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The Last Party: Britpop, Blair and the demise of English rock
£11.70£14.20 (-18%)
Beginning in 1994 and closing in the first months of 1998, the UK passed through a cultural moment as distinct and as celebrated as any since the war. Founded on rock music, celebrity, boom-time economics and fleeting political optimism – this was ‘Cool Britannia’. Records sold in their millions, a new celebrity elite emerged and Tony Blair’s Labour Party found itself, at long last, returned to government. Drawing on interviews from all the major bands – including Oasis, Blur, Elastica and Suede – from music journalists, record executives and those close to government, The Last Party charts the rise and fall of the Britpop movement. John Harris was there; and in this gripping new book he argues that the high point of British music’s cultural impact also signalled its effective demise – If rock stars were now friends of the government, then how could they continue to matter?
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Additional information
| Publisher | Harper Perennial, Revised ed. edition (26 Feb. 2010) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 480 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0007134738 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0007134731 |
| Dimensions | 20.29 x 12.7 x 2.69 cm |
by P. Biggs
I did like this book, just like all the Britpop nostalgia media that is coming out currently, hence why I’ve found this one now. Naturally I’m seeing bits missing and an over indulgence of some bands, just like at the time!
Good luck to the wealth of current bands in the UK now who do not have a non-internet dominant nasty cynical press to construct a movement for them.
And publish a bigger version! It seems like a sick joke to have such a small typeface for us 40/50/plus year olds!
by Mr. M. J. Tiller
As it happened. Probably the last great movement in British music.
by Laura H.
Great book and very well written and researched. It’s a brilliant step back in time to the good old days of britpop. It’s not just about the music it covers society, the political climate and culture it gives a great look into what Britain was like in the 90s and what happened after those days, the fall of it all in the early 2000s it looks at events both from at the time and retrospectively. If you want to know about the music, culture, politics and society in those times it is perfect.
It includes all the major players like oasis, blur, tony Blair etc and important events that may now seem small but made a massive impact at the time & to how things evolved eg Noel Gallagher, Damon albarn going to No 10 to meet tony Blair, Noels Union Jack guitar & Geri’s Union Jack dress. The football culture and the whole britpop culture.
It’s a must for fans of oasis, blur, pulp, and britpop in general but also for people interested in sociology, culture, the changing face of Britain from 90s to early 2000s and good memories for those who were there and to show those who weren’t there what it was like to be there.
by Adam
Great book but the text is that small it gives me a headache reading it. Perhaps I am getting old (45). Think I will return it and seek out the hardback in the hope the text is larger.
by dontudare
It’s fairly well written, but Harris’ insistence that Elastica were somehow a major player in Britpop is just bizarre. Also he really doesn’t like Oasis, and that’s fine but it doesn’t make for balanced reading.
by Maria Paz Coe
Great book, highly recommended for A level politic students.
by jonnyrichardson
So engrossing. Harris captures the the turbulence of the epoch, British artist’s opposition to the Americanisation of the UK music scene, the surreal highs and lows of the Britpop years and the politicians who exploited a cultural phenomena.
by Loretta Briggs
Great condition!