Product Description

Exhaustively researched and insight packed with insight, Velvets to the Voidoids is the definitive story of American punk rock.

"No other book or account succeeded so well in accurately bringing the period to life." Richard Hell of Television, the Heartbreakers and the Voidoids.

"This is a great story, and before Heylin no one saw it whole." Greil Marcus

From 1960s roots, through to the arrival of "new wave", with a cast that in addition to The Velvet Underground and The Voidoids, includes Patti Smith, Pere Ubu, Television, Blondie, the Ramones, the MC5, the Stooges, Talking Heads, as well as legendary venues like CBGB's and Max's Kansas City, this is a vividly drawn account of an extraordinarily diverse musical scene.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #421356 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Greil Marcus
With the Cleveland story at its heart, this is a great story, and before Heylin no one saw it whole.

Lenny Kaye
Clinton Heylin sorts the conflicts and the conflagrations with a critic’s eye and a fan’s heart.

Richard Hell
No other book I’ve encountered succeeded so well in accurately bringing the period to life.

Customer Reviews

American punk and art rock
This engaging and informative work explores the origins of the American punk and art rock scene, covering artists like Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell & The Voidoids and The Ramones, all of whom contributed to the innovations or the were the originators of many stylistic and musical traits evident in later bands.

The book is an American punk Who's Who and a rock 'n roll What's What, a detailed history and a valuable reference work. It would make an excellent companion volume to Roni Sarig's The Secret History Of Rock and In The Fascist Bathroom by Greil Marcus, especially since Marcus' book mostly ignores the New York side of punk rock.

Starting with the Velvet Underground, it also deals with The Stooges, MC5, Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, The Electric Eels, Alan Vega & Suicide, The New York Dolls, Wayne County & The Electric Chairs, Blondie, The Heartbreakers, The Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Lydia Lunch and other seminal artists.

The text consists of interviews with the artists concerned, so you hear about those glory days in their own words. The famous venues CBGB's & Max's Kansas City also get their due. The bibliography provides a cross-section of the most useful published sources on American punk and 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.

Wonderful history of American Punk
This would make an excellent companion volume to Roni Sarig's "The Secret History Of Rock" and "In The Fascist Bathroom" by Greil Marcus, especially 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 and 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.