The Official Punk Rock Book Of Lists
by Amy Wallace & Handsome Dick Manitoba

Gabba gabba hey! Did you know…

The title should give you an indication of the general vibe of this collection of American-angled punk trivia, and the flash on the front that professes it to be “Genuine 100% Punk” is delivered with tongue so firmly in cheek it’s scraping the teeth down into points. A collaboration between Wallace, who has previously pulled together the bestselling New York Times Book Of Lists, and the Dictators/occasional MC5 singer Manitoba, this covers everything from which drugs and clothes are “punk” to which metal bands it’s “OK” for punks to dig. All of which is incredibly daft and will doubtless wind up the purists, which in itself is of course a punk statement. It delights in admitting it’s written to be read in the smallest room of the house (the bog, not the cupboard under the stairs, dumbo) and, taken in that context, it does its job more than admirably.

Drawing also on a large array of punk luminaries from Mick Farren and Henry Rollins to Captain Sensible and, er, Gilby Clarke, plus some good, Ramones-y illustrations from Cliff Mott, it’s nothing if not lively, despite the occasional misplaced factoid or repetition of information, which, given the conflicting memories of some of the originals, is inevitable.

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

ISBN 9780879309190

Reviewed by Joe Shooman
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