The Sound of Our Town: A History of Boston Rock and Roll

by Brett Milano

From the G Clefs of the mid-1950s to the Dresden Dolls of today, from the down & dirty to the royalty of rock, here's what's been rockin' Boston for the past fifty years. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933212306
• ISBN13: 9781933212302
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Commonwealth Editions
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

The Sound of the Town

not only is this a wonderful flash back to the early rock and contemporary music in the sixties, it also brought back memories of the Boston I remember where I was born and left regretfully in my twenties. Such a romantic time, place and music. One of the people mentioned in the book also who was and still is a very talented "Willie loco", he's I'm proud to say, my step-brother. Read it and loose yourself to back in the "day".

This Was Hard...

I finally got around to reading this book on a recent flight to Vegas and back. I had seen Brett at more than a few shows over the years, but I think I finally got introduced to him last summer at a Steely Dan show by a mutual friend. He'd never remember meeting me, but I started noticing how he was at nearly every show I was at around 1988 or so. Anyway, this book is pretty cool. It's nearly impossible to mention every band and what became of them, but if you were in your 20's and 30's during the eighties and nineties as I was, this book rocks. I loved reading the details about what caused relatively unknown, but big local bands like O Positive, 'Til Tuesday, Dumptruck and tons of other bands to break up. I was very interested in bad record deals and the cross pollination of different musicians in different bands. If I had a complaint it would be that bands like Private Lightning, The Rings, New England, Tom Dickie & The Desires, The New Models, and The Sex Execs barely got name checked (if at all) while some bands I hadn't even heard of got a lot of ink. I worked as an unpaid intern/producer on the Mark Parenteau show for years at WBCN so I had a feel for most every band Brett mentioned. The difference between me and Brett (aside from maybe a couple of years) is that I didn't live at The Rat even though I lived right behind it for years. I wasn't too enamored of slam dancing and he's right about the bouncers. I doubt I had the look (besides being male) they were looking for so I didn't spend a lot of time there knowing I wasn't wanted. It might have been different if I was a musician, but I'm just a collector. I also agree with the reviewer below who said that Jonathan Swift's drew very little mention. Also Pooh's Pub (RIP)!! Having moved to Boston just in time for the Bucky Dent game I lived through most all of what Brett writes about. Hey Brett...how about a quick mention of Little Joe Cook and The Thrillers bud? The Blues not good enough for ya ;-)? The Cantab in Cambridge should have gotten a mention. I would have liked more singles mentioned as well. You can't just mention Human Sexual Response and not mention Jackie Onassis or What Does Sex Mean To Me? That said, I could not have written this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it so hat's off to you Brett. Great job. Now I have to read the other one I bought years ago about collecting that you wrote. Keep writing because I'll keep reading.

A top pick for any Boston native or music fan.

Boston's had many big bands evolve from the rock scene and all are covered here - but what makes THE SOUND OF OUR TOWN: A HISTORY OF BOSTON ROCK AND ROLL special is not just an accounting of the many major bands which have evolved from the city, but a survey of the legendary places which fostered music. The author has frequented all these key places since arriving in the city as a music-crazy student: chapters are packed with Boston history and culture as well as music history, making this a top pick for any Boston native or music fan. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Good sounds....

I grew up in Cambridge in the 70's & 80's. These were the prime years of life- teens and twentys. Reading this book brought back so many memories...the clubs, the bands, the restaurants, the people. A fun book for anyone in the area during that time period. Granted alot of bands aren't listed (maybe in a sequel book?), but you can't fit every band into one book. A few of my favorite clubs aren't listed either (remember Jonathan Swifts in Harvard Square?). But it does cover the really influential groups and places of the time. If you want to re- live the sights, sounds, smells of your youth, enjoy this book!

More than a feeling..

When most people think of Boston rock, they think of Aerosmith, the Cars, or, well, Boston. But Brett Milano goes deeper - into the doo-wop, rockabilly, and punk scenes that have kept this city rocking over the years. Granted, not every band you love will be in here, but lots of favorites and many that have been lost to time are, painting a cohesive portrait of an ever-evolving scene. By mixing lively anecdotes (some from the author's 20-plus years as a fan and critic) with interviews about what has gone on in this part gritty city/ part college town, he's created an enjoyable and wide-ranging history of an important, and often overlooked, music city.