England's Hidden Reverse: A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground Paperback – 1 Mar. 2016

This is such a beautifully produced book, testament perhaps to the power of independent publishers to produce work of care and precision beyond the usual bounds of the majors. It's such a specialised interest area that you'll probably have bought this if you're interested in the groups anyway- and if you haven't heard of Current 93, Nurse with Wound & Coil, you probably wouldn't go near this with a barge pole. A shame really - the 'esoteric underground' that Keenan focuses on is a deeply rich seam of myth and invention, far beneath the darkest extremes of British 'alternative' culture and even the transgressive norms of the 'Industrial' music scene they sprang from; the stories of the bands are correspondingly challenging and engaging.In case you didn't know, Current 93, Coil and Nurse with Wound are all bands that rose in the wake of Throbbing Gristle / Psychic TV in the late 70s / early 80s. Throbbing Gristle had created a kind of defiled psychedelia that all three bands stretched and redefined in their own ways, drawing on the esoteric Magickal lore of Aleister Crowley, Austin Osman Spare and a host of other fringe figures, and pursuing a common interest in altered states of consciousness. Musically, although it could be claimed that Current 93 inspired a 'neo-folk' movement, and that Nurse draw on a host of Krautrock influences, all three bands are pretty much sui generis - they are their own genre.My only criticisms of the book are that (1) Keenan sets the bar pretty high in an excellent polemical introduction, but this discursive style is quickly abandoned for a more conventional rockumentary narrative. (2) No discography - though I suppose this is forgivable, given the creative promiscuity of all three bands.

Excellent book. Avid reading - a glance behind the veil at a rich vein of culture rarely visited by many. Its worth it for the unexpected James Last anecdote alone.

⭐️ great gift ⭐️

Very detailed 'live in'views of great very different bands

An extremely well-written and exhaustively researched account of some of the most consistently creative bands of the 1980s/90s. Keenan's passion for the music is obvious and his prose style entirely compelling. Like all the best books about music, it sends one scurrying off to acquire some of the key albums.The only element I would query is the relative absence of discussion about the interest that some of the fringe members of the underground of the time (NOT those in the three key bands featured, it should be emphasised) took in more unsavoury political areas, especially in the early '80s. It is true that many subsequently repudiated these dalliances, but there is no doubt that it was an element of the scene for a while and a full discussion of this would have added to the overall picture.But for anyone interested in a vibrant alternative to the overwhelmingly over-produced, glossy blandness of the era (and one that is, mystifyingly, being 'rebooted' at the moment), this is an essential read.

Great book for Current 93 fans. Very thin on info about Coil.

This is one of those books that gives you a ton of branches to travel down and explore.I'm casually interested in the bands themselves (probably most into Current 93), though I wouldn't say I was an ardent fan at all. However, the story that surrounds the scene, and the characters attached, make for quite the addictive read! The book feels authoritative and in-depth without focusing too much or too little on any particular moment or stage. This isn't something you see too often in 'scene' biogs, to be honest. Each band gets its space and the author clearly has great knowledge and affinity for his subject. It's fair to say that Current 93 and Coil get the most attention, but that's perhaps appropriate, given the output and significance of each band. I never felt shortchanged for details and stories, for example.Quite like the 'protagonists' themselves, this book feels at times like an elegy for times past, and the heady-yet-mournful vibe suits the subject matter perfectly.Unusually, I'd recommend reading this book on it's own terms, whether you are interested in the music of these people or not: it'll give you a very thick, deep, convincing look at a brief era - tinged with magic and drama - that seemed to vanish into the ether.If you are already a fan of the music, I imagine this is pretty indispensable stuff! I'm certainly glad I read it: I found it to be inspiring, whimsical, haunted, full of life and full of death.