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Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music Eric Wolfson (Writer, USA)

Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music By Eric Wolfson (Writer, USA)

Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music by Eric Wolfson (Writer, USA)


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Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music Summary

Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music: From The Beatles to Beyonce by Eric Wolfson (Writer, USA)

The concept album is one of popular musics most celebratedand misunderstoodachievements. This book examines the untold history of the rock concept album, from The Beatles to Beyonce. The roots of the concept album are nearly as old as the long-playing record itself, as recording artists began using the format to transcend a mere collection of songs into a listening experience that takes the listener on a journey through its unifying mood, theme, narrative, or underlying idea. Along the way, artists as varied as the Moody Blues, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd, Parliament, Donna Summer, Iron Maiden, Radiohead, The Notorious B.I.G., Green Day, Janelle Monae, and Kendrick Lamar created albums that form an extended conversation of art and music. Limits were pushed as the format grew over the subsequent eras. Seminal albums like the Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Whos Tommy, Marvin Gayes Whats Going On, stand alongside modern classics like Liz Phairs Exile in Guyville, Kendrick Lamars good kid, "m.A.A.d city," and Beyonces Lemonade. Mixing iconic albums with some newer and lesser-known works makes for a book that ventures into the many sides of a history that has yet to be tolduntil now.

Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music Reviews

Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music is a rich, valuable piece of modern music education, a deep dive into the might and worth of the album versus the single, and a chance for music fans unfamiliar with certain genres to gain a new level of open-mindedness, as this work provides an opportunity to explore what may be outside ones comfort zones. Wolfson levels the playing field its all music. * PopMatters *
Eric Wolfson is a musician's musician, a writer's writer, and a historian's historian. The first two qualities are more common than the third among music writers, but the triple threat is what sets Wolfson apart. His ear for sound, way with words, and talent as a storyteller make this book not only an insightful meditation on the concept album but also a gripping history of the times. From the Sixties to the Millennium, Fifty Years of the Concept Album will change how you hear and understand the long and winding road from that America to this one. * Scott A. Sandage, cultural historian *
The concept album has long been a neglected part of popular music history. Eric Wolfson has corrected that oversight in this authoritative study. Foregrounding diversity, he interrogates the concept album as being unbound by genre and era. You might be familiar with these records and artists, but Wolfsons sharp, illuminative prose will have you revisiting and reconsidering them with a more nuanced understanding of intent and narrative. Fifty Years of the Concept Album is an important and necessary contribution to popular music studies. * John Dougan, Professor Emeritus of Popular Music Studies, Dept. of Recording Industry, Middle Tennessee State University, USA *
[Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music] will get readers excited to hunt down copies of the albums ... that they dont already own. ... [B]e sure to gift a copy of these to your teenaged nephews or nieces during their birthdays, as they need to know about this book and what it represents. * Zachary Houle *

About Eric Wolfson (Writer, USA)

Eric Wolfson is the author of the critically acclaimed 33 1/3 book From Elvis in Memphis. He runs the accompanying website, www.fromelvisinmemphis.com, and is active on Twitter (@EricWolfson) and Instagram (@EricWolfson). He lives in Washington, D.C., and works in the Performing Arts Division of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Ramblin' on my Mind Part 1: The Psychedelic Era (1967-1969) 1. We Hope You Will Enjoy the Show: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles (1967) 2. This Day Will Last a Thousand Years: Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues (1967) 3. We Are the Other People: We're Only in it for the Money by The Mothers of Invention (1968) 4. The One That Rambles on for a Million Miles: Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix (1968) 5. Amazing Journey: Tommy by the Who (1969) Part 2: The Progressive Era (1970-1974) 6. God Know Where We're Heading: Whats Going On by Marvin Gaye (1971) 7. I Am on a Lonely Road and I Am Traveling: Blue by Joni Mitchell (1971) 8. We'll Have Superman for President: Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull (1972) 9. Like a Regular Superstar: The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars by David Bowie (1972) 10. And if the Band You're in Starts Playing Different Tunes: The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (1973) Part 3: The Modern Era (1975-1989) 11. Tear the Roof Off the Sucker: Mothership Connection by Parliament (1975) 12. Fairy Tale High: Once Upon a Time by Simple Minds (1985) 13. There's No Returning on this Chartered Trip Away: Zen Arcade by Husker Du (1984) 14. As Soon as You're Born You're Dying: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden (1988) 15. This Is a Recording: 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989) Part 4: The Postmodern Era (1990-1999) 16. I Wanna Be Mesmerizing Too: Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair (1993) 17. I Am the Silencing Machine: The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails (1994) 18. I Feel LIke Death is Fuckin' Callin' Me: Ready to Die by The Notorious B.I.G. (1994) 19. A Handshake of Carbon Monoxide: OK Computer by Radiohead (1997) 20. I Chose to Use My Heart: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) Part 5: The New Millennium (2000-2016) 21. Been Taken for Lost and Gone and Unknown for a Long, Long Time: Smile by Brian Wilson (2004) 22. All Across the Alien Nation: American Idiot by Green Day (2004) 23. If You Want to Be Free: The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae (2010) 24. The One in Front of the Gun Lives Forever: Good Kid, m.A.A.d City by Kendrick Lamar (2012) 25. Won't Let My Freedom Rot in Hell: Lemonade by Beyonce (2016) Conclusion: When Everybody Who Is Lonely Will Be Free Works Cited Index

Additional information

NGR9781501391804
9781501391804
1501391801
Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music: From The Beatles to Beyonce by Eric Wolfson (Writer, USA)
New
Paperback
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
2024-02-08
264
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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