 First edition | |
| Author | Steve Miller |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Rock and Roll |
| Genre | Music |
| Publisher | Da Capo Press |
Publication date | June 25, 2013 |
| ISBN | 978-0306820656 |
Detroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock 'n' Roll in America's Loudest City is a book by Steve Miller, a Michigan-based journalist. It chronicles Detroit bands from 1967 to the 2000s. The book's narrative is told through verbatim quotes. It was released on June 25, 2013 by Da Capo Press.
The 336-page book, which reached #5 on Amazon.com in the rock and roll Bestsellers category, is an oral history of Detroit rock and roll. It offers quotes from the rock stars, club promoters, fans, producers and others involved in the scenes. It chronicles the careers of '60s and '70s icons like Iggy & The Stooges, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and The MC5, but also tells of The Romantics, Negative Approach, Insane Clown Posse and The White Stripes. On July 17, 2013 White's Third Man Records in Nashville hosted a book-signing and discussion with the book's author Steve Miller and a panel of Detroit music insiders. [1]
The book features new interviews with guitar legends Ted Nugent, Dick Wagner (of The Frost) and James Williamson of The Stooges, among others. There is also exclusive interviews with Jack White, Suzi Quatro and Andrew W.K.
It tells of the psychedelic Grande Ballroom days and the Eastown Theater - where national superstar bands shared the stage with local acts. Other venues included are Michigan Palace, Bookies Club 870, City Club, Gold Dollar, and Magic Stick – all popular venues in the Detroit area.
To date, the book has received a largely positive response from critics, including favorable reviews from glossy rock magazine like Uncut Magazine and Mojo Magazine, among others. The Wall Street Journal critic David Kirby had this to say in a July 5, 2013 review: "We get a picture of a dysfunctional Detroit scene that, like a negative image, shows what is needed to make great, lasting art by depicting its opposite. That makes the book worth reading, if in a perverse way. [2]
On July 24, 2013 The Boston Globe posted a review saying, "This book is not for the squeamish. But if you truly love rock 'n' roll, you'll enjoy the ride." [3]
The Hollywood Reporter wrote this on July 23, 2013: "A punk rock overlap with "Please Kill Me" provides some of the book's most arresting passages with Motor City figureheads like Sinclair, The MC5's Wayne Kramer and head Stooge Iggy Pop, who poses front and center on the book's cover, providing insights, contexts and entertaining asides." [4] The review goes on to say that "the story bogs down" at points, and notes that the book ignores black artists, including "the Motown legends".
On June 21, 2013 The Austin Chronicle's Kevin Curtin commended the flow of the book: "With its scriptlike format, Detroit Rock City … makes you feel like you were in the scrum", [5] but pointed out the book "didn't draw any over-arching conclusions".
Record Collector reviewer Joel McIver, in the June 2013 issue, wrote this: "This book is for anyone who thinks that New York, Los Angeles and possibly Nashville are America's only musical capitals. After reading Detroit Rock City, you'll be convinced that Michigan's automotive metropolis has always outdone any other US hub ... Great job, Miller." [6]
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music criticism. The music critic Jim DeRogatis called him "America's greatest rock critic".
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, were an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave Alexander. Initially playing a raw, primitive style of rock and roll, the band sold few records in their original incarnation and gained a reputation for their confrontational performances, which often involved acts of self-mutilation by Iggy Pop.
James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Designated the "Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since.
Raw Power is the third studio album by American rock band the Stooges, released on February 7, 1973 by Columbia Records. The album departed from the "groove-ridden, feel-based songs" of the band's first two records in favor of a more anthemic hard rock approach inspired by new guitarist James Williamson, who co-wrote the album's eight songs with singer Iggy Pop. Though not initially commercially successful, Raw Power gained a cult following in the years following its release, and, like its predecessor Fun House (1970), is considered a forerunner of punk rock.
The music of Michigan is composed of many different genres. The city of Detroit has been one of the most musically influential and innovative cities for the past 50 years, whether in Michigan or anywhere else in the United States. Impressively, for 48 straight years (1959-2007) a greater Michigan-area artist has produced a chart-topping recording. Michigan is perhaps best known for three developments: early punk rock, Motown, and techno.
Fun House is the second studio album by American rock band the Stooges. It was released on July 7, 1970 by Elektra Records. Though initially commercially unsuccessful, Fun House developed a strong cult following. Like its predecessor and its successor, it is generally considered integral in the development of punk rock.
Sonic's Rendezvous Band was an American rock and roll band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, forming in 1974, featuring veterans of the 1960s Detroit rock scene.
Steve Mackay was an American tenor saxophonist best known for his membership in the Stooges. His performances are showcased on three songs on the band's second album, Fun House (1970).
Ben Blackwell is the creator and director of Cass Records, one of two drummers in the Detroit-based rock band the Dirtbombs, a music writer, and a vinyl record collector. He's a co-founder and minority owner at Third Man Records and the official archivist of the White Stripes.
James Robert Williamson is an American guitarist, songwriter, record producer and electronics engineer. He was a member of the iconic proto-punk rock band The Stooges, notably on the influential album Raw Power and in the reformed Stooges from 2009 to 2016. Between his stints in music, Williamson worked in Silicon Valley developing computer chips. Most recently he has continued as a solo artist.
Notre Dame High School was a Catholic, all–male, non–residential college preparatory school in the Detroit suburb of Harper Woods, Michigan. It was closed in 2005, with 295 students, after more than 50 years due to budget concerns, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit. The school had about 300 students at the time of closure, down from almost 1000 during its peak enrollment levels. It was founded in 1954 and operated by the Marist Fathers and Brothers, and the first class graduated in 1958.
Troy Gregory is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker, film composer, solo artist, and member of The Dirtbombs. For the albums Xaviera and Abracapocus he composed, produced, and performed all instruments by himself. He also creates his own album art and music videos. In 2010 he wrote, directed, edited, scored and acted in the film World War Love. Former acts he has worked with include Crime & the City Solution, Flotsam and Jetsam, Prong, Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, Kim Fowley, Andre Williams, Killing Joke, Electric Six, Nathaniel Mayer, The Volebeats, Spiritualized, Swans and Damo Suzuki.
Danny Fields is an American music manager, publicist, journalist and author. As a music industry executive from the 1960s to the 1980s, he was one of the most influential figures in the history of punk rock. He signed and managed Iggy and the Stooges, signed the MC5 and managed the Ramones, and worked in various roles with Jim Morrison, the Velvet Underground and the Modern Lovers. In 2014 The New York Times said, "You could make a convincing case that without Danny Fields, punk rock would not have happened."
Live in Detroit a 2004 DVD release of a live performance by the band The Stooges. The surviving original members of the Stooges reunited in 2003—nearly thirty years after they had disbanded—and scheduled a handful of live shows, including an August 14 concert in their hometown of Detroit. The gig was postponed due to a widespread North America blackout, but the band played at the DTE Energy Music Theatre eleven days later. The performance was released on DVD in March 2004.
The Fix was an early 1980s hardcore punk band from Lansing, Michigan, and one of the first bands to be signed to Touch and Go Records. There was also a short-lived punk band with the same name from Portland, Oregon who were together 1977 to 1979.
Russell Edward "Rusty Day" Davidson was a lead vocalist, best known for his work with Cactus, The Amboy Dukes, and Steve Gaines.
Detroit, Michigan, is a major center in the United States for the creation and performance of music, and is best known for three developments: Motown, early punk rock, and techno.
Steven Robert Miller is a Lansing, Michigan-based musician, journalist and author. His 2013 book Detroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock 'n' Roll in America's Loudest City reached No. 5 on Amazon in the rock and roll bestsellers category. His most recent releases include Murder in Grosse Pointe Park: Privilege, Adultery, and the Killing of Jane Bashara, a true crime title exploring the death of Jane Bashara, and Juggalo: Insane Clown Posse, Their Fans, and the World They Made, a detailed look at Insane Clown Posse and their dedicated fanbase.
Ready to Die is the fifth and final studio album by American rock band Iggy and the Stooges. The album was released on April 30, 2013, by Fat Possum Records. The album was the band's biggest success on the Billboard 200 chart, where it debuted at number 96.
The Punks were an American proto-punk band from Waterford, Michigan near Detroit, who were active from 1973-1977. They specialized in a hard-driving, sometimes thrashing sound that anticipated much mid-to-late 1970s punk rock and 1980s hardcore. The group came out of the last vestiges of the Detroit rock scene that produced bands such as MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and Death, and with these acts they formed a musical bridge between the garage rock bands of the 1960s and the later punk movement that emerged in New York and London during the mid-1970s. In 1977 they changed their name to the End and moved to New York with hopes of making their mark in the burgeoning punk rock scene there, but were unsuccessful, and broke up shortly thereafter. Though relatively unknown outside of Detroit and New York in their day, they have more recently garnered the interest and accolades of underground rock enthusiasts who consider them to be pioneers in the early development of punk rock. Parts of their song "My Time's Comin'" were used in the soundtrack of two March 2016 episodes of the television series, Vinyl, co-created by the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and director Martin Scorsese.