Introduction: Blood in your mouth: the writing of Dave Marsh / by Lauren Onkey -- Editor's note -- Prologue: "Elvis: the new deal origins of rock 'n' roll," Musician, December 1982 -- Introduction to Section 1: 1984-1989 -- Introduction to Section 2: The 1990s -- Introduction to Section 3: The 2000s -- Introduction to Section 4: The 2010s -- Postscript / [by] Pete Townshend -- Index.

"Spanning three decades worth of astute, acerbic, and overall astounding music writing, 'Kick Out the Jams' is the first large-scale anthology of the work of renowned critic Dave Marsh. Ranging from Elvis Presley to Kurt Cobain, from Nina Simone to Ani DiFranco, from the Beatles to Green Day, the book gives an opinionated, eye-opening overview of twentieth century popular music - offering a portrait not just of an era but of a writer wrestling with the American empire."[Bokinfo]