The Rock 'N' Roll Bookshelf: Commentaries On Literary Investigations Of America's Musical Culture

This new study, THE ROCK 'N' ROLL BOOKSHELF (2018), compiles new commentaries with previously published reviews. Most of the previously printed reviews are drawn from two British journals -- POPULAR MUSIC AND SOCIETY and ROCK MUSIC STUDIES. Gary Burns and Thomas Kitts, the editors of these scholarly publications, strive to keep their readers alert to the most important ideas about contemporary music. Thus, they highlight academic essays along with critical reviews of new books and CDs. Hopefully, this Paw Paw Press anthology will heighten interest in both reading other music-related volumes and in producing critical commentaries. The reviews gathered here confirm the truth that there is no universal agreement concerning: the independent primacy among gospel, R&B, and soul music, the historical meaning of hit tunes, classic rockers, or golden oldies; the stylistic import of Carl Perkins, Shakin' Stevens, and Brian Setzer; the gender-related impacts of the musical careers of Wanda Jackson, Aretha Franklin, or Beyonce; the varying importance of rockabilly, country-rock, and country & western music; the cultural value of record stores, disc jockeys, or YouTube; and the rock 'n' roll priority among honking saxophones, electric guitars, and synthesizers.