The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader Histories and Debates

by Brackett, David

• ISBN13: 9780195365931
• ISBN10: 0195365933
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-11-12
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates, Second Edition, traces the evolution of diverse streams of American popular music from the 1920s to the present. In this richly textured anthology, well-known scholar David Brackett brings together more than 100 readings from a wide range of sources and by writers who have played an integral part in the development of popular music criticism. Brackett includes articles from mainstream and specialized magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals, as well as interviews and autobiographies of musicians and other music industry insiders. Organized into broad time periods, the chapters are divided into sections by genre, and these sections are organized chronologically. The chapter divisions parallel those found most frequently in textbooks on popular music. Representing a wide variety of time periods, styles, and genres--and including groundbreaking criticism on disco, hip-hop, rap, and techno--the selections introduce students to important social and cultural issues raised by the study of popular music. Topics covered include the role of race, class conflict, gender roles, regional differences in the reception of popular music, and the relative value of artistry versus commerce. Extensive editorial introductions and headnotes supply context for the selections, provide links between different eras and genres, clarify the issues raised by the documents, and explain their historical significance. The second edition of this captivating anthology features eleven new source readings and introductions, further reading and discography selections for each chapter, and a companion website containing student and instructor resources.

Author Biography

David Brackett is Associate Professor and former Chair of the Department of Music Research in the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. His publications include the book Interpreting Popular Music (2000) and articles and reviews in Popular Music, JAMS, and American Music. Professor Brackett is also a consulting editor for the new edition of AmeriGrove (OUP).

Table of Contents

New to this edition

Preface

Before 1950

Irving Berlin in Tin Pan Alley

Songs from the Melting Pot

The Formative Years, 1907-1914

Technology, the Dawn of Modern Popular Music, and the ""King of Jazz"" Paul Whiteman and Mary Margaret McBride, ""On Wax""

Big Band Swing Music: Race and Power in the Music Business

""Black Music's on Top; White Jazz Stagnant""

""The Dance Band Business: A Study in Black and White

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