CULT ROCKERS

Offers brief profiles of 150 distinctive, offbeat, iconoclastic, and intriguing rock artists and groups who have achieved cult status and provides information on their key recordings

YA?A book that's sure to be popular. Its short features on "150 of the most controversial, distinctive, offbeat, intriguing, outrageous and championed rock musicians of all," according to the authors, are all over the charts and span the last three decades. Readers learn that Captain Beefheart, who worked with Frank Zappa, lives with his wife in a trailer on the Mojave Desert. A child prodigy who never attended elementary school, his "Dog Breath Variations" score was once requested by the U.S. Marine Corps Band. Sometimes the narrative is nearly poetic in describing music as in the assertion that Fugazi's sound is "like peak activity at a construction site." Or the genre is clarified: Kate Bush, folk and Beatles-influenced, is considered progressive "art" rock. A succinct commentary with a sophisticated tone.?Ginny Ryder, Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When The Jam belted out "A Town Called Malice," a chord was struck with some fans; after the band called it quits, a few devotees were left craving for more. Here lies the mystique behind journalist Jancik (Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, Watson-Guptill, 1990) and former Billboard Books editor Lathrop's work: Long after commercial success or even life had abandoned them, some rock musicians could still claim cultlike followings. Included are the obvious (e.g., the Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett) as well as the lesser-known of alternative music's deities. The concise entries, arranged alphabetically, attempt to explain the phenomena surrounding the artists and chronicle their paths to fame. When applicable, the musicians' creative contributions to the world of music are provided, but thankfully the authors do not attempt to portray each artist as a misunderstood creative genius. Although the Spin Alternative Record Guide (LJ 8/95) provides a more extensive history of many of the same artists, Jancik and Lathrop's work gives the reader a bit more insight into motivation behind the fanaticism. Recommended for performing arts collections.?Julie C. Boehning, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.