American Hardcore (Second Edition): A Tribal History

"American Hardcore: A Tribal History" is like a backstage pass to the wild world of hardcore punk, and it totally blew me away. Steven Blush breaks down the whole scene, from the gritty music to the hardcore lifestyle. It's not just about the tunes; it digs into the real-life stuff, the ups and downs, and the attitude that shaped a whole subculture. The stories and firsthand accounts make it feel like you're right there in the pit. If you want a no-nonsense, in-your-face look at the roots of hardcore, this book is it. Hardcore fan or not, it's a killer ride through a crucial piece of music history that's just too cool to miss.

I first purchased this book in 2001, a short while after it was originally published. It blew my mind with the coverage, well-known bands and forgotten regional bands, punk fashion, poster art, pretty much everything D.I.Y. I first was exposed to Hardcore in early 1982 and absorbed everything that I could about this fresh, exciting subculture that was perceived as a real threat to people back in the early 80's. The harassment I experienced was nothing compared with punks in large American cities at this time. The Quincy punk episode did alot of damage to the scene, portraying punks as psycho killers. That fact wasn't covered in the book, but it brings back memories of the time period. Anyways, the new, expanded version of AMERICAN HARDCORE is just as good, if not better than the original. LOTS of different pictures added, more gig flyers, as well as interviews with the Beastie Boys and Moby (Vatican Commandos) were added, which were not in the original book. Hats off to Steven Blush who worked so hard on this book and the expanded content he added. Whether you were there at the time to experience the original hardcore scene, or got into it after the fact, this is a must-have book that covers almost everything that was vital to that original time.

There's a ton of information in this book-sort of a U.S. equivalent of the UK "The Day The Country Died" book. Tons of bands, from the big names to the ultra-obscure acts. So much information that they couldn't fit into the movie (which is excellent also.) Highly recommended for fans of early 80's USHC.

This book is awesome. I read it cover to cover. I learned a lot about the start of hardcore punk. It only covers hardcore up to about 1986 though. I was disappointed to see that it didn't really get into the subgenres such as youth crew or powerviolence. However its a great book and will show you a lot about the OG's of hardcore. Also, I guarantee you'll find a new band through this.

THIS IS THE BIBLE OF INFORMATION ON AMERICAN HARDCORE PUNK. In writing my academic article on Hardcore I found every reference from other academics to even basic journals citied this book. It turns out there is a good reason for that! If you want info whatsoever on American Punk (but mostly the good stuff ;) ) THIS IS YOUR ONE STOP SHOP!

my friends and family are afraid of this book cover, so after I read it I made sure to display it on a shelf.

I have the hardback 1st Edition and, as a new Kindle user, I was glad to see the second edition on digits. More niche books need to go in this direction.

An entertaining history of one of the less well documinted cornors of punk rock. This book takes you back to the days when punk was still underground

Excellent book to dip into

Kurz und knapp: Klasse Buch über die "Entstehung" des Hardcore. Gute Idee des Autors, sich mit diesem Thema auseinander zu setzen...Empfehlenswert!!!

アメリカンハードコア－のことを知りたいと思ったら、一番最初に読むべき本です。先入観無しで、バンドの情報を入手できます。初期ハードコア－音源も再発されている現在、非常に便利なガイドブックです。

Si hay un libro importante en la historia del punk/hardcore es este tremendo análisis que Steven Blush recogió en "American Hardcore": libro que, por desgracia, todavía no se ha publicado en castellano. Cuatrocientas páginas trepidantes que pueden ser leídas y disfrutadas por cualquiera que tenga un inglés de nivel medio (¡no es James Joyce, claro!) y que terminan por convertirse en el mejor texto que se haya hecho sobre la escena del hardcore americano de los ochenta: por sus páginas aparecen nombres bastante conocidos como Black Flag, Social Distortion, Dead Kennedys, T.S.O.L, Hüsker Dü, Bad Religion o DRI, pero también otras bandas como Big Boys, Artificial Peace, Battalion of Saints, Rebel Truth, Toxic Reasons o Circle One. Aparte del innegable valor de su texto, una de las mejores cosas que tiene esta segunda edición de "American Hardcore" (ampliada y corregida, por cierto) es la gran cantidad de material gráfico que incluye: fotografías inéditas, fanzines, flyers, logos... Un libro apasionante para cualquier amante del punk y hardcore.

Such a great book with so much history. It's been slammed for leaving out a bunch of stuff, but really, how are you going to get EVERYONE? This second edition is a great addition to any book collection.