London, Reign Over Me: How England's Capital Built Classic Rock

by Stephen Tow, Bill Bruford (Foreword)

It all started in London. More than fifty years ago, a generation of teens created something that would change the face of music forever. London, Reign Over Me immerses us in the backroom clubs, basement record shops, and late-night faint radio signals of 1960s Britain, where young hopefuls like Peter Frampton, Dave Davies, and Mick Jagger built off American blues and jazz to form a whole new sound. Author Stephen Tow weaves together original interviews with over ninety musicians and movers-and-shakers of the time to uncover the uniquely British story of classic rock's birth. Capturing the stark contrast of bursting artistic energy with the blitzkrieg landscape leftover from World War II, London, Reign Over Me reveals why classic rock 'n' roll could only have been born in London. A new sound from a new generation, this music helped spark the most important cultural transformation of the twentieth century. Key interviews include: -Jon Anderson (Yes) -Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) -Rod Argent (The Zombies) -Chris Barber (Chris Barber Jazz Band) -Joe Boyd (Producer/manager) -Arthur Brown (Crazy World of Arthur Brown) -David Cousins (The Strawbs) -Dave Davies (The Kinks) -Spencer Davis (Spencer Davis Group) -Judy Dyble (Fairport Convention) -Ramblin' Jack Elliott (Solo folk/blues artist) -Peter Frampton (Humble Pie, solo artist) -Roger Glover (Deep Purple) -Steve Howe (Yes) -Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Band; Monty Python) -Kenney Jones (The Small Faces; The Who) -Greg Lake (King Crimson; Emerson, Lake & Palmer) -Manfred Mann (Manfred Mann) -Terry Marshall (Marshall Amplification) -Dave Mason (Traffic) -Phil May (The Pretty Things) -John Mayall (The Bluesbreakers) -Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds) -Ian McLagan (The Small Faces) -Jacqui McShee (The Pentangle) -Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits) -Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster; Emerson, Lake & Palmer) -Jan Roberts (Eel Pie Island Documentary Project) -Paul Rodgers (Free) -Peggy Seeger (Solo folk artist) -Hylda Sims (Club owner) -Keith Skues (DJ: Radio Caroline, Radio London, Radio One) -Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac) -John Steel (The Animals) -Al Stewart (Solo folk artist) -Dick Taylor (The Pretty Things) -Ray Thomas (The Moody Blues) -Richard Thompson (Fairport Convention) -Rick Wakeman (The Strawbs, Yes) -Barrie Wentzell (Photographer: Melody Maker)

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2020

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

"London, Reign Over Me" is a bloody brilliant book that dives deep with historical and cultural perspectives on why the British Invasion happened in the Sixties. In other words, the book is all about how London developed as the center of the rock universe during the Sixties and gave birth to all those amazing rock acts such as the Beatles, the Stones, Fleetwood Mac, the Animals, and so much more. If you are interested in rock history, this is one book you absolutely no question about it have to pick up.

Several things coalesced at once to make England, and London in particular, as the center of the musical universe. First, there was the skiffle bands whereby young kids could make homemade instruments and play a sort of jazz and blues and anybody could get in the act. Second, post-war London in the fifties was a different place to grow up than the U.S.A. The streets were still filled with bomb craters and the teenagers had grown up with bombs literally bursting overhead and a fear that the island kingdom would fall to the Germans. Third, there was a great openness to the blues and jazz there as compared to the U.S.A. where radio stations often had segregated music and "Black music" was not played on top 40 radio. Fourth, instead of the GI Bill, they had free "Art School" and a whole generation of teenagers left high school and took three years to work on "art" which explains why when you read rock biographies so many of these guys met in art school. All of these things coalesced at one time to spawn a generation of creativity in music that can be traced from the American Blues into what became the Rock n Roll of the Sixties and Seventies.

There are various chapters in the book tracing not just the sociological history of the British Invasion music, but also the different directions the music led from blues rock to psychedelic pop to progressive rock. Every page of the book is meticulously researched and well-written. It is absorbing reading, particularly where you see how the different bands developed out of similar traditions. Can't recommend this enough.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever title and a meaningless (and rather ridiculous) sub-title. Certainly England's capital did not BUILD classic rock. The author does a nice job delineating the evolution of popular music in England after World War II, and clearly shows how London was a hot-bed of influences and talented young (primarily male) English musicians, and how they evolved their different styles. However, I do not understand why the author was so flippant about the impact of the Beatles on London and vice versa. The author also gies little attention to what was happening musically in other parts of the world, particularly the United States.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating! I very much enjoyed reading all of the little-known tidbits, the things you wouldn't know about if you weren't there, the kinds of things that seem unimportant at the time but make such a difference akin to the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. So many times, I found myself saying, "wow" and/or shaking my head. What a wonderful, exciting, life-affirming time and place to be! What a "can-do" attitude these people had, of course, why not try to play the music you like to listen to, it doesn't seem to happen as much these days. What do I know, these days, I sound like that cranky old person - hey kids, get off my lawn! Really, though, what do I actually know about these days, I am regularly and good naturedly (I think ...) teased that my musical knowledge doesn't go past the eighties and really is stuck in the seventies. My son and husband consider me slightly less than open minded musically. What can I say, I like what I like.

London Reign Over Me: How England's Capital Built Classic Rock by Stephen Tow is very well researched. It is written by an author who clearly enjoys the subject and has found a writing style that shares knowledge in a conversational and casual tone. The reader can feel a part of conversations with various musicians, reporters, music fans, etc. of the day. I learned a lot about how the music was created, about the ins and outs of the business, about how society helped create the moods, fashions and thinking of the era. I was somewhat aware of the influence the post-war attitudes and deprivations had on this generation but it was interesting to read the particulars of it all. It has always made a deep impression on me how many of our favorite singers and musicians left home so very young to begin their musical journeys, it is unheard today. 12, 13, unbelievable, and thank you for being brave and doing it! I think back to when I was that age, I couldn't do it and thinking of the boys I knew then, they couldn't have handled it either. It was truly a different time and a different place. I wonder if it was more of a European thing.

I loved reading about all of the groups and pairings - the ones I knew previously and the ones I did not. Lots to explore, hooray for youtube! In fact, I think it would be a great idea to include a cd soundtrack with this book.

If I had a complaint, it would be this one, why oh why did I have to wait until I was 51% into the book before the first mention of Free?! Okay, just kidding, obviously a book of this nature has to be chronological. I get it. I do wish there was more info concerning Free, perhaps, in your next installment (hint, hint), there will be more. In fact, I hope there really is another book, I'm one of those who say "and then what happened". This is such an amazing period of time, musically and just, well, everything was kinda happening. So many changes in what is, relatively speaking, a short amount of time. As someone who lived through the seventies but as a groovy little kid (I was born in 1967), pretty much everthing was over my head at the time. And, yes, I was groovy, if only in my own mind. If you asked me then and now what song makes you think "rock and roll", my answer has always been "All Right Now". If you needed to explain rock music to someone, play that song. 'Nuff said, perfect band, everyone just doing their thing and doing it well. Paul Rodgers, would listen to him sing the phone book, perfect voice, perfect phrasing, then and now. How many voices get better with age?! In kindergarten, I thought Jimmy Page was a pretty man. He was, those curls, ruffly shirts, embroidered jeans - pretty. I listened to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road for the first time on headphones when it came out (thank god for older cousins) and still think that is the only and best way to listen to it (played Funeral For A Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding, etc. for our son who agrees). I love the seventies, when the bands may not have been photogenic but man, could they play. Who know what anyone looked like and who cared? No autotune, that's why it is better and I guess that's why I am not so open-minded.

When in school I remember certain bands seemed a "rite of passage", especially for the boys. Most of the groups were mentioned in this book. That is how long lasting these bands were/are and their legacies. You could discern a lot about someone by which bands they listened to, how they spent their free time, dressed, whether they were jocks, stoners, into Dungeon &Dragons, etc. Pink Floyd, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, and others. They were popular in the sixties, seventies (elementary school) and the eighties (high school) and, I think, even now. Good music is timeless music.

If you are interested in music, if you are interested in creativity, if you are interested in how people come together to create music, this is the book where you can find out "how the sausage is made". London Reign Over Me is a really good read with really good pacing and really good research. I highly recommend this book and when it is published, I plan on getting a copy for my guitar playing, music loving husband.

[Jay Gabler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We historians love to find one magical link to provide us a neat line that takes us from one era to the next," writes Stephen Tow. "Unfortunately, life doesn't always work that way."

That's especially the case with the birth of rock. The transformation of popular music in the two-decade span from 1950 to 1970 was so vast, it's almost impossible to encapsulate. Even the birth of hip-hop and the rise of streaming didn't change popular culture to the same extent, nor did they overlap with such seismic social and political realignments.

London, Reign Over Me focuses on developments in the U.K. from 1963 to 1969, when "rock and roll" became "rock." When those bands hit big over here, it became known as the British Invasion.

Oh, yes, that obscure little corner of music history. Obviously this is extremely well-trod territory in music history: you could fill your personal library with shelves upon shelves of books about the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, and other British rock bands from the '60s. What does Tow have to contribute?

I reviewed London, Reign Over Me for The Current.

[Toni_B_Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dad rock is the best rock, and I've long loved reading about my favorite classic rock stars: I've devoured the autobiographies of Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, and Keith Richards, and I've read the biographies of many others. I'm also a longstanding Anglophile, and London's my favorite city on the planet; it's the birthplace of so much of my favorite literature, television, and music, and though I'm thoroughly American, visiting always feels like going home. In other words, this book hits a heckuva lot of my sweet spots.

On one hand, because of my interest I know a bit more than the average bear about the outlines of classic rock's development and its English origins; I'm well-aware of the hardscrabble post-war upbringings of many of my heroes and I've spent (probably too much) time watching YouTube clips of their lip-synched Top of The Pops and those Old Grey Whistle Test performances. I know who Lonnie Donegan was and what skiffle is. But on the other hand, because my knowledge has come mainly from biographies, I really appreciate how Tow's focus on events in the city of London weaves the threads of my understanding into something more cohesive. While much of the story was familiar, the context is fresh.

And certain elements of the story were still new to me; while I'd take anyone in a Stones or Zep trivia contest, my knowledge and understanding of progressive rock is much more limited--it's simply not my taste. Tow's skill as a writer and his positioning of this genre as a cousin to the blues, folk, and rock forms I love made me interested in a type of music I've thought and known little about.

That said, when the book was over, I was left wanting more. The book ends with 1970, so a number of English contributions to the development of rock aren't considered. For example, Led Zeppelin is mainly discussed as a blues/folk/rock fusion, and its contributions to the development of heavy metal are not examined. David Bowie gets a few mentions, but the rise of glam rock isn't really addressed, and classic rock radio staple Queen falls outside of Tow's scope.

But Tow's work here is a fun, quick, and engaging read that provides a new way of looking at events familiar to avid classic rock fans and a compelling description of the early development of the genre. It's a fine addition to the body of classic rock writing, and Tow has left himself a perfect opportunity to explore the further development of classic rock in 1970s London.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

For decades I've read about the English musicians from the rock era being influenced (and even thieving) music from American blues musicians. I always thought that was interesting and wondered how that music made it's way to England, entirely passing up the American market. Those British boys certainly found away to cover, and then innovate, to create their own genre of music and present it to the world! Shows what laissez faire parenting can do! Bravo Prof. Tow! Great story of how Rock came to be! Well researched and entertaining. Make a great gift for the rock fan (in other words, just about everyone!)
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Jon Chaisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly dry and academic in tone (though with a few amusing asides to keep it fun), but an otherwise engaging and insightful look into the evolution of the rock genre in 60s into early 70s London. Specifically, Tow focuses on the blues influence in the UK and how it informed and inspired those bands we now know as classic rock.

Side note: I found it interesting and intriguing that from the outset, Tow says this book will *not* be about the Beatles' influence, except in certain circumstances where they were a direct and major influence. There are many nods to them throughout, but they are treated just as any other band, and given a small but considerable section in one of the chapters.

[Molly Sinderbrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

To start, I really enjoyed this book. I can’t emphasize that enough. I gave it three stars because I was trained as an academic and there were a few things about it that could have been a lot better:
1. The argument was strong in the beginning, showing that London was at the center of what would become classic rock. By the end, it became less argument and more description of what was happening in London, which was less interesting. Description is not argument. Plus, there was no rejection of counter arguments, which is important. The examples seem cherry-picked.
2. Where were the women? I understand that women were mostly locked out of the music industry as artists, but they were the key consumers. Overall, there were gender issues that were not addressed. However, race and class issues were addressed, which was nice to see.
3. If you think Led Zeppelin is the Platonic Form of classic rock, you will probably agree with everything in this book. If you’re more into Grateful Dead or Lynyrd Skynyrd, you probably won’t be convinced.
4. London invented Beatlemania! That would have been good support for the argument/narrative. But instead the Beatles were seen as separate from the London scene.

Overall, I would have liked more on the pre-1967 part and less about the folk, prog, and blues divide. But the pre-1967 stuff was excellent. I learned so much. Thank you, Mr Tow, for a fun and fascinating read.

[Patricia R Olkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite a wonderful little book. No pretentious ten-dollar words or deep philosophical musings, just the facts presented college-professor style because that's what the author does for a living. It's not only a fascinating treatise on the birth and evolution of rock music in England, but it's also jam-packed with all sorts of interesting trivia. For instance, did you know that Hilton Valentine came up with the opening arpeggio for House Of The Rising Sun after hearing the 1957 hit Diana by Paul Anka? I live for this stuff. It's a terrifically entertaining and educational book for music history buffs. I recommend it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent analysis of key connections no rock historian I've read ever emphasized as he shoukd. Or she. First, how Peggy Seeger laughed at Leadbelly covers attempted by Cockney (or schoolboys pretending to be) lads. The debate in the pub created a few British musicians committed to deliver their kingdom's own songs, in the revival and revitalization of their native folk traditions, in turn enriching rock. Creating forces such as the Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Strawbs, and indirectly, the lineups of Yes and in turn, expanding progressive bands' ambitions as they matured out of the blues scene to create a sophisticated repertoire inspired by classical, avant-garde, and Europeans.

Meanwhile, the burst of homegrown R+B as well as blues fanatics turned players spun into groups as varied as Pink Floyd, The Move, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, the Nice, and Humble Pie. Tow locates the intersection where late Sixties eclectic scenesters were open to their London experiences in a literal warren of underground clubs. While lots of the firsthand detail emerges in fits and starts, he does convey the necessary backdrop for the overly familiar Beatles-Stones-Dylan-Jimi superstars.

He shows how the bands and singers relegated to supporting cast, such as Tony Cox, Fleetwood Mac's frontmen and Peter Frampton in their pre-1976 stage, Free, Sandy Denny, The Animals, and especially the mid-period Yardbirds post-Clapton exemplified the talents who came from jazz, skiffle, pop, or just middling around. By happenstance or determination, these quite engaging players contributed to music that stands up surprisingly well compared to the hits and "classic rock" that for this reader loses its lustre by five or six decent at least of donate rotation.

Good as the chart busters may prove, those who share the interests Tow and I seem to may benefit from turning on the less-worn-out tunes, and exposing to (alas) younger generations the fun of its best creations. But I don't need Smoke on the Water, Professor Tow's excursus aside, to get played for the 3452nd time. Although his history courses with guest lecturers from the likes or at least the pals of such lineuls as razy World of Arthur Brown, Bonzo Dogs, or Small Faces must be a blast. It's a sometimes repetitive narrative, but it's useful as a.memory aid to compile your own playlists, and seek out innovative thinkers and entertainers from the fringes.

[Jennifer Ozawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks a lot about the foundations of sixties rock: American blues and folk music but very little about the musicians who created rock n roll as we know it. If you’ve read any books about Led Zeppelin or the Stones, you’ve read what’s in this book, basically.