Album artwork for Lightning Striking by Lenny Kaye
Album artwork for Lightning Striking by Lenny Kaye

Rough Trade Books of the Year #20

An insider's take on the evolution and enduring legacy of the music that rocked the twentieth century.

Memphis, 1954. New Orleans 1957. Philadelphia 1959. Liverpool, 1962. San Francisco 1967. Detroit 1969. New York, 1975. London 1977. Los Angeles 1984 / Norway 1993. Seattle 1991.

Rock and roll was birthed in basements and garages, radio stations and dance halls, in cities where unexpected gatherings of artists and audience changed and charged the way music is heard and celebrated, capturing lightning in a bottle. Musician and writer Lenny Kaye explores ten crossroads of time and place that define rock and roll, its unforgettable flashpoints, characters and visionaries, how each generation came to be, how it was discovered by the world. Whether Elvis Presley's Memphis, the Beatles' Liverpool, Patti Smith's New York or Kurt Cobain's Seattle, LIGHTNING STRIKING reveals the communal energy that creates a scene, a guided tour inside style and performance, to see who's on stage, along with the movers and shakers, the hustlers and hangers-on, and why everybody is listening. Grandly sweeping and minutely detailed, informed by Kaye's acclaimed knowledge and experience as a working musician, LIGHTNING STRIKING is an ear-opening insight into our shared musical and cultural history, a carpet ride of rock and roll's most influential movements and moments.

Tracklisting: Disc 1: Lightnin’ Strikes Lou Christie

CLEVELAND 1952 Rock and Roll The Boswell Sisters with Jimmy Grier & His Orchestra Sixty Minute Man The Dominoes I’m So Happy Danny Cobb with the Paul Williams Orchestra

MEMPHIS 1954 That’s All Right Elvis Presley Cheating And Lying Blues Pat Hare How Many More Years Howlin’ Wolf High School Confidential Jerry Lee Lewis & His Pumping Piano

NEW ORLEANS 1957 Look What You’re Doing To Me (Ooh Wee Baby) Professor Longhair Good Rockin’ Tonight Roy Brown with Bob Ogden Orch Who Drank My Beer When I Was In The Rear Dave Bartholomew Tutti Frutti Little Richard & His Band

PHILADELPHIA 1959 Marcella The Castelles Tiger Fabian A Boy Without A Girl Frankie Avalon

LIVERPOOL 1962 Move It Cliff Richard Play Rough Johnny Luck I Hear A New World Joe Meek & The Blue Men Let’s Stomp Faron’s Flamingos America Rory Storm & The Hurricanes

SAN FRANCISCO 1967 Pride Of Man Quicksilver Messenger Service Someone To Love The Great! Society 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds Jefferson Airplane Cream Puff War The Grateful Dead Coo Coo Big Brother & The Holding Company FOOTNOTE Crazy Like A Fox Link Cromwell

DISC TWO

DETROIT 1969 Looking At You The MC5 Leavin’ Here The Rationals Black Sheep SRC 1969 The Stooges

NEW YORK CITY 1975 Piss Factory Patti Smith Everybody’s Rockin’ On The Bowery Startoon Beat On The Brat The Ramones Down At The Rock and Roll Club Richard Hell & The Voidoids The Disco Song (Once I Had A Love) Blondie

LONDON 1977 Anarchy In The UK Sex Pistols Orgasm Addict Buzzcocks Oh Bondage Up Yours! X-Ray Spex Garageland The Clash

LOS ANGELES 1984 / NORWAY 1993 Girls Girls Girls Mötley Crüe Edge of a Broken Heart Vixen Freezing Moon Mayhem Gimme Chocolate!! Babymetal

SEATTLE 1991 With Yo’ Heart (Not Yo’ Hands) Malfunkshun Touch Me I’m Sick Mudhoney Anaconda Melvins All Apologies Nirvana END TITLE Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay Danny And The Juniors

Lenny Kaye

Lightning Striking

White Rabbit
Album artwork for Lightning Striking by Lenny Kaye
Hardback +

£74.99

signed

Hand Numbered, Slipcase with Head and Tailbands, Ribbon Marker and 2 Exclusive CDs

Signed Copy
Limited to 750 copies
Includes bonus disc
Released 16/11/2021Catalogue Number

9781474625081

Learn more
Lenny Kaye

Lightning Striking

White Rabbit
Album artwork for Lightning Striking by Lenny Kaye
Hardback +

£74.99

signed

Hand Numbered, Slipcase with Head and Tailbands, Ribbon Marker and 2 Exclusive CDs

Signed Copy
Limited to 750 copies
Includes bonus disc
Released 16/11/2021Catalogue Number

9781474625081

Learn more

Rough Trade Books of the Year #20

An insider's take on the evolution and enduring legacy of the music that rocked the twentieth century.

Memphis, 1954. New Orleans 1957. Philadelphia 1959. Liverpool, 1962. San Francisco 1967. Detroit 1969. New York, 1975. London 1977. Los Angeles 1984 / Norway 1993. Seattle 1991.

Rock and roll was birthed in basements and garages, radio stations and dance halls, in cities where unexpected gatherings of artists and audience changed and charged the way music is heard and celebrated, capturing lightning in a bottle. Musician and writer Lenny Kaye explores ten crossroads of time and place that define rock and roll, its unforgettable flashpoints, characters and visionaries, how each generation came to be, how it was discovered by the world. Whether Elvis Presley's Memphis, the Beatles' Liverpool, Patti Smith's New York or Kurt Cobain's Seattle, LIGHTNING STRIKING reveals the communal energy that creates a scene, a guided tour inside style and performance, to see who's on stage, along with the movers and shakers, the hustlers and hangers-on, and why everybody is listening. Grandly sweeping and minutely detailed, informed by Kaye's acclaimed knowledge and experience as a working musician, LIGHTNING STRIKING is an ear-opening insight into our shared musical and cultural history, a carpet ride of rock and roll's most influential movements and moments.

Tracklisting: Disc 1: Lightnin’ Strikes Lou Christie

CLEVELAND 1952 Rock and Roll The Boswell Sisters with Jimmy Grier & His Orchestra Sixty Minute Man The Dominoes I’m So Happy Danny Cobb with the Paul Williams Orchestra

MEMPHIS 1954 That’s All Right Elvis Presley Cheating And Lying Blues Pat Hare How Many More Years Howlin’ Wolf High School Confidential Jerry Lee Lewis & His Pumping Piano

NEW ORLEANS 1957 Look What You’re Doing To Me (Ooh Wee Baby) Professor Longhair Good Rockin’ Tonight Roy Brown with Bob Ogden Orch Who Drank My Beer When I Was In The Rear Dave Bartholomew Tutti Frutti Little Richard & His Band

PHILADELPHIA 1959 Marcella The Castelles Tiger Fabian A Boy Without A Girl Frankie Avalon

LIVERPOOL 1962 Move It Cliff Richard Play Rough Johnny Luck I Hear A New World Joe Meek & The Blue Men Let’s Stomp Faron’s Flamingos America Rory Storm & The Hurricanes

SAN FRANCISCO 1967 Pride Of Man Quicksilver Messenger Service Someone To Love The Great! Society 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds Jefferson Airplane Cream Puff War The Grateful Dead Coo Coo Big Brother & The Holding Company FOOTNOTE Crazy Like A Fox Link Cromwell

DISC TWO

DETROIT 1969 Looking At You The MC5 Leavin’ Here The Rationals Black Sheep SRC 1969 The Stooges

NEW YORK CITY 1975 Piss Factory Patti Smith Everybody’s Rockin’ On The Bowery Startoon Beat On The Brat The Ramones Down At The Rock and Roll Club Richard Hell & The Voidoids The Disco Song (Once I Had A Love) Blondie

LONDON 1977 Anarchy In The UK Sex Pistols Orgasm Addict Buzzcocks Oh Bondage Up Yours! X-Ray Spex Garageland The Clash

LOS ANGELES 1984 / NORWAY 1993 Girls Girls Girls Mötley Crüe Edge of a Broken Heart Vixen Freezing Moon Mayhem Gimme Chocolate!! Babymetal

SEATTLE 1991 With Yo’ Heart (Not Yo’ Hands) Malfunkshun Touch Me I’m Sick Mudhoney Anaconda Melvins All Apologies Nirvana END TITLE Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay Danny And The Juniors