New York 1973-1977. Cinque Anni Che Hanno Rivoluzionato La Musica (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I enjoyed this book. As big music fan, this was an era that is often written about, but liked how this book did not only focus on the CBGB scene, but went into detail about the rise of salsa, loft jazz, and experimental classical music of the time. I also liked how Hermes was able to write Springsteen's rise in parallel to the rise of Patti Smith and the Ramones. Finally, I enjoyed his anecdotes about growing up in that era and area at the time. Highly recommended. Love Goes to Buildings on Fire nominally about music, but it's really a portrait of New York City during the tumultuous years of 1973 through 1977, when America's metropolis was on the verge of collapse. The city was dirty, violent and awash in cheap brown heroin. Out of the decay came some of the most influential art ever created. The Ramones, Talking Heads and Patti Smith transformed a tiny bar in the Bowery into a temple of rock n' roll. Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambattaa and DJ Cool Herc were able to bring their chaotic neighborhoods together by throwing massive block parties. Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe and Johnny Pachesco took the music of their homeland, infused it with American R&B and called it salsa. Jazz went out of the clubs and into the lofts, pushing the genre to the limits of where it could go. Bruce Springsteen transformed down and out nights on the Jersey Shore into romantic dreams of escape. A new form of dance music based on 4/4 time was slowly bubbling out of underground gay clubs.Hermes grounds the legendary stories by peppering them with personal anecdotes. At the end of the book, you will say to yourself "Wow, this really happened."Read it.
What do You think about New York 1973-1977. Cinque Anni Che Hanno Rivoluzionato La Musica (2014)?
An interesting if confusingly structured look at a brief period in NYC music history.
—Nataliavic
A curious quilt of the New York City music scene from back in the day.
—nick
And I stayed bored for pretty much the entire book. So 2 stars.
—mjsweety
Great history of the NYC mid 70's music scene.
—Cecilia
