Don't Call It Hair Metal: Art in the Excess of '80s Rock

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

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 hasnt always been kind to artists of that gold and platinum era, but Dont Call It Hair Metal analyses 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.

Reviews

"Everything you want to know but were afraid to ask about what went on behind the scenes in the evolution of heavy metal is well accounted for in Sean Kelly's Don't Call It Hair Metal. This book is great at delving into the origin of many famous bands from the 70's onward, and the reasons why they've kept at it throughout the years." -- Absolute Underground Magazine

Author Bio

Sean Kelly has performed with Nelly Furtado, Lee Aaron, Coney Hatch, Helix, Gilby Clarke, Trapper, Rough Trade, and Crash Kelly. In 2015, he performed in Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider's Rock & Roll Christmas Tale. Kelly is a music teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.