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American Hardcore: A Tribal History
Books: Travel: American Samoa: Item 5
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American Hardcore: A Tribal Historyby Steven Blush
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9 of 16 people found the following review helpful: Oh No! It's Not Sugar Coated!, October 7, 2004 Reviewer:Janitor-X (The Mountains) - If you're looking for a book on the underground music of the `80's that takes a simple story and turns into a grandiose tale of good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, heroes and martyrs, then you should read Our Band Could Be Your Life. But, if you want a story about how things really were from the mouths of the people that were there, then you should read American Hardcore. The author, Steven Blush, was actually a part of the `80's hardcore scene unlike the author of Our Band Could Be Your Life, Michael Azerrad, who is a professional music journalist for Spin Magazine. While Blush's writing style may not be great, he gives it all he has. The fact that he isn't a professional music journalist adds to the sincerity of his writing and he is not able to hide his bias' as well writers like Azerrad. If you want to read a book that is completely unbiased then read... Oh wait, there has never been an unbiased book written, ever! Blush begins the book with what you could call a "mission statement" and disclaimer, which gets everything out in the open. Then, he goes on to give you the who, what, where, when, how, and why of hardcore before covering the bands. A whole chapter dedicated to Black Flag begins the section on the bands. It was appropriate to begin with their story since they kick started the whole thing. It was impressive to see him site the downfall of Black Flag as Greg Ginn instead of Henry Rollins. Indie rock enthusiasts like to blame Rollins' because of his ego and machismo. No, it was Ginn's band from the beginning to the end, and Rollins was just a temporary part of it. However, if you want to hear a typical and false view of how Rollins ruined Black Flag, then read Our Band Could Be Your Life. Blush also doesn't give the Minutemen special treatment and puts them in as a footnote to the Black Flag story. Even Mike Watt admits that the Minutemen were not popular in the hardcore scene. The way Azerrad treated the Minutemen in his book made them sound as if they were a band put together by God himself and more important than Jesus. The Southern and Northern California scenes covered very well since they did produce some of the greatest hardcore bands. It was especially funny to see him shed some light on Bad Religion's second album "Into the Unknown," which was a cheesy attempt at progressive rock and has since been buried out of embarrassment. The whole chapter dedicated to Bad Brains was actually very good. Blush showed that they were respected musically, but disliked as individuals. The section on Minor Threat was good because you got to hear how Ian McKaye was young, angry man who made mistakes, instead of the Gandhi like character that Azerrad would have you believe. The NYHC and Misfits chapters are a couple of the highlights of the book. The mystique around the Misfits finally had some light shed on it after twenty years. Most people thought Danzig would never talk about the Misfits again. Blush did his best to cover the rest of America and the dozen of hardcore scenes, but he probably missed a few details which will upset a few people. Many may be disappointed that he didn't dedicate a whole chapter to Husker Du, but his interviews with people that were there (not including Azerrad) establish the fact that they weren't that big back then. People may also be angry that he brings up Husker Du's sexual preferences. The chapters on the record labels and other art work that were spawned from the hardcore scene are good, but short. Some may want to think of hardcore as a unified, left-wing movement full of dedicated, moral people when in fact it just seemed to be suburban kids blowing off some stream. There were lots of different view points in hardcore, which was what made it so great. However, if you ask Azerrad, it was the second coming of the 1960's.
From Library Journal
Culling quotes from numerous interviews conducted over a five-year period, Blush presents an oral history of the first generation of American hardcore music (1980-86) what he deems its golden age. Charting the rise of bands such as Black Flag and the Misfits, as well as more famous hardcore alumni like the Beastie Boys and Moby, the book is divided into chapters based on different regional scenes. Rather than having a chronological narrative, then, the book bounces back and forth in time, from chapter to chapter, which will possibly confuse readers unfamiliar with the people and bands discussed. The author's tone also veers between that of a jaded ex-hardcore kid and a sentimental old-timer, but his account is nonetheless fascinating and rings with experience (he promoted hardcore shows and tours in the 1980s). It should also be noted that American Hardcore is the first book to document hardcore on a national level; books such as Cynthia Connolly's Banned in D.C. (1988) and Bri Hurley's Making a Scene (o.p.) have regional focuses. Blush also includes an extensive discography (just on vinyl and cassette, however) that lists noteworthy as well as forgettable releases. Recommended for academic libraries and ones with extensive music collections. Vincent Au, New York
Copyright 2001 Reed business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Hardcore rock music, "an infectious blend of ultra-fast music, thought-provoking lyrics, and fuck-you attitude," sprang from the puddle of post-New Wave punk. According to Blush, punk transformed the pop-music landscape and quickly flamed out. New Wave, a "watered-down" punk, was then "cranked out by major labels . . . for mainstream consumption." Enough interpretation. The meat of the book is an oral-history-style continuum of the comments of scads of hardcore movers and shakers, leavened by squibs from aging hardcore-scene participants. One highlight is a discussion of the merging of a branch of heavy metal with hardcore to create a hybrid called crossover. Metallica's James Hetfield contrasts tellingly with the Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra and D.O.A.'s Joey Shithead, exemplifying the difference between "old school" metal money-mongers and revolutionary punkers. Difference? Well, "an old school manager" wanted hardcorers Black Flag to tour with metal band Motorhead but tried to charge rent for the lights and P.A. "Flag said, 'Fuck you!,' " as well they should. An extraordinary resource on one of pop music's most overlooked influential subgenres. Mike Tribby
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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