Book Review: Acid Detroit

Redefining the counterculture as a time of Acid Communism, Acid Detroit: A Psychedelic Story of Motor City Music diverges from most books on the Sixties, which centre on California, to show that Detroit was an unequalled hotbed of radical activism, urban unrest and sonic innovation. Considering Detroit's unique mix of people and cultures and enduring sonic legacies, it covers everything from incendiary garage rock, to European-influenced techno and experimental hip-hop crews, intertwining the artist’s lives and works with the city’s rise and decline, from its establishment as an industrial powerhouse to the high point of Motor City, into its decline and tentative rebirth.

Joe Molloy's trip into music history will be released on April 11, 2023. Repeater Books provided an early galley for review.

I have been a resident of southeastern Michigan for close to a decade now, and I always enjoy learning more about Detroit and its influences. Combined with my love of music, and it makes this book an instant attraction for me.

Molloy weaves together songs and albums, artists and genres - all into a tapestry of change and evolution for the people of Detroit and their music. The stars aligned to bring about change in a place in such desperate need for it. While often folks think of the Sixties and Motown when they think first think of Detroit, Molloy shows the sweeping range of music across six decades.

This was a fairly quick read; I was rather surprised that it covers so much in such a smaller page count. I feel that perhaps the author really wanted to keep it to a concise overview, allowing readers to explore more resources on the topic if they so desired later.