Don’t Call It Hair Metal: Art in the Excess of ’80s Rock

Canadian music teacher Kelly writes a love letter to the genre of hair metal. The hugely popular heavy metal subgenre began in the 1980s, a time when fashion and flamboyance seemed just as important as musical ability. Bright, elaborate stage wear and teased-up, heavily sprayed hairdos (hence the name) were paired with catchy riffs and operatic vocals to create a memorable musical era. As a longtime musician who has played within this genre for decades, Kelly is on a mission to convince readers that hair metal is neither silly nor unimportant. He provides loads of examples of the talent and high-quality musicianship that has gone into records in this genre, as well as its influence on other musical styles. While the book’s prose is at times fanboyish and verbose, the author’s enthusiasm carries through and makes a convincing case for the music.