Goth: A History Spiral-Bound | September 26, 2023

Lol Tolhurst

★★★★☆+ from Up to 30 ratings

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The co-founder of The Cure and author of Cured delivers a fascinating deep dive into the dark romanticism of Goth music, a misunderstood genre and culture.
 
GOTH is an entertaining and engaging historical memoir, and a journey through Goth music and culture, exploring creative giants like The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Joy Division, and many more great bands that offered a place of refuge for the misfits of the ‘80s and ever since. Written by Lol Tolhurst, co-founder of The Cure, this book offers a riveting retrospective of the genre’s iconic movers and shakers, infused with stories from Tolhurst’s personal trove of memories, as well as anecdotes about the musicians, magicians, and artists who made it all happen—the people, places, and things that made Goth an inevitable and enduring movement.

Starting with the Origins of Goth, Tolhurst explores early art and literature that inspired the genre and looks into the work of T.S Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, and Albert Camus, among others. He also outlines the path of Gothic Forebears and shows how many musicians played in punk bands before transitioning into Goth endeavors. Next, he introduces readers to the “Architects of Darkness”—Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and The Cure—the Godfathers of Goth who established the genre's roots. Following these early bands, Tolhurst discusses a group he calls the “Spiritual Alchemists,” consisting of bands like Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, and more, who helped the darkness expand into the culture. He also tracks the expansion of the genre overseas, from England to New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. Gothic fashion was an important part of the movement as well, and Tolhurst discusses the clothing that accompanied and complemented the music. Finally, Tolhurst examines the legacy of Goth music, and shows how its influence can still be seen to this day across music, film, TV, visual arts, social media, and more.
 
As thoughtful and thorough as it is utterly bewitching, GOTH is a timeless testament to why Goth matters—and why it always will.

Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Original Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0306828421
Item Weight: 0.9 lbs
Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars Up to 30 ratings
“The Cure wrote the book on Goth, so who better to literally write the book on Goth than one of the Cure’s founding imaginary boys? By joining the dots of his own unique story with the darkest and most romantic moments in pop culture, Tolhurst has crafted a fascinating tome that is part memoir, part travelogue, part textbook, and most of all, the definitive guide to what has always been one of music’s hardest-to-define genres.”—Lyndsey Parker, Music Editor, Yahoo Entertainment

Lol Tolhurst is a co-founder of The Cure, inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and author of Cured: A Tale of Two Imaginary Boys.