, though sometimes this vision was less clear than at other times -- artists like Blondie and the Ramones for instance (the former considered the least likely of the CBGB bands to succeed) developing their sound over the course of many years and many performances to small crowds. Others like Richard Hell, Television and the Talking Heads seemed to know early on exactly what they wanted to do (though with necessary adjustments here and there). And there was also a divide between the art-rock punk aesthetic (Television, the Heads, Patti Smith) and the "fuck-art" crowd, those who just wanted to rock without the pretensions.
From the beginning to the Postlude the book was very strong -- funny at times and extremely informative -- even if a bit biased in favor of certain acts (namely Pere Ubu and Rocket from the Tombs, both which arose in Cleveland). But by the time I reached the Postlude it began to fall apart. Much of the Postlude was occupied with Heylin lauding himself and tearing apart the efforts of others who have attempted a history of this scene and also being unnecessarily harsh in his criticisms of certain music artists (both those associated with these scenes and those who preceded it). This came across as very bitter. And if his bias in favor of Pere Ubu is not evident throughout, he makes it clear when he writes in the Postlude: "If I herein make the case for Marquee Moon, Horses, The Modern Dance and Blank Generation as the most enduring landmarks of American punk, it is because none of these have been superseded by the garage bands over the pond."
And I was then equally upset when, after this Postlude (written in 2004) I approached Appendix 3 (Dramatis Personae) and Appendix 4 (Discography and Bibliography), which appeared to be unaltered from the way they appeared when first published in 1993.
Overall, Heylin's work is a fascinating study of the roots of American punk, the author's analysis mixed with interview responses from leading figures from the scene. But as with an original issue of a CD, it seems that the original might be preferable to the remastered copy (new edition), the flaws in the latter more evident and inexcusable. If it is not going to be tastefully updated, it's best to just leave a good thing alone.
January 20, 2021
I asked myself before beginning reading this book again after more than 20 years since my last effort, 'why read an old history book?' The answer is that Heylin is able to write well enough to evoke the past and bring it to life.
At the time of its release (my edition is from 1993) many of the characters here were still living, and at least one band (Ramones) had even not yet broken up. Also at the time, several of the bands mentioned had no official recordings leaving as some of the aural evidence for Heylin's argument relegated to hard to find bootlegs. Today, the book's more obscure bands (i.e. , Rocket From The Tomb,Mirrors and Electric Eels) have all enjoyed well packaged, documented and authorized issues of their "proto-punk" output.
When first published the origin story of punk rock had yet been settled, with England taking much credit. While now, few would argue differently, this book was one of the first to make the case of the US's rightful claim as progenitor.
This is a well written book by an author who is most certainly a fan. His critical eye of each band's work is reasonably stated. A music history book would be incomplete without a discography and Heylin's is well studied and valuable for completing one's collection. When finished the book inspires one to go out and listen and as such is a complete success.
At the time of its release (my edition is from 1993) many of the characters here were still living, and at least one band (Ramones) had even not yet broken up. Also at the time, several of the bands mentioned had no official recordings leaving as some of the aural evidence for Heylin's argument relegated to hard to find bootlegs. Today, the book's more obscure bands (i.e. , Rocket From The Tomb,Mirrors and Electric Eels) have all enjoyed well packaged, documented and authorized issues of their "proto-punk" output.
When first published the origin story of punk rock had yet been settled, with England taking much credit. While now, few would argue differently, this book was one of the first to make the case of the US's rightful claim as progenitor.
This is a well written book by an author who is most certainly a fan. His critical eye of each band's work is reasonably stated. A music history book would be incomplete without a discography and Heylin's is well studied and valuable for completing one's collection. When finished the book inspires one to go out and listen and as such is a complete success.
March 26, 2009
I really enjoyed this but I can't give four stars to a book of mostly interviews, it feels like cheating.
The most important thing I learned from this book is that "Chinese Rocks" was co-written by Richard Hell and Dee Dee Ramone. Johnny Thunders had nothing to do with it, neither did Peter Laughner or any of those other Cleveland guys. **cue "The More You Know" star graphic**
The most important thing I learned from this book is that "Chinese Rocks" was co-written by Richard Hell and Dee Dee Ramone. Johnny Thunders had nothing to do with it, neither did Peter Laughner or any of those other Cleveland guys. **cue "The More You Know" star graphic**
March 24, 2014
Good chronicle of the early years of the American Punk scene.
May 1, 2016
Not as fun to read or as absolutely essential as Please Kill Me, but definitely worthwhile.
September 3, 2024
i enjoyed this deeply researched exploration (he must’ve listened to a concerning amount of bootleg cd releases) of mostly east coast american punk rock, from proto-punk bands like the velvet underground to landmark releases from classic cbgbs-era groups in nyc and beyond. i appreciated the focus on the actual writing/recording of the music, which is always something i’m keen to hear more about. with any music history, the author is bound to jump in with some imo ridiculous takes, esp with regards to the state of rock music today (stupid take, there’s an insane amount of killer bands making music rn) and hating on things remotely “commercial” and generally i don’t agree with him on what the role of art is/what experimentation within the mainstream looks like. whatever lol. i liked this a bit better than please kill me, probably bc me & this dude agree that television fucking rocks (tho i will always go to bat for adventure—it’s a perfect album TO ME) the post-script was wild tho and i’m obsessed with his beef with legs mcneil…men are sooooo silly sometimes. a solid 3.5 but gets points for talking about television & post-vu and nico velvets.
January 16, 2022
This does exactly what it promises, connecting a ton of dots between the “proto-punk” Velvet/Stooges stuff to late ‘70s NYC punk. It suffers from the same malady as a lot of oral histories in that it could stand some editing (I don’t need to read every member of a band saying the same thing necessarily), but despite that was really interesting throughout, and certainly gave me a deeper appreciation of the Ohio bands of that era.
February 3, 2020
It's a cool historical review of American Punk, but it it gives too much credit to Patti Smith (I mean, 4 chapters?!!) only making her look like the pompous overrated artist she is. it also get's lost on the Cleveland scene and the bands previous to Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys, without being clear on why it's so much attention dedicated to them.
March 29, 2021
Fascinating early history of proto-punk in America, from the Velvet Underground through the Detroit punks like The Stooges & MC5 through to the first wave of New York City punks (Television, Suicide, Patti Smith, et al) and the nascent rock scene in Cleveland (led by Peter Laughner & Pere Ubu/Rocket from the Tombs). Absolutely essential rock history.
Read
October 20, 2021I first read this book when it was released in 1993. I also read the revised edition which came out in 2005. The main part of the book was unchanged, but the notes, discography and bibliography were updated as there were many books and CDs that came out in the interim, along with several band reunions, etc. I love this book. It tells great stories about the bands that it covers.
May 19, 2022
This may have been an unprecedented work in 1993 as the Preface claims. Maybe the works to follow cribbed their notes from this. Still for someone in 2022 who has read several books on the subject, there wasn't a whole lot that was new for me, except all the Cleveland stuff. Chock full of information but lacking a little in personality, this book is more a place to start than end up.
December 24, 2018
"From the Velvets to the Voidoids" was average at best. Heylin has some man crush on Richard Hell. Apparently, he got told off by one of the Dead Boys for insulting the punk bands that weren't "artsy" in an article he wrote.
April 26, 2020
Fun walk through music that changed me
Ebook is a mess. Riddled with misspellings and errors. I enjoyed the ride through my early youth this took me on, but it is verbose. Nice look back. Listening to each release as I read the chapter was fun.
Ebook is a mess. Riddled with misspellings and errors. I enjoyed the ride through my early youth this took me on, but it is verbose. Nice look back. Listening to each release as I read the chapter was fun.
June 12, 2022
I found the actual weaving of first person accounts great- Patti Smith, Blondie and David Byrne were particularly interesting. Music theory was a bit too academic for the subject matter and I think there could have been a better throughline/focus.
March 14, 2023
One of my favorite punk-related music books. This is an extensive overview of the foundations of punk, from the roots of The Velvet Underground to the explosion of CBGBs bands. Thoroughly enjoyable.
August 8, 2017
Art over rock axe grinding by a pompous ass.
December 30, 2018
Lot of interesting bands in here, found a lot of good music. Felt a little disjointed and feel like it could’ve been organized better.
June 29, 2021
Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in the roots of American punk.
February 23, 2022
How can any one man care so damn much about Patti Smith...?
May 20, 2017
Halle-fuckin-lujah. I finished this damn thing. Why would it take me nearly three months to complete a single book? Glad you asked. I was getting the itch to read a music history book--something I did regularly as a teen in the '90s, but an activity that fell largely by the wayside when the internet really became A Thing and also aided by the fact I spent my late-teens to 20s working in rekkid stos and got a lot of it just from hangin' out with friends. But I wanted to do it right. I wanted to experience as much of the music as possible, to get a sense of the progression, and listen to every album mentioned as I went along. This was SUPER rewarding, but extended read-time like a bitch. There was the relatively swift rise and fall of the proto-punk bands, so I could knock those out pretty quickly, but then there was the incubation period, then a mad flurry of releases, then a few detours into other off-topics, then Heydin would just blithely name-check an entire catalog--all this meaning I would have to stop reading for a week at a time so I could listen to every damn thing listed before moving on. Also, I had other shit to read. And a life.
But, as I said, the experience was a rewarding one and a process I'll be sure to repeat in the future. It was a pure joy to go back and listen to a crapload of albums languishing on my shelves (and fill in the holes thanks to my BFF's inclusion of me on her Google Play account--besos, Kate!). There were so many old favorites, but it also gave me an opportunity to experience bands that somehow slipped my radar or I didn't give a chance when I was younger or ones that I didn't care for then but found I adore now (also ones I realized I just can't--so sorry, Blondie, I really tried). The context Heydin provided along with some of his opinions (usually stated as fact) also allowed me to think a little more concretely of why I like or don't like this or that album/band/style, etc.
While I enjoyed the experience, I can't say I was always thrilled with the actual book. Heydin's prose is frequently campy--at first it was cute, but it began to wear. As stated before, there were points where his opinion were equated as fact, points where he was just kind of whiny, and points where he just wanted to brag about what he's been doing (hello, "Postlude"). But you also can't expect a punk history to not be rife with bias, and these observations did prompt me to get in my own headspace about the topic at hand, so it wasn't a total loss. Another curious notion I got from this book was that Heydin REALLY wanted to write a history of the Cleveland punk scene, but didn't have enough for a whole book. I mean, it was cool to learn more about our Ohioans' contributions, but damn...when he details every last thing about what was happening in that scene (Jesus, did I need to spend that much time with Peter Laughner?), then glosses over a prominent NY band or sub-movement, then gets super sloppy with the ending, I was about ready to poke my eyes out. Reading the book in 2017, too, came with a different perspective in the over-a-decade since the publication of this revised edition, with more heavy-hitters biting the dust (I still weep for you, Lou Reed and Scott Asheton) and considering the advent of the monumental Just Kids, among other events.
In the end, this book clearly got me to think on some shit and gave me some really fun listening parties. I am stoked to re-re-read Just Kids and finally hunker down with M Train before a return trip to NY, probably do that John Doe history of LA Punk at some point, and continue on this slow read path of music histories.
But, as I said, the experience was a rewarding one and a process I'll be sure to repeat in the future. It was a pure joy to go back and listen to a crapload of albums languishing on my shelves (and fill in the holes thanks to my BFF's inclusion of me on her Google Play account--besos, Kate!). There were so many old favorites, but it also gave me an opportunity to experience bands that somehow slipped my radar or I didn't give a chance when I was younger or ones that I didn't care for then but found I adore now (also ones I realized I just can't--so sorry, Blondie, I really tried). The context Heydin provided along with some of his opinions (usually stated as fact) also allowed me to think a little more concretely of why I like or don't like this or that album/band/style, etc.
While I enjoyed the experience, I can't say I was always thrilled with the actual book. Heydin's prose is frequently campy--at first it was cute, but it began to wear. As stated before, there were points where his opinion were equated as fact, points where he was just kind of whiny, and points where he just wanted to brag about what he's been doing (hello, "Postlude"). But you also can't expect a punk history to not be rife with bias, and these observations did prompt me to get in my own headspace about the topic at hand, so it wasn't a total loss. Another curious notion I got from this book was that Heydin REALLY wanted to write a history of the Cleveland punk scene, but didn't have enough for a whole book. I mean, it was cool to learn more about our Ohioans' contributions, but damn...when he details every last thing about what was happening in that scene (Jesus, did I need to spend that much time with Peter Laughner?), then glosses over a prominent NY band or sub-movement, then gets super sloppy with the ending, I was about ready to poke my eyes out. Reading the book in 2017, too, came with a different perspective in the over-a-decade since the publication of this revised edition, with more heavy-hitters biting the dust (I still weep for you, Lou Reed and Scott Asheton) and considering the advent of the monumental Just Kids, among other events.
In the end, this book clearly got me to think on some shit and gave me some really fun listening parties. I am stoked to re-re-read Just Kids and finally hunker down with M Train before a return trip to NY, probably do that John Doe history of LA Punk at some point, and continue on this slow read path of music histories.
March 27, 2020
A breakneck history of some of my favourite American bands, such as The Velvet Underground, MC5, The Stooges, Blondie, Television and The Patti Smith Group.
With just a few detours through Detroit, Cleveland and the odd jaunt over to California, this is essentially a New York story, born in various loft and basement dives in the Bowery, eventually coalescing around the legendary (but inappropriately named) Country Bluegrass and Blues Club, or CBGBs.
Heylin distinguishes American punk as older than and completely unrelated to British punk, all stemming back to the avant garde sound assault of the Velvets, its musicians owing as much to free form jazz as they did to the garage rock bands of the 60s.
As such, it's a more intellectual and graceful form of punk than the transatlantic kind, though bands like The New York Dolls and The Ramones could certainly make as crude racket as The Sex Pistols.
The principle bands featured here are so thrilling, yet so different from each other in both sound and aesthetic that a book about them simply couldn't fail to work for me. That said, having previously read some of Helyin's Dylan books and found his obnoxious journalistic style a real turn off at times, I was a little wary of the writer.
Thank Iggy then that this book is largely composed of first-hand testimony from the musicians themselves, Heylin is largely absent throughout, instead calling on plenty of quotes from some of his betters who were right there in the mosh pit at the time, such as the incomparable Lester Bangs.
He barely focusses on the recordings - though most of the seminal ones got a mention and there is an excellent Discography at the end - to bring attention to the scene itself, the people and places, the camaraderie and rivalry that led to so many band members jumping ship from one band to another.
In this way he succeeded in bringing those times back to life in a fresh and exciting way. For all the CBGB stuff, there was very little on Mink Deville. Shame.
With just a few detours through Detroit, Cleveland and the odd jaunt over to California, this is essentially a New York story, born in various loft and basement dives in the Bowery, eventually coalescing around the legendary (but inappropriately named) Country Bluegrass and Blues Club, or CBGBs.
Heylin distinguishes American punk as older than and completely unrelated to British punk, all stemming back to the avant garde sound assault of the Velvets, its musicians owing as much to free form jazz as they did to the garage rock bands of the 60s.
As such, it's a more intellectual and graceful form of punk than the transatlantic kind, though bands like The New York Dolls and The Ramones could certainly make as crude racket as The Sex Pistols.
The principle bands featured here are so thrilling, yet so different from each other in both sound and aesthetic that a book about them simply couldn't fail to work for me. That said, having previously read some of Helyin's Dylan books and found his obnoxious journalistic style a real turn off at times, I was a little wary of the writer.
Thank Iggy then that this book is largely composed of first-hand testimony from the musicians themselves, Heylin is largely absent throughout, instead calling on plenty of quotes from some of his betters who were right there in the mosh pit at the time, such as the incomparable Lester Bangs.
He barely focusses on the recordings - though most of the seminal ones got a mention and there is an excellent Discography at the end - to bring attention to the scene itself, the people and places, the camaraderie and rivalry that led to so many band members jumping ship from one band to another.
In this way he succeeded in bringing those times back to life in a fresh and exciting way. For all the CBGB stuff, there was very little on Mink Deville. Shame.
July 2, 2009
Never Mind the Maggots, Here's Patti Smith and Television. That's what I would have called it.
I actually read this version of the book. And for some reason Goodreads decided to eat my review ...
So here we are again. A relatively even and unbiased account of the proto punks of New York, Cleveland and Detroit that gave rise to American punk and New Wave (which, despite what some people think, had roots and influences distinct from that which arose across the pond). At times it is a little dry and might have been served if Heylin had let a little color seep into the gray areas; on the other hand, this approach leaves the story to those who lived it (the ones that are still alive, anyway). Heylin seems to have managed to talk to everyone involved in the scene, back in the day.
The only other fault I can find is that I have yet to have it adequately explained to me how Richard Hell's "Blank Generation" didn't become a punk standard/classic in the same way that say, "London Calling" or "God Save the Queen" did.
Anybody with a strong interest in popular music would do well to check this out. For people that think the Ramones was the only original American punk band (80s hardcore doesn't count) -- and I was one, once upon a time -- then this is mandatory reading.
I actually read this version of the book. And for some reason Goodreads decided to eat my review ...
So here we are again. A relatively even and unbiased account of the proto punks of New York, Cleveland and Detroit that gave rise to American punk and New Wave (which, despite what some people think, had roots and influences distinct from that which arose across the pond). At times it is a little dry and might have been served if Heylin had let a little color seep into the gray areas; on the other hand, this approach leaves the story to those who lived it (the ones that are still alive, anyway). Heylin seems to have managed to talk to everyone involved in the scene, back in the day.
The only other fault I can find is that I have yet to have it adequately explained to me how Richard Hell's "Blank Generation" didn't become a punk standard/classic in the same way that say, "London Calling" or "God Save the Queen" did.
Anybody with a strong interest in popular music would do well to check this out. For people that think the Ramones was the only original American punk band (80s hardcore doesn't count) -- and I was one, once upon a time -- then this is mandatory reading.
September 20, 2014
For those who want an accurate timeline of the history of punk in the "who came first, the British or Americans" vein, this is a book for you. Even though it has been years since I read Please Kill Me, I seem to recall that book being more of a page turner in terms of sensational anecdotes and eyewitness accounts.
That's not to say this book is boring, just a bit on the dry side considering we are talking about bands like the MC5, The Stooges and the seeming progenitors of all modern music, the Velvet Underground. According to the author, the first wave of American punk bands, post-Detroit, almost all started by trying to recreate the V.U. or Iggy.
When I knew the songs the author was talking about (NY Dolls, Blondie, Ramones, Patti Smith, Heartbreakers, Richard Hell etc.) it read more quickly. However, it is clear that the author much prefers the more challenging anti-commercial bands like Television, Suicide and a host of very obscure unsung Cleveland bands who eventually morphed into either Pere Ubu, of whom the author wholeheartedly approves, or the Dead Boys (who are dismissed as juvenile). If I found bands like Suicide and Pere Ubu to be somewhat off-putting then, the book makes me want to give them another listen now to see if I like them any better.
However I give this four stars because is an indispensable piece of research on the scene which strives for accuracy and should probably be read in addition to Please Kill Me.
That's not to say this book is boring, just a bit on the dry side considering we are talking about bands like the MC5, The Stooges and the seeming progenitors of all modern music, the Velvet Underground. According to the author, the first wave of American punk bands, post-Detroit, almost all started by trying to recreate the V.U. or Iggy.
When I knew the songs the author was talking about (NY Dolls, Blondie, Ramones, Patti Smith, Heartbreakers, Richard Hell etc.) it read more quickly. However, it is clear that the author much prefers the more challenging anti-commercial bands like Television, Suicide and a host of very obscure unsung Cleveland bands who eventually morphed into either Pere Ubu, of whom the author wholeheartedly approves, or the Dead Boys (who are dismissed as juvenile). If I found bands like Suicide and Pere Ubu to be somewhat off-putting then, the book makes me want to give them another listen now to see if I like them any better.
However I give this four stars because is an indispensable piece of research on the scene which strives for accuracy and should probably be read in addition to Please Kill Me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews