hillarynicole's review
informative
slow-paced
3.0
A good history of music in the United States. It was a bit high brow unnecessarily at times and focused on music with sexual undertones, not all music. I felt there were some oversights in the choice of artists and music discussed, but it did cover a lot of ground.
mojostdennis's review against another edition
2.0
This was a well-researched history, and surprisingly readable for how scholarly it is. I just didn't like it. I would definitely recommend it to people who care about music more than I do.
chamblyman's review
4.0
This dazzlingly informative & supremely entertaining critical history of American popular music has an epic sweep (from 19th C. New Orleans dance halls through punk, funk & hiphop, and right up to Beyonce & Gaga) but also a fascinating focus specifically on popular music as a cultural mirror/barometer/catalyst for sex and race relations. Sharply written with brilliant insights, Ann Powers has added a new classic to the music criticism canon and created a must-read for any music head.
joe_fru's review
4.0
Clear and well written—a lot of interesting material spanning the antebellum era to Beyoncé’s *Lemonade* album. Very much like a guided museum tour of pop music history…through a lens of sex, sexuality, and race.
It’s interesting but a bit repetitive, and the epilogue feels shoehorned in—almost like an album’s “bonus track” that doesn’t add much.
It’s interesting but a bit repetitive, and the epilogue feels shoehorned in—almost like an album’s “bonus track” that doesn’t add much.
annelives's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Never realized just how much of American music has its roots in African music and traditions. Author also makes some interesting observations of sex found in all genres of music. Made me want to read more books on the history of music.
benmsmith's review
4.0
It took me a little longer to get into this book, because I was expecting this to start in the 50s and go to today, but it starts all the way back at the start of the 1900s. Once I was able to dive in, though, that initial history is super relevant and circles all the way back around to more recent trends. This is a great overview of the changing way music has expressed love (and, more importantly, sex) through the changing social mores of the last century or so.
voya_k's review
2.0
Very broad overview of American popular music through the lens of diversity and desire. Too much of a survey course for me, but good if you are a teenager just finding out about everything, I bet.
mellambert's review
3.0
Incredibly relevant book for the times. Reflects on both appropriation and even of the more negative aspects of sex in music, while still celebrating some of your favorite artists and the cultural and political climates that allowed them to blossom when they did. But I found it a bit dry, which isn't uncommon for me with Powers.