And the Beat Goes On: An Introduction to Popular Music in America, 1840 to Today [Hardcover]

Michael Campbell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0028701658 | ISBN-13: 978-0028701653 | Publication Date: January 9, 1996 | Edition: 1

This refreshingly current music appreciation text provides a scholarly examination of popular music's roots and history. The organization and the context of the survey reflect its introductory intent and aids the student in gaining an increased awareness of the heritage of popular music: to appreciate its diversity; to perceive the underlying kinship of its many styles; to sense its evolutionary momentum.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Campbell is a writer and pianist. A California native, he is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Amherst College and holds a doctorate from Peabody Conservatory, where he studied piano with Leon Fleisher. As a commercial musician, he has assisted such artists as Angela Lansbury, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Bob Hope, Redd Foxx, Ethel Merman, and Don McLean. As a concert pianist, he has performed a broad range of repertoire, including his own transcriptions of recordings by Art Tatum, Jelly Roll Morton, and other legendary jazz pianists. He has given papers on the evolution of popular music, Cole Porter and the search for the first rock 'n' roll record, and has contributed articles on Porter and Harold Arlen for a forthcoming book on popular song. Campbell is the author of two music texts, POPULAR MUSIC IN AMERICA and ROCK AND ROLL, AN INTRODUCTION. A third text, an introductory survey that embraces both classical and popular music, is forthcoming. For many years, Michael Campbell taught at Western Illinois University. He now lives in Rhode Island, where he devotes his time to research and writing.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 1 edition (January 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028701658
• ISBN-13: 978-0028701653
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, entertaining, and informative., September 26, 1999

By 

Mark S. Crawford (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: And the Beat Goes on: An Introduction to Popular Music in America, 1840 to Today (Audio CD)

I am a college instructor and have decided to use this book in my History of Popular Music class. I found this book to be very thorough and concise and stays focused on relevant material. I also appreciate the use of historical context when describing a period of music. This book is fun, entertaining, and very informative as it relays the development of our pop music. A must read for music lovers--even if you are not in school!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent coverage of the evolution of music in America, September 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: And the Beat Goes on: An Introduction to Popular Music in America, 1840 to Today (Audio CD)

The Beat Goes On provides an excellent view of how we got from "Oh, Susanna" to "My Sharonna".The only problems are caused by trying to cover so much material in one book. Anyone who wants to learn why what we listen to sounds they way it does should get this book. Hihgly recommended.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good text on American Pop Music, December 4, 2004

By 

T. Sparfeld (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: And the Beat Goes On: An Introduction to Popular Music in America, 1840 to Today (Hardcover)

I find this textbook to be very good, especially compared to those in its field.

Starting with a brief introduction, the textbook covers the basics of musical sound (beat, timbre, dynamics) and then touches on the elements and sources of popular music. The book then begins historically with minstrel songs ("Oh Susanna" and the like), Ragtime, the Blues, Jazz, Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, Latin Music, and finally Rock and Jazz Fusion (with a little bit of disco and punk).

What's great about this textbook is that even it is accessible for undergraduate college students and even high schoolers, the material is presented in a scholarly fashion. I've not always found that to be the case when it comes to writings about rock music. You can find a lot of fluff out there.

The textbook also has a companion 5-CD set purchased separately. I feel it is extremely helpful, and the book refers to the recordings ALL THE TIME. It's really necessary. There are some songs referred to where Campbell was unable to get the copyright permission, but he has a Discography list at the back of the book for those interested.

This book gets four stars mainly because it's so light on rock after the sixties. The eighties has very little material, and there is only one hip-hop example (Public Enemy). The book really needs a new edition.

Don't use this book for a course on rock alone, but it works great as a text on popular music.