"On New Year's Eve in 1970, Paul McCartney initiated the proceedings that would wind up The Beatles. It was the end of the sixties, a year later than scheduled. And it would pull down the curtain on the pop era. The following day was the first day of 1971. It was to be the dawning of a new age, and in particular of a year that would become music's most significant, most creative and most innovative since the days of Flower Power. Over the course of those twelve months, rock music would truly come of age. It would see the release of more influential albums than any year before or since. It would see the launching of careers which would span the next forty years David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Joni Mitchell and many more. During those twelve months, in a surge of creativity, playfulness, ambition, technological breakthrough, ego and blissful ignorance, a huge proportion of the most memorable music ever made was released. How did it happen? This book explains. It's the story of 1971, the year rock was born."
