"Like Punk Never Happened"

*searches for copy*

*in Vivian voice* BASTARD!

I can't find it! I just hope to heck it's only misplaced. But I think it's a text that would go down well on ILX in its happy embrace of pop as all-consuming entity and so forth.

This definitely would be, I think, up the alley of folks like Tim, Jess, Sterling, Tom, Nathalie, Nicole, Ally, Nitsuh, etc. And might Mr. Sinker and Dr. C and all them have any thoughts on Rimmer as a writer, maybe?

Boy George okayed Rimmer to work on the book but ended up not letting himself be directly interviewed for it, and in his autobiography slips in a couple of dismissive shots at Rimmer and his work. Which is a pity seeing that aside from Rimmer's amusing prediction at the end of where the four band members would end up, it's such a wonderful take on pop and its mechanics. The chapter on the Japanese tour alone I think is some excellent writing, straight up.

American Hardcore is way less opinionized and takes on the whole country, like the Big Boys in TX and DK in San Fran, et. all.

Dance of Days is really good until the halfway point, where it turns into a giant suckle on Ian Mackaye's twig'n'berries.

rimmer is a nice man, also

As a followup read, I'd suggest Chris Heath's first Pet Shop Boys bio, Literally, which is also really funny and smart and also concerns itself with much of the same stuff (and which I also haven't read in ages so can't be any more specific than that!).

I'd like to hear more about Rimmer's other book...also, to anyone's knowledge does he still do any pop writing?

I agree (in general, I mean, not necessarily about that piece which I don't remember if I've read), and I think that's the nail on the head about why he's good. Without coming across as a sycophant, he genuinely seems to enjoy focusing on what makes a particular performer successful or interesting or weird or whatever. He "exposes" people in the best way, kind of how a good photographer does.

both great