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Roots, radicals and rockers : how skiffle changed the world

by Bragg, Billy,

Format: Print Book 2017
Availability: Available at 3 Libraries 3 of 3 copies

Available (3)
Location Collection Call #
CLP - Main Library Second Floor - Non-fiction ML3536.B73 2017x
Location  CLP - Main Library
 
Collection  Second Floor - Non-fiction
 
Call Number  ML3536.B73 2017x
 
 
Monroeville Public Library Non-fiction 781.64 BRAGG
Location  Monroeville Public Library
 
Collection  Non-fiction
 
Call Number  781.64 BRAGG
 
 
Mt. Lebanon Public Library Non-Fiction 781.64 Bra
Location  Mt. Lebanon Public Library
 
Collection  Non-Fiction
 
Call Number  781.64 Bra
 
 

Summary
Against a backdrop of Cold War politics, rock and roll riots and a newly assertive generation of working-class youth, the songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg charts the history, impact and legacy of skiffle - Britain's first indigenous pop movement.
Published Reviews
Publisher's Weekly Review: "In his first book, musician, left-wing activist, and sonic archivist Bragg has crafted a remarkable history of skiffle, a particularly British music genre. Initiated by amateur players obsessed with the blues, jazz, and folk, skiffle lured teenagers obsessed with all things American and eager to dance away post-WWII conformity and deprivation. With a DIY ethos and three-chord tunes, skiffle inspired a generation of British lads to pick up guitars, including among them Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, and a young extraterrestrial who would later take the name "David Bowie." Roughly a cross between folk and R&B, skiffle quickly succumbed to the other two genres and faded from the charts, even as its former disciples led the British Invasion. Bragg impresses throughout with engaging prose and painstaking research. He further enlivens the text with personal insights and witty asides that give the material a unique cast few professional writers would dare. The introduction of dozens of new figures in the last third of the book diffuses the narrative but that's a minor demerit to an accomplished work. Ending with a flourish, Bragg convincingly argues for the emotional connection between skiffle and punk rock, something Bragg would know about better than most. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved."
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Skiffle -- Great Britain -- History.
Popular music -- Great Britain -- History.
Publisher London :Faber & Faber,2017
Language English
Description xv, 431 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Bibliography Notes Includes bibliographical references (pages 411-414) and index.
ISBN 9780571327744
0571327745
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