Hermes’ lengthy and detailed tome reads a bit like the proto-punk diary From the Velvets to the Voidoids except that it covers virtually all of New York City’s then burgeoning musical styles between 1973 and 1977.
Thus, we not only get the well-documented (but still fascinating to this writer) stories of the early CBGBs scene (Television, Richard Hell, The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, etc.) as is expected of a book taking its title from a Talking Heads song, but also comprehensive looks at salsa stars like Eddie Palmieri and Willie Colon, loft jazz,the birth of hip-hop (starring Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Flash and others) early minimalists like Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Rhys Chatham and the early disco/dance underground as well. The book also traces the careers of more mainstream artists like Bruce Springsteen and KISS as well. This sounds like a tall order, but amazingly it works because of Hermes’ knowledge of and enthusiasm for all of these disparate genres and styles. Hermes is able to relate all of these genres not just to each other, but to the time period and perhaps most importantly, to their (and his own) New York City origins as well. If there is one thing I’d change about this book, it’s the slightly personal slant he takes when describing his teen and young adult years growing up in Queens, taking in some of the action going on then in Manhattan but not being able to be fully engaged in it. While I appreciate his point-of-view, the stories of the music told here provide enough worthwhile material.
