Still In A Dream – Simon Reynolds – Book Review

For those of us who lived through the late 80s and early 90s, it’s a bit disconcerting to see this period of music eulogised through multiple articles and books.  But every so often, a ‘must-read’ book emerges from this literary mountain, and Simon Reynolds, ex-Melody Maker journalist, has written a remarkably detailed account of what you might term alternative music.  It details everything that followed the post-punk era (1984), right up to the dawn of Britpop (1994) and hints at the post-rock scene, which was in its infancy.

It covers a lot of ground, from the Cocteau Twins, Smiths and R.E.M., through Pixies, Replacements and Spiritualized, before hitting on the shoegaze and grunge scenes of the early nineties.  Although an English journalist, he gives plenty of attention to American bands such as Throwing Muses, Dinosaur Jr., and Beat Happening.  Reynolds juxtaposes this with developments in world affairs.

There are some interesting stories from the perspective of somebody who was definitely there and most likely wore the t-shirt.  It’s one for the music nerds, but it’s written with a real sense of joy.  Even the most ardent student of this period will surely not be familiar with everything here; there’s plenty of scope to learn. Though I’m hard pushed to remember the Arsequake scene!  The author references and agrees somewhat with fellow journalist David Stubbs’ assertion that 1988 was the greatest ever year in rock history, a bold claim largely built around Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation, and considering the year predates Madchester, grunge, shoegaze, etc.

It’s an extraordinarily detailed work, nostalgia for a pre-Internet age.  It will be of interest to anybody interested in the music of the period.