Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1443424 in Books
• Published on: 1994-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 276 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Certainly women have been slighted regarding recognition for their role in the development of rock 'n' roll. In the past, attention has been paid only to the loudest, most provocative acts-the Janis Joplins and the Patti Smiths. Today a woman in a band is less likely to be looked at as a freak, but any woman becomes a role model to a younger generation-whatever her private reasons for playing music. British rock journalist Evans has chosen to stay clear of the musical mainstream in this collection of profiles and personal recollections. Tori Amos, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Marianne Faithfull are the most well-known of the 14 women interviewed here. Most gripping is Throwing Muses' Kristen Hersh as she talks straight about her music and how it has been affected by her schizophrenia. Evans' editorial selections represent her personal music taste, but she does overlook some of the most influential women in the business, including such innovators and ground-breakers as Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), The Raincoats and Madonna, who are barely mentioned in passing. If the sense of history throughout is rather secondhand, the look at the future of rock 'n' roll that each woman offers may be enough to please die-hard fans.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Unlike the slew of articles and reviews done by men, this book, written by Liz Evans, puts a female focus on 14 of the "alternative" music industry's most influential and talented female musicians. Highlighting women with varying styles, from the lilting voice of Tori Amos to the loud, raucous style of Kat Bjelland Gray (Babes in Toyland), each chapter begins with a photo and a strong, feminist quote by the musician. Offering her own insightful perspective as an introduction to the musician, the author devotes the bulk of the book to letting the musicians tell the stories of their childhood, adolescence and musical background and triumphs. For anyone interested in the new breed of female musicians, this book crashes through the stained glass window the media uses to paint them pretty and sexy (and therefore harmless) to reveal the in-your-face reality of individual women with their own personalities-anger, insecurity and pain intact. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by KS

From the Publisher
The most creative and confrontational women on the alternative music scene speak out against the male-dominated rock 'n' roll arena and reveal their personal experiences and perspectives.

Customer Reviews

Best book for women in rock in the 90's
I got this a long time ago and was surprised that no one has reviewed this book, because its perfect. They have all the best women that were doing their thing as individuals in the 90's. It has Miki & Emma from Lush, Kat from Babes in Toyland, Kim Gordon, Toni from Curve and many others. This has first person accounts of these women in terms of how they saw themselves in the midst of the "women in rock" phenomenon during its heyday. Excellent book!!!