Is This the Never-Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes (And Rock 'n' Roll) by Steven Hyden

Is This the Never-Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes (And Rock 'n' Roll) by music critic and author Steven Hyden provides a short history of The Strokes, but more than that, it's a critical and sociological look at the music industry in the 21st century.

Starting with his own introduction to The Strokes, Hyden takes readers back to the beginning of the band and then moves through the evolution of music into the modern day. This isn't really just a book about The Strokes. It's about the idea of the five-piece rock band, how that idea has changed and adapted over time, and everything that comes with influence, fame, and the inevitable trappings of both.

Here's my problem, because of course I'm going to have one.

This could have been an excellent critical analysis of the changing tides of the music industry and the cyclical nature of music itself. Instead, TO ME, it often feels like regurgitated articles from 2002, 2003, and 2006, stories about bands pulled from other books, and, at times, an almost excessive need to name every band associated with a particular era.

I did enjoy the flashbacks and the look back at that period of music, but it often felt like only the bigger bands were worth mentioning — The White Stripes, The National, Kings of Leon, etc. I did appreciate the inclusion of Longwave, but even that felt almost like it was included under duress because of their direct connection to The Strokes. Which is ironic now, considering Steve is currently on tour with The Strokes, temporarily replacing Valensi.

Is This It is precious to me. I'll be perfectly honest and say I wouldn't be who I am without that album. I remember hearing the opening track while sitting in a car with my sister and immediately driving to a store to buy my own copy. Now, 25 years later, I've lived in New York for most of my adult life with my best friend, who I met because of The Strokes.

So, yes. It's personal.

And that's probably why my biggest issue with this book is that none of this feels particularly new.

All of this information has been out there for 20+ years. The critical analysis isn't new. People have been making these observations about The Strokes, rock music, fame, nostalgia, and the music industry for years. There are some interesting connections being made, but very little of it feels like a revelation.

If anything, this felt more like a very well-researched collection of articles, interviews, stories, and quotes, organized into one cohesive book.

And maybe that's enough for some people.

For me, though, I wanted something more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.