Night Beat: A Shadow History Of Rock & Roll (1999) - Plot & Excerpts
Wow! What a long, strange trip it's been... This book takes us on a ride through time, through some of the history of rock and roll, introducing us to the people, and the events that helped shape who we are today. Not only is the soundtrack of our lives documented in these articles, but the events which formed much of them are chronicled in a way that enables us to see the bigger picture. Who would have thought that the music, and the musicians that made it, and their influences on each other, could have had the impact on culture, society, and all the individual lives that it did? Mikal Gilmore writes so fluently, so concisely, so poignantly about the music and the people behind it, as well as some of the poets and authors and others who also helped shape the world we live in today, I found myself relishing each article, enjoying insights into and interviews with bands and musicians I've loved my whole life as well as developing an appreciation for those I don't particularly care for or didn't know much about beforehand. I have to say, I learned more about the times I've lived in, the things I've listened to and the places this has taken me through this book than I thought possible. I was sad when this book ended because there is so much more to learn and so much more music to listen to while learning it. And also because I wanted to hear Mikal's voice continue talking about it.
One might be forgiven for mistaking this book's subtitle--"A Shadow History of Rock & Roll"--for an indicator of some sort of underground, avant-garde perspective on the history of popular music. It is not, though, and while Gilmore's collected pieces are well-written, these explorations of Bob Dylan, Elvis, the Beatles, the Clash, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, et al. would only be considered "underground" or "shadowy" by the Des Moines chapter of the Pat Boone Fan Club.A worthwhile (if not groundbreaking) entry in the annals of collected rock journalism.
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