This intriguing and interesting book by author Andy Francis entitled “When Punk Rocked” is basically a timeline in words and pictures that chronicles the rise and fall of punk rock and its mutation into New Wave and so on. It takes you from ground zero, i..e the emergence of the style and genre in 1976, to the year 1981 when things were gradually changing both within the punk rock milieu and society as a whole. The quality of punk rock as well as its innovative and pioneering spirit were on the decline in the early 80s and the photos contained within this book also capture that aspect of the whole thing. Packed full of great photos that display some of the most revered acts that turned punk rock into something special and timeless (The Damned, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Stranglers, etc.), it also lists some of the important and critical events in British history that took place at the time, which makes for a very interesting journey through history. By placing punk rock in a larger context, Francis manages to present a thought-provoking overview and understanding of the entire movement. The way in which those photos go hand in hand with the sparse bits of text is pretty neat in that Francis manages to evoke a sense and spirit of an era long gone. The historical facts relating to riots, strikes, violence, unemployment, politics, and so on an so forth, are either directly or indirectly related to punk rock and its message and content, so the idea of presenting a timeline such as this is a great idea. I especially love the photos of all those different gig and album flyers that are scattered throughout its pages. Great stuff!

This is indeed a very cool fly-on-the-wall portrait of an outstanding and quite special era in music history that those of us who were born in the 80s can only read and dream about. “When Punk Rocked” is perfect if you are in the mood for light reading and simply feel like glancing at some brilliant photos that perfectly encapsulate the spirit and feel of early punk rock. Better yet, dig out some of those albums of yours by The Damned, The Clash, or the Sex Pistols, put them on the stereo, and immerse yourself in this wicked book.

 

https://www.wymeruk.co.uk/when-punk-rocked-andy-francis.html