Punk's raw power rejuvenated rock, but by the summer of 1977 the movement had become a parody of itself. Rip It Up and Start Again is a celebration of what happened next: post-punk bands like PiL, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Talking Heads, The Fall, and Cabaret Voltaire, who dedicated themselves to fulfilling punk's unfinished musical revolution. The post-punk groups were fervent modernists.
As a distinct epoch, 1978-84 rivals the Sixties for the sheer amount of fabulous music created, the spirit of adventure and possibility that infused it, and the way the sounds felt inextricably connected to the political and social turbulence of the day.
Full of anecdote and insight, 'Rip It Up And Start Again' stands as one of the most inspired and inspiring books on popular music ever written.
