Don’t Call It Hair Metal is a deep dive into the hard rock bands of the 1980s. The book contains a lot of interviews and content about what some who grew up in the 80s may consider to be legends. For me, I know of a lot of these bands but being just a kid in the 80s I don’t have that nostalgia/legend factor as I would if this was more 90s bands, but it was still an interesting read for me and kept my attention! If you were into the 80s scene then I think you’ll absolutely love everything this book has to offer. It’s also written by a musician and music teacher and I think that helps make it flow better as well.
I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A love letter to the hard-rocking, but often snubbed, music of the era of excess: the 1980s
There may be no more joyous iteration in all of music than 1980s hard rock. It was an era where the musical and cultural ideals of rebellion and freedom of the great rock ’n’ roll of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s were taken to dizzying heights of neon excess. Attention to songcraft, showmanship, and musical virtuosity (especially in the realm of the electric guitar) were at an all-time high, and radio and MTV were delivering the goods en masse to the corn-fed children of America and beyond.
Time hasn’t always been kind to artists of that gold and platinum era, but Don’t Call It Hair Metal analyzes the sonic evolution, musical diversity, and artistic intention of ’80s commercial hard rock through interviews with members of such hard rock luminaries as Twisted Sister, Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Ratt, Skid Row, Quiet Riot, Guns N’ Roses, Dokken, Mr. Big, and others.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review, Katie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the book!