Al Clark, editor
Last May 26 Manchester United beat Brighton in soccer, 4-0. On July 16 a British Airways helicopter crashed, killing 20. Why those events are relevant to this book is a good question. Their mention, though, does give some indication of its very British flavor. There are record reviews—heavy on New Wavey stuff—plus essays on various trends and personalities; critic Simon Frith calls Michael Jackson's Thriller "an uninteresting LP." The most enjoyable part of the book is its survey of the year's best and worst album covers. The Go-Go's Vacation album cover is called "effective and appropriate," while Yoko Ono's It's Alright is "flabbergastingly tasteless." (St. Martin's Press, $13.95)
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