Ever since The Beatles took over the music scene in the early 60's, there's been a steady stream of brilliant sounds to come out of the UK, namely in the rock and roll genre. American bands have been influenced and the charts have been swayed by legendary groups like Led Zeppelin and U2. Nearly fifty years after the initial invasion, musicians hailing from England, Ireland and Scotland are hotter than ever—and some of the originals are still going strong!
1960s
We've memorized the lyrics to every song and mimicked every fashion choice—but the personal lives of the Fab Four still remain a relative mystery. In Ticket to Ride, The Love You Make and Here, There, Everywhere a journalist, close friend and recording engineer divulge the inner-workings of John, Paul, George, and Ringo—right from the start of their career.
In Elizabeth Partridge's biography John Lennon: All I want is the Truth, John Lennon, the volatile genius of the group, is brought back to life.
1970s
Led Zeppelin rose to fame in the midst of free love and flower children—and their music and lifestyle was a true reflection of the times. In Stephen Davis' Hammer of the Gods, he interviews band members, friends and lovers to get an accurate depiction of how the sex, drugs, and rock and roll culture began.
One of the UK's greatest accomplishments in the music scene is the invention of the punk genre. Punk music gave way to new ways of thinking, acting, dressing, and new musical genres like post-punk. In Rip it Up and Start Again, Simon Reynolds celebrates the highly influential bands like Joy Division and Gang of Four that made up the post-punk movement. These bands bridged the gap from punk to pop—from underground to mainstream MTV.
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