Book Review
Apr. 17th, 2023 03:22 pmThe Cambridge Companion to Pop and Rock
Edited by Simon Frith, Will Straw, and John Street
The chapters in this volume concentrate more on the popular music industry and the sociological aspects of popular music more than on analyzing the music itself. It's a credit to the authors and editors that, even though it was published in 2001, the book is not completely outdated. I found the chapter on gender and sexuality particularly interesting in that it focused on an obscure indie band and the expression of masculinity. I do wish British musicologists had a better understanding of how racism operates in America, but at least the chapter on race was written by an American scholar, so there were no missteps.
Edited by Simon Frith, Will Straw, and John Street
The chapters in this volume concentrate more on the popular music industry and the sociological aspects of popular music more than on analyzing the music itself. It's a credit to the authors and editors that, even though it was published in 2001, the book is not completely outdated. I found the chapter on gender and sexuality particularly interesting in that it focused on an obscure indie band and the expression of masculinity. I do wish British musicologists had a better understanding of how racism operates in America, but at least the chapter on race was written by an American scholar, so there were no missteps.