SPILL BOOK REVIEW: TONY FLETCHER – POW! WHEN UK PUNK WENT POP 1980-84

TONY FLETCHER – POW! WHEN UK PUNK WENT POP 1980-84

TROUSER PRESS

BOOK REVIEW BY LJUBINKO ZIVKOVIC

The number of music books seems to be proliferating which at the same time means that there is quite some divergence in their quality. It can go from fan-like adulation biographies to detailed and sometimes too serious academic research studies.

It seems though that the most interesting and best reading quality is usually found when such books include involvement from the concerned artists themselves, as well as people and publishers that have or had serious experience withing music life and all its aspects.

With Tony Fletcher’s book Pow! When UK Punk Went Pop 1980-84, published by venerable Trouser Press, we got all those elements present. The publisher has always specialized in music publications, while Fletcher himself practically did it all in music – he was a fan who became a close friend with his favorite band at the time (The Jam), he had a band himself, ran a fanzine, got a chance to run Paul Weller’s (actually named after Fletcher’s fanzine) Jamming! Records (actually bearing the same name Fletcher’s fanzine) and finally got a chance to recount it all with this book.

With all his experiences and obvious ability with words, Fletcher is not only able to talk about his adventures in music but also give an overview of the section of the music scene at the time, making this book quite an informative as well as an entertaining experience.

ISBN-13:‎ 979-8993867809

PURCHASE POW! WHEN UK PUNK WENT POP 1980-84 VIA