Before they were the Go Go's, Belinda Carlisle et al were wild little punkettes (and some of them were drug addicts!). That's one of the interesting t...moreBefore they were the Go Go's, Belinda Carlisle et al were wild little punkettes (and some of them were drug addicts!). That's one of the interesting tidbits that you'll pick up from reading this very interesting account of the early LA punk scene. I was never much into LA punk so for me this book was a fount of fascinating new knowledge.
The only criticism that I have of the book is it's really just a collection of quotes, organized into chapters. I prefer more of a "in the author's own words" style interspersed with quotes for affect. Other than that, if you're interested in old school punk in general, or more specificially American punk rock, this book is a very good read.(less)
The best thing about this book is the title - it's quite witty. Trying to convince readers that if it wasn't for Judaism, Lenny Bruce or Hitler, there...moreThe best thing about this book is the title - it's quite witty. Trying to convince readers that if it wasn't for Judaism, Lenny Bruce or Hitler, there wouldn't have been punk rock, or that if he hadn't been Jewish, Joey Ramone wouldn't have become the Godfather of punk is a real stretch. In fact, most of the book reads like a compendium of castoff lines from Seinfeld or Shecky Greene - "it's our musicality and punkishness that has sustained us as a people for 2000 years. . . " The Yiddish expressions throughout the book get really annoying after a while too. You almost need a Yiddish - English dictionary to figure out what Beeber is saying sometimes – in places it reads a bit like an inside joke that non-Jews are not privy to.
Anyhow, be sure to read a preview of this book before you buy it - I found it quite boring and difficult to wade through all of the specious attempts to demonstrate that punk rock would not have happened were it not for "punkish" Jewish kids or agitators like Malcolm McLaren. For a much more interesting read about the New York punk scene, read Micky Leigh's "I Slept with Joey Ramone."
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