1st Edition

Punk Rock: So What? The Cultural Legacy of Punk

Edited By Roger Sabin Copyright 1999
    264 Pages
    by Routledge

    272 Pages
    by Routledge

    It's now over twenty years since punk pogo-ed its way into our consciousness. Punk Rock So What?brings together a new generation of academics, writers and journalists to provide the first comprehensive assessment of punk and its place in popular music history, culture and myth. The contributors, who include Suzanne Moore, Lucy OBrien, Andy Medhurst, Mark Sinker and Paul Cobley, challenge standard views of punk prevalent since the 1970s. They:
    * re-situate punk in its historical context, analysing the possible origins of punk in the New York art scene and Manchester clubs as well as in Malcolm McClarens brain
    * question whether punk deserves its reputation as an anti-fascist, anti-sexist movement which opened up opportunities for women musicians and fans alike.
    * trace punks long-lasting influence on comics, literature, art and cinema as well as music and fashion, from films such as Sid and Nancy and The Great Rock n Roll Swindle to work by contemporary artists such as Gavin Turk and Sarah Lucas.
    * discuss the role played by such key figures as Johnny Rotten, Richard Hell, Malcolm McClaren, Mark E. Smith and Viv Albertine.
    Punk Rock Revisited kicks over the statues of many established beliefs about the meaning of punk, concluding that, if anything, punk was more culturally significant than anybody has yet suggested, but perhaps for different reasons.

    List of figures, list of contributors, Acknowledgements, Introduction, PART I Shock waves and ripple effects, PART II Experience, memory and historiography, Index

    Biography

    Roger Sabin

    "The best book of its kind on the market."- CerclesPop.com

    'Sabin's book provides a stimulating survey of just what is at stake as punk becomes history.' - Arlis News-Sheet

    '...thought provoking and entertaining. ... my favourite chapter was Mark Sinker's immaculately written piece on the ettiquette of punk.' - Rolling Stone