Retro Man Blog & Retrosonic Podcast's Favourite Books of 2024

 

Here's a selection of twelve of our favourite books published this year, please click on the highlighted links throughout the feature below for more information.

1. "Street Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence" by Will Hodgkinson

Jarvis Cocker interviews Author Will Hodgkinson and Lawrence (Felt, Denim, Go-Kart Mozart, Mozart Estate about the book at Foyles, London - Photo by Retro Man Blog

2. "Too Much Too Young: The 2 Tone Records Story" by Daniel Rachel

Author Daniel Rachel (centre) with Pauline Black of The Selecter and Bedders of Madness at the book launch event, South Bank Centre London - Photo by Retro Man Blog

3. "A Taste of Ink, The Prisoners Sentenced By Their Fans" Edited by Elinor Crockford, Jeremy Stride, Thomas Buch & Michael Langer

Editors Jeremy Stride, Elinor Crockford, Michael Langer and Thomas Buch with their book before The Prioners reunion show at The Roundhouse - Photo by Retro Man Blog. You can check out a review of the gig and see more information on the book at our Retro Man Blog feature here.

4. "Forever Changes: The Authorised Biography of Arthur Lee and Love" by John Einarson

You can see our review with photos and videos of the Love Revisited with Johnny Echols "Forever Changes" gig at Shepherds Bush Empire here. Photo by Retro Man Blog

5. "Diminished Responsibility: My Life As a U.K. Sub and Other Strange Stories, Vol. 3" by Alvin Gibbs

Check out our review of "Diminished Responsibility Vol. 3 at Retro Man Blog here.

6. "In The Jingle Jangle Jungle: Keeping Time with The Brian Jonestown Massacre" by Joel Gion

7. "Sixteen Again: How Pete Shelley and Buzzcocks Changed Manchester Music (and Me)" by Paul Hanley

8. "Under A Rock: A Memoir" by Chris Stein of Blondie

9. "Folklore Rising: An Artist's Journey Through The British Ritual Year" by Ben Edge

Ben Edge at the screening of his documentary "Frontline Folklore" at the Garden Cinema, London - Photo by Retro Man Blog

10. "1967 - How I Got There and Why I Never Left" by Robyn Hitchcock

Robyn performing during the Q&A to promote "1967" at Foyles in London - Photo by Retro Man Blog

11. "Road Eyes 20:20 Vision, Photo Tales with The Clash & The Mescaleros" by Barry 'Scratchy Sounds' Myers

You can hear our Retrosonic Podcast special with Scratchy discussing the book and his time with The Clash and Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros below...

Retrosonic Podcast · DJ Scratchy Sounds: Photo Tales with The Clash & Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros

12. "Days In Europa" by Richard Jobson of The Skids

David Arnoff "Shot In The Dark" Book Resurrection Party at The Dublin Castle, Camden, Sunday March 19th 2023

Here are some photos from a thoroughly entertaining afternoon at the legendary music venue and pub The Dublin Castle in Camden, a suitably Rock 'n' Roll setting for the re-launch (or resurrection...) party to celebrate the new edition of "Shot In The Dark - The Collected Photography of David Arnoff" which is out now on Red Planet Books. David was there to sign copies and chat about his work, and there was a selection of iconic shots taken from the book on display, including superb photos of The Gun Club, Ramones, The Damned, Blondie, The Fuzztones, Thee Hypnotics, Television, The Cramps and many more. There was a DJ providing an excellent soundtrack to the book with loads of great CBGB's era-Punk Rock and classic tracks by some of David's many photographic subjects. I spotted some familiar faces in the crowd too, including members of Jim Jones All Stars, The Phobics, The Priscillas, The Charity Case and Gaye (Advert) Black among others. The new edition of "Shot In The Dark", which includes 16 extra images and a deluxe slipcase, is available to buy from Red Planet Books here. For more information on David and his photography, please check out his Instagram page here or his official web-site here.

All photos copyright Retro Man Blog, 2023

Retro Man Blog & Retrosonic Podcast's Best Compilations, Re-Issues, Box-Sets and Live Albums of 2022

Here's Retro Man Blog and Retrosonic Podcast's top 22 Reissues, Compilations, Box Sets and Live Album releases of 2022, we hope you enjoy this selection and if you do, please follow, like, subscribe to the Blog and Podcast and please support all the featured bands and artists. Thanks for all the support throughout the year!

1. That Petrol Emotion "Every Beginning Has A Future: An Anthology"'

2. The Liminanas "Electrified"

3. Blondie "Against The Odds"

4. The Courettes "Back In Mono: B-Sides & Outtakes"

5. Love "Expressions Tell Everything"

6. The Undertones "Dig What You Need"

7. The Gun Club "Preaching The Blues"

8. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros "1999-2002"

9. The Soundtrack of Our Lives "Homo Habilis Blues"

10. Fabienne Delsol "Between You And Me"

11. The Stranglers "The Men In Black In Tokyo" 

12. The Damned "AD 2022 Live at the Hammersmith Apollo"

13. Various Artists "Psychedelic Forest"

14. The Blue Aeroplanes "Swagger"

15. The Raveonettes "Whip It On/Chain Gang of Love"

16. BMX Bandits "Life Goes On"  

17. Giuda "Live at Punk Rock Raduno"

18. Various Artists "Jon Savage's 1977-1979: Symbols Clashing Everywhere"

19. March Violets "The Palace of Infinite Darkness"

20. Refused "The Shape of Punk To Come"

21. The Stranglers "Suite XVI"

22. Toyah "Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!"

Thanks to all contributors, bands, Podcast special guests and co-presenters, record labels and people who have shared and supported what we have done over the past year. Retro Man Blog and Retrosonic Podcast are an extension of the spirit of my old 1980's D.I.Y. cut 'n' paste fanzine Out of Step and are strictly non-profit without advertising or sponsorship, set up purely to promote music that we like. We hope you have discovered some exciting new music along the way, your support is very much appreciated. 

Bob Gruen & Leee Black Childers "Legendary Moments" Photo Exhibition at D'Stassi Art Gallery

Last night we went along to the D’Stassi Art Gallery in Hoxton, East London to check out the excellent new “Legendary Moments” exhibition which collates a mightily impressive collection of iconic musical images by Bob Gruen and Leee Black Childers. The exhibition is curated by Stephen Colegrave, the author of the superb “Punk!” book and Smutty Smith, the bass player with Levi & The Rockats who Childers discovered and managed. Smutty and Bob Gruen were both in attendance and were happy to chat about the various photos on display and give short presentations about the exhibition. Bob was also signing copies of the exhibition catalogue and other books of his including the autobiography “Right Place, Right Time: The Life of a Rock & Roll Photographer”. The attendees included members of Oh! Gunquit, The WitchDoktors, The Phobics, The Cannibals, Das Clamps along with Punk memorabilia collectors John Brett and Gary Loveridge and Neal X from Sigue Sigue Sputnik amongst others. The Exhibition runs until August 19^th 5:30pm-8pm at D’Stassi Art Gallery, 12/18 Hoxton Street (Access Via Drysdale Street) N1 6NG. Here’s more information from the D’Stassi web-site and then following that is a selection of my photos of the exhibition. Thank you to Michael Howes and Edward Sanders from D’Stassi for permission to photograph the evening.

Bob Gruen has flown over from New York to be part of his first major exhibition in the UK since 2014. Probably the best-known rock photographer of the 1970s who is still photographing bands today, his work spans Tina Turner to the Sex Pistols to John Lennon to Green Flag. As chief photographer for Rock Scene Magazine in the 1970s he captured behind the scenes moments of all the greatest rockstars of the time. This is a rare opportunity to meet Bob and get him to sign one of his books that will be on sale as well as his photos and ask him about the stories behind the pictures. Bob will be accompanied by Smutty Smith who knew Leee Black Childers, whose pictures are also part of the exhibition. Smutty was bass player for Levi and the Rockats which was managed by Leee. Smutty now manages the Leee Black Childers Estate for Leee’s brother Henry. He went to Texas and found the previously unseen negatives a selection of which are an important part of this exhibition. Every picture in the exhibition has its own unique story. Smutty and Bob can tell you the inside story and the secrets about the people who are depicted in these iconic shots. About a time when Rock Stars were free from social media and could be larger than life.

All Photos by Retro Man Blog - original material by Bob Gruen & Leee Black Childers.

The Art of The Button Badge: Blondie

When I first started up the Blog just over two years ago, it was really just meant to be somewhere to share some of my music related "stuff" such as Button badges, 7" Single picture covers, Gig tickets and Photos. I didn't really expect things to expand so quickly into doing Reviews and Podcasts and Gig promotions and such-like so I kind of lost touch with the original idea a bit. Hopefully I will get round to scanning and sharing some of my items soon, but in the meantime, Blog reader Marc Talbot kindly submitted some of his huge collection of Blondie badges. It's quite an impressive haul, so here is just a small part of it...

Marc has been collecting Blondie button badges for over 35 years and has amassed over 400 of his own and has scans of about 500 different designs. He is always looking to add to his collection and is considering setting up a web-site to share other badges, so if you have any spares for sale, swap or share then contact the Blog and I'll hook you up with Marc. All Badges and Photos contributed by Marc Talbot.