Book Review: “The History of the NME: High Times and Low Lives at the World’s Most Famous Music Magazine” by Pat Long

I bought a used copy of The History of the NME: High Times and Low Lives at the World’s Most Famous Music Magazine by Pat Long several months ago in an amazing bookstore in Harrisburg, PA.  Anyone that knows about the Beatles or the music industry, knows about the New Music Express magazine published in England.  What they may not know is that it started out as a magazine about accordion music!

I was delightfully surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book.  From it’s early start in 1956, through it’s continued success now, the New Music Express has been a powerhouse in providing music fans with the latest in bands, concerts, venues and politics.  What surprised me the most, though, was the coverage of the behind the scenes look at the happenings inside of NME in the 1970’s.  For those of my readers that have been following the HBO series “Vinyl“, about a fictitious record label struggling to keeps its head above water  in 1973 (and has been criticized for overdoing the sex, drugs), you can’t help but notice the similarities in drug use, promiscuity and payola that were going on at that time in music history.

Author and former NME journalist Pat Long,  will introduce you to all the great journalists and editors that contributed the pages of NME from it’s early days up until the 1990’s, as they are quoted throughout with their stories and memories during the highs and lows in the music industry, including for the time that passed on reporting about the new band from Liverpool in 1962.  And for that reason…

I rate this book, 4 out of 4 Beetles!