In the City: A Celebration of London Music - Softcover

Du Noyer, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753515741 ISBN 13: 9780753515747

Publisher: Virgin Books, 2010

Synopsis

The definitive history of the city's rich musical heritage draws upon extensive original research, including interviews with David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Joe Strummer, Dusty Springfield, and Amy Winehouse 

The West End musicals, Ronnie Scott's jazz club, Abbey Road, mod culture, the Kinks, the Who, and the Rolling Stones are just as much a part of London as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and the Routemaster, and in this fascinating history of the city's popular music, London's native talent is explored, from Noël Coward and David Bowie to the Sex Pistols and Amy Winehouse. The London visits of artists such as Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, who also felt the city's influence, are also noted. From Elizabethan traders and public execution songs, to The Beggar's Opera and East End music halls, right up to modern-day troubadours such as Dizzee Rascal and Lily Allen, the guide charts the rich musical heritage and the many styles and characters that have helped define the city's music over the years. Above all, it is a celebration of the city—packed with stories of the people and places that have made London one of the most exciting and innovative musical cities on earth.

About this title

About the Author:

Paul Du Noyer is the founder of Mojo magazine and a former editor for NME and Q magazine. His previous titles include The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, John Lennon: Whatever Gets You Through the Night, Liverpool: Wondrous Place: Music from Cavern to Cream, and The Clash: Modern Icons. He has worked on numerous projects with Paul McCartney, including all of his tour programs.

From Booklist:

Du Noyer begins this bracing, whirlwind history of London’s popular music in the Middle Ages, chronicling street balladeers, the artful mixing of high and low art in John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, the rise of the Victorian music hall, the early days of London’s version of Tin Pan Alley, the rise of rock ’n’ roll, and the heady days of Beatlemania. He portrays important figures on the city’s many music scenes and discusses various trends from Swinging London and Chelsea’s Summer of Love to the mods and the punks. Given the amount of information that he has to cover, Du Noyer does an admirable job at being as inclusive as possible without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. From Gilbert and Sullivan and Lennon and McCartney to Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, Du Noyer offers an entertaining, introductory overview of all that makes this the most musical of cities. As a bonus, he includes brief descriptions of 140 songs that best capture the essence of London. --June Sawyers

About this edition

• Publisher: Virgin Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0753515741
• ISBN 13: 9780753515747
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 326