Customer Reviews

Key Terms in Popular Music and Culture (Blackwell Guides)

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The editors of this volume have isolated concepts and terms widely used in contemporary discourse on popular music and have assigned authors to an essay intended to explore the intellectual history of the term, examine a range of the term's uses in popular- music studies, and provide examples and case studies. Some essays-for example Paul Théberge's "Technology," Richard Middleton's "Form," David Sanjek's "Institutions," and Sara Cohen's "Scenes"-accomplish this admirably and more than make this volume worth reading. A few, however, hew a little too closely to the author's own research projects and may be of less general interest. Clearly indebted for inspiration to Raymond Williams's Keywords (CH, Jun'76; rev. ed., 1983) and less encyclopedic than Key Concepts in Communication and Cultural Studies by Tim O'Sullivan et al. (2nd ed., 1994,), this collection attempts to introduce readers to a complex cultural studies terminology that is increasingly central to academic discourse in popular-music studies and more generally Important in the humanities and social sciences. The book features an excellent roster of authors and will make a valuable companion to popular-music studies, histories, and surveys. large collections at all levels.-G. Averill, New York University

College-level music students will find these 18 original essays enlightening, considering the foundations of popular music and drawing on works from feminist, postcolonial and cultural studies as well as music studies and literature to consider key terms, usage, and meaning. Contributors from different disciplines consider gender, race, politics and technology's influence on popular music trends and objectives, providing a scholarly and involving set of analyses.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch