Skip to product information
1 of 1

Click to look inside

The Reel Thing by Jonathan Scott

Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
Summary

The story of magnetic recording, tracing the origins of the cassette’s history, the people involved, and its impact on the recording industry and wider society.

The feel-good place to buy books
  • Free US shipping over $15
  • Buying preloved emits 41% less CO2 than new
  • Millions of affordable books
  • Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!

The Reel Thing by Jonathan Scott

The story of magnetic recording, tracing the origins of the cassette’s history, the people involved, and its impact on the recording industry and wider society.

The Reel Thing charts the history of magnetic recording, tracing the origins of the humble cassette right back to its roots. Guiding us through the evolution of tape, music enthusiast Jonathan Scott takes us from the monstrous steel machines installed at the BBC to pre-war Germany, home of the first reel-to-reel recordings; to the first domestic recorders.

Investigating the impact of tape on the recording industry, we discover how it transformed the way music was made, taped and enjoyed. A celebration of how the unassuming cassette changed our culture, it explores innovations from the Walkman to the mixtape, from home demos to Boombox design, and from hip-hop culture all the way to cassette’s modern day resurgence. Exploring the science and technological developments surrounding magnetic tape, The Reel Thing also delves into the humans who made them happen, and explores how magnetic recording changed us and what we listen to.

Jonathan Scott is a music journalist. He’s written about weird, rare and collectable records for Record Collector, has edited books about Prince, Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead, and has written about Nirvana, The Venga Boys and lots of others in between. Jonathan's books include The Vinyl Frontier and Into the Groove.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9781399418386
ISBN 10 1399418386
Title The Reel Thing
Author Jonathan Scott
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Hardback
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Year published 2027-03-18
Number of pages 320
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.