Just started reading this book yesterday (authored by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton), after picking it up at the Borders on Mich. Ave in Chicago (which is a great store!). Wondering if anyone on this list has also picked up this book (published August 2000 in the US) and has any thoughts.
After skimming through it yesterday afternoon, I almost decided to return it. At the store, I was impressed by the colossal size of the book -- 435 pages -- and at the many different chapters -- northern soul, disco, garage, hip-hop, techno. But upon a closer glance, I realized that only 16 pages were devoted to techno and the first hundred pages were rather dull, as the authors tried to sum up why the DJ is so important and the roots of DJing. This conceptual part of the book had me flipping more pages than I was reading, as these guys tried to keep things simple and a bit too pedestrian for my tastes. But once I hit part 2 of the book -- where they get into the many different styles of DJing -- I sat fascinated, reading one page after another. The authors still focused on keeping their writing very clear and non-academic, but the amount of detail they applied to their history blew my mind. Northern soul is something I've never really investigated, and they made me mighty curious about this small movement in the '70s. The disco chapter totally drew me in, as they told tales about all the old disco clubs from the early '70s -- loft, gallery, continental baths, sanctuary -- and the associated DJs. Plenty of entertaining details about decadent sex and drug use, which is always good for cheap thrills. The reggae chapter also interested me, as they told the tales of Jamaican sound systems and the innovators of dub. Made me want to break out my Rhythm & Sound records, now that I can truly understand the roots of the Maurizio sound. Haven't gotten to the garage, house, and techno chapters yet, but looks like they tell the Paradise Garage story, the early '80s Chicago story, and the Music Institute story. Sure, many have heard these stories before, but these guys have done their homework. There are TONS of interviews with long-forgotten DJs and tales about clubs that are now no more than myth. The detail is amazing. Anyway, that's my spiel on the book. Curious to see if anyone else has read it, and any other thoughts. Oh, also, they have this cool little section in the back, called Club Charts, where they list the 50 or 100 songs most associated with the bigger clubs such as Paradise Garage or Warehouse, so young-twentysomethings like myself can get schooled on what was getting spun. Very cool! Jason Birchmeier ---------------- Editor All Music Guide http://allmusic.com 734-887-5600x186 ----------------
