The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History: [6 volumes]

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Description

Neil Young once said that rock and roll will never die, and indeed, rock music has played an enormous role in American culture ever since its beginnings in the 1950s. From early rock n' roll to the British Invasion, from the psychedelic era to the growth of corporate rock and the underground scene, from the video generation to the grunge and post-grunge years, rock music has been an undeniable force in both reflecting and shaping cultural trends in the United States. Each of the six volumes in this set provides both narrative chapters and helpful recommended resources for information about important performers, trends, and genres within these exciting periods in rock music history. Neil Young once said that rock and roll will never die, and indeed, rock music has played an enormous role in American culture ever since its beginnings in the 1950s. From early rock n' roll to the British Invasion, from the psychedelic era to the growth of corporate rock and the underground scene, from the video generation to the grunge and post-grunge years, rock music has been an undeniable force in both reflecting and shaping cultural trends in the United States.

Reviews

Two academics who worked for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and six music journalists produced this 1,700-page set. Each volume follows a common presentation: time line; chapters enhanced with black-and-white photographs and sidebars; an A-Z of Rock with brief descriptions of major artists, recordings, and events; appendixes listing significant recordings; reference guide; and index.[e]ach Greenwood volume serves as a useful introduction to its respective era. Recommended. Lower-/upper-division undergraduates; general readers. * Choice *
[C]overs the gamut of rock'n'roll music from its inception in the early 1950s to the postgrunge of today. * Library Journal *
[V]alue for money (on a scale of one to five, five being good, a five). Very much a book for the school, college, and university library where rock music is both studied and simply enjoyed, and good for public library reference Durable, easy-to-handle and carry about, a must for any specialist researcher, for a lecturer preparing courses in the field, and for anyone priding themselves on knowledge of rock history. * Reference Reviews *
This six-volume set is an all-inclusive history of rock from its early days in the 1950's up through the decades to the grunge and post-grunge years, 1991-2005. It brings an understanding of rock music, and treats it as not just entertainment but as part of culture--how rock has shaped and been shaped by culture. The chapters in this set provide B&W photos, fact boxes, and narratives about musicians, writers, producers, trends, concerts, and much more.This set would be valuable for those doing research and appealing to those who are interested in reading about the history or rock. Recommended. * Library Media Connection *
[E]ngagingly written, and the overall design of each volume is well thought out and easy to use. The photographs of the various performers and performing groups add a great touch. The timeline that opens each volume is very helpful in placing a specific group or movement in its wider historical conext. The glossary at the end of each volume provides brief descriptions of personalities, record labels, and important musical titles. The reference guide or bibliography in each volume is extensive. In addition, each volume's index is thorough and includes cross references.Because of its thoroughness and scholarly approach, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History is an indispensable set that should be placed in the collections of all public libraries and in academic libraries serving music programs. * Reference & User Services Quarterly *
Each book's preface, introduction, and time line explain the scope of the text and set the stage for the thematic chapters that follow. The encyclopedic A-Z of Rock at the end of each volume contains brief biographical entries, information on record companies, and definitions of musical styles. Appendixes of the top-selling and most significant records of the period are included. Each title concludes with an extensive Reference Guide that lists related books, articles, Web sites, organizations, museums, events, films, and recordings, followed by a detailed index. Scattered throughout the texts are black-and-white portraits and shaded text boxes with information on influential musicians, musical styles, and more. In addition to being excellent reference tools, these volumes are so readable that libraries will want to consider circulating them. An outstanding set. * School Library Journal *
By giving rock music the spotlight, the authors ultimately attain their goal of presenting an insider's view of the rock genre and its many forms. The set is a unique reference source and downright addictive in terms of browsing and should appeal to researchers, music historians, students, and, finally, the kids inside many of us who just like everything about rock music. Reading it reminds us that those kids are still alright. * Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin *
This new survey of music history traces the development of rock music from its roots in blues, gospel, jazz, country and western swing through the video age and the post-grunge scene. The approach is chronological with separately authored volumes, each spanning seven to 15 years.Each period survey begins with a timeline of the decade and concludes with a guide to additional resources including books, films and Web sites. Appendices also include lists of best-selling records and an author-selected list of influential recordings. Topics cover not just the development of musical styles and genres, but also the music business; the influence of television, video and film; political activism and the humanitarian efforts of rock musicians.[t]he substantial narratives provide an excellent overview of rock history and will serve a wide range of audiences. * Lawrence Looks at Books *
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History explores the ways rock music both reflected and shaped culture since its beginnings in the 1950s. Each of the six volumes provides narrative chapters on the important performers, trends, and genres for each vibrant period in rock music. Also provided in each volume is a timeline; a discography of seminal and bestselling recordings; a dictionary of performers, recordings, events and genres; a resource guide; and an index to serve an additional research resources. * Library Media Connection *

Author Bio

Lisa Scrivani-Tidd is a professor of music in the State University of New York (SUNY) at Jefferson and is also the university organist at St. Lawrence University. Dr. Scrivani-Tidd has taught for the Education Department at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, and has developed a music curriculum at SUNY Jefferson where she currently teaches courses in music theory, music appreciation, performance, and music history, including History of American Popular Music and History of Rock & Roll. Rhonda Markowitz is a rock journalist, freelance author, editor, and producer, has written for VH-1, Spin Magazine, and People.com. Chris Smith is a Vancouver-based writer and photographer who has served as music editor for Performing Songwriter, editor-in-chief for Inside New York, and associate editor for University of Chicago Magazine. His work has appeared in dozens of publications, including Rolling Stone, Billboard, Time Out New York, the Sydney Morning Herald, Texas Music, the Village Voice, and the Journal of Visual Anthropology. In addition to music and film journalism, Chris has worked as a combat correspondent, a festival producer, a wildlife photographer, and a musician, and is the author of Volume 3 of this series. John Borgmeyer attended the University of Missouri-Columbia and currently works as a staff writer for the C-Ville Weekly Newspaper in Charlottsville, Virginia. Richard Skanse is the editor of Texas Music magazine and a freelance writer whose features and/or reviews have appeared in Rolling Stone, Tracks, Harp, Performing Songwriter, Sing Out, The Journal of Country Music, Austin American-Statesman, CMA Close Up and New York Magazine, as well as assorted Web sites such as RollingStone.com and LoneStarMusic.com. He has also contributed entries to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll and The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Before returning to his native Texas in the spring of 2001, he spent four years in New York City, where he worked as an editor for RollingStone.com. Rob Patterson has written for classic rock magazines like Creem, Circus, Crawdaddy, Spin, and Musician. He has been a contributor to The Rolling Stone Record Guide, and his music writing has appeared in hundreds of daily newspapers syndicated by United Features Syndicate and Newspaper Enterprises Association. He currently writes about music for Harp magazine, Texas Music, Country Music People in the U.K. and The Progressive Populist. Rob Patterson conceived of and co-produced the 1995 album Austin Country Nights. He sang on the Terry Allen album Human Remains alongside David Byrne and Lucinda Williams, has done publicity for Ozzy Osbourne, and worked as a road manager for Don McLean. MaryAnn Janosik was recently named Dean of Ohio University's Lancaster campus. She was Director of Education at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, and has previously been an associate professor of history. and dean of a division of Oakton Community Collge. Dr. Janosik continues to teach courses and design professional development workshops in the areas of rock music, American film and popular culture. Bob Gulla is a professional writer and co-author of The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History (2005).