Martin C. Strong

{{Short description|Scottish discographer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox writer |name=Martin C. Strong |birth_date={{birth year and age|1960}} |birth_place=Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland |children=3 |birth_name=Martin Charles Strong |occupation=Music historian }} '''Martin Charles Strong''' (born 1960) is a Scottish music historian known for compiling discographies of popular music including ''The Great Rock Discography''. Strong has been described in broadsheet newspaper profiles as a "compiler of acclaimed mammoth discographies"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/top-of-the-pop-scots-1-629658|title=Top of the pop Scots|last=Gilchrist|first=Jim|date=22 November 2002|website=The Scotsman|publisher=Johnston Press|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> and "a man who knows more about rock music than is healthy for one individual".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Taylor|first=Alan|date=17 December 2000|title=Disc man's latest hit of musical history|journal=Sunday Herald|publisher=Newsquest}}</ref>

==Career== Strong has researched music extensively since the early 1980s, dedicating 70 hours per week to his craft as of 2004.<ref name="herald">{{cite journal|last=Jamieson|first=Teddy|date=9 October 2004|title=Life lines|journal=The Herald|publisher=Newsquest}}</ref>

Strong wrote ''The Great Rock Discography'', with the seventh edition being published in 2004; the foreword was penned by disc jockey John Peel.<ref>[http://www.books-by-isbn.com/1-84195/1841955515-The-Great-Rock-Discography-John-Peel-Martin-C.-Strong-1-84195-551-5.html The Great Rock Discography at books-by-isbn.com]</ref> The book has garnered acclaim,<ref name="fishpond">{{cite web|url=http://www.fishpond.co.uk/Books/Essential-Rock-Discography-Martin-C-Strong/9781841959856|title=The Essential Rock Discography|publisher=Fishpond|access-date=31 August 2014}}</ref> with American music critic Robert Christgau recommending it as one of the three best rock music encyclopaedias, and the one with the "maddest completism".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/ack.php|title=Albums of the '90s: Acknowledgments|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=2000|publisher=RobertChristgau.com|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> Author Ian Rankin named it as one of the "5 Books Every Man Should Read", calling it "a great book" that "would keep [him] happy on any desert island".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.askmen.com/entertainment/special_feature_200/225_hardware.html|title=Ian Rankin: 5 Books Every Man Should Read|last=Budak|first=Bertan|publisher=AskMen|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> It was re-released as ''The Essential Rock Discography'', a condensed version, in 2006.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Guthrie|first=Sean|date=11 November 2006|title=The Essential Rock Discography|journal=The Herald|publisher=Newsquest}}</ref>

Strong has also authored ''The Great Metal Discography'' (2 editions), ''The Great Psychedelic'', ''The Great Alternative & Indie'' (2 volumes) and ''Lights, Camera, Soundtracks'' (with Brendon Griffin). Along with ''The Great/Essential Rock Discography'' – on which Griffin also worked sporadically<ref name="fishpond"/> – these titles have been published by Canongate Books.<ref>[http://www.bookfinder.com/author/martin-c-strong/ Martin C. Strong] at BookFinder.com</ref> Mercat Press published a history of Scottish contemporary music, ''The Great Scots Musicography'', in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/delving-into-the-valley-of-musical-heritage-1-1380488|title=Delving into the valley of musical heritage|last=Johnstone|first=Doug|date=21 December 2002|website=The Scotsman|publisher=Johnston Press|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> Strong's final tomes were two volumes of ''The Great Folk Discography'', published by Birlinn in 2010 and 2011; a third part of the trilogy, ''The Great Folk Discography: The Celtic Connections'', has been shelved.

Aside from his books, Strong has written for ''The List'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.list.co.uk/articles/writer:martin-c-strong/|title=Articles by Martin C. Strong|website=The List|access-date=30 August 2014}}</ref> ''Record Collector'', ''Songlines'', ''HMV Choice'' and the Rough Guides series.<ref name="fishpond"/> He served as researcher for Jimmy Cliff's 2003 ''Anthology'' release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/anthology-mw0000036565/credits|title=Anthology - Jimmy Cliff|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=31 August 2014}}</ref>

==Personal life== Strong lives in Falkirk<ref name="herald"/> and has three daughters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birlinn.co.uk/Martin-C.-Strong/|title=Martin C. Strong|publisher=Birlinn|access-date=31 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019115809/http://www.birlinn.co.uk/Martin-C.-Strong/|archive-date=19 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20201101053854/https://thegreatrockbible.com/ The Great Rock Bible] *[http://www.folklib.net/index/discog/bibliog_strong.shtml FolkLib Index - Music Reference Books by Martin C. Strong]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strong, Martin C.}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Discographers Category:People from Musselburgh Category:Scottish music historians