Playground: Growing Up in the New York Underground

As someone who made it to NYC way too late to experience the New York Underground firsthand, I rely on the words and pictures of those that were in the thick of it. One of those people is the great Paul Zone of The Fast and Man 2 Man. I knew that I would be seeing some incredible pictures from someone that experienced it but I didn't know that I would be reading an incredible story as well. Paul and his brothers, Miki and Mandy, were there from the very beginning. Paul gives us a behind the scenes look at what it was like growing up and finding a place where he and his brothers could express themselves both onstage and off. The quiet moments are just as fun as the not so quiet ones. Where else can you see where members of The Fast and Joey Ramone had breakfast at 5 a.m. after a night on the town? What I really love about this book is that we get to see some history of individuals that don't get as much recognition as they should: Along with The Fast, Lance Loud, Another Pretty Face, Wayne County, The Planets. Complete with a foreword by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. No NYC punk library is complete without Playground: Growing Up In the New York Underground. Thanks Mr. Zone!

The underrated jet-boy heart throbs that injected humor and glamour on top of a breakneck, heart attack dance beat into the darkness of NYC's mid 70s punk and pre-punk moment, The Fast beat the drum loudly signaling a new exuberant noise that's as weird as Bowie's weirdest, as gritty-romantic as a girl group and as beautiful and bright as any pop song that made you want to jump and dance and make out. Paul Zone's pics document the rough trade glamour of the bowery and glam and punk and disco and leather men and drugs and drag and the art scene from the inside out. His words are straightforward and personal, as unpretentious as his music and as sweet as the images of three little boy Brooklynites who become The Fast and kept the adrenaline going with Man 2 Man...if you dig the era and the music, get the book, fall in love with the Zone boys.

This book is fantastic! I pre-ordered it as soon as I could (August 2013) and it arrived June 2014... right on time!Anyone with an interest in the early music scene of New York City, and who craves a first hand account of what it was like, will be in heaven.Sturdy construction and great photographic reproductions make for a spellbinding tour of the many under-documented music venues (Mother's, Club 82, Trude Heller's) and legendary ones (CBGB's and Max's Kansas City).The book is part biography and part, as the author puts it, yearbook. Photo selections are mostly made of performance, somewhat posed (behind the scenes) and candid images of New York Dolls, Ramones, Blondie, The Fast, Alice Cooper, Patti Smith, Anya Phillips, Wayne County, et al.This volume will take a proud place on my library shelves! Thank you, Paul!

Just finished reading this. The book portion was both fascinating and disappointing as it was only 52 pages long. The stories in the book are very interesting but you know for every story told, many, many more remain untold. I was left wanting. However, the other 150 pages are spectacular photographs of the NYC punk scene before many of the groups hit it big. Photos only an insider and friend can capture. Fascinating.

I was a close follower of the burgeoning 70s New York City punk scene, and thought many images and memories of that time were lost forever. Thanks to Paul Zone, of one of my favorite bands of the day, "The Fast", all is right in the Universe again! What a fantastic book! I am SO glad Paul is sharing this wonderful collection of images and recollections, all crammed into one beautiful volume. I highly recommend this book to anyone who was a part of the scene, or knows that punk didn't start in 1990, and wants to brush up on their history. Thank you, Paul!

Loved his writing and photos!

New York was my playground in the Seventies too. I hung out at Max's and CBGBs, Club 82 and saw the Dolls at the Mercer, along with many places not mentioned in the book. When I heard about the book I was expecting a little more about the scene and less about the Zone family. There are some interesting photos but this book is not worth the price.

This is a great read for anyone interested in the early years of the NYC punk and new wave scene. I'm lucky enough to be able to remember or have known of these locations and bands so it really made me miss the good old/bad old days. Wish some of the pictures in the sidebar areas were bigger than a thumbnail.

Even as a youngster, Paul Zone somehow had the foresight to bring his camera with him as he frequented all the New York hotspots in the early 70's from a time when Eric Emerson from the band The Magic Tramps was tossing glitter over everyone right through to at least the next decade as Glitter and Glam Rock transitioned into Punk Rock and beyond. As an teenager he would go out nightly with his brothers, Mandy and Miki to all the most influential underground music clubs such as The Mercer's Arts Center, Coventry, Nobody's, CBGB, Club 82, and the premier place where it all seemed to be happening: Max's Kansas City at 213 Park Avenue South. This book is like a time capsule engulfing those magical days when everyone was confident and happy with life and themselves, yet still somehow struggling to make ends meet; and life was a non-stop party for those that were part of the scene. Paul photographed those around him that were the closest to him: his friends, mostly members from other up and coming bands before they reached notoriety and success. Bands such as the New York Dolls, The Ramones, Wayne County and The Backstreet Boys, The Dead Boys, Blondie, Suicide, Iggy and the Stooges, Lou Reed, and countless more. His photographs captured these people in a way that no one else could have: comfortable, at ease, and at their best making this book a intimate and limitedness portrayal of the times, people, and scenes that virtually changed the course of music over the years. His own band, the Fast, was one of those bands, and in one of the most honest and sincere accounts possible, Paul recounts the days of his youth from when he was a child living with his family in Brooklyn, all the way through the most current of times. He speaks of his family, his beloved brothers, sister, Mom, and of his Dad. Then he takes you on a roller coaster of a ride up through the upcoming music scene and Punk Rock, describing how his band The Fast developed and evolved from it's earliest days before they'd even began playing clubs, right up to the highlights of being one of the favorite house bands at Max's Kansas City. His story describes what it was like to be on tour, the good times and the bad, and it's a book leaving you hanging on every word. It's a very moving and compelling account,and from one of those there on the scene at the time, I can guarantee you that his words and descriptions of those days and times are an accurate and flawlessly true reflection of life in the inner circle of the world of the underground scene in NYC. Through Paul's wit, charm, and humour, I found myself relating to this very special book on many levels. To put it simply, it's a must have for anyone who cares about the music, art, and culture at this most historic time. Thank you Paul, for writing this book and sharing you story with us!

Great product, excellent seller, no worries... All the best!!!

Love this book - part autobiography, part history - by Paul Zone. Takes us on a journey through the NY underground with fantastic insight and some great photos.

Tra i migliori libri che illustrano la movimentata New York underground degli anni 70. Un documento imprescindibile per tutti coloro che sono cresciuti con il mito del CBGB e del Max's Kansas City. Tutti i protagonisti di quella irripetibile scena hanno il loro giusto spazio. Particolarmente consigliato, poi, per tutti i fan dei Blondie (sono presenti diverse splendide foto, rare o inedite, di Debbie Harry).