The Trouser Press Record Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Alternative Stone

Whiile this is undoubtedly an excellent book, compared to any other reference on this subject, there are a few problems. While previsou editions had a tendency to verlap since there were mainly simply additions to the previouy one, this edition has chosen to start completely over where the previous editions left off. This means that while the book treats excellently with 90's rock it does lose the sense of historical continuum that you actually have musically when considering all post-punk music (ie.e post about 1976). I know that for those who have the previous editions this is not important but it does in this sense not function as well as a stand-alone work as its predecessors did. Indeed a lot of the music happening in the 90's started in the 80's actually. However these are minor complaints since the writing is excellent and the book is indispensable to anybody interested in alternative rock.

Ira A. Robbins is an authority on non-mainstream music. He covered just about every "out there" band on the planet in the pages of The Trouser Press, and this collection of reviews and biographical sketches of some of the most important "alternative" artists of the 90's is an indespensible tool for fans and music journalists, alike. I am a music journalist and consult this book so frequently that it should be the most well-worn book in my library, yet it has held up very well over the past few years. Fans of particular bands might see Robbins' criticism as a bit too, well, critical (see "Alice In Chains" entry) but his reviews are so well-written that a fellow music writer cannot help but envy his style. Also included are reviews from such writers as Alan Moore, David Greenberger and Greg Kot.

Fabulous. The best book of its kind. No rock reference book is better. Period. It's also worth tracking down older editions, since with each revision the series undergoes interesting transitions, shedding some reviews, changing or adding others.

I've been buying Trouser Press's record guides since the early 80's, when the original magazine unfortunately went under. This book, like previous editions, is totally unrivaled. It's uncanny how many facts it provides about a band along with a lucid and intelligent review of their music, all in a few paragraphs. In this way it makes a total fool out of its rivals, particularly the spotty, psuedo-"hip" and self-conscious Spin Record Guide.It has the same flaws you would expect of any passionate reviewer--some neglected talents, like Foetus, are hyped like they're the Second Coming, while okay acts like Janes Addiction are unjustly reamed. Its trashing of the Offspring, though, is merely an indication of good taste and integrity. And these are qualities that this guide has in abundance.

Seminal work capturing the less main stream of music before Spin could even think that it would have a 17 year in heart underwear on their cover.Robbins provides susinct reviews, useful info, discographies and band "family" trees.I relied on Ira to make me smart more than a few times, even won the complete RHINO collection of New wave hits because I knew the name of Mitch Easter's bass player on some album. Thanks IRA.