Music books
Aug. 11th, 2014 03:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vamysteryfanIt's the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in America. Several authors have chosen the anniversary to write books about them and rock music in general.
Beatleness: How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade the World by Candy Leonard. This book documents and discusses the experiences of the first generation of Beatles fans. The author does an excellent job placing the whole Beatles phenomenon within the context of the mid to late 60s. The Beatles existed against the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the assassinations of 1968 and political turbulence, and so much more. It was also within the context of the expansion of television and shared communications. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me, the Beatles pretty much provided my soundtrack to elementary school. She gets to the heart of the fandom in a way I haven't seen before, providing a well-researched cultural background without condescension.
Ain't It Time We Said Goodbye: The Rolling Stones on the Road to Exile by Robert Greenfield. This little book left me wanting more. The first two-thirds describes the last time the Rolling Stones could casually tour England. The personalities come through very clearly. The last third is set in various locations during the tax exile. The albums are iconic (Exile on Main Street) but the band was splintering. It's shocking to look back and see the amount of drug use so prevalent then. There are some eye-opening photos.
Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll by Peter Bebergal. Except when it didn't. The author conflates religious, mystical, and occult influences on rock music. It's true that early rock and roll was heavily influenced by religious music, that Eastern beliefs influenced later musicians and some progressive rock bands reinterpreted folklore. His thesis falls apart in the last chapter, mostly because he skips nearly 20 years of popular music, including grunge, disco, and punk. He devotes more space to fringe elements such as death music than their influence warrants. N.B. I read an ARC so some errors I saw will likely be fixed.
The fiction book of the week is Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance. Part of the Sheriff Brady series. Lisa tries to escape inexplicable violence in her hometown while Sheriff Joanne Brady works to solve two shocking cases. Though I am not a fan of multiple viewpoints, the way the two stories alternated yet moved together inexorably to a joint conclusion was really fascinating. The motive was unexpected and a clever one. It can be read as a standalone, though I truly enjoy this series. Very well written.
Beatleness: How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade the World by Candy Leonard. This book documents and discusses the experiences of the first generation of Beatles fans. The author does an excellent job placing the whole Beatles phenomenon within the context of the mid to late 60s. The Beatles existed against the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the assassinations of 1968 and political turbulence, and so much more. It was also within the context of the expansion of television and shared communications. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me, the Beatles pretty much provided my soundtrack to elementary school. She gets to the heart of the fandom in a way I haven't seen before, providing a well-researched cultural background without condescension.
Ain't It Time We Said Goodbye: The Rolling Stones on the Road to Exile by Robert Greenfield. This little book left me wanting more. The first two-thirds describes the last time the Rolling Stones could casually tour England. The personalities come through very clearly. The last third is set in various locations during the tax exile. The albums are iconic (Exile on Main Street) but the band was splintering. It's shocking to look back and see the amount of drug use so prevalent then. There are some eye-opening photos.
Season of the Witch: How the Occult Saved Rock and Roll by Peter Bebergal. Except when it didn't. The author conflates religious, mystical, and occult influences on rock music. It's true that early rock and roll was heavily influenced by religious music, that Eastern beliefs influenced later musicians and some progressive rock bands reinterpreted folklore. His thesis falls apart in the last chapter, mostly because he skips nearly 20 years of popular music, including grunge, disco, and punk. He devotes more space to fringe elements such as death music than their influence warrants. N.B. I read an ARC so some errors I saw will likely be fixed.
The fiction book of the week is Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance. Part of the Sheriff Brady series. Lisa tries to escape inexplicable violence in her hometown while Sheriff Joanne Brady works to solve two shocking cases. Though I am not a fan of multiple viewpoints, the way the two stories alternated yet moved together inexorably to a joint conclusion was really fascinating. The motive was unexpected and a clever one. It can be read as a standalone, though I truly enjoy this series. Very well written.
