cover image The Encyclopedia of Punk

The Encyclopedia of Punk

Brian Cogan, , intro. by Penelope Spheeris. . Sterling, $24.95 (390pp) ISBN 978-1-4027-5960-4

Fans can load up their coffee tables this fall with music-themed books.

The Encyclopedia of Punk Brian Cogan , intro. by Penelope Spheeris. Sterling , $24.95 (400p) ISBN 978-1-4027-5960-4

While a “punk encyclopedia” seems like an oxymoron, music writer and musician Cogan nicely succeeds in producing a “useful resource” illustrating “the urgency and importance of punk rock” from its mid-1970s start to “the movement's vitality in the present day.” A plethora of great photos—from the Clash and the Sex Pistols to newcomers Groucho Marxists and the Shemps—accompany knowledgeable, fascinating and fast-paced entries that illuminate punk bands' struggle to survive (the Ramones were paid only $5,000 for their starring role in Rock 'n' Roll High School in 1979) while avoiding being co-opted by the mainstream music biz. (Nov.)