Book Review: Rock ‘n’ Roll London by Tony Barrell*

‘Rock ‘n’ roll London’ is written by Tony Barrell, with photographs from a range of sources, and recently published in paperback by ACC Art Books. The book is a guide to the city’s musical heritage and part of a new series from the publisher, exploring London culture – joined by Vinyl London, Art London, Writers’ London and London Peculiars.

Despite thriving music scenes in many cities around the U.K., London has long been seen as the focal point for British music.

Some of its’ landmarks are renowned – the Abbey Road zebra crossing, Hyde Park, famous for its’ free concerts  – but others are anonymous, plaque-less or even disappeared. This book acts as a guide to some of the well-known and less familiar musical locations of the capital. Perusing its’ pages whilst travelling around the city allows music fans to uncover the, sometimes secret, rock ‘n’ roll histories from across London.  For those hoping to listen to some Beatles songs, can visit Beatles Tour London to find out more about the show and ticket prices.

What I thought of the book

‘Rock ‘n’ roll London’ is a great premise for a guide book, promising music fans the chance to look at some of the capital’s streets and buildings in a new way, and discover their links to famous musicians who have found fame and fortune in the city.

The book is divided into four sections: Life & Death; Meetings & Happenings; Performances and Recordings. Within the sections, London is split into the five basic areas of Central, North, South, East & West. Musicians and relevant addresses from each area are then listed, alongside information about the event – or events (houses owned by rock stars seem to attract drama and tragedy) – which happened there. The photography – although sparse – is good quality, compliments the book and gives context to some of the events described. Pages on London’s lost clubs, magazines and shops are also interspersed throughout as mini-guides to the alternative spaces occupied by music lovers.

This format makes the book an interesting read to dip into at home, as each listing gives the reader a new nugget of information about a musician, producer or someone linked to the industry.

However, if the book is going to be used as a travel guide, I think a contents page would be an invaluable addition. As a fan of, for example, Amy Winehouse, it would be beneficial to be able to easily find all of the locations linked to her in the book, mark them and then travel around London to find them. Alternatively, if the reader was in South London, they might prefer to visit several of the locations in that area, regardless of which section of the book they appear in. A contents listing would help here too. As the guide often refers to relatively nondescript residential addresses, readers unfamiliar with London would also benefit from using a map of the city alongside it.

Once the reader has become comfortable with the format of the book, the amount of research which it has involved becomes apparent. Here are nuggets of information which an internet search would not provide, and background knowledge which links properties; gives a contemporary update to the happenings of the 1960s and 70s or provides social and cultural background to the addresses. For example, did you know that Mama Cass of The Mamas and The Papas and The Who drummer Keith Moon were both 32 when they died at the same address four years apart, and that the flat was owned by singer Harry Nilsson? This is the level of detail found in ‘Rock ‘n’ roll London’, across a range of artists’ lives. In particular, fans of The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix could piece together a comprehensive history of the musicians in the city from these pages. The work involved makes it clear that Tony Barrell is a music fan and thoroughly enjoyed compiling this book. As a result, music – and especially music trivia – fans will enjoy reading and using it.

How much is the book and how can you buy it?

 The paperback with flaps edition of ‘Rock ‘n’ roll London’ by Tony Barrell retails for £15.00.

It can be purchased from ACC Art Books via this link.

About the author (from ACC Art Books)

Tony Barrell is a pop historian, journalist, editor and Londoner, who has spent much of his life interviewing musicians. He has written many major articles for ‘The Sunday Times’ – for which he was Chief Sub-Editor – and other publications. His 2017 work ‘The Beatles on the Roof’ was the first book to be published about the Fab Four’s famous 1969 rooftop concert. He has also written Born to Drum: The Truth About the World’s Greatest Drummers, a book featuring interviews with 40 professional drummers, including Phil Collins (Genesis), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) and Debbi Peterson (The Bangles).

About the book
Title: Rock ‘n’ roll London
Author: Tony Barrell
Publisher: ACC Art Books
ISBN: 978-1788840163
Trim Size: 210mm x 150mm
Pages: 160 pages, including 21 colour and 13 black & white photographs

Review by: Sharon Corbally

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