Customer Reviews

Stardust Melodies

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Did you know that Evelyn Walsh McLean, owner of the Hope Diamond and a backer of the production of 'Show Boat', was so aghast when its creators wanted to take 'Ol' Man River' out of the show during out-of-town tryouts that she bet them the Diamond that it would be the hit of the show? She didn't have to give up her gem, and this gem of a song was saved. Did you know that Stan Freberg recorded his own politically correct version of the song, retitling it 'Elderly Man River'? Or did you know that Herman Hupfeld, the writer of both the words and music for 'As Time Goes By' had only one other hit in his long career, and that was 'When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba'?

This book is not just a collection of trivia about twelve popular American songs, but it is filled with such oddball facts as these. Will Friedwald starts each chapter with the story of how the song came to be writen, gives a neat analysis of the technical details of the song, and then describes the major recorded versions of each song. This is indeed a treasure trove of information about these songs, and if nothing else, reminds us of the long and rich history of American popular song.

The twelve songs, each with its own chapter, are, in chronological order, 'Star Dust', 'The St. Louis Blues', 'Mack the Knife', 'Ol' Man River', 'Body and Soul', 'I Got Rhythm', 'As Time Goes By', 'Night and Day', 'Stormy Weather', 'Summertime', 'My Funny Valentine', and 'Lush Life.'

Stardust Melodies (A Biography of Twelve of America's Most Popular Songs) by Will Friedwald is an interesting account of twelve songs that have shaped and transformed the music world and then, often as not, been shaped and transformed by that very music world. The author's likes and dislikes are there for any one to see as he traces the performance history of a song, concentrating on jazz performers and Frank Sinatra while giving less space to other pop, cabaret or theatrical performances. For what he does cover, he covers well. The true test of a book like this is whether it makes one rush to listen to various interpretations of these songs, such as Louis Armstrong doing Star Dust or Ella Fitzgerald doing Mack the Knife (a personal favourite) or, even better, the more obscure gems the author relates. The book suceeds marvelously in this aspect as it will turn the reader into an eager listener as one moves between CD player and comfy reading coach. One does not have to agree with all of his conclusions (in fact, one is unlikely to) but the reader will enjoy the experience.

Friedwald offers a fun-to-read look at 12 popular songs, which attempts to explain why these songs became standards. This includes a history of each song, a brief musicological dissection, a lyrical analysis and then a rundown of significant versions of the song, including vocals and instrumentals. All of the analysis is geared towards the layperson, so non-musicians, don't feel intimidated.

Ironically, the reviewer below who quotes the adage "if you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing" goes on to excoriate Friedwald and his musical "disinclination" for rock music. I'm a fan of rock, soul, pop and jazz, and I actually enjoyed reading an opinionated, cheeky take on music from someone who doesn't dig current popular tastes.

Will Friedwald probably deserves a medal for taking on this project, a 400-page analysis and performance history of twelve oft-recorded American lullabyes. Even some of us who swear by the Great American Songbook might opt for "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" if the alternative is listening to several hundred different versions of "Stardust" (as lovely as it is). Granted, a song biography has more going for it than, say, a performance history of Shakespeare's most popular plays, but still it's not exactly a compelling page turner.

Friedwald writes with hipness, esprit and engaging good humor, and he delivers provocative opinions, fascinating information, and a wealth of trivia. But the price of admission may be judged a bit excessive by some readers, mainly because the book contains no index, lists, or even discographies that would insure its value as a reference tool.

Every reader will no doubt find much to quibble about with a book such as this (admittedly no small part of its appeal). Frankly, I'm surprised the author makes no mention of the 1947 Lionel Hampton All-Star Concert recording of "Stardust" (with extraordinary solos by Charlie Shavers and Slam Stewart along with Hamp's introduction of the "Pretty Baby" motif, which Friedwald attributes to a later recording). And although a Paul Desmond version is mentioned, the Brubeck Quartet performance on the indispensable "Jazz at Oberlin" album (which evokes without stating the melody) is not. Finally, I'm surprised the author appears to accept "C" (as does Zinsser in his book) as the current standard key for the song. Any real musician I've known has balked at lowering the tune down half a step from the traditional Db, and for good reason: such a simplification drastically alters the character and feel of the piece, making stardust little more than prosaic morning dust.

No doubt no reader will be completely satisfied with the song selections--including this one. How can you possibly leave out as durable, beautiful, ingenious a tune as "All the Things You Are," especially given its many permutations? Which is simply to say that some of us would have preferred shorter chapters, more songs, and an index.

What a great idea for a book. Very entertaining look at a handful of classic, mostly-American, pop songs. The origin of each song is described (that's the most interesting part) and then there's a pretty detailed run through of many of the recorded versions (that can get a bit tedious, especially if you're unfamiliar with the versions discussed).

What it lacks is an index, and a formal discography. It would have also been nice if the lyrics of each song had been printed, and maybe the actual written music as well. Friedwald often describes the structure of the song by using the lyrics as guide posts, and that left me high and dry sometimes since I was, I'm ashamed to say, unfamiliar with some of these songs--I couldn't even hum St. Louis Blues, let alone recall any lyrics. A companion CD--or CDs--would have been nice as well, but that idea may be a little impractical.

Those flaws aside, I'd recommend this to anyone with any interest in the subject.

Friedwald addresses twelve great musical standards, and at his best, brings them and their creators to life in light and personal writing.

Friedwald is not a grumpy old stick-in-the-mud, the kind who believes that all Good Music ended when Those Damn Kids plugged in their guitars. One of the things that is so engaging about the book is the breadth of his discussion (even Eminem and napster make appearances in this book).

There a points when the book becomes a discography in paragraph form and the straight-ahead listing of who recorded this next and when become a bit numbing. But at its best, the book gives you tidbits that surprise, pictures that enlighten, and a desire to run out and look for a particular recording of the songs you thought you knew so well.

Bottom line; if you think the idea behind the book sounds interesting, you'll like the book.

Will Friedland is a great raconteur, and his prose flows like a jazz solo, going off on tangents, quoting from other tunes, but all of it illuminating his central themes. If you are interested in music, you can't help but turn the pages with delight, as you discover new gems, and see new facets on the ones you've liked all along. If you aren't a musician, the discussion of the musical form, the chords, and what key this or that performer plays it in, and what is therefore their high and low notes, could become dry indeed. That is the reaction I am only too familiar with any time I broach such subjects with L-7's. Still, if you are someone who truly enjoys music, but is not a musician, you could still enjoy this book; you would just have to skim over certain parts, as if it was written in a foreign language. Others might find the whole thing dreadfully boring--overkill, even. But those sorts of people should be avoided at all costs.

Friedland has a great understanding of the role of jazz, slightly elevated, but still connected to popular music; at least it was in the days of the songs whose praises he sings here. What makes these tunes so great are not only the popular performances, but that they provide such a rich platform for improvisation. Jazz inspired the song writers, and the songs inspired countless variations and jazz choruses. The chapter on "I Got Rhythm" is a case in point. The song inspired countless others, based on its chords and bridge, from "Straighten Up and Fly Right" to "The Flintstones." Sometimes the vocalist is also a jazz musician, as in Louis Armstrong's version of "Stardust" where he sings and plays, or even, it could be argued, when Ella scats, giving many a horn player a run for his money. Will Friedland understands this interplay very well, and gives both musical forms their due.

The choice of songs and song writers is pretty solid, but of course, there are always songs that you feel should have been squeezed in. No "Stella by Starlight"? And Jerome Kern could have been better represented by "All the Things You Are" or "The Song Is You." But he already covered "The Song Is You" in his excellent book about Frank Sinatra by that title. "Body and Soul," by Johnny Green, is of course a foregone conclusion. "Night and Day" by Cole Porter is a good choice, but Mr. Porter wrote so many excellent songs that settling on just one is difficult. "St. Louis Blues" is another foregone conclusion, and great that a blues is included. Not only is it a blues, but it also has a rhumba section--an early example of fusion? "My Funny Valentine" is a good choice for Rodgers and Hart, but what about "Have You Met Miss Jones?"?

Of course, if you don't like his choices, then you are free to write your own book--but you would be hard pressed to pull together so much data, anecdotes, cultural observations, and emotions, and put them into a book that manages to encapsulate the whole era of the Great American Songbook in only 12 chapters. Bravo, Will Friedland!


Stardust
My Stardust Melody: The Songs of Hoagy Carmichael
Stardust (RVG Remastered)
Stardust Melody
The Essential Louis Armstrong
Stardust
De-Lovely
Classic Sinatra
No One Cares
Point of No Return

I was fascinated by this book. The songs covered are among my favorite songs and, just as important, by some of my favorite lyricists and composers. I've always enjoyed listening to the songs, by a wide range of artists. Now I know the backstory, how the songs got to where they were, the challenges the composers met, and the public reaction to the song. This is a beautifully researched and written book, a must have for anyone who ever sang in the shower or fancied themselves on a par with Sinatra and Ella. I hope there will be a volume two.

Well written, without being pedantic, Stardust Melodies packs an awful lot of information. It has plenty of interesting vignettes. Guaranteed to make you go out searching for more versions of these classic songs. I liked it, and I am going to read more of Friedwald's writing.

If you're an aficionado of the Great American Songbook, this is a must-buy. If you've read Friedwald's "The Song is You," you should already have this fine follow-up.

"Stardust Melodies" covers the origins and musical structure of some well-chosen standards. On the latter score, don't be intimidated if you don't read music; the analyses cover only a few pages and, frankly, it would be educational to read them while listening to the songs themselves.

Major recordings of the songs are then analyzed in the knowledgeable but witty and accessible style that endears Friedwald to his readers, and no one who has read any of his previous books will be disappointed. Perfect? No: the lack of discographies is a particularly glaring lapse, as noted by several reviewers. And, as others have also noted, Friedwald does have a blind spot when it comes to many more contemporary artists, but at least he wears his prejudices on his sleeve - he bluntly states, for instance, that he refuses to even listen to Johnnie Ray's recording of "As Time Goes By" (which happens to be excellent and, for Ray, quite restrained - WF might even like it!). This doesn't help his overall credibility with some readers, but for others Will's dislikes are part of the fun in reading him.

And that's the bottom line: this is a fun and informative book, not dry, stuffy or academic, reflecting the depth, variety and vitality of American pop. As the man said, Who could ask for anything more?