AWOPBOPALLOBOP ALOPBAMBOOM’ by Nik Cohn (Vintage Books, first published 1969)
This book was written when Jim Morrison, Mama Cass, Jimi Hendrix and Brian Jones were still alive and The Beatles were still together.
The main thing it has going for it is timing. In 1968, pop was still treated as a fad that would fade away so the smart papers didn’t give any serious coverage to its cultural import.
As a cocky, outspoken journalist Nik Cohn was in the right place at the right time and at just 22 had the added advantage of being the right age.
This is an insider’s guide, a fan’s view from the front row written in just seven weeks. Its strength is that Cohn captures the spontaneity of the age but it is seriously flawed by the lack of accuracy and astonishing lapses of judgement. Continue reading
