Simon Reynolds Book order (chronological)

A collection of writing by Simon Reynolds, centred on music that seemed, in its moment, to prefigure the Future

Kniha zkoumá divokou dobrodružnou hudbu vzniklou po punku. Renomovaný hudební novinář Simon Reynolds oslavuje futuristického ducha kapel jako Joy Division, Gang of Four, Talking Heads a Devo, které přinesly inovace v hudbě, textech, vystoupeních a stylu, a to i s nástupem videa v osmdesátých letech, například v synth popu Human League, Depeche Mode či Soft Cell, jejichž úspěch souvisel s MTV. Celou knihou se prolíná téma návaznosti na punkovou explozi, přičemž důležitější než samotný hudební styl je punkový étos a snaha vymanit se z konvencí hudebního byznysu. Diskutuje se o možnosti nahrazení výrazu post punk termínem nová vlna, známějším pro české pamětníky, avšak narazí se na významná ale. Například industriální kapely či newyorské no wave se těžko zařadí pod novou vlnu. Představa novovlňáků jako fešných mládenců s dlouhými patkami a synťáky je v kontrastu s jinými směry. Dnes se běžně mluví o postpunkovém revivalu, zatímco termín novovlnný revival se téměř nepoužívá. A nakonec, je to jedno – zda držíte v ruce knihu o post punku nebo nové vlně.

The book delves into the vibrant GLAM movement that emerged in the wake of the sixties, highlighting its impact on music and culture across the Atlantic. It features iconic artists like Bowie, Bolan, and Alice Cooper, examining the era's distinctive sounds, flamboyant styles, and gender-fluid politics. Reynolds not only traces the evolution of glam through the early seventies but also connects its legacy to contemporary influences in hip hop and pop, including Lady Gaga and the cultural reverberations following David Bowie's death.

The first book to make sense of 21st Century pop, Retromania explores rock's nostalgia industry of revivals, reissues, reunions and remakes, and argues that there has never before been a culture so obsessed with its own immediate past. Pulling together parallel threads from music, fashion, art, and new media, Simon Reynolds confronts a central paradox of our era: from iPods to YouTube, we're empowered by mind-blowing technology, but too often it's used as a time machine or as a tool to shuffle and rearrange music from yesterday.We live in the digital future but we're mesmerized by our analogue past.

In this, the first book to take a big-picture view of the entire post punk period, acclaimed author and music journalist Simon Reynolds recreates a time of tremendous urgency and idealism in pop music.

If you've ever wanted to feel happier, this is the book for you. It's packed with powerful techniques to increase your happiness and help you get maximum joy out of life. Backed by extensive research, this book explores the new field of Positive Psychology, which shows that anyone can be happier by following a series of simple, specific actions. Renowned advertising executive Siimon Reynolds has spent the last 20 years studying happiness. Here, he shares many techniques which are easy to try and potentially life-changing. Why fall back on chocolate when you can experience bliss?

Explores the popularity of electronic dance music and the culture surrounding it, focusing on the fad of midnight-to-dawn revels, known as "raves," which offers a Dionysian world of dance, drugs, and debauchery

This compelling book offers an important insight into the way organisations implement policies, systems and procedures to prevent future disasters occurring.

"For decades, biologists and behavioral scientists have been uncovering methods of improving a person's mood in minutes. But then findings were available only in scientific journals and reports - until now. Drawing on a unique combination of visualization, neurology, spirituality, and biochemistry, this remarkable guide provides six simple steps that elevate your mood instantly and, if practiced overtime, lastingly. Become Happy in Eight Minutes will help you unleash the happiness power of your thymus gland, find out how your breathing can influence your state of mind, improve your mood with a simple glass of fruit juice, unlock the secrets of a focused brain, discover the body movements that will actually have you feeling happier, and more."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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.