Kick Out the Jams: Jibes, Barbs, Tributes, and Rallying Cries from 35 Years of Music Writing

This collection presents selected writings on three decades of popular music from one of the most influential critics of his generation. Spanning thirty years of astute, acerbic, and consistently astounding music journalism, Kick Out the Jams marks the first large-scale anthology of the work of renowned critic Dave Marsh.

Ranging in subject from Elvis Presley to Kurt Cobain, from Nina Simone to Ani DiFranco, and from the Beatles to Green Day, the book offers an opinionated and eye-opening overview of 20th-century popular music – presenting a portrait not just of an era but also of a writer grappling with the complexities of the American empire.

Every essay bears the distinct Dave Marsh attitude and voice. That passion is evident in a heart-wrenching piece on Cobain's suicide and legacy; a humorous attack on "Bono's bullshit"; an indignant look at James Brown and the FBI; deep, revelatory probes into the work of underappreciated artists like Patty Griffin and Alejandro Escovedo; and inspiring insight into what drives Marsh as a writer, namely "a raging passion to explain things in the hope that others would not be trapped and to keep the way clear so that others from the trashy outskirts of barbarous America still had a place to stand – if not in the culture at large, at least in rock and roll."

For those seeking to explore the recent history of pop music – its politics as well as its performers – Kick Out the Jams serves as the perfect guidebook, offering a sharp and insightful journey through the sounds and sentiments of a transformative period.