I was so excited when I came across this ARC on NetGalley, as I am obsessed with all things related to New York City. And this one did not disappoint! I learned many things about the city, through a Rock and Roll state of mind, and now I can't wait to start planning our next trip with this facts in mind!

Thank you to NetGalley, as well as the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a gem! I bought a physical copy after reading the ARC and will use it to make a musical pilgrimage to New York. Katz and Kott have done their research--which as a teacher I appreciate--and compiled a paean to places that played a part in New York's music scene. Some may be familiar, some may not, but all of them will delight vicarious armchair travelers and music buffs alike.

This is more than just a tour guide; it's a history of modern music - from jazz to R&B to punk to hip hop - and a history of New York City itself. Most of the listings are grouped by neighborhood/area, so you get a feel for what each part of the city has been like throughout the past half century. There are also interesting profiles on some of New York's most influential bands: The Ramones, The Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Bob Dylan, etc.

While there are pictures of some of the locations scattered throughout, I would've liked more, especially of the more famous places for those of us who've never seen them. It was also a bit confusing that the images didn't always fall on the same page as the listing they matched.

And of course, as I'm sure everyone on Earth would say, I felt like they missed some important artists and places, while focusing a LOT on certain musicians or scenes. I know it's impossible to cover everything, though, so I'll wait to see what Volume 2 has to offer ;)

This guide gave me a list of places to check out next time I head to New York City and the background information to appreciate them when I am there. I definitely recommend this one!

The Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City is a really cool book.  It breaks down different neighborhoods in NYC and how they relate to stories in Rock And Roll History.  There is the address to the location, details about it and photos in some cases.  It is also noted if the location no longer exists, and instead just shares the stories locations.  Certain more iconic bands have their own sections in the book - for instance The Beatles have their own chapter and John and Yoko have a chapter as well.  It was fun to go through and see which locations I have been to (not many) and which I have heard of (some, but nowhere near all).

Definitely an interesting and fun read and a great guide for the next trip to New York City when we aren't sure what to do or check out!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

I picked Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City by Mike Katz and Crispin Kott because I love music and everything that pertains to music, and I thought it would be a cool walk through memory lane, an interesting way to walk through the streets in my head. I lived in NYC for many, many years, so a lot of the places listed in the book are known to me, and I have visited, frequented, or at least known about quite a lot of them. But there were also many that I didn’t know about, or didn’t know the history of, so it was really cool to read about them!

Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City is divided into areas of Manhattan and then the rest of the boroughs, and lists venues, homes, shops, street corners, recording studios, bars... Basically any location that has some kind of meaning or place in the history of music in NYC (or at least music in the 20th and 21st centuries). Some locations have just a few words, others span over several pages, and there are longer parts for iconic NYC musicians and bands, such as Lou Reed and Patti Smith, the Beastie Boys, New York Dolls, Blondie, Sonic Youth, The Ramones, and also a long part on Bob Dylan’s time in NYC.

There is so much detail in this book! You can really tell how well the authors have done their research, visited places, visualized places, and talked to people. It’s such a cool book to own, peruse through, use as a way to see the city in a different light. I loved all of the pictures in the book: current day photos as well as old flyers and photos. It was obvious that a lot of time and care had been taken to curate and choose these images.

One small gripe though: there are SO MANY LES locations that are missing! During the early 2000’s there were some iconic bars on Ludlow and Orchard where pretty famous musicians would hang out and/or work and they aren’t mentioned. I guess it was such a big part of my own life that maybe I think it’s more important or interesting than it really is though. But no mention of Lit, or Motorcity, or Orchard Bar? Pianos?? Cake Shop?? An omission in my opinion!

But all in all Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City is a super well-researched, smart, interesting, and cool book. Everywhere you go in NYC there is music to be found, hiding in the walls, in the memories of walls, in the air, and in the ground. This book does a great job of drawing a 3 dimensional map of it.

Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to New York City will be published by Rowman & Littlefield on June 1st. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

I was lucky enough to receive this book from NetGalley just prior to a trip to New York City. While there were a few issues with the book, mostly formatting, it helped me find quite a few things that I had no clue were here in NYC. I plan on using it a few more times before leaving if you want to find things other than The Dakota, Strawberry Fields, or the former home of CBGB's, this is a great book to pick up prior to your travels.