When Surface Was Depth: Death by Cappuccino and Other Reflections on Music and Culture in the 1990's

by Michael Bracewell

He's the only person to whom The Velvet Underground ever played as an audience of one, the first British writer to talk to Patti Smith after her seventeen-year hiatus from rock. One reviewer hailed his previous book England is Mine as "surely the strangest and most beautiful book on pop music ever written." Greil Marcus said that even the "merely superb" passages of that book read like "intellectual sunrises," calling the work "intoxicated and intoxicating." The author in question is Michael Bracewell, celebrated surveyor of the punk and rock scenes. Now, through funny, engaging, and occasionally devastating essays about his experience in the thick of the music scene of the 1990s, Bracewell tackles a decade where Greed became disguised as Attitude, where a "cozy, urban feelgood fable" replaced punk, and where the role of anxiety, so intrinsic to the culture and music of the 1980s, was swapped for a shallow "I feel your pain" sensibility. Read When Surface Was Depth and discover why Time Out has called Michael Bracewell, in a word, "terrific."

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Essays

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one can gather by now, I have become a fan of Michael Bracewell. Probably because I share certain obsessive interests with him. Which is basically British pop culture. But since he's British, he has sort of an inside view of that world.

"When Surface Was Depth" is about the 1990's. One may think "what was exactly the 1990's? For me a walk in the fog, but things were happening in the UK in 'sort' of a big way. London was back to the 1960's with bands like Oasis, Blur, and even Pulp (my favorite) using 60's references and sources. Also there is an excellent piece on Morrissey in the book as well.

Bracewell, the great social critic that he is, covers music, literature, a touch of film (great interview with Michael Caine) and a lot of observing how the 1960's had a major stylish affect on 1990's GB. So the 90's really didn't do anything new, but just became aware of its shortcomings and financial success. The duality of the times. Excellent book.

[Sophy H · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eugh, pedantic, pretentious prick!

When someone has a serious hard-on for the word zeitgeist and uses it on literally every other page, you know they're an arsehole!

This book is total tosh. Music and culture in the 1990's?!!! Apart from fleeting snide mentions of Oasis, Blur, Pulp and the Spice Girls, the author then "reflects" on anything but the 1990's! Patti Smith, Yoko Ono, and obscure members of punk clash groups! He veers from denigrating "popular culture" to ruminating sycophantically about bands, cultures, literature he obviously likes, so long as it has the word zeit fucking geist in the title!!!!

Just an abomination of a book that is mislabelled, mismarketed, and full of over-inflated, bombastic rhetoric.

If you have a genuine interest in the 1990's, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!! It sucks!!!!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really perfect. One of the greatest books I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

[Rowena Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting. I came of age at the beginning of the 90s so this was of particular interest to me. He interviews 90s figures such as Tracey Emin and Ulrika Jonsson and Alexander McQueen. Felt like his thesis got slightly muddled by the end but, still, a worthwhile read, very readable and well written.

[Pim]

great title doesn't really live up to its expectations - it's not the all-encompassing story of the 90s i thought it would be. but still a lot of interesting insights in music, fashion, consumer culture, societal changes.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not as good as the author thinks it is and he has a very high opinion of his talents. Maybe it read better when first published. It didn't read well nine years ago and I can't imagine it has improved in the meantime.