17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine contribution, November 11, 2005
This review is from: The American Songbook: The Singers, Songwriters & The Songs (Hardcover)
"Ken Bloom's superb The American Songbook has the unique quality of service to two distinct audiences. Readers of a certain age will enjoy hours of pleasure recalling the music of their lives and responding to the inevitable impulse to listen to records they haven't played for years. Young people like those in my university musical theater courses will encounter the music and the people who made it- in their historical contexts- and will be led maze-like to new experiences as they seek out films and recordings in libraries and nostalgia bins. And not least, The American Songbook will help extend the great contributions of Bloom's subjects into the new century."
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39 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
For something to be praised, something else has to be put down, February 26, 2006
This review is from: The American Songbook: The Singers, Songwriters & The Songs (Hardcover)
When I first picked up "The American Songbook" at my local B&N it was a thrilling experience. The photographs and layout looked great and it seemed that the ground covered was extremely generous and, at first superficial glance, the text well written. But as it turned out after the book was purchased and I was able to sit down comfortably to really read it, things turned out to be much less than desired.
As usual with modern published books the editing job is simply atrocious: mis-spelled words all over the place, repeated paragraphs, inconsistent dates for events, etc.
While the author does warn that his opinions are just that, his opinions, it still grates the nerves to find such opinions so thoughtless and/or uninformed: "In the 1960s (writing about music on television, page 199) production values were deployed and rock-lite tunes were featured on NBC's Hullaballoo and its ABC clone, Shindig." Actually Shindig came before Hullaballoo and with performances from the likes of The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, etc. there was certainly nothing "rock-lite" about it.
What is even more annoying is the author's condescending attitude towards rock music altogether. It is not that I feel that Mr. Bloom's book should have given any special consideration to rock music. He makes it clear at the beginning that his work will deal basically with the classic American songbook. Nothing wrong with that. But why is it so often in American art criticism that in order for something to be praised, something else has to be put down? What is the need for a statement like this, "In February 1964, the U.S. was invaded once again invaded by the British... If anyone doubted that rock-and-roll was here to stay, they were horribly, horribly mistaken". If a critic's tastes are that exclusive, how valid can the rest of his or her value judgments be?
Even when the author seems to be praising those of the post-World Wars generation, it is usually done left-handed: "(Hal) David's strength is the straight-ahead ballad, but without the wordplay associated with Harburg, the wittiness of Porter, or the emotional pull of Berlin." Sheesh, what do you have left then?
Or how about "It's telling that Bacharach and David's number one interpreter, Dionne Warwick, possessed a powerful voice and strong sense of rhythmic drive, but like most singers of her time, paid little attention to specific lyrics". Why thank you, Mr. Bloom, I think...
OK, so maybe popular music's move away from Berlin, Porter, Arlen, Fields, et.al. was exacerbated by the advent of rock and roll. But can anyone truly say that was the only reason? Irving Berlin gave the world great songs for almost 40 years. But let's face it; at mid-century the well understandably could not help but start to dry up a little.
I have no problem enjoying the tunes of the first half of the 20th century and I have no difficulty enjoying the songs of the second half. Yes, I am from the baby-boomer generation but so what? Even Leonard Bernstein praised The Beatles. So, Mr. Bloom, what is your problem?
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The American Songbook by Ken Bloom, March 18, 2006
This review is from: The American Songbook: The Singers, Songwriters & The Songs (Hardcover)
This is a superb "dipper-inner"! If you are into the songs that have become American standards, you will find in this book a wealth of entertainment. The photos are chosen for interest and the anecdotal material--gossipy, behind-the-scenes stories about singers and songwriters--is fascinating. The book is pretty darn comprehensive with short pieces on the more obsucre songwriters and singers and in depth pieces on the greatest American singers and songwriters of the 20s,30s,40s and 50s. The index is thorough and very useful.
Allen Johsnon, Jr. - Kid's writer and jazz guitarist
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