The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll [Paperback]

Charlie Gillett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1996

This comprehensive study of the rise of rock and roll from 1954 to 1971 has now been expanded with close to 100 illustrations as well as a new introduction, recommended listening section, and bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The rise of rock-and-roll--in a nutshell, with particular attention paid to the business side of the equation. Charlie Gillett, a British journalist, loves the music, and his passion is evident throughout. Yet the greatest strength of the book is the way Gillett tracks the resistance of the music industry to early rock-and-roll, which was followed (needless to say) by a frantic rush to engulf and devour it.

Review

"Still the definitive look at the evolution and synthesis of rock. A book of tremendous scope and scholarship." -- Blender, October 2006

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Product Details

• Paperback: 562 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 2 edition (March 22, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806835
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806834
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on Rock 'n' Roll ever written, August 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll (Paperback)

As rock 'n' roll recedes into the past, what actually was rock 'n roll becomes less and less clear. The Sound of the City, first written some thirty years ago, remains the best book on the subject. Period. I know. I was there listening to it all as it unfolded.

Gillett weaves the various forms together -- vocal group, jump blues, southern pop gospel, urban big band blues, rockabilly -- and constructs a means to understand it as a musical movement.

An important strength is the emphasis on location and record label, something few younger critics understand today. We called it all rock 'n' roll then, although as Gillett relates, it all turned into blues for teenagers.

The Sound of the City remains the best overall description of the music of the 1946-1964 era.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST I HAVE READ ON THIS SUBJECT BY FAR, September 20, 2006

By 

D. Blankenship (The Ozarks) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll (Paperback)

This work is comprehensive, well researched and just as importantly, well written. Not only is the music addressed, but the problems this music encountered in the early years, something that is now often forgotten, is throughly examined. The social impact of this music, one of the most important aspects in my way of feeling, is examined in great detail. Of less personal interest to me was the business end, but that is just me, but I feel that many would find this fascinating as well as the rest. This work goes along way in helping understand R&R, our society in general and our culture in particular. I found this to be a well organized, easy read and one that I do recommend for your library.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A music wonk's history of rock `n' roll, August 21, 2008

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Sound Of The City: The Rise Of Rock And Roll (Paperback)

Gillett's treatise on the roots and growth of rock and roll has been lauded by the New York Times, Melody Maker, Rolling Stone and many more. To be blunt: I do not understand their enthusiasm. I've tried reading this book a half-dozen times, and have never made it all the way through. Gillett is obviously well-versed in the subject and has invested considerable research into his work, but the output is a record collector-y music wonk's view of the history of rock `n' roll. Gillett's writing is dry and uninvolving, and even his most opinionated passages resound as inarguable pronouncements of an academic rather than debate-inspiring ideas of a passionate fan. His focus on records and record companies fails to animate the human subjects (artists, writers, producers, promoters) at the core of this story, draining a good deal of color from the music's history. The supplementary lists of "records that moved rock `n' roll another inch or two forward" is very useful, as are the scene- and genre-centric lists of recommended records. There is plenty of meat here, but it's surprisingly unseasoned. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]