I've been hearing a lot of praise for this book over the past three years. It's a history of the DJ, which starts at the beginning of radio but concentrates primarily on the late 60s and beyond, when the DJ moved from a part of the club staff to a real icon. The writing style is so easy going and subject matter so interesting, you may forget that you are actually gaining indispensable knowledge. Did you know that the practice of covering up labels as well as manufacturing bootlegs had its roots in the Northern Soul scene? The authors deservingly give the disco and hip hop eras two chapters each. They discuss the early days, when disco was underground and the DJ as we know it today took shape, giving birth to the remix, 12", mix tape and club. The early days of hip hop are discussed in detail, with vivid descriptions of both Kool Herc inventing hip hop and Flash inventing the "break." There's a photo of Danny Krivit's membership to Paradise in the Garage section, which digs deep into the post-disco club culture of the 80s. Other chapters include Techno, House, the DJ today and a history that traces the first DJ to an early 20th century religious figure. Usually histories that are still being written come off either too broad or too focused on one side of the storym, but Last Night A DJ Saved My Life escapes both of these pitfalls. The authors went to great lengths to research all those Disc Jockeys who had a significant role in the development of the art form as well as the profession of DJing, which I'm guessing was not an easy task. If you are a DJ or aspiring to be one, this book should be mandatory reading. If you have ever had a DJ save your life, you will love this book and so will the DJ who did the saving (think: perfect gift!).Price: $15.95
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