The end-of-the-century party

<p>Madchester may have been born at the Haçienda in the summer of 1988 but the city had been in creative ferment for almost a decade prior to the rise of acid house. <i>The end-of-the-century party</i> is the definitive account of a generational shift in popular music and youth culture what it meant and what it led to. First published right after the Second Summer of Love it tells the story of the transition from new pop to the political pop of the mid-1980s and its deviant offspring post-political pop. Resisting contemporary proclamations about the end of youth culture and the rise of a new right-leaning conformism the book draws on interviews with DJs record company bosses musicians producers and fans to outline a clear transition in pop thinking a move from an obsession with style packaging and synthetic sounds to content socially conscious lyrics and a new authenticity. <br><br> This edition is framed by a prologue by Tara Brabazon asking how we can reclaim the spirit energy and authenticity of Madchester for a post-youth post-pop generation. It is illustrated with iconic photographs by Kevin Cummins.</p>