Milk It: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the '90s

by Jim DeRogatis

Book Overview

Taking its title with suitable slacker irony from a song on Nirvana's In Utero , Milk It is an anthology of pieces written in the heat of the moment-an urgent and diverse overview that mirrors the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306812711
• ISBN13: 9780306812712
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Strong Evidence of Why the '90s Were Great

"Milk It" is a collection of Jim DeRogatis' music reviews and interviews covering alternative rock during the 1990s. The reviews cover major label acts, mid-major artists, and small-time creative acts signed to indy labels. Throughout the book, DeRogatis notes that the alternative rock revolution had its origin in the indy music scene that was inspired by pioneering bands like the Velvet Underground. He explains how the major record labels cashed in on mega-selling acts like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Smashing Pumpkins and used some of those profits to sign truly innovative acts who wouldn't ordinarily receive a shot at national recognition. He documents how, during the first half of the '90s, this process paved the way for many outstanding, lesser-known artists to get their due. However, during the second half of the decade, corporate consolidation among record labels, radio stations, and the payola that followed brought this process to an end. In the opening chapters, DeRogatis makes many of the biggest names seem likeable. Having been in high-school during the first half of the '90s, I'd always found Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, and Billy Corgan to be careerist and, more often than not, just plain whiny. DeRogatis explains that, while playing a show in Brazil, Cobain witnessed his opening act, Calamity Jane, being pelted with rocks and debris by sexist fans until the band couldn't finish its set. Cobain retaliated by playing the worst set that those schmucks had ever heard. The book offers great coverage of Krist Novoselic's First Amendment activism, addressing how it evolved into a genuine grassroots effort to beat the censorship advocates at their own game and bring about change from within the political system. DeRogatis explains that Corgan predicted the music industry's downfall years before it actually happened, with major label executives putting all of their marbles into a few mega-stars' baskets while kicking their creative artists to the curb. If I had read these interviews at the time, I wouldn't have held such a low opinion of these artists, and maybe checked out a few of their releases. DeRogatis' coverage of how industry hype and buzz derailed Veruca Salt is very informative about the perils that indy artists face while deciding whether or not to jump to the majors. I'd always thought that the band's rapid rise was due, in part, to the fact that members Nina Gordon and Louise Post, are, ahem, easy on the eyes. DeRogatis completely ignores this and focuses entirely on the music instead. He documents how the band members tried to take their rising popularity in stride, but were forced to hire high-powered marketers and publicists to keep everything under control. The pressure caused by the major-label bidding war to sign the band made it impossible for the group to live up to everyone's expectations. In explaining this, DeRogatis sheds light on what he felt was wrong with the entire '90s revolution, and why it was ultimately doome