Reviewed by Tony Cummings

A fascinating look at the 'sound of the 70s1 not simply taking in the obvious stuff, Slade, Garry Glitter et al but ranging through the musical highways and byways. So you have Pete Wingfield (yep, the "18 With A Bullet" man) writing about the Philly Sound; Canadian novelist Andrew Weiner doing an impressionistic piece on Black Sabbath; reggae expert Carl Gayle examining rude (ie, obscene) reggae; Dave Laing with a fascinating look back to the English contribution to pop rock culture. The latter demonstrates the need for afterwords for there's nothing in Dave's piece about the punk explosion. Like all the essays here Dave's piece was written and originally published in the 70s. But in most cases that's an advantage as much of the writing has a much better feel for the subject than much of the stuff written two decades later. The section of the book dealing with the music industry is particular absorbing with insightful pieces by Simon Frith on the A&R men and Charlie Gillett on the role of the producers. For those who want a feel for 70s pop culture this is the best thing around - I know I'm prejudiced, I contributed a small essay on the strange world of Northern Soul! But even if you aren't interested in the era when the Wigan Casino once made obscure R&B singles into pop hits, you're sure to find something fascinating in this absorbing overview of pop/rock culture of yesteryear.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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