Once Editor at i-D and now long-serving Editor-in-Chief of British GQ, Dylan Jones in an arbiter of taste, instigator of style and in possession of an encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music.
Uninspired by the lack of subjectivity many music biographies take, Dylan Jones began working on his own dictionary of popular music thirty years ago. Scribbling down scattered thoughts on paper, Dylan collated mountains of unorganised text which have since evolved to fill the 838 pages of his latest book. Peppered expertly with Dylan’s signature witty and dry writing style, the former Editor of i-D has created a massively entertaining and informative read. Cleverly intertwining a range of genres and artists, Dylan ignores musical movements and trends in favour of delivering his musical truths in text book format, with humorously poignant insight. Each bite-size entry of alphabetically organised information is sporadically interspersed with short ‘think’ pieces, such as ‘Singing in the Shower’, in which the well-respected author boasts of never having sung a Spice Girls song in the buff, but does admit to enjoying Synchrocity II whilst soaping himself. Inspired! The literary equivalent to Jay-Z, DJ has an inherent understanding of how to instantly engage a broad audience with his subject matter and hold their attention throughout the read. Begin at page one with A Tribe Called Quest and end on Frank Zappa, you will be be entertained. This is a powerful man’s definitive guide into the complex world of commercial music. Put the needle on it.
Purchase your copy of The Biographical Dictionary of Popular Music here.
Text: Milly McMahon
Photography and film: George Harvey
