London Rock: The Unseen Archive

My pre-ordered copy of London Rock just arrived. Though I expected to enjoy it for the subject matter alone, the book blew my expectations out of the water. I’m not even sure how to begin doing this thing justice in a review. First words that spring to mind: Staggering. Exquisite. Alive. Jagger. Bowie. Beatles. Breathtaking. Stunning. Sexy. Morrison. Hendrix. Dylan. Thrilling. Visceral. Perfect.London Rock is a beautifully executed rogue’s gallery of rock, a who's who of young men (mostly) early on their journey to becoming internationally-recognized icons who would collectively reshape the music world. Viewing the soulful, incisive, sometimes heartstopping images one after another, I got the sensation one gets watching fireworks turn a black sky into a blaze of light, color and brilliance.Byrne’s photographs manage to convey -- effortlessly -- both the weight and ephemera of a golden moment in music. Perhaps only an artist with an eye so young and searching -- the earliest images here were snapped when Byrne was 16 -- could have managed these iconic images of trailblazing musicians beginning to morph from their early years on the club scene into the full flower of greatness. Byrne’s shots from these halcyon London days and nights are lush, rapturous, playful, and raw. Oh yeah, and again, seriously sexy.Even London Rock’s presentation is clever, starting with the heavy box it arrives in, meant to evoke a carton of 11-by-14 Kodak paper. The large-format book is imaginatively curated and impressively printed -- every image is fully saturated on rich, thick stock. The care and quality that have gone into producing this volume are evident on every page.Especially smart was the decision not to clutter the pages with words. Aside from the book's foreword, a lovely, retrospective introduction by Byrne, and a succinct index tied to thumbnails of the photos, there’s no text at all to distract from the power of the images. And no need for it. The faces, especially the eyes, are telling so many stories on their own. Byrne gives us Bowie at his most ethereal and angelic, Iggy Pop at his most unholy. There’s a John Lennon in a moment of perfect peace with his young son Julian, and a stunning shot of Hendrix and Jagger moments after meeting that somehow manages to capture professional admiration, jealousy and wariness in equal parts.I could go on, but I want to go back and savor the book again. And I’ll have time now, because I need to go Christmas shopping. I’ve just found the perfect gift for everyone on my list. London Rock is a real triumph, the find of the year as far as I'm concerned.

In a nutshell--this is a book worth owning if you like big, beautiful black and white images, plus a few in color of many of the rock stars of the sixties and seventies in Britain. Included are candid photos, portraits, and live shots. As the title suggests, these photos are from the unseen archive of Alec Byrne, who came across his negatives from long ago and has now published them in a large, very well made book.The images are of people we all have seen before, but somehow these photos have the capability to bring us a bit closer somehow. In this day and age there are few photo books that collect rock 'n' roll subjects that bring something new to the table. For me this is one of those books. Besides the large reproductions, there's a few pages throughout the book that fold out for an even larger size print, as well as reproductions of Byrne's contact sheets. The printing is well done, the book itself is sturdy and well made, and it comes inside a substantial lidded cardboard box, itself something nice to see and hold.Yes, it's pretty expensive, but (at least for me) this is one of those books that's worth the money. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Wow! What a find! This is a must have book for rock lovers. I'm more of a fan of 80s rock and pop but these images are so life like. The books pages are about 14 x 20 (although i didn't measure yet). Looking at each page is if the rock star was looking right at you. Very real! I enjoyed seeing a very young Rod Stewart and John Lennon. I also went to hear Alec speak at Book Soup last weekend. His stories are amazing. How he was able to get just the right shot with many other photographers there was unreal! I loved his account of shooting rock starts in the 60s and now. This is a great coffee table book. I made mine a Christmas present, but i may get another Valentines Day for my husband.

I collect coffee table/ art books and this one is never part of my rotation on the living room coffee table! It is such a beautiful book from the packaging to the covers to the content, it is sheer perfection. Anyone interested in the genre of photographic documentation of the English contribution to Rock will be amazed at this book. It is black and whites and that makes it even more powerful. When you see the picture in the listing you are looking at the colorful packaging. When you see the actual book inside, the cover is a compilation of black and whites and it is simply stunning. I would rate this much higher than 5 stars if given the opportunity.

This is maybe the greatest gift you can give anyone in your life.

Just about anyone who comes into my home, picks this book up from the coffee table and takes a trip through the 60s-70s. It's almost impossible to close this book once you've turned the first page. So refreshing to see the "unseen" photos of rock n roll history ... and to try to be the first one to ID the faces. Every photo is one you've never seen before. Cheers to Alec Byrne for letting take a peak at what's been hiding in his garage all these years.Going to purchase more for perfect holiday gifts this year.

Wasn’t familiar with Mr. Byrne’s work, but am now a big fan. Well shot, great packaging, and interesting subjects. Very interesting life well lived.

Wish the names of the people were under the photos. You have to go to an index at the back of the book for names.