WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY BILLY BRAGG
Over the last seven decades, some of rock 'n' roll's most celebrated figureheads have flirted with the imagery and theatre of the Third Reich. From Keith Moon and Vivian Stanshall dressing in Nazi uniforms to Siouxsie Sioux and Sid Vicious brandishing swastikas in the height of punk, generations of performers have associated themselves in troubling ways with the aesthetics, mass hysteria, and even ideology of Nazism. Whether for shock value, stupidity, or a crude attempt at subversion, rock 'n' roll has indulged these associations in a way no other art form has.
But how responsible should fans, the media, and the music industry be for what has often seemed like a sleazy fascination with the eroticized perversions of a fascist regime?
In This Ain't Rock 'n' Roll, award-winning music historian Daniel Rachel navigates these turbulent waters with extraordinary delicacy and care, asking us to look anew at the artists who have defined us, inspired us, and brought us joy — and to consider why so many have been attracted to the imagery of a movement responsible for the worst atrocities of the twentieth century. Alongside a sensitive history of the Holocaust and an examination of its place in our cultural consciousness, Rachel raises essential questions about actions that are often overlooked or downplayed, without passing sweeping judgments or offering easy answers.
In doing so, he invites us to reevaluate the history of rock 'n' roll and sheds new light on the grim echoes of the Third Reich in popular culture and the legacy of twentieth (and twenty-first) century history as it shapes us today.
Pages: 368, Year of Publication: 1104, Dimensions: 15x15cm
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