• Don't Call It Hair Metal

  • Art in the Excess of '80s Rock
  • By: Sean Kelly
  • Narrated by: Sean Kelly
  • Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (27 ratings)

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Don't Call It Hair Metal  By  cover art

Don't Call It Hair Metal

By: Sean Kelly
Narrated by: Sean Kelly
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Publisher's summary

A love letter to the hard-rocking, but often snubbed, music of the era of excess: the 1980s

There may be no more joyous iteration in all of music than 1980s hard rock. It was an era where the musical and cultural ideals of rebellion and freedom of the great rock 'n' roll of the '50s, '60s, and '70s were taken to dizzying heights of neon excess. Attention to songcraft, showmanship, and musical virtuosity (especially in the realm of the electric guitar) were at an all-time high, and radio and MTV were delivering the goods en masse to the corn-fed children of America and beyond.

Time hasn't always been kind to artists of that gold and platinum era, but Don't Call It Hair Metal analyzes the sonic evolution, musical diversity, and artistic intention of '80s commercial hard rock through interviews with members of such hard rock luminaries as Twisted Sister, Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Ratt, Skid Row, Quiet Riot, Guns N' Roses, Dokken, Mr. Big, and others.

©2023 Sean Kelly (P)2023 Tantor

What listeners say about Don't Call It Hair Metal

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

do not listen while driving

very technical with a lot of industry terms and jargon, almost a text book he would make a good teacher ,but I'm not a student

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Behind the scenes and more

I love hearing how bands were formed and how people living the times actually felt about them. Not the sex and drugs- just the rock and roll. Must read for all 80s rock fans.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Blast if you Love 80s Rock

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always been a huge fan of the 80s rock scene. The author, being a musician himself, dove deep into the history of 80s rock and pulled out some great behind the scenes stories, commentary on playing styles (notably the guitar), and included cool interview segments from notables of that era.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Must read for any musician or music lover

Fantastic book with great stories and insights. He really did his homework and allows the reader to truly appreciate the industry. I grew up with all of this and was wonderful to experience through real eyes. Highly recommend!!!!!

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14 people found this helpful

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Great Book which is well researched and Delivered

Shows a great passion for the genre and ups and downs. Highly recommended for anyone who loves music!

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7 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Solid history

The writer won't win any converts here. but if you listened to hard rock in the 70s 80s and 90s then this book is a relatable recap. Sometimes he focuses more on his friends, but the stories are ok and there's enough here about big acts to hold interest, as long as you know the bands being discussed.

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