the hype about Energy Flash / Generation Ecstasy by Simon Reynolds
"An exceptional book. Reynolds has tracked the unfolding sounds and rituals of 'the (al)chemical generation' so comprehensively that he virtually obviates the need for any further literature on the period"--MOJO
"The enthusiasm, passion and knowledge...seeps out of every page, as
Reynolds diligently traces the development of a local scene which
became an international industry. But unlike the rest of dance culture
analyses, Reynolds sidelines the clubs'n'drugs and concentrates on the
music."--THE FACE/ #6 in THE FACE 's TOP 10 BOOKS OF 1998
"Yields new insights across 424 sharply funny, accessible pages. A great achievement from a world class writer."---iD
"BOOK OF THE MONTH... The triumph of Reynolds' history of the
scene is its ability to cast him as both a die hard convert and a
detached critic.....For a culture that relishes its pose of amnesia, Reynolds covers its incandescent memories, and in so doing, he makes its flesh become
word."--ARENA
" BOOK OF THE MONTH/* * * * *..... Reynolds is the Greil Marcus of rave... As did Marcus, Reynolds--cool intellect and passionate advocate--manages to expose and explain yet retain a mystical awe for his subject..." ---UNCUT
"BOOK OF THE MONTH.... The first incisive attempt at detailing the
post-Ecstasy scene's unending proliferation of sub-genres and new
styles." -- SELECT
"A classic chronicle of the Nineties rave movement... Striking and well-reported" -- ROLLING STONE
"An important cultural critique, a detailed record that brings us up to date on a dynamic social experiment in progress" -- THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
"Lucid, comprehensive, and smart.... the best available way into what has always been a closed-to-the-grownups world."--VILLAGE VOICE
"An impressively detailed and well-informed chronology of the last decade's transatlantic nightclub soundtrack"---NEWSDAY
".... One of this country's finest and most intellectually engaging music
journalists.... Reynolds has a seemingly inexhaustible reserve of
enthusiasm for his subject that is ultimately infectious. He's a writer
who manages to transmit the excitement he feels about the music into
his prose--a rare gift, and one that makes him incessantly rewarding to
read." -- THE INDEPENDENT
"Crucially, Reynolds concentrates every bit as much on the music itself... as on the culture of people, places and events... a strong enough mix of insider's insight and cool critical analysis to make a very readable book as fascinating and informative as it is enthusiastic and entertaining." --- Q
