Reviews
"Like the music itself, Going Underground moves quickly, providing a raw and unflinching look into one of the most important youth movements of the 20th century." --midnighttosix.wordpress.com, " Hurchalla's efforts are impressive, given the fragmented and regional nature of American hardcore in the Eighties, a time well before the Web made for a truly Punk Planet. Mimicking an Eighties-era tour, it meanders all over the place without ever fully wearing out its welcome." --Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle, " Going Underground stands as one of the best books written about its subject. Hurchalla was there, on the ground living and breathing American Punk Rock and all that came with it." --Steve Scanner, scannerzine.com, "Hurchalla's efforts are impressive, given the fragmented and regional nature of American hardcore in the Eighties, a time well before the Web made for a truly Punk Planet. Mimicking an Eighties-era tour, it meanders all over the place without ever fully wearing out its welcome." --Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle "Chapter by chapter, Hurchalla captures each major cities' contribution, with the formation and rise of seminal clubs, bands, and indie record labels, all told through the anecdotes of the musicians, club promoters, zine publishers and scenesters themselves. Peppered with original show flyers and rare photographs, this anthropological perfect storm might leave latter-day punks thirsty at the trough, as baby, those were truly the golden years." --John James, Cincinnati CityBeat "What makes Hurchalla's book so important is that it captures the spirit of the movement, its idealistic sense of purpose that, despite punk's many shortcomings, has managed to survive and continues to influence a wide swath of people.... Going Underground now stands as the definitive statement on the history of America's punk/hardcore scene. George, I tip my worn-out beret to you." --Jimmy Alvarado, Razorcake "Drawn in large part from zines of the times, every page brings another memory. Naked Raygun on one, countered by Black Flag or the Butthole Surfers on the next. This isn't some prettied-up, big publisher look at ancient history, but rather like the music it documents, it's a raw and passionate take on a revolution of sorts. This music never died, but it did get co-opted, yet Hurchalla steers clear of all that, and just records what matters. Good stuff!" --James Mann, The Big Takeover "Punk is an integrated part of American culture now, but it hasn't always been that way. Hurchalla's book serves as a window into a time and place where punk meant something completely different. Celebrities didn't have Mohawks and people didn't always think you were cool for dressing totally punk. But it was an independent movement where people were taking complete control over their music and culture." --Encore Weekly, Wilmington, NC, "It remains the go-to tome and an essential read for punks and historians alike." --Jimmy Alvarado, Razorcake, " Hurchalla's efforts are impressive, given the fragmented and regional nature of American hardcore in the Eighties, a time well before the Web made for a truly Punk Planet. Mimicking an Eighties-era tour, it meanders all over the place without ever fully wearing out its welcome." --Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
