Comments on: Jesus of Cool: The Rock Yearbooks, 1981-89 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/ your daily dose of pop culture Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:40:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Sam http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-39916 Sam Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:07:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-39916 Haha... Awesome. Haha… Awesome.

]]> By: Sam http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12658 Sam Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:07:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12658 Haha... Awesome. Haha… Awesome.

]]> By: twostepcub http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12657 twostepcub Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:18:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12657 OMG! I like totally forgot about these books! (How 80's is that?)<br><br>Anyway, I had no idea anyone else besides myself in America knew what these books were. And I agree - I was captivated by the snark that was missing in the pandering Rolling Stone review (where it was more about how "cool" they thought the band was) or the total advertisement-style reviews in Billboard (they haven't gotten much better). <br><br>I'm going to have to dig through my basement to find them for a good laugh. The best was the "Worst album covers of the year" section. That always made me roll over in laughter.<br><br>Besides, where else could you learn about Orange Juice, the Smiths, and Kim Wilde to reckless abandon? OMG! I like totally forgot about these books! (How 80's is that?)

Anyway, I had no idea anyone else besides myself in America knew what these books were. And I agree – I was captivated by the snark that was missing in the pandering Rolling Stone review (where it was more about how “cool” they thought the band was) or the total advertisement-style reviews in Billboard (they haven't gotten much better).

I'm going to have to dig through my basement to find them for a good laugh. The best was the “Worst album covers of the year” section. That always made me roll over in laughter.

Besides, where else could you learn about Orange Juice, the Smiths, and Kim Wilde to reckless abandon?

]]> By: JonCummings http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12656 JonCummings Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:53:46 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12656 I had a Kid Creole album (I think it was "Ole") and it wasn't too bad. But I also picked up a 99-cent Bucks Fizz album at one point, and it was kinda excruciating--way, way sub-ABBA. Mari Wilson I never heard, but I still remember the beehive hairdo from her album covers.<br><br>The '81 and '82 books can be had pretty cheap from Amazon Marketplace. I had a Kid Creole album (I think it was “Ole”) and it wasn't too bad. But I also picked up a 99-cent Bucks Fizz album at one point, and it was kinda excruciating–way, way sub-ABBA. Mari Wilson I never heard, but I still remember the beehive hairdo from her album covers.

The '81 and '82 books can be had pretty cheap from Amazon Marketplace.

]]> By: Fudgester http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12655 Fudgester Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:48:27 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12655 "I'm still trying to track down the music of acts such as Bucks Fizz, Mari Wilson and Kid Creole & the Coconuts to see why the UK press went ga-ga over them"<br>Don't , just don't. You'll live longer, be happier and have more faith in human kind. “I'm still trying to track down the music of acts such as Bucks Fizz, Mari Wilson and Kid Creole & the Coconuts to see why the UK press went ga-ga over them”
Don't , just don't. You'll live longer, be happier and have more faith in human kind.

]]> By: peterlee43 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12654 peterlee43 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:16:07 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12654 Thanks - you just made me go grab mine off the bookshelves (I have 1983-89) and spend my evening going through the one-line scathing reviews of albums and album covers, the "Thanks" and "No Thanks" awards, and of course, the charts. I still amaze my friends and family by being able to name the chart positions of many 80s songs because of those books. And I'm still trying to track down the music of acts such as Bucks Fizz, Mari Wilson and Kid Creole & the Coconuts to see why the UK press went ga-ga over them.<br><br>I would get these every Christmas from my parents, and I was antisocial for the rest of the holiday as I digested every word. Man, what great books. I'm glad someone else obsessed - er, appreciated them as much as I did :-)<br><br>Now I need to track down 1981 and 1982... Thanks – you just made me go grab mine off the bookshelves (I have 1983-89) and spend my evening going through the one-line scathing reviews of albums and album covers, the “Thanks” and “No Thanks” awards, and of course, the charts. I still amaze my friends and family by being able to name the chart positions of many 80s songs because of those books. And I'm still trying to track down the music of acts such as Bucks Fizz, Mari Wilson and Kid Creole & the Coconuts to see why the UK press went ga-ga over them.

I would get these every Christmas from my parents, and I was antisocial for the rest of the holiday as I digested every word. Man, what great books. I'm glad someone else obsessed – er, appreciated them as much as I did :-)

Now I need to track down 1981 and 1982…

]]> By: DwDunphy http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12653 DwDunphy Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:49:49 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12653 Now all we have are just plain rags. Now all we have are just plain rags.

]]> By: jefito http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12652 jefito Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:39:35 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12652 Amen, brother Harris. I spent a good portion of my teenage years kneeling at the altar of Mojo and (to a lesser extent) Q. God, I wish we still had music rags like that here. Amen, brother Harris. I spent a good portion of my teenage years kneeling at the altar of Mojo and (to a lesser extent) Q. God, I wish we still had music rags like that here.

]]> By: WHarrisBullzEye http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12651 WHarrisBullzEye Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:26:57 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12651 Just about everything I know about music journalism came via my voracious reading of the British press. Just about everything I know about music journalism came via my voracious reading of the British press.

]]> By: DwDunphy http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/comment-page-1/#comment-12650 DwDunphy Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:15 +0000 http://popdose.com/jesus-of-cool-the-rock-yearbooks-1981-89/#comment-12650 So conflicted! The "Avalon" review made me wince as much as the "Meat Is Murder" review made me smile. So conflicted! The “Avalon” review made me wince as much as the “Meat Is Murder” review made me smile.

]]>