Books and Miscellaneous Reviews

Japrocksampler.

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Topic: Japrocksampler.

Posted By: gr8dane
Subject: Japrocksampler.
Date Posted: July 06 2008 at 08:32

By Julian Cope.

Very interesting read about the music scene in Japan late 60ies to mid 70ies.

Had no idea that there was an underground music scene there, that was very influenced by the west,

and turned into their own crazy style.

With history leading up to this space of time following the second world war and the Americanisation

of Japan.

How bands like the Shadows Beatles and the like inspired bands.

Julian Cope also wrote Krautrocksampler which I do not have.

But I read Cope's own biography Head-on/Repossession,which is very entertaining as well.

Replies:

Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: July 06 2008 at 11:31

Tell us more about the book please.

Is there anything about prog in it?

What is the style of writing/presentation?

Posted By: gr8dane
Date Posted: July 06 2008 at 13:47

Hi.

Not prog really,but avant/jazz/rock.

But there are many band bios and album reviews and his top-50.

Many of these sounds like they could be interesting for a progger.

Favorable reviews on

http://www.amazon.com - www.amazon.com

and maybe not so favorable on

http://www.amazon.co.uk - www.amazon.co.uk

I just found it an interesting and entertaining read about a scene I had no clue about.

Highly recommended.

Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: July 07 2008 at 14:08

Very good book,fun to read:Flower Travellin Band kicks asses!!!!Hiro Yanagida is good.A path through

haze is awesome with Kimio Muzitani on John Mc Laughlin mode.Excellent introduction to a rather obscure

musical movement.I also own Krautrocksampler,another killer.Julian Cope is a fine author.

-------------
I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world

of searchers with the help from

crimson king

Posted By: Neu!mann
Date Posted: July 15 2008 at 10:02

Side note for anyone interested:

Cope's twin memoirs (Head On/Reposessed) are both excellant (and often very funny) slice-of-life portraits of the punk/post-punk era in Liverpool and London.

Although hardly a prog rocker, Cope mentions his youthful affection for the music of Can, Faust, Peter Hammill and Van Der Graf Generator...and at one point shares a bizarre Magma anecdote.

Does anyone know if his earlier Krautrocksampler book is available anywhere (in the English language!)..?

Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: July 15 2008 at 12:19

As a french man,I don't know but I hope so because you would miss something huge.Thanks for the suggestion.Regarding Cope's feelings about prog,one could say he really don't like it but this man is so smart and funny that his books are excellent.

-------------
I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world

of searchers with the help from

crimson king

Posted By: Neu!mann
Date Posted: July 16 2008 at 08:45

Agreed. Cope has no use for the mainstream prog of YES or GENESIS, but has a keen appreciation for all forms of avant-rock, and a genuine love for the transcendental power of music...

By the way, I just discovered a downloadable (English language!) copy of his Krautrocksampler--the 1996 2nd edition. Some kind soul apparently scanned the entire book in .pdf form on his own website. Here's the link:

http://blog.swanfungus.com/2006/10/krautrocksampler.html - http://blog.swanfungus.com/2006/10/krautrocksampler.html

The book is long out of print, does that mean the copyright has expired? Anyway, don't say where you heard about it...