Funtopia

This great anthology takes in the very best of Mojo Navigator, Who Put the Bomp, and Bomp! Numerous full page reproductions from the archives of the aforementioned organs are interspersed with essays by Mick Farren and Suzy Shaw. Being the erstwhile wife, lifelong friend and business partner of the late Greg Shaw, Suzy Shaw's pieces add a certain poignancy and intimacy to this history of the Bomp! music empire which Greg Shaw founded in 1966 by producing Mojo Navigator. Although Shaw extended Bomp's tentacles to include the Bomp! record label and a successful mail-order business (still running today under the auspices of Suzy Shaw), it is with the magazine wing that this tome is primarily concerned.

Although Mick Farren must be well used to commenting on the emergence of rock'n'roll and subsequent evolution of rock music his writing is as engaging as ever, and he provides a colourful introduction, as well as several other pieces including his "Preamble to Punk" essay. Adding a further element of gravitas, other notable contributors include the likes of Greil Marcus, Lenny Kaye and Mike Stax. Excellent though they are, the essays only tell part of the story and it is the original material that really speaks for itself, both in the literary sense and visually.

Lavishly illustrated throughout and benefiting from the addition of extra photographs and pictures, Bomp's large coffee-table format also lends itself perfectly to the faithfully reproduced full-size articles, reviews and covers from the magazines' archives. Although perhaps not as visually striking as the later Bomps! the earlier mimeographed editions of Mojo Navigator and Who Put The Bomp still have a certain rudimentary DIY fanzine charm to them nevertheless. But, overall the juxtaposition of contemporary essays and graphics with the original material is truly a sight to behold. - Funtopia