"From the Velvet to the Voidoids" is the first book that deals with rock and roll and leaves you with the impression that its heroes - the musicians and performers - are actually intelligent people. This alone is enough to justify its existence and make it significant... I have not encountered any book or any other description that manages to revive an era with such precision. It took me back in time. This record of truth filled me with joy." (Richard Hell)

"Clinton Heylin creates a detailed portrayal of the attack that rock and roll faced in the '70s from an American perspective. In this torrent of a narrative, of which only excerpts have seen the light in the past, he clarifies the conflicts and explosions with a critical eye and the heart of a passionate fan." (Lenny Kale)

"For an answer to the question of what kind of music punk rock really was, 'you must turn to... "From the Velvet to the Voidoids."' (Robert Christgau, New York Times)

"Heylin's book manages to show how a bunch of rock and roll outcasts in the mid-'70s claimed for themselves a few bars in New York and Cleveland and managed to change the face of pop culture... Highly recommended." (Musician)

"Heylin's book is an eloquent testimony of the American version of punk... Riveting... a delightful, provocative book." (Goldmine)