The Rock Snob’s Dictionary

The rock snobs who authored this book (subtitled An Essential Lexicon of Rockological Knowledge) describe their brethren as “Individuals, usually young men of argumentative tendencies, who have lorded their encyclopedic musical knowledge over others.” If you find your conversations subject to the tyranny of such three-chord overlords, arm yourself with this index of musical terms, from acetate to Zoso. With topics like “lost masterpieces” and “fifth Beatles, in order of worthiness,” the top-10 lists interspersed throughout are sure to inspire debate in the aisles at Tone Vendor. Nonetheless, recommending the book is something of a Catch-22, because non-snobs won’t care about the subtleties of the Ibanez Tube Screamer or the Fugs’ comeback tour, and true rock snobs will read it only to point out any obscure but imperative references the authors failed to include.