Saturday, July 30, 2011

"Love Goes To Buildings on Fire" by Will Hermes

"Love Goes to Buildings On Fire" is not only one of my favorite songs by Talking Heads, but it's also a very warm and fascinating book by Will Hermes.  Focusing on the years 1973 to 1977, in New York City, is a combination social history and a love message to the artists of that era - who really defined NYC as a creative force.  A place that touched greatness from George Maciunas (one of the founders of Fluxus) to Patti Smith to Grandmaster Flash to New York Dolls to Philip Glass to Richard Hell to Suicide to Bruce Springsteen to....and beyond.

The first "other" book one would think of is "Please Kill Me," but this is different because Hermes pulls the camera back to expose all that was happening in NYC in those years.  So here you get a mixture of Salsa, disco, punk, and avant-garde jazz/classical artists.  Great snapshot of a particular time and thank (whoever) there are at least recordings that still exist.   And yeah, this book as well.

Oh and this is a galley, and the book is coming out sometime in November 2011.

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