Nik Cohn

Nik Cohn
See Nick Cohen for the New Statesman and The Observer contributor

Nik Cohn (also written Nick Cohn) is a British rock journalist, born in London in 1946. He was brought up in Derry, in the North of Ireland, the son of historian Norman Cohn and Russian writer Vera Broido. An incomer to the tight knit Irish town, he spent most of his time at the local record shop and the walk there, from his home on campus at Magee University, inspired one of his earliest stories, 'Delinquent in Derry'. He left the city to attend school in Newcastle in England.

He is considered by few critics to be a father of rock criticism, thanks to his time on The Observer's early rock column entitled The Brief and his first major book Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom, written at the age of 22 in the late 60s. Cohn has since published articles, novels and music books regularly.

When reviewing a rough mix of The Who's rock opera Tommy, he told the group members that the album was less than spectacular. Knowing that Cohn was a fan of pinball, Pete Townshend suggested that the album's deaf, dumb, and blind title character could also be an exceptional pinball player. Cohn's opinion of the album immediately improved, and Townshend subsequently wrote "Pinball Wizard" to be added to the album.

During one stay in America in the late 80s, he shared a flat with wrestler Chris Candido. Certain aspects of Cohn's personality were taken on by Candido in his "No Gimmicks Required" personae in ECW.

He wrote the 1975 New York Magazine article "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night", which was the source material for the movie Saturday Night Fever. In 1996, Cohn revealed the article to have been a complete fabrication, based only on clubgoers he knew from his native England. In the early 80s, he was indicted on drug trafficking charges for importing $4 million-worth of Indian heroin. In exchange for testimony he was given five years probation and was fined $5,000.[1]

Cohn was columnist for The Guardian in the mid to late 90s as he researched his book on the underbelly of England 'Yes We Have No': Adventures in other England. He is also a regular contributor to Granta.

Bibliography

  • Cohn, Nik (1967 for the first edition). I Am Still the Greatest Says Johnny Angelo (novel). Secker & Warburg. ASIN B0000CNMIW. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1969). Pop -From The Beginning. Weidenfeld & N. ISBN 0-297-17807-5. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1970). Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom (US title: Rock from the Beginning). Paladin. ISBN 0-586-08014-7. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1970). Market. Penguin. ISBN 0-14-003183-9. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1971). Today There are No Gentlemen. Weidenfeld & N. ISBN 0-297-00454-9. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1973). Arfur. Panther. ISBN 0-586-03572-9. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1975). King Death. Harcourt. ISBN 0-15-147223-8. 
  • Cohn, Nik, & Peellaert, Guy (1982 for the first edition). Rock Dreams. Alfred A Knopf. ISBN 0-394-52870-0. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1989). Ball the Wall: Nik Cohn in the Age of Rock. Macmillan. ISBN 0-330-29970-0. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1992). The Heart of the World. Alfred a Knopf. ISBN 0-394-56869-9. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1992). Heart of the World. Octagon. ISBN 0-374-00000-X. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1997). Need. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-679-42707-4. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1999). God Given Months. Chatto and Windus. ISBN 0-7011-4743-1. 
  • Cohn, Nik (1999). Yes We Have No: Adventures in the Other England. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-56870-2. 
  • Cohn, Nik & Peellaert, Guy (1999). Twentieth Century Dreams. 0330299700. ISBN 0-436-27617-8. 
  • Cohn, Nik & Dorner, Julia (2002). Soljas. Taschen. ISBN. 
  • Cohn, Nik (2005). Triksta : Life and Death and New Orleans Rap. Knopf. ISBN 1-4000-4245-3. 

External links

Beat Instrumental 1972: My Book is Rubbish but it's The Best *[1]

References

  1. ^ Leduff, Charlie (1996-06-09). "Saturday Night Fever: The Life". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A07E5D81639F93AA35755C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 


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