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Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution: Music and Social Change in America (Book) Review

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Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution: Music and Social Change in America (Book) ReviewI teach a course on the history of American popular music; therefore, I was excited when I saw this book. However, upon reading it, all I can say is..."um, okay." Here are a few points:
1. Weissman is addressing a HUGE topic--one could write an entire book about each of his chapters. The result? He briefly scratches the surface of many subtopics before skipping along to the next. The book "feels" like someone who is trying to impress you with a vast amount of knowledge but only has three minutes to explain it...
2. Some of his information is, at best, underdeveloped (or incorrect). He makes many good points (albeit briefly) regarding various ethnic groups and the music written for/by/about them. The first chapters on immigrants, American Indians, and African-Americans are interesting (but...head-spinningly quick and superficial). He does provide examples, but some of his assertions, especially in the later chapters (rock-oriented--which don't really start until about pg. 265) are laughable. Some examples--A) Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson= glam rock?...maybe B)Sonic Youth= "representative of the macho, torn-t-shirt-and-big-biceps-attitude that was part of hardcore"? Um, have you listened to Sonic Youth? They were not hardcore (although they were on SST for a while--after hardcore was effectively dead). C) The B-52's=punk?! There are many other "huh?" moments, and while I may seem to be nitpicking...well, I am. Get your facts straight, especially with regards to modern music--there are many out here who know these types of music well (and are, frankly, more interested in them...they are ultimately more relevant than much of the info in this book). I get the impression from these (and many, many other) generalizations that Weissman is more interested in a Howard Zinn-like version of American musical history (the suffering of everyone who wasn't wealthy and white) than a relevant discussion of American music.
I guess, overall, I feel a bit misled. The cover has pictures of Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, punks, etc.--it leads one to believe that this book is going to thoroughly address more "modern" musical forms--I'm assuming that this was a marketing decision? Shrewd--it will sell more copies than if people could really see inside the book. The cover (and title) imply a modern approach--I would suggest a more comprehensive--and accurate--portrayal of these types of music(or maybe a new, more accurate title/cover?). I do applaud Mr. Weissman for what must have been an exhaustive project, but after reading it--he bit off more than he could chew (plus, he could have straightened out some of the details). The scope of this book is awesome, but frankly, the end result is not.
Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution: Music and Social Change in America (Book) Overview

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1185 Park Avenue: A Memoir Review

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1185 Park Avenue: A Memoir ReviewThis is Anne Roiphe`s memoir of growing up in the 40's and 50's in a wealthy, squalid family.Roiphe has mined this territory in earlier books. Again she offers personal and political gossip (social history, if you will) against a background of local and world history. But here there is more: a cry from the heart. Father is savage and physically absent. Mother is self centered and incompetent. Treachery and betrayal abound. Attended by an army of maids, governesses, nurses, doctors, and psychoanalysts, she, her younger Brother and the others survive for a while but at a price. In the end, only she remains. This is a ruthless, forgiving, brilliant book.1185 Park Avenue: A Memoir Overview

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Upstairs Girls: Prostitution in the American West Review

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Upstairs Girls: Prostitution in the American West ReviewExcellent book, could not put it down. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the Old West Time period and History. The author gives you facts and background information that others writing about this period do not. Mr. Rutter answers those interesting questions that you would not out-right ask and other authors would not reach into the depths to answer. I have not read another book about this era that could compare to this one. Interesting and highly informative, a great read. Also packed with great pictures.Upstairs Girls: Prostitution in the American West Overview

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Vixen (The Flappers) Review

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Vixen (The Flappers) ReviewWow! What an amazing debut by Jillian Larkin. Vixen is now my favorite YA debut book for 2010. It's that special. This is definitely one of those must read books, it's just too wonderful to miss out on. This is the first book that I've read that is set in the 1920's, so I wasn't sure I was going to like it because it was outside of what I like to read. But surprisingly, I loved it! Vixen is the first book in The Flappers series. The second book, Ingenue will be published in 2011 and Diva, the third book, will be published in 2012. I will definitely be continuing the series.
Vixen is a book that you don't want to put down from beginning to end. It is so entertaining and captivating. When I was reading the book, I was immersed in the aura of the 1920's because of the detailed descriptions of the time period, including the flapper lifestyle, clothing, hairstyles, jazz music, prohibition, alcohol, speakeasies, gangsters, etc. The story is told in alternating points of view of three teenage girls, Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine. Gloria is a socialite in Chicago. She is engaged to Sebastian, who comes from a powerful family. Clara is Gloria's cousin who is visiting Gloria to help her with the wedding. Lorraine is Gloria's best friend. Larkin goes in depth with each character's storyline, that you really get to know each of the girls well. Each girl has their own lead role in the book, which I thought was great. I loved each character. The plot was solid throughout the book, no boring spots or weak plot points. It was cleverly done.
While the girls try to find themselves and fit in, so much drama unfolds as the stories of these three girls seamlessly weave in and out of each others lives. I loved the drama! And when the cute bachelors enter the lives of these girls, everything gets way more complicated. This made things very interesting. There is rebellion, jealousy, betrayal, romance, deception, lies, secrets, danger, and mystery. And the ending leaves on such a great cliffhanger that you can't help but want to know what happens next.
There really wasn't anything I didn't like about the book, except that the word "love" was introduced a little too soon for me personally. I like to see a relationship last a little longer before it blossoms into love. But other than that, the book was awesome!
Vixen is truly a bookish delight! I'd recommend it not only for older teens but for adults as well. For those of you who enjoy reading about the 1920's but want a young spin on things, this book is perfect for you. But even if this isn't something you'd normally read, just give it a try like me, it will amaze you. If you like reading debut authors, then make sure Vixen is next on your list.
*Although this is considered a YA book, the level of maturity is higher than in other YA books I've read, in terms of the girl's relationships with the guys. If you aren't into the angsty books, then this book is probably more your style. There are a few sexual references but not many, as well as underage drinking. So just wanted to point that out.Vixen (The Flappers) Overview

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The Country Blues (Da Capo Paperback) Review

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The Country Blues (Da Capo Paperback) ReviewFor anyone who is interested in the Blues and needs a starting point for information, this is the book. It is easy to read, very basic, yet charged with emotion. Charters shows great concern for the artists he portrays in this book. He doesn't cover a great deal of technical info, nor does he go into great detail about the artists and their music, however he is able to portray a charming overview of the lives and music of these bluesmen. If you are looking for a book with more specifics, THE BLUES MAKERS: AND SWEET AS THE SHOWERS OF RAIN by Sam Carters is a good choice. Also, be sure to read the introduction of both books - they clearly explain Charter's mission.The Country Blues (Da Capo Paperback) Overview

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1959: The Year Everything Changed Review

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1959: The Year Everything Changed Review1959 was a pivotal year. And Fred Kaplan surely makes a case on the cultural revolution that really precipitated the changes of the 60s and beyond. All students of 20th Century American Studies should read this volume. That said, Kaplan, who is a jazz blogger, does a terrific job of showing its influence on rock and roll, racial relations and morphing from the accepted forms of art to the less accepted and outside the box concepts of "art". What almost ruins this book is his seeming endless desire to demonstrate his knowledge of musical theory and rhythms that have nothing to do with his premise - both state and demonstrated.
It becomes absurd at points. With John Coltrane "piling chords on top of chords within chords, pushing the harmonic complexity beyond their limit (sic)". The next paragraph leaves an astute reader apoplectic. "As the Black Power movement took off in the sixties, several black musicians took the examples of Coleman, Coltrane . . . as a license to play free as a POLITICAL statement - breaking down chords and rhythms as as symbol for breaking down white authority and power. . . ". While both happened, antecedent an precedent and a casual relationship are highly questionable. It is academic reaching by a terrific writer but one who I would question the credentials, no less research, to make such bold claims. Perhaps they are true. But it surely isn't demonstrated in this writing.
If you are not interested in Jazz or Beat writers, this is not your book, unless you feel the need to better understand the cultural changes of the beginning of the later part of the 20th Century. Perhaps a different name for this book would help. And more on other events, cultural included, than his near obsession with the Beats and the Jazz musicians. Overall, fairly disjointed and off-premise writing.1959: The Year Everything Changed Overview

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Swoosh: Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There, The Review

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Swoosh: Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There, The ReviewNike's story is one of the most fascinating in business, especially for those of us that grew up in Nike's prime. The authors did an incredible job of storytelling, starting with a young Phil Knight and his MBA thesis all the way to the early 90's... Lots of inside "dirt" but hardly a gossipy work. You will be amazed at the inner workings of this company.Swoosh: Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There, The Overview

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What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England Review

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What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England ReviewIf you love to read historical novels, whether they be the classics of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters and Anthony Trollope, or historical romances by such authors as Judith McNaught and Julia Quinn, this is a great book for you. It will also appeal to history buffs, and those with just a passing interest in the social customs and etiquette of bygone days.
Accessible and covering a broad range of topics, it's a reference book that touches on everything from social hierarchy (an Earl outranks the eldest son of a Marquis who outranks the younger son of a Duke, the eldest son of a Duke, however, ranks above an Earl and just below a Marquis), how to name your estate (what is the difference between a hall, a manor and a house?), how to play Faro (you need a machine to deal), manage the servants (especially when they're just not getting the silver bright enough) and walk with a member of the opposite sex (a gentleman, remember, always walks on the side nearest the street).
The book also includes an extensive glossary of terms of the period (just what is a costermonger and a mantua-maker?) It is also filled with literary references and citations from the great British 19th-century authors, including those mentioned above. Don't worry if you haven't read any of the books, the references are used to illustrate points, though this book may inspire you to finally pick up a few of those classics you've always been meaning to read.
My one complaint about this book is that it's just not as thorough as I would have liked. It covers a wide range of topics, and in trying to keep the book readable, it only touches the surface rather than becoming deeply involved in any one topic.
As an overall reference book, it's very good, and is very useful to anyone who might be writing a novel set in this period, or just enjoys reading books set in 19th-century England.
The closest book I am aware of to this book is "The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Regency and Victorian England" by Kristine Hughes, which follows in the same general reference covering a lot of topics, but without the references to classic novels. Also, the recent "An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England" by Venetia Murray is a collection of accounts of some of the most notorious real people of the era. And for the literary angle, "A Dab of Dickens and a Touch of Twain" by Elliot Engel offers a biographical overview of many of the authors referred to in this book.What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England Overview

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Inventing Entertainment: The Player Piano and the Origins of an American Musical Industry Review

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Inventing Entertainment: The Player Piano and the Origins of an American Musical Industry ReviewThe author based much of his research on personal contacts with some collectors and some limited literature review rather than on contact with authorities on the subject, review of the considerable technical literature, or contact with well-regarded restorers. Many technical statements are innacurate and misleading and there is little consideration of the other legal and technical developments (radio, phonographs, copyright and intellectual property rights) which likely played at least as much of a role in the entertainment industry as the player piano. This is one book to certainly skip.Inventing Entertainment: The Player Piano and the Origins of an American Musical Industry Overview

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