A review by ericabasnicki
Mars by 1980: The Story of Electronic Music by David Stubbs

3.0

I loved the breadth of artists covered, and the introduction to so many that are new to me. Unfortunately, the writing was, too often, sloppy. I get the distinct feeling this book was hastily put together, with not enough time to give it a proper edit. Or maybe I’m just not a fan of this kind of describe-it-in-every-kind-of-metaphor-possible style of music writing. And my head hurts from being bashed with the hammer that is Stubbs’ disdain for Margaret Thatcher’s politics (which is fair enough but I think she gets name-dropped more than half the artists profiled). Still, it’s a treasure trove of sonic delights to be explored, and maybe that’s the better way to take in this book: Read a little bit, stop, and listen.