Peter Jandreus
The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk 1977 - 1987
Premium Publishing
As with most Premium Publishing releases, the issue is whether or not you are interested in subject matter because ontent-wise, they have no peers, even if said content is flawed. In this particular case, "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" is marred by substandard editing (bad grammar, spelling errors, inconsistent formatting), but more than makes up for it by providing a vast wealth of information. Where else are you going to find this stuff? It's got it all: band bios and full discography details including tracklists, cover art and pressing info for every single notable release that came out of the genre's first decade of existence. And I have to say, the poor proofing kinda makes me miss my old punk zines. If it was perfect it wouldn't be punk.
Some may balk at whether or not various bands were included (or not), but as author Peter Jandreus pointed out in our interview, it's his book and anyone who disagrees is more than welcome to write their own competing guide. I actually think the personal approach works well as it gives the collection a more cohesive feel and makes for a far more entertaining read, especially when it comes to bands and styles Peter may not be so fond of. And really, without a notable bias, the review quips and ratings would be worthless. It gives it perspective. On the other hand, I would have liked to see a bit more anecdotes or "where-are-they-now?" features, but I also fully understand how easy it would be to become completely overwhelmed by that much information. More is often better, but it can also become tedious very easily. In that case, the tease of a short quip is all the more enticing for readers explore deeper on their own, a task that I see as one of the book's main goals.
Minor quibbles aside, "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" comes very highly recommended. Vinyl fetishists will no doubt appreciate the physical permanence of a hefty guidebook and the content contained therein is unbeatable, even with the wealth of information readily available online. I'm already looking forward to the next volume.
- Avi Roig
