Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments in Rock and Roll by Lenny Kaye tells the history of rock using ten specific "moments" as a structuring device. This is both a fun book for those of us who remember the vast majority of these moments as well as a rich history for those always looking for more insight.

Told as an insider of the industry and someone involved in, or at least with the proverbial backstage pass to, many of these moments we get anecdotes and asides mixed in with the more straightforward telling of music history. There is no "the" history of rock, but as a history of rock this volume adds plenty of information and a lot of energy to collection of histories that tell the story.

I don't think one needs to be particularly well-versed in rock history to enjoy the book though it will likely be more appealing to those who are familiar with more than just the artists who topped the charts. Names and strands of various genres are tossed off regularly, some with contextualization and some not. Usually those not are also not integral to understanding the overall story, so they can be noted as one reads on then, if curious, looked up later to learn more about them.

Again, these are important moments that, as the title says, transformed the music. Most did produce chart toppers but that is not really the reason for inclusion. It is how each changed the course of the genre and also how much each influenced future artists. In that regard these moments are transformative. I imagine one could argue for an additional inclusion or two, and if one wants to be arrogantly narrow can argue that the transformations a couple of these moments caused weren't "important" enough. But all in all this is an excellent selection and all are told with the same sense of excitement and energy that permeated those times and places.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )