The second volume of veteran rock critic Ira Robbins' anthology-and-memoir Music in a Word trilogy compiles his extensive writing about nine artists: The Who, Cheap Trick, Ramones, Nirvana, Clash, Kinks, Elvis Costello, Keith Richards and the Replacements.

This large-format paperback includes features, reviews and previously unpublished interviews as well as commentary and memories from a half-century of writing about popular music. Illustrated with images from the author's collection.

Ira Robbins was raised in New York City in the 1960s and studied to be an electrical engineer ? but became a music journalist instead. He co-founded Trouser Press magazine in 1974 and served as publisher for 10 years.

He has written or edited several dozen books, including two novels and the Zip It Up! anthology of Trouser Press.