The Death Of Rhythm And Blues

The Death of Rhythm and Blues

Product DescriptionExamines the changing sound of rhythm and blues, from the electrifying music of such greats as Chuck Berry and Aretha Franklin to current mainstream names like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, and explores the reasons for this radical shiftFrom Publishers WeeklySlicing through the main layers of the world of R & B, George, music critic for Billboard and Playboy , profiles his personal heroes in the recent history of black musicespecially in the evolution of black radio, the growth of independent record labels and the development of retail outlets for R & B records. Here are perceptive summations of the contributions of such star creative performers as Chuck Berry, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson, as well as of lesser-known musicians, and of the links between black social and economic affairs and the changes in contemporary black culture. Above all, George examines the business of black music and probes the ways in which it has affected the "symptoms of illness" in R & B. He is convinced that "black America's assimilationist obsession is heading it straight toward cultural suicide." Photos not seen by PW.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.From Library JournalGeorge, music editor at Billboard and contributor to Playboy and the Village Voice , has written a provocative book describing how white society has changed black music. Providing as much a cultural as a musical history, he takes the extreme view that black music has become so assimilated into white culture that it is near destruction. In response, he urges blacks to achieve integration and practical power by becoming more self-sufficient, politically and economically. An important and perceptive book. Daniel J. Lombardo, Jones Lib., Inc., Amherst, Mass.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.