Vinyl Dreams

How the 1970s Changed Music

Tony Wellington

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Paperback

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English

Monash University Publishing
01 June 2023

Music; Individual composers & musicians, bands & groups

A scintillating journey through the seventies and the extraordinary music it gave rise to — including the new concept of sound that defines music today.

After the dense miasma of the sixties, the seventies hit like a hangover. Idealism took a pounding as cynicism began to pervade western culture. Stagflation became a thing. Watergate, environmental disasters and an oil crisis proved there was even more to worry about than a Cold War. Individualism and personal greed began to replace the hippie ideal of universal love.

Australia experienced a dramatic upheaval: a loosening of censorship laws, campaigns for women’s, Aboriginal and LGBTI+ rights, and a new relationship with China. This tumult saw a remarkable blooming of pop music. Monumental albums were born: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, John Lennon’s Imagine, Carole King’s Tapestry. Rock music splintered into dazzling shards, as technical innovations helped propel feverish experimentation.

Vinyl Dreams is a fast-paced romp through the seventies, from the golden era of rock music in the early seventies, to disco, punk and new wave music in the later years of the decade. Brimming with fascinating stories, and tracing the revolutions that shaped the soundtrack of our lives, it reveals the power and enduring legacy of seventies music. was born, grew and evolved to become an integral part of Australian culture.

‘A damn good read. [The 1970s were] a gender-bending ride, filled with good memories, good times.’ — Suzi Quatro

‘Tony Wellington writes with incredible insight, passion, and intelligence about music and the context in which it was created.’ — Stuart Coupe, music journalist

‘In Vinyl Dreams Tony happily shines a forensic light on the finest musicians of the age, while gleefully exposing the fakes, the frauds and the febrile.’ — Rob Hirst, founding member of Midnight Oil

By: Tony Wellington
Imprint: Monash University Publishing
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 400g
ISBN: 9781922979018
ISBN 10: 1922979015
Publication Date: 01 June 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for Vinyl Dreams: How the 1970s Changed Music

A damn good read. [The 1970s were] a gender-bending ride, filled with good memories, good times. -- Suzi Quatro Tony Wellington writes with incredible insight, passion, and intelligence about music and the context in which it was created. -- Stuart Coupe In Vinyl Dreams Tony happily shines a forensic light on the finest musicians of the age, while gleefully exposing the fakes, the frauds and the febrile. -- Rob Hirst A thrilling journey that meticulously charts rock music’s progress through the chaotic, fertile, high-energy, drug-fuelled innovations that make the seventies possibly its most exciting era. -- David Williamson One thing I love about this book is how Tony Wellington humanises the rockstar. We all know the effect of great rock music on our mental and physical being is beyond magic, but those who create that magic are all too human. Tony takes us into that world and helps us understand how and why the songs we love so much were written by people reacting to the ever-changing world of the seventies. -- Jon Coghill