Glam Racket! The Glam/Glitter Revolution

Originated by major artists such as David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Iggy Pop, and Alice Cooper, glam-rock fused primal R&B, rock’n’roll, and bubblegum pop to produce a captivating sound whose influence was instantly felt. Beyond music, these rockers carried their sartorial styles into popular fashion, resulting in legions of cross-dressed, foil-wrapped, glitter-coated rockers that were the perfect antidote to the economic crisis then gripping Britain. Dick Porter reveals the magic in their sound and style then and now in this extensively illustrated book. He traces the origins and the explosion of the sound in both the U. K. and the United States, surveying 1973 as “The Year of Glam.” Porter also profiles individual bands like Queen and Kiss (“Glam’s Evil Stepchild”) and documents the fall of glam and the rise of punk. The book also samples spin-off genres like glitter metal, the New Romantics and synthesizer glam, and delves into the revival of glam as manifested by exciting groups like the Scissor Sisters, Goldfrapp, and Muse.