Popoff's new one... Smokin' Valves: A Headbanger's Guide To 900 NWOBHM Records

Taking cue from the do-it-yourself attitude of their country’s punk movement, Britain’s up-and-coming heavy metal bands that comprised the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) were not content to wait for record labels to come knocking. Instead, they took to issuing their own music, typically in the form of 7 inch singles but also 12s and full-length album, many indie, some on small labels, and some on the major labels smart enough to get on board (essentially EMI and MCA).

Martin Popoff, author of 45 books on heavy metal (and at 7900, writer of more record reviews than anybody in history across all genres), has undertaken the task of documenting virtually every record large and wee from heavy metal’s most fabled period (beginning essentially in ‘79 with a hard stop at 1983) providing catalogue information, mini reviews as only he can do, plus a gob of thumbnails of those wonderful 7” picture sleeves and LP covers.

Note: the lion’s share of the material in Smokin’ Valves: A Headbanger’s Guide To 900 NWOBHM Records combines rewritten and expanded text from Martin’s long out-of-print The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal Singles plus the relevant reviews of full-length albums from his Collector’s Guide series, specifically the ‘70s and ‘80s book. These reviews have also experienced judicious editing and rewrites.

Additional features:

 - includes a few hundred rare 45 picture sleeve and album cover images

 - every record rated out of 10

 - layout designed so that albums are distinguished from 7”, 10” and 12” singles/EPs by larger, bolder typestyle

 - label, year of release and catalogue number for almost every entry

 - two appendices, displaying all 9’s and 10’s for singles as opposed to LPs

Final note, one thing I like about an experience like this book in the internet age, hopefully the idea is that you will read some of these glowing 8 to 10 rated reviews of hopelessly obscure singles you ain’t never going to get alerted to otherwise, and then check out if they can be heard and enjoyed on youtube (many of them can!), so you can decide for yourself, or begin some sort of whacky digital collection of this stuff to park in yer metal library. In that respect, I’m just being a DJ that instead of talking, types.

Price including shipping:

US orders: $35.00 US funds

Int’l orders (air mail): $44.00 US funds

Canadian orders: $37.00 Cdn. funds

PayPal happily accepted! Direct funds to martinp@inforamp.net or just ask if you want a proper PayPal invoice. easy enuff. Book will be signed by me to YOU unless otherwise request. Gals, take note (long story).

Or… send payment to (personal check in US funds, cash, or INTERNATIONAL money order):

Martin Popoff

P.O. Box 65208, 358 Danforth Ave.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4K 2Z2

Email me at martinp@inforamp.net with any further questions, and see www.martinpopoff.com for descriptions, covers and ordering info for my other available 30 or so books. Nice savings on shipping can be had if you take a few things, and as you know, I’m always good for swingin’ a deal for two books or more. Just email me for a quote. If ya wanna catch up, the six Ye Olde Metals are still available.

See www.martinpopoff.com for info on my 45 books, newest being:

2 Minutes To Midnight: An Iron Maiden Day-By-Day

Metallica: The Complete Illustrated History

Scorpions: Top Of The Bill

Mailing addie: Martin Popoff, PO Box 65208, 358 Danforth Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4K 2Z2