Iggy Pop once remarked about women: "However close they come I'll always pull the rug from under them. That's where my music is made." This sentiment reflects rock 'n' roll's long-standing fear and loathing of the feminine. The book explores rock rebellion through a gender lens, revealing a paradox: the music often feels most exhilarating when it embraces misogyny and machismo. It provocatively questions whether this need be the norm. Balancing a fan's excitement with a critic's awareness of troubling undercurrents, the narrative examines iconic male figures like the Stones and Sex Pistols, who break free from familial ties, and the brotherhood of The Clash, Public Enemy, and U2. It also delves into the fantasies of supermen represented by Led Zeppelin, Jim Morrison, Nick Cave, and gangsta rap. The authors dissect the psychedelic tradition's longing for a return to the womb, featuring artists like Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and Brian Eno. In parallel, the book uncovers the history of female rebellion in rock, highlighting figures such as Kate Bush, Siouxie, and Grace Jones, alongside the demystifiers of femininity like the Slits and Riot Grrl, as well as tomboy rockers L7 and confessional artists like Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell. This blend of music criticism, cultural studies, and gender theory positions the work as a crucial text in the women-in-rock discourse.
Joy Press Books
In "Sex Revolts" hinterfragen Joy Press und Simon Reynolds die männlich dominierte Rockszene und die Marginalisierung von Künstlerinnen. Sie analysieren Frauenbilder in der Musikgeschichte und beleuchten die Beiträge von bedeutenden Performerinnen und Feministinnen. Die deutsche Ausgabe enthält exklusive Kapitel über feministische Revolten seit 1995.