The Nineties by John Robb Reviewed by Steve Rudd

If you remember the Nineties... you were there! This incredible book, written by the singer for punk rock 'n' roll band Goldblade in John Robb, truly is a breathtaking overview of an exhilarating decade. And it isn't just music that is covered, as the always-opinionated Robb proffers his honest opinions about anything and everything that had a profound effect on the face of the Nineties - packed into 52 eye-opening and surprisingly diverse chapters. Whether he's discussing politics, fashion, drugs or football, Robb confidently comes across with wit, charm and a fierce level of intelligence.

Indeed, John himself personally witnessed some key moments in the history of the decade that were far more important than any of the movies or music that prevailed at the time. For instance, he was there for the fall of the Berlin Wall, a hugely important event that effectively kickstarted the decade with a certain degree of optimism for a great many Germans and the world at large.

Robb also openly shares his love for the hustling mayhem that New York never fails to provide (You'd just sit there and soak it all up, the power and the beauty of the concrete city beast, John reveals in a wicked spurt of urban-affiliated poetry), and raves about the genius of the long lost Kurt Cobain (who John describes as an introvert in an extrovert's world), whilst he never forgets how important the drugs scene so often proves to be in the culture of a nation, a musical movement - whatever. Drugs have affected every move or change in pop: hippies and acid, punks and speed, house and E, nearly every fake celeb and media whore in the late nineties and cocaine. A new chemical means a new culture. Whether that's good or bad or right or wrong is beside the question.

The Nineties must have taken Robb an age to write. It is well-researched and informative to such an extent that Robb can only be proud of his writing achievement here. It's not exactly an easy thing to set about summing up an entire decade in one book, but Robb has come amazingly close... especially when he rants and raves on about some topics that you just wouldn't think he'd even give a second thought.

But to mention the Spice Girls (and their feministic Girl Power), Pete Waterman, and the world's seemingly unavoidable obsession with the medium of TV talk shows is to further ensure that The Nineties is pretty much an 'all present and correct' starting stone for those people who really were there (but for some reason can't remember what went on), and for those people who might be too young - or old - to fully appreciate the many ins and outs and highs and lows of such an intense decade... the last decade of the last century that should never ever be forgotten. And in this sense, this book assumes an almost biblical authority on some of the most important lives and times that dominated those over-way-too-soon ten years...

It's up to you the reader to change things. So stop moaning and get creating. ISBN 0-09-187135-2 (first published in 1999 by Ebury press) www.randomhouse.co.uk

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