Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever

Love Goes to Buildings on Fire chronicles New York City's music scene from 1973-1977, tracking the parallel rise of multiple genres including salsa, punk, hip-hop, loft jazz, and disco. Author Will Hermes reconstructs this pivotal era through archival research, interviews, and his own experiences as a teenager in Queens during this period. The book follows key musicians and scenes across the five boroughs, from the Talking Heads at CBGB to DJ Kool Herc's parties in the Bronx to Philip Glass's avant-garde compositions in downtown Manhattan. Through interconnected narratives, it documents how economic crisis and urban decay created conditions for musical innovation and cross-pollination between styles. The narrative captures specific places and moments - clubs, street corners, rehearsal spaces, and recording studios - while exploring how artistic communities formed and influenced each other despite the city's near-bankruptcy. A portrait emerges of creativity flourishing amid infrastructure collapse, and of multiple cultural revolutions happening simultaneously in one city. Beyond documenting musical history, the book examines how periods of hardship can generate artistic breakthroughs, and how urban spaces shape cultural movements. It raises questions about the relationship between art and environment, and what conditions allow new forms of expression to emerge.

Readers value the book's detailed research and its portrayal of how multiple music genres evolved simultaneously in 1970s New York. Many note how the author connects different music scenes - from salsa to punk to jazz - without losing focus. Readers appreciate: - The personal anecdotes and first-hand accounts - Coverage of lesser-known musicians alongside major stars - Clear explanations of musical concepts for non-musicians Common criticisms: - Too many names and events packed together - Sometimes jumps between topics abruptly - Some readers wanted more depth on specific artists Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (180+ ratings) Sample reader comment: "Hermes manages to weave together seemingly disparate threads of NYC music history into a cohesive narrative" (Goodreads) Critical comment: "The chronological structure means constantly switching between stories just as they get interesting" (Amazon reviewer)

Just Kids by Patti Smith A memoir of New York City's 1970s art scene through the experiences of two emerging artists captures the same cultural moment as Hermes' book from a ground-level perspective.

Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil, Gillian McCain First-hand accounts from musicians and scene-makers document the birth of punk rock in New York City during the same era Hermes explores.

Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 by Lizzy Goodman An oral history chronicles New York's music scene at the turn of the millennium through interviews with key figures from The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, and their contemporaries.

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang A comprehensive examination of hip-hop's origins in the Bronx provides context for the musical revolution Hermes describes in his work.

The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night by Anthony Haden-Guest A detailed account of New York's disco scene and nightlife during the 1970s presents another facet of the city's musical transformation covered in Hermes' book.

🎵 The book's title comes from a 1977 Talking Heads song, written by David Byrne about a real fire he witnessed in a New York apartment building. 🏙️ The time period covered (1973-1977) saw New York City nearly declare bankruptcy, leading to severe budget cuts that paradoxically helped foster artistic creativity as cheap rents allowed artists to thrive. 🎸 Will Hermes lived in Queens during this era and experienced firsthand many of the musical movements he writes about, including the birth of hip-hop, punk, and salsa's golden age. 🎼 The book connects seemingly disparate musical genres—from minimalist classical to disco—by showing how they all emerged from the same struggling, dynamic city during the same five-year period. 🌟 Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash, Philip Glass, and Eddie Palmieri are among the numerous musical pioneers whose early careers intersected in New York during this transformative period.