Photo Book Reviews

The mid-1970s was a time of musical transformation in New York City’s hot underground club scene. Glam was fading away and being replaced with the raw, bold sounds of Punk. New bands were being formed and drawing the attention of legions of eager fans. It was an explosion of creativity and (musician and photographer) Paul Zone was there to witness it all. Zone spent his teen years exploring the sights and sounds of famous clubs like CBGB and Max’s Kansas City while other kids his age only dreamed of being there.

Zone captures all of the energy and excitement of that time in his fascinating photo memoir titled Playground: Growing Up In The New York Underground. This journey through time features a stunning collection of 200 color images of iconic bands such as Blondie, The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Iggy and the Stooges, Kiss and many more. Sharing the dance floor with the likes of Johnny Thunders, Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Alice Cooper, Zone was a fixture in the clubs and soon became a celebrity DJ at Max’s and then created a band called The Fast with his brothers Miki and Mandy Zone. Playground offers readers a rare behind the scenes look at the music scene and it’s a wild ride that is well worth taking.

Playground: Growing Up In The New York Underground; by Paul Zone, preface by Jake Austen, foreword by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein; Glitterati Inc.; $50; (ISBN: 978-0-9881745-5-9)

You can order the book and get more info here.