After the dense miasma of the sixties, the seventies hit like a hangover. Idealism took a pounding as cynicism began to pervade western culture. Stagflation, Watergate and a war in Vietnam all weakened faith in government, while environmental disasters and an oil crisis proved there was even more to worry about than a Cold War. A culture of 'me' began to replace the hippie ideal of universal love. Yet at the same time, women and the LGBTI+ community stepped forward to actively assert their rights; the digital revolution stirred and the west embarked on a new relationship with China.
This tumult saw a remarkable change in music. Rock splintered into dazzling shards as technical innovation propelled experimentation and ushered in the visual spectacles of glam, shock, disco and punk. Pop co-opted elements of classical, jazz, electronic, world and avant-garde music. Folk met electronica. Monumental albums were born: Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, The Beatles' Let It Be, David Bowie's Heroes, Joni Mitchell's Blue. From Elton John, Led Zeppelin and Yes to Talking Heads, Tangerine Dream and The Clash, no other decade instigated such a gloriously diverse range of musical styles.
Brimming with beguiling stories and little-known details, Vinyl Dreams is a fast-paced romp through the musical decade that defined all after. Whether or not you lived through the era, its music has shaped you. From the golden age of rock to the stirrings of the New Romantics, Tony Wellington traces the revolutions that reverberate through to today, showcasing the energy, fervour and enduring legacy of the decade's music.