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The Armageddon Rag

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 974 ratings · 96 reviews

“The best novel concerning the American pop music culture of the sixties I’ve ever read.”—Stephen King

From #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin comes the ultimate novel of revolution, rock ’n’ roll, and apocalyptic murder—a stunning work of fiction that portrays not just the end of an era, but the end of the world as we know it.

Onetime underground jo...more

Paperback, 384 pages

Published January 30th 2007 by Bantam (first published 1983)

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Apr 27, 2013 Breton rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

...I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I liked this novel.

There's certainly a lot to be admired here. Martin's passion for music is made pretty clear quite early on, his grasp on theme is also pretty good, and for the most part I enjoyed the first nine-tenths of the novel.

The plot is slow moving, the characters don't particularly develop much, but the atmosphere is fairly interesting, and it was the atmosphere and the music that kept me reading (you could argue THOSE were the princip...more

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May 31, 2012 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

During the 1960’s Nazgûl was a hugely popular hard rock band, the voice of a generation. But in 1971, when a bullet ended both the life of the charismatic lead-singer and the future of the band, an era came to an end.
During those years Sandy Blair was in the midst of the action. An activist while in college and an underground journalist afterwards he was present at the demonstrations and the concerts. He was there when the bullet found the singer and ended a revolution that never really started....more During the 1960’s Nazgûl was a hugely popular hard rock band, the voice of a generation. But in 1971, when a bullet ended both the life of the charismatic lead-singer and the future of the band, an era came to an end.
During those years Sandy Blair was in the midst of the action. An activist while in college and an underground journalist afterwards he was present at the demonstrations and the concerts. He was there when the bullet found the singer and ended a revolution that never really started.
The world, Sandy Blair and the remaining band-members have changed in the decade since the shooting.
Blair, a published author with three novels to his name is facing a severe case of writers-bloc when the former manager of Nazgûl is murdered in his house; murdered in a way that reflects the lyrics of one of Nazgûl’s songs.
When the magazine Blair worked for in the 1960’s asks him to investigate the murder he can’t reject the offer. Intrigued, Blair goes on the trail of a murderer. A journey that will bring him into contact with the remaining members of the once famous band, his own past and a man who wants to resurrect both Nazgûl and the revolution.
Soon after starting his investigation, Blair finds himself haunted by very vivid nightmares; dreams that become darker and more vivid as the date of Nazgûl’s relaunch comes closer. Eventually Blair comes to believe that the visions in his dreams will become reality unless he takes some action.

This is very much a story of two parts. What at first appears to be a rather straightforward mystery – who killed the manager – turns into a psychedelic fantasy about halfway through the book.
The reader is lulled into a false sense of security as they commence on a road-trip with Sandy Blair. While investigating the gruesome murder Blair behaves as any investigative journalist would. He travels to the scene of the crime and talks to those he thinks are likely suspects. It is only later on in the story that the reader discovers that this won’t be a straightforward investigation, although the story does end with a revelation that is somewhat surprising.
There is even more to this book though. This is also an ode to the 1960’s, to the philosophies of the time and, most importantly to the music that was created during those years. Each chapter starts with lines from songs of that era; lines that in one way or another reflect the content of that chapter.
And finally, this book is also a study of how people’s dreams and ideals change as they grow older and have to face the reality of having to life and work in the real world. And although that reality may not kill the original dream, it does make it hard, if not impossible, to live that dream.

I thought this was a fascinating book. The shift from mystery to supernatural story took me by surprise and delighted me. What made the supernatural aspects even more fascinating is that the main character has as hard a time distinguishing between reality and fantasy as the reader has. The reader is never on their own when they wonder what on earth might be going on. The supernatural is as unbelievable to most of the characters as it is to the reader, and therefore suddenly very credible.

This book was originally published in 1983, long before Martin achieved huge fame for his Game of Thrones series. The re-release now is without a doubt due to the popularity that series has now achieved, both in print and on television. Because I’ve neither read the Game of Thrones books nor watched the series I can’t compare this book to Martin’s later work. I can say though that this is a very interesting read for anyone who likes mysteries, the supernatural and, most importantly, rock and roll.
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May 19, 2013 V.J. Chambers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I wanted to love this book. In fact, I did love it, except for the ending. There are so many things about it that are just fantastic. The music, for instance. Even though you can't actually hear it, you can. You know what it would sound like it if it were real. The Nazgul themselves, sort of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles are wrapped up into one super group. The Tolkien influences. The hints of darkness and the imagery of the end and even the Yeats stuff.

But it just didn't come tog...more I wanted to love this book. In fact, I did love it, except for the ending. There are so many things about it that are just fantastic. The music, for instance. Even though you can't actually hear it, you can. You know what it would sound like it if it were real. The Nazgul themselves, sort of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles are wrapped up into one super group. The Tolkien influences. The hints of darkness and the imagery of the end and even the Yeats stuff.

But it just didn't come together for me. This book lacks a proper climax. It sort of fizzles. The big climactic moment culminates with the main character choosing not to act, and this inaction takes all the larger-than-life characters and situations and recasts them as something mundane. The effect on the reader is sort of that we had decided to believe something bad could happen, and then, when it didn't, we feel stupid for having expected it.

I've given this a lot of thought, and I think the only way this novel could have ended was if it were like an Ira Levin novel, or like the ending of the 70s version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (yes, the one with Donald Sutherland.) That's the ending this book needed--a blood-dimmed tide loosed on the world, swallowing everything up, and the last sentence only an evil chuckle from Pat Hobbins.

George R. R. Martin wussed out.

And actually, this is beginning to worry me, because I'm afraid that perhaps Martin is not particularly good with climaxes or ending stories properly. I mean, wasn't A Song of Ice and Fire supposed to be three books long? Now, it's stretching out, further and further... Maybe he's not pumping those books out so quickly these days because he doesn't know how to end them. (And so help me, if the battle between the dragons and the Others comes down to a big non-battle like this did, I'm going to be pointing to this review and saying, "I told you so!")

Anyway, lack of a good climax or not, I enjoyed this book, and I'd say it's worth a look.(less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Richard Sutton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Writers usually have a few stories that bounce around in their heads for years. Some of them eventually make it to the page, while others just circulate and create occasional moodiness or anxiety behind the scenes. As a bonafide, ex-commune hippie... politically, a real "man the barricades" kind of guy, vague feelings of guilt over how I, and my generation, seem to have lost the ideals that seemed so important back then have been circulating for years. I want to sincerely thank George Martin for...more Writers usually have a few stories that bounce around in their heads for years. Some of them eventually make it to the page, while others just circulate and create occasional moodiness or anxiety behind the scenes. As a bonafide, ex-commune hippie... politically, a real "man the barricades" kind of guy, vague feelings of guilt over how I, and my generation, seem to have lost the ideals that seemed so important back then have been circulating for years. I want to sincerely thank George Martin for this book. He has saved me the trouble of trying to confront these issues myself on paper and deal with the fallout.

The Armageddon Rag is a fast-paced mystery, but also a well-tuned personal introspection as the main character sorts through his feelings of "where did it all go?". I identified seamlessly with Sandy, his writer/movement reporter, as he comes to terms with how he fits into the swirling emotions and lost friendships that twenty years can bring as well as a horrific murder. The author uses the device of music lyrics and the music scene of the time to create a plausible connection with occult power and ghostly hordes, driven towards a final battle. He has to make peace with his own demons in order to be able to confront the actions of the demons that may be forcing mankind into perpetual violence and anguish. As a musician, also, I've found myself ascribing earth-changing power to the songs I grew up with, just as Sandy does.

The release date for this book, in 1982, was also important for me in understanding the character's anger and confusion as well as cultural perspectives that only age can understand. The writer's gentle affection for the tortured souls he writes about here (and in all his later work as well),left this reader with a distinct sense of redemption at the end of the book. Peace and Love and Brotherhood weren't just buzzwords, and they haven't died. They're waiting to be picked up and dusted off.

In all, for someone who maybe close to or a bit past sixty, especially anyone who lived the counter-culture, this book will be an enjoyable read, and may also help to lay your own demons down.

Thanks, Man.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Ben Babcock rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-read, fantasy, from-library, mystery, urban-fantasy

Did you know George R.R. Martin wrote novels before A Game of Thrones? Yes, it’s true! And you can read them! On paper, even! The Armageddon Rag is a 1980s tale of a journalist-turned-novelist recapturing the zeitgeist of the 1970s music scene. Spurred by a mysterious, sacrificial killing of a music promoter, Sandy Blair discovers that there might be more to it. Someone has a plan to reunite the band Nazgûl—particularly troubling since its lead singer is dead.

Sandy leaves the adult world of resp...more Did you know George R.R. Martin wrote novels before A Game of Thrones? Yes, it’s true! And you can read them! On paper, even! The Armageddon Rag is a 1980s tale of a journalist-turned-novelist recapturing the zeitgeist of the 1970s music scene. Spurred by a mysterious, sacrificial killing of a music promoter, Sandy Blair discovers that there might be more to it. Someone has a plan to reunite the band Nazgûl—particularly troubling since its lead singer is dead.

Sandy leaves the adult world of responsibility behind and goes off on a cross-country road trip to track down the surviving members of the Nazgûl. Along the way, he visits several friends with whom he has lost touch—members of the revolutionary circles in which he moved when he was younger. The trappings of Sandy’s present fall by the wayside in favour of continuing to recapture his present. As he continues to investigate the killing of Jamie Lynch, Sandy discovers that there is a supernatural element to his news story. And it might just eat his soul.

The Armageddon Rag is a very different beast from A Song of Ice and Fire, but they do share one thing: both are ambivalently supernatural at first. It’s not clear, at the beginning of this book, whether there is a supernatural element to the crime or merely the appearance of one. GRRM teases us, dangling the possibility of magic but never quite confirming it. He fakes us out a few times—the seemingly-impossible re-emergence of Patrick Hobson is one example. It’s not until the second half of the book, as Sandy’s sanity, steeped in the atmosphere of the renewed Nazgûl, begins to unravel.

So for the majority of the book, this is a music murder mystery. Sandy is an unlikely detective (GRRM hangs a lampshade on this through Sandy’s own reflections). However, it’s fair to say that the story isn’t about the mystery as much as it is about the music, and the relationship between music, culture, and the revolution that Sandy held so dear in his younger days. To this end, Sandy’s various reunions with his old pals provide great insight into how he has changed in response to the decline of that revolutionary attitude. Each of his friends has reacted to that decline in different ways. Maggie has clung to her old lifestyle, attempting to remain carefree. Lark—restyled as L. Steven Elleyn—has embraced the suit-and-tie atmosphere of middle management. Bambi has stuck her head in the sand and joined a commune. And Sandy, of course, quickly discovers that he isn’t quite so adult and settled as his life as a writer and boyfriend might make him appear.

I’m actually rather surprised by how much I enjoyed The Armageddon Rag. So much of it takes place—or is influenced by the atmosphere of—those “lost decades” of history for me, the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Too recent to have received much coverage in history classes; too distant to have the same connection to me as the 1990s and 2000s, those decades seem forever just out of reach. I can’t identify with Sandy the way an older reader might. So it’s a testament to GRRM’s skill that I still understood and sympathized with this journey of rediscovery, which ultimately culminates in Sandy abandoning his journalistic endeavour to do public relations for the Nazgûl.

The tone of the book begins to shift, with supernatural elements coming to the fore. Sandy begins to realize that the reunion of the Nazgûl, the “resurrection” of Patrick Hobson, their new concert at West Mesa, are all part of a larger plan. Trust someone like GRRM to come up with the idea that Judgement Day will take the form of a concert! Despite the apocalyptic angle, however, the climax of the book isn’t so much about the battle between good and evil as the battle between Sandy’s sense of self-determination and his commitment to the “cause”. His entire journey is an examination of whether he abandoned the “revolution” because he wasn’t committed enough. His crucial decision at the climax of the concert is the last word.

The Armageddon Rag has moments of brilliance. Its supernatural elements aren’t quite married with my own tastes in this genre, and for that reason I can’t give it five stars. But the mystery, story, and especially the characterization are all what one would expect from GRRM. It’s not enough to tide me over until the next Song of Ice and Fire book … but it helps.

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Mar 29, 2013 Suzydumeur rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. J'ai lu des critiques sur ce livre dithyrambiques, et toutes évoquaient que c'était l'un des meilleurs livres sur le rock, sur l'après Woodstock et la douloureuse transition reganienne. Voilà pourquoi à aucun moment je ne me suis sentie impliquée émotionnellement dans l'histoire... d'abord je n'y connais rien en musique et je ne me passionne pas plus que ça sur ce sujet (à part l'écouter je ne fais rien d'autre de plus), donc toutes les citations constantes du bouquin et la vie du perso principa...more

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May 11, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This hardback re-issue of George R.R. Martin's 1983 novel 'The Armageddon Rag' is strikingly eye-catching. The storyline is similarly grabbing. Compared to 'Fevre Dream' and 'A Song of Ice and Fire', this book's fantasy elements are very toned down. Instead, this book examines the power of rock music in our culture. Sandy Blair is a struggling writer/journalist hired to investigate the murder of a very rich rock promoter, most famous for making the Nazgul a world-renowned band.

The novel graduall...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Rob rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: random-comments-review, favorites

...The Armageddon Rag is probably the most unusual novel Martin has written. If you look at his development as a writer up to the 1980s one can only wonder what might have happened if he had continued to write novels. The fragment of Black and White and Red All Over that Martin published as part of the collection Quartet: Four Tales from the Crossroads (2001), shows that he was well on his way to delivering another very good and very different novel. One of the good things about the enormous suc...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I loved this novel, and the author. this is the first time I've ready his work, and I was addicted from the very beginning. All day long, I couldn't wait to get back to it, and find out what happened next. And as a child of the 60's, I have to say the tone and FEEL of this novel was SPOT ON.
Constantly while reading, scenes played out in my head like I was watching a movie. Novels like this are few and far between, and I was addicted to the sound of the characters and their lives, and their voice...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Jason Mills rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Martin and music

Recommended to Jason by: George R R Martin...

Shelves: fiction, contemporary, period, horror, music-and-showbiz

The Nazgûl were the rock band that had it all, but their career was extinguished at its peak when their singer was shot dead at a concert in '71. Now it's 10 years later and their erstwhile promoter has been ritually murdered in a manner that connects with that earlier killing. Sandy Blair, a failing novelist and ex-journalist, finds himself embarking on a quest to get to the bottom of the murder.

The journey takes him across America, interviewing the remaining members of the Nazgûl and meeting u...more

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Dec 20, 2011 M Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

With the exception of "Glimpses" by L. Shiner, no SF book I've read has come close to catching the magic of modern music. Until "Armageddon Rag". This book captures something of the power of music in our lives, for good or ill... It's effect on us individually, on the musicians, on our culture and therefore our possible future. If "Glimpses" is a more personal take on these phenomena, "Armageddon Rag" is the more political.

But is it a SF book at all? Could be not. Some may view it as urban fant...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to see if Martin could write across genres. He can. Most definitely.
And Stephen King it was the best sixties era rock novel ever. Even though I wasn't sure there were others, King's recommendation appealed to me.
It was counter culture and trippy. It hit a full range of notes: emotional, cultural, relational, and supernatural. The plot never dragged. The characters were relatable; some quite likable. The baddie was not a surprise but that didn't really hurt the story. My major complaint?...more

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May 24, 2011 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

This starts slow and then you believe you are in a world where a reunion concert by a Led Zeppelinish band could lead to Armageddon. I am not sure how exactly how this was done, but I do know that Martin never showed his trump card, and surrounded his mystical set up with specifics that helped the quite willing suspension of disbelief I had. The one fault is that the novel acts as if punk had not happened some 5, even 10 years before the Nazgul reunion. So it is truer to the sensibilities of gen...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Raluca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading about The Nazgul was exciting, partially because the "era" in which the action is set is very similar to ours in many ways, although it was about 30 years ago, and partly because The Nazgul seemed to comprise all the rock'n'roll and magic and power that the great rock bands had. Martin describes this band lyrically and you can almost hear them through the voices and sounds of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and other great bands of the 60's and 70's. You recognize the power in the lyrics...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Zoran Krušvar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is very important book for my relationship with mr. Martin. :-))

When "Song of Ice and Fire" started to get published in my country (Croatia) I was in a phase when I wanted to boycott all US products, because of US attack on whatever country US was attacking at that time.

At that point, major question for me was: shall I buy this "Game of Thrones" book by this US writer, or shall I boycott it as any other US product?

Fortunately, I have previously read "Armageddon Rag" and I've decided that t...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Zoran Krušvar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Oct 22, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-get-through

You'd think that mixing GRR Martin and detective novels, which are one of my favorite genres, would be a good thing. Sadly it didn't work out. In my case because this book is...how Stephen King put it...? "The best novel concerning the American pop music culture of the sixties I’ve ever read." -- and my knowledge and appreciation of pop culture -- any aspect of it, is practically nil. It's wildly different from the other fantasy stories that Martin wrote, with parts of it feeling weirdly biograp...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Zoran Krušvar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Apr 13, 2013 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

So George R.R. Martin is writing The epic fantasy. Previously he wrote (in my opinion) The vampire novel. So, how about 60s nostalgia - like The Big Chill and all the other stories where the middle-aged guy has to connect with his college friends? Wouldn't they be better with monsters?

This is a horror novel. But one that, even though I didn't go to college in the 60s, really made me want to reconnect with my old gang afterwards. Extremely well written, great characters, scary moments, and an ol...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Beck rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It´s probably two and a hall stars, actually. There are a lot of qualities to this book : great plot, great settings -I mean, it´s about the music I love, it´s difficult not to be overjoyed to read something about it written with such passion. But the main character I found despicable, the writing not so great and kind of hyprocritical about certain issues, including the fact that all female characters are treated very poorly. I'd recommend it to someone who's really into that music, but otherw...more

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Apr 11, 2013 David rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book by George that I've read. A copy of Game of Thrones is lying around, but now I'm not so sure I'm going to read it.

I first heard of this book when I came across an old recording of "The Nazgul" made for a movie of the book. The movie was never made, but the recording still lurks in a few archives on the internet. (The band was Robert Hunter, John Cipollina, Merl Saunders, Tony Saunders, and G. Birch, recorded on 6/13/85). Anyway, the recording inspired me to read the book....more

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Feb 28, 2013 Katerina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: recensioni

Ho iniziato questo libro senza saperne nulla, a parte che Martin lo considera la sua opera più sperimentale, ma l'ho iniziato con delle aspettative. Mi aspettavo un deciso urban fantasy, senza se e senza ma, e le aspettative sono state deluse.
E' un male? Francamente, no. Che non abbia trovato quello che mi aspettavo non vuol dire che non abbia trovato niente. In effetti, ho trovato tantissimo e forse è questo il problema: Armageddon Rag è un sacco di cose e si può trovarlo un gran guazzabuglio o...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Mimi rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

This is my first GRRM book outside of the Song of Ice and Fire Series (which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest fantasy series I have read so far!). But while I am waiting for Mr. Martin and his “elves” to finish “Winds of Winter” (or even to get beyond that elusive “page 37”…;)), I decided to read some of his earlier fiction. I discovered this 1983 book while browsing the book shelves at Barnes and Noble…I know this is going to sound very “non-intellectual” but what initially got...more 3.5 stars

This is my first GRRM book outside of the Song of Ice and Fire Series (which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest fantasy series I have read so far!). But while I am waiting for Mr. Martin and his “elves” to finish “Winds of Winter” (or even to get beyond that elusive “page 37”…;)), I decided to read some of his earlier fiction. I discovered this 1983 book while browsing the book shelves at Barnes and Noble…I know this is going to sound very “non-intellectual” but what initially got my attention was the psychedelically groovy cover art on the new release of the book (…and then of course the fascinating plot synopsis really got me to add this to my to-read list ;) ).

The hardest part about reading a book by an author who is in the midst of writing his fantasy series masterpiece to which I am addicted, is being objective when reviewing his other books. So I went into “The Armageddon Rag” with an open-mind, especially knowing that this particular work didn’t get the acclaim GRRM had hoped for when it was published in 1983. The important thing to realize is that while this is most definitely alternate history with a number of fantastical elements included in it, this is not a book where you will find Starks, Targaryens or Lannisters battling for the Iron Throne. However there is still a battle for a new world going on…the new world that was sought by the 1960s Counterculture as expressed through music and revolution.

The way I see it, there are several themes to this story:

1- The Baby Boomers, their role in the 1960s Counterculture and how their live changed by the early 1980s
2- A coming-of-middle-age story of one of these Baby Boomers, writer/journalist Sandy Blair, who goes out on a quest to solve a crime while reconnecting with old friends as well as his youthful ideals
3- An exploration of how music is an expression of an era…and how it can inspire protest and change.

I can definitely see how Martin has gotten better as he’s gotten older and I found many parts of the book repetitive (for instance, the StephenKing-esque dream sequences and the number of times Sandy had to retell his life story). However, I could definitely see elements of the GRRM I know and love today here. His vivid description enabled me to envision the story clearly, while his historical research was thorough and he really got me “believing” the alternate reality aspect to Sandy Blair’s world. Since it was actually written in the 1980s, we see references which were contemporary then, retro now – digital watches, cassette decks in the cars, the Fonz – which brought back memories of my own youth. …and the way Tolkien was incorporated in the story really foreshadows future Martin books.(less)

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Dec 29, 2012 Markus Molina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Okokokok, I love me some George RR Martin, but this book is severely lacking. It is by far the worst I've read from him and in it he accomplishes something I never thought could be possible... he writes some very one dimensional characters!

The story is a gigantic leap from the song of ice and fire world and isn't as cleverly crafted as the fevre dream world. The characters in this book are unlikable and stale. The main protagonist is a close minded, hippie, doucebag journalist who is obsessed wi...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, favorites

I received this book as a gift from my Uncle. I am a rather big fan of the other works of George RR Martin, rock music, and thought the Armageddon Rag has an interesting premises.

This book grabbed my attention rather fast with the background of Sandy Blair as he launches into his journalistic investigation of the murder of the Nazgul old promoter Jamie Lynch. The beginning chapters does not only set the stage for the story to unfold it also relies a history lessons or triggers a memories for so...more I received this book as a gift from my Uncle. I am a rather big fan of the other works of George RR Martin, rock music, and thought the Armageddon Rag has an interesting premises.

This book grabbed my attention rather fast with the background of Sandy Blair as he launches into his journalistic investigation of the murder of the Nazgul old promoter Jamie Lynch. The beginning chapters does not only set the stage for the story to unfold it also relies a history lessons or triggers a memories for some of the 60s and the age of all the movements.The later chapter launch more into the realms of horror and fiction setting is more obvious, but the novel is still well written and by that stage I was already sucked into the plot.

For myself I was born in 1991 so this story offered in a way a history lesson, but also the culture and the way people felt and dreams they had to make the world a better place. The novel also opened myself up to the music of the era of the 60s which motivated me to explore this music. I find it more and more that I prefer music before my generation already with rock from the 70s-early 90s and the music I was able to discover from this novel cements that point that I prefer music of older generations as oppose to my own generation.

Another part of the novel that I really enjoyed was the name of the center band of the Nazgul. Being a fan of the Lord of the Rings series I enjoyed the reference to the series. The songs and theme of the Nazgul I liked and while reading I wondered if George RR Martin every wanted to try his hand at being a song writer as well.

An interesting fact I learned from my reading of other stories by GRRM including both Volumes of Dreamsongs, I have a strong feeling that the character of Sandy shares a large majority with GRRM.This book may have more of GRRM than any he has written. Such things as both attending Northwestern and majoring in journalism, both struggled earlier on in their respective careers, and I venture a guess that the feelings of Sandy and his friends were similar to his life back in that era. Other noticeable thing was dates in this novel that reference important things in GRRM life, like his birthday and the year his first novel was published.

For the writing of the novel and the plot I would give this story more of a 4 stars than 5. The reason I am giving it a higher rating is due to the fact that it was not only an exciting story, but also it introduced me to the culture of the 60s and the music of the era than any kind of reading in the history books or other books about that era ever did. So for this reason of grabbing my attention and made me want to learn more about the 60s is my reason for the added star.

I would recommend this book to other fans(even those that read just fantasy or sci-fi) of GRRM and those that enjoyed the 60s. I would also encourage those that enjoy a a good read with interesting characters and a exciting plot. I believe those from the 60s would enjoy the trip down memory lane as well as people that would like to learn more of the 60s from a well written fiction.

If anyone is interested I also created a playlist of the songs that are mentioned/titles of the chapters on youtube. So if you know this songs an nice convenient list to take you back to ones childhood or for those like myself a chance to discover earlier music.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=...
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Oct 02, 2011 Myles rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-end, fantasy

The Armageddon Rag: Or, Old Man Martin Yells at Those Kids to Get Off His Lawn is a pretty good book once you get past the bitter out-of-touch quality the narrator and hero brings to the story. I'm all for celebrating the 60s but when your former radical journalist everyman starts sincerely grumbling about the "green-haired teenyboppers" running around these days there's a huge problem. At times the whole book threatens to be subsumed by musty waves of regressive sentiment.

Sandy Blair gets a cal...more The Armageddon Rag: Or, Old Man Martin Yells at Those Kids to Get Off His Lawn is a pretty good book once you get past the bitter out-of-touch quality the narrator and hero brings to the story. I'm all for celebrating the 60s but when your former radical journalist everyman starts sincerely grumbling about the "green-haired teenyboppers" running around these days there's a huge problem. At times the whole book threatens to be subsumed by musty waves of regressive sentiment.

Sandy Blair gets a call from his former friend/colleage who still edits The Hedgehog, an alternative magazine that's not Rolling Stone, that is now a "Lifestyles" journal. It turns out a famous rock promoter has been ritually killed up in Maine and Blair is just the guy to write up the story.

Once up there Blair finds evidence of a connection between the man's death and the end of a famous seminal hard rock group, Nazgûl, not Led Zeppelin, whose lead singer had been assasinated onstage ten years before and whose death symbolized the death of the sixties. His investigation leads him to revisit his past exploits in the "underground" in memory and in visiting his friends from those days as the mystery gets stranger and darker.

George R.R. Martin is kind of a big deal these days, what with the success of A Song of Ice and Fire and the Game of Thrones series. I've read quite a bit of his other work so I was glad to come across this in a used bookstore. Martin's a good writer but I can see why The Armageddon Rag wasn't a huge success when they reissued it to capitalize on Martin's resurgence in populariry. Martin sometimes creates a great atmosphere with real events and his imagined history but its constantly undermined by reliance on stereotypical characters and cheap nostalgia. Blair is kind of a big idiot, prone to badly written sexual episodes and taking an awfully long time to figure out what to do at the end.

I wouldn't discourage anyone reading this book, Martin is a professional and the novel works on a couple levels and is a strong prototype of the kind of urban fantasy that Neil Gaiman would popularize with American Gods but it didn't take off the way I hoped it would.(less)

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Nov 23, 2008 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Brandon by: Thomas Whitesell

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, the-horror

I cannot think of a more perfect book for me to have read in the wake of the most exciting presidential election I may ever witness. This book, although pure escapism, packed just the right punches to rank it not only on the "dad was right" list but also on my own all-time favorites list. Here are the reasons it resonated with me:

1. The author: I'm one of those who loves his epic fantasy series, the Song of Ice and Fire for reasons way beyond "I like me some swords and dragons" I'm in it for the...more I cannot think of a more perfect book for me to have read in the wake of the most exciting presidential election I may ever witness. This book, although pure escapism, packed just the right punches to rank it not only on the "dad was right" list but also on my own all-time favorites list. Here are the reasons it resonated with me:

1. The author: I'm one of those who loves his epic fantasy series, the Song of Ice and Fire for reasons way beyond "I like me some swords and dragons" I'm in it for the political/familial sprawling drama. So, I was very pleased to see that his ability to set the stage, paint the characters and deliver the intrigue was all present.

2. The peace movement: As a youth, I was envious of my parents for living through the tumultuous 60s. Dad was a musician, so he had the records for me to grow up on. For me, those records go hand in hand with the notion of passive resistance, marching for what you think is right and loving the planet and the people on it. The Armageddon Rag is set up
around an aging activist who is having identity issues because he has lost the drive for activism that fueled everything he did in the late 60s. There is a lot of action and reference to Grant Park in Chicago, which resonated with me because of the celebration on election night. In fact, the entire energy surrounding Obama's campaign gave perspective and connectivity to the rising action of this novel.

3. The music: I have a wound. I joke about it; but, it still haunts. My mother took away my KISS records and gave me Chicago tapes. Talk about scarring a child! (I'm not missing the irony of the band's name). Even at 14, when I was convincing my dad that I needed a CD player, I promised him (and I'm sure it saddened him to hear) that I would never buy a Rock and Roll CD. Can you imagine! {I've rationalized every CD purchase since - in other words, I've broken that promise, thank you.) Regardless, when the author talks about activism in the 60s being so closely associated with music, I get it. When the room you're in is filled with people all listening to the overwhelming sound of a song that you know and love and real people are up there making it happen, it IS magic. It's the good fight.

4. sci-fi-fantasy-elves-and-shit: A rock and roll book about self-recognition and magic that heavily references Tolkien? sold.

The first half of this book rolls by incredibly quickly. There is a marked sense of realism in which you start to identify with or recognize the main character and all of his associates. Midway through the ground shifts from under you and you're reminded that it's a fake story on a page; but, this doesn't mean the quality of the story telling drops. If anything it indicates how amazing George R.R. Martin is at his craft.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes the horror genre, to anyone who got moved by the election results, to anyone who really likes what music can do to you, to lovers of the Song of Ice and Fire sage (break out of the genre from time to time, it's good for you), and to anyone who is in their 30s and struggling or in the 50s or 60s and remembers.

----------
before reading, I said:

Dad calls this one of his favorite books; so, I'm excited to start it in the rare and fleeting free moments of the weekend (which starts Friday, right? right). I had it shipped in from Charlotte though the Interlibrary Loan program, which I highly recommend.(less)

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Sep 29, 2008 Ben rated it 4 of 5 stars

* This novel begins as a detective/entrepid-reporter story. Sandy Blair is a novelist who accepts a story from an old magazine he edited. His assignment is to cover the gruesome death of an old manager and concert reporter, Jamie Lynch. As he investigates, Blair finds himself further and further drawn in to the continuing adventures of the members of the Nazgûl, the biggest of Jamie Lynch's old bands. They have been long split up, ever since the assassination of their lead singer in concert in...more

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Oct 04, 2008 Alan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who wonder where we went wrong

The place names are pure music legend:

Woodstock,
Altamont,
Monterey,
West Mesa...

West Mesa?

It is Sept. 20, 1971. The Nazgul, premier rock group of the 1960s, are performing on West Mesa near Albuquerque in front of 60,000 fans when a high-powered rifle bullet rips out the life of Patrick Henry "Hobbit" Hobbins, the Nazgul's lead singer. He dies instantly, and the 60s die with him.

The Armageddon Rag begins 10 years or so later, in the decade foreshadowed by Orwell. The three surviving Nazgul have l...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I began to read this, I wondered when the sci fi/fantasy would kick in. After all, that was how it was classified in the bookstore, yet I found myself reading about a rock band that had broken up after its singer had been unfortunately murdered at the height of their fame. However, stick with it. The story becomes more complex and intriguing in true Martin fashion as you go on. This novel might've been ahead of its time as I appreciate it so much now but obviously didn't read it when it cam...more

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About George R.R. Martin

George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies,...more George R. R. Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.

Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: "The Hero," sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.

In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.

As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.

In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.

Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.

Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...(less)

More about George R.R. Martin...

Books by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

A Dance With Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

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“Trebali smo promijeniti svijet,zar ne?Sranje.Umjesto toga svijet je promijenio nas.” — 2 people liked it

“Tvoj je problem taj što ti razum upravlja životom.O svemu razmišljaš.Razmišljaš kad bi morao osjećati.Otvori se,prepusti na volju srcu,osjećajima...” — 1 person liked it

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