--- product_id: 5894005 title: "Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984" price: "£19.82" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 11 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/5894005-rip-it-up-and-start-again-postpunk-1978-1984 store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 **Price:** £19.82 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 - **How much does it cost?** £19.82 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/5894005-rip-it-up-and-start-again-postpunk-1978-1984) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A landmark history of post-punk and the basis of the documentary film directed by Nikolaos Katranis Renowned music journalist Simon Reynolds celebrates the futurist sound and spirit of such bands as Joy Division, Gang of Four, Talking Heads, and Devo, which resulted in endless innovations in music, lyrics, performance, and style. Reynolds explores these influences which continued into the early eighties with the video-savvy synth-pop of groups such as Human League, Depeche Mode, and Soft Cell--all of whom found success which coincided with the rise of the iconic Music Telelvision, or better known as MTV. Full of insight and anecdotes and populated by charismatic and well-known characters, Rip It Up and Start Again re-creates the idealism, urgency, and excitement of one of the most important and challenging periods in the history of popular music. Review: A great, fun read - A great, fun read. As a professor I teach a course on popular music, and I often assign students Reynolds' work. The reason is that he writes like he is having a chat with the reader like a chum: he discloses personal stuff, he's a human, he admits what his limits are, he just writes to readers like he's a journalist with feelings. This is a smart and enjoyable book. it will introduce you to some bands you didn't know about, and dive into some particulars from those you do. But above all, Reynolds honest voice is what hooks you---he writes like he's sitting on your couch in your living room. I know some folks want a more "objective" tone, but I think his approach to writing is perfect for what he is writing about. He's sorta the counterpoint to Simon Frith, who is much more aloof and, I think, clueless . . . . This is a good book for folks interested in postpunk or who grew up in the 80s. I just adore Reynolds honesty and enthusiasm for the music he writes about. Review: The definitive history of postpunk - Simon Reynolds, who previously wrote the definitive early history of electronica, Generation Ecstasy , is simply one the best music historians and critics alive, an exhaustive researcher with encyclopedic musical, literary and historical knowledge who possesses, thankfully, a solid sense of humor. A major problem with the postpunk movement, though, and Reynold's superhuman efforts in researching and chronicling it, is that an enormous percentage of the music has not survived the test of time. Too much of it was modernism in its best and worst senses: extreme experimentalism and a rejection of past norms (tunes, for example) by young musicians and non-musicians of admirable ambition but questionable talent and inspiration. Many postpunk songs were slapped together in a day by young guys who had picked up guitars, drums and synths for the first time a week before. I often suspect that Reynolds put more effort into researching and describing certain obscure songs than the bands originally spent in writing and recording them. That said, there are many diamonds in the rough to be found by exploring the bands and songs mentioned in this book. I made many musical discoveries through Rip It Up, something that's become extremely easy thanks to the Internet. The ability to dial up 60- or 90-second samples on desertcart or iTunes of all of the songs Reynolds describes is half the fun. Reynolds accomplishes what he sets out to do: write the definitive history of post-punk, convincingly define what it was (in short, a period of modernism), and explain its important role in music history, namely as the bridge between punk and the British "New Pop" of the early 80s and a movement that planted the or some seeds of goth, hip hop (via Art of Noise's "Beat Box" and Malcolm McLaren's surprising post-Pistols career), rave, and a host of contemporary bands. He argues, successfully, that postpunk was extremely influential even where the original music hasn't stood the test of time. Many of the desertcart reviewers here exhort you to buy the longer UK edition of Rip it Up. My advice: don't... unless you're already into postpunk. The US edition is long enough for the general reader at 388 pages. In the final chapter, Reynolds sets the stage for his next book, Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past , which presumably begins where New Pop entered its decline, around 1984-85, when the dominant paradigm of music shifted from forward thinking (futurist) to backward looking (retro). ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #109,334 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #21 in Punk Music (Books) #93 in Music History & Criticism (Books) #201 in Rock Music (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 212 Reviews | ## Images ![Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91DVi3lMd2L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A great, fun read *by E***I on July 24, 2018* A great, fun read. As a professor I teach a course on popular music, and I often assign students Reynolds' work. The reason is that he writes like he is having a chat with the reader like a chum: he discloses personal stuff, he's a human, he admits what his limits are, he just writes to readers like he's a journalist with feelings. This is a smart and enjoyable book. it will introduce you to some bands you didn't know about, and dive into some particulars from those you do. But above all, Reynolds honest voice is what hooks you---he writes like he's sitting on your couch in your living room. I know some folks want a more "objective" tone, but I think his approach to writing is perfect for what he is writing about. He's sorta the counterpoint to Simon Frith, who is much more aloof and, I think, clueless . . . . This is a good book for folks interested in postpunk or who grew up in the 80s. I just adore Reynolds honesty and enthusiasm for the music he writes about. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The definitive history of postpunk *by E***N on July 2, 2011* Simon Reynolds, who previously wrote the definitive early history of electronica, Generation Ecstasy , is simply one the best music historians and critics alive, an exhaustive researcher with encyclopedic musical, literary and historical knowledge who possesses, thankfully, a solid sense of humor. A major problem with the postpunk movement, though, and Reynold's superhuman efforts in researching and chronicling it, is that an enormous percentage of the music has not survived the test of time. Too much of it was modernism in its best and worst senses: extreme experimentalism and a rejection of past norms (tunes, for example) by young musicians and non-musicians of admirable ambition but questionable talent and inspiration. Many postpunk songs were slapped together in a day by young guys who had picked up guitars, drums and synths for the first time a week before. I often suspect that Reynolds put more effort into researching and describing certain obscure songs than the bands originally spent in writing and recording them. That said, there are many diamonds in the rough to be found by exploring the bands and songs mentioned in this book. I made many musical discoveries through Rip It Up, something that's become extremely easy thanks to the Internet. The ability to dial up 60- or 90-second samples on Amazon or iTunes of all of the songs Reynolds describes is half the fun. Reynolds accomplishes what he sets out to do: write the definitive history of post-punk, convincingly define what it was (in short, a period of modernism), and explain its important role in music history, namely as the bridge between punk and the British "New Pop" of the early 80s and a movement that planted the or some seeds of goth, hip hop (via Art of Noise's "Beat Box" and Malcolm McLaren's surprising post-Pistols career), rave, and a host of contemporary bands. He argues, successfully, that postpunk was extremely influential even where the original music hasn't stood the test of time. Many of the Amazon reviewers here exhort you to buy the longer UK edition of Rip it Up. My advice: don't... unless you're already into postpunk. The US edition is long enough for the general reader at 388 pages. In the final chapter, Reynolds sets the stage for his next book, Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past , which presumably begins where New Pop entered its decline, around 1984-85, when the dominant paradigm of music shifted from forward thinking (futurist) to backward looking (retro). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An excellent history of a forgotten and underappreciated era *by J***K on July 15, 2017* I wasn't a big fan of many of the bands in this history, even though it covers all my teenage years, and I was definitely into music then. But I loved many bands that came before and after them, so I thought it would be good to know about the 'bridges' between. The book is very well written and thorough, and written from a UK and European perspective that differs from my own of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it filled in some gaps in my knowledge, and prompted me to go back and relisten to some old favorites, maybe even make a new one or two. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/5894005-rip-it-up-and-start-again-postpunk-1978-1984](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/5894005-rip-it-up-and-start-again-postpunk-1978-1984) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-26*