Under the Big Black Sun (book)
Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk is authored by John Doe, a member of the American punk rock group X, alongside co-writer Tom DeSavia. This work delves into the evolution of the Los Angeles punk scene between 1977 and 1982, documenting its progression from an underground movement to instances where some artists attained widespread recognition. Contributions from prominent personalities such as Exene Cervenka, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Mike Watt, and Henry Rollins are featured within guest chapters. The foreword was penned by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong.
The audiobook adaptation received a nomination for a Grammy Award in the "spoken word" category.
Reviews
Eric Noble-Marks, writing for Exclaim!, assigned a score of 7 out of 10, acknowledging that while the book is "flawed and incomplete," it provides meaningful perspectives on the appearance, sound, and experience of punk rock. Ryan Bray from The A.V. Club rated it a "B," emphasizing the narrative's "erratic structure" as a notable challenge in DeSavia and Doe’s storytelling. Jedd Beaudoin of PopMatters gave it eight stars out of ten, commending the memoir for enabling readers to "sense something close to being present."