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

by Clinton Heylin

Book Overview

From the Velvets to the Voidoids explores the origins and evolution of the fiery phase of rock and roll history known as punk and New Wave. Journey through the life of this intense and influential musical movement, from the punk scene's New York roots in the mid-1960s with The Velvet Underground, through the 1970s and groups like the Voidoids, and ultimately to such bands as the Talking Heads. Heylin upends notions that this new music evolved in Britain,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140179704
• ISBN13: 9780140179705
• Release Date: June 1993
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

From The Dirt Great Flowers Grow!

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!

Good book

This book tells about every band that was involved in the 70's underground punk movement, mainly centred on NYC but still has time to talk about detroit and cleveland. This book easily outweighs the British documentation of punk in the 70's, the reason for that is simple... I am biased. Although from the uk, the us punk movement was far better and more interesting, and this book doesnt disappoint. It has quotes from everybody who was around at the time, and these are linked together by Heylin in small paragraphs telling background info etc. Its an interesting and good style he uses and the amount of information in this book alone should make it 5 stars. Electric Eels, Rocket from the Tomb, to everything Richard Hell did and not missing anything.I read that a 60's book of the same format was available, with these guys infleunces in it. ie. Sonics, seeds, and shadows of the knight etc. but i cant seem to find it, but until then..... read and enjoy this.

INDISPENSABLE & A GREAT READ!

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.

Definitive History.

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.).

Engrossing Must Read!!!

When I was in Jr.High,I taped a bunch of tunes off of a college radio program called "Take No Prisoners".I listened to that 60 minute tape nonstop for about three months.It had the Users,the Wipers,F-Word,and the Neon Boys.After a period of my friends (and,most importantly,girl-friend)incessant teasing, I put the tape away.Years later, I checked this book out from the library and consumed it's contents. It is a fascinating read,full of history,anecdotes,info,and magic. It transported me,for a few short days, to an exciting,refreshing world and recaptured the lucidity of a 14 year-old discovering punk in the early morning hours and sent me on an ongoing quest to find music from the bands written about. Oh,and I dug up the tape! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!!!!